Honorary degrees

University of Northumbria.

DCL: Laing Barden, former director of Newcastle Polytechnic and vice chancellor of the university until 1996; Martin Trow, founding director of the centre of studies in higher education at the University of California at Berkeley; Kevin Whately, actor, patron and supporter of the People's Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne; Sue Wilson, governor of the university and director of Newcastle Initiative; Mike Figgis, film director; Toshiro Hamano, painter, sculptor and founder of the Ryu Group of Japanese Artists; Christian Bonington, mountaineer; Andrew Foster, controller of the Audit Commission.

Fellowship: Jenny Robson, former school teacher, president of the Northumbria Tourist Board and a governor of the university; Danny Sharpe, former senior civil servant in the northeast branch of the Department of Trade and Industry, activist in the Newcastle Initiative and the Anglo-Japanese Society.

University of North London

DUniv: William Stewart, chief scientific adviser to the Cabinet Office (1990-95), head of Office of Science and Technology (1992-95), deputy chairman Council for Science and Technology (1993-95); Richard Rogers, architect, founder and chairman of Richard Rogers Architects Ltd, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, France, fellow of the Royal Academy of Art; Prue Leith, managing director of Prudence Leith Ltd, founder of Leith's Cookery School, chairman of Royal Society of Arts; Stephen Sedley, judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, honorary professor at the University of Wales, Cardiff and Warwick, honorary vice president Administrative Law Bar Association; Brenda Dean, chairwoman, Independent Committee for Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services, general secretary of SOGAT (85-91).

MUniv: Herman Ouseley, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality Fellowship: Deborah Cooper, director of Skill, national bureau for students with disabilities.

South Devon College

DLitt: William Stubbs, rector of the London Institute, former chief executive of the Further Education Funding Council, education officer and chief executive of the Inner London Education Authority (1982-88), honorary professor in the department of continuing education at the University of Warwick.

University of Birmingham

DEng: Keith Taylor, chairman and chief executive of Esso UK plc, fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, joint chair of the university's chemical engineering senior advisory group.

DSc: Brian Manning, senior technician in the school of manufacturing and mechanical engineering (1968-84), winner of the Howard Dall medal for skill in instrument making, member of the British Astronomical Association (1949-90).

LLD: John Bettinson, deputy pro-chancellor of the university, senior partner in legal practice, former chair of Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Age Concern and Birmingham NHS Trust, current chair of the Assay Office and Birmingham Research Park Limited; Richard Whittington, West Midlands coroner, former city coroner for Birmingham (1976-83) and university physician at Aston University until 1990.