Has the whole awards culture got out of hand?

I certainly think it has. Many awards schemes are now so ten a penny they are virtually meaningless.

Naturally that is not the view of Stratford-upon-Avon-based corporate gift and awards firm Special EFX which has seen demand almost treble during the past two-years.

But even it admits: "Britain has gone award crazy."

There are many types of awards - the most common being those from sector peers and company schemes.

They pour into the business desk on this paper and, unless they are major ones with some importance and pedigree, they now get one paragraph.

We ignore company ones universally these days. And perhaps with good reason because they are increasingly becoming a con - a way of avoiding paying people properly.

Special EFX's sales director, Melanie Osborne, accepted: "People are working harder and often longer hours than ever and in many cases it's just not possible to recompense them fully financially.

"However an award has an intrinsic value far greater than any cash payment, as it makes an open public statement of a person's real worth to a company, whatever their status within the organisation.

"It is this ability to truly reward a person for their efforts and commitment, irrespective of their position or salary, that makes award schemes so beneficial.

"At a time when business and commerce has become essentially impersonal, award schemes play a vital role in making people feel noticed and good about themselves."

OK, I don't want to be a killjoy. Everyone likes a pat on the back, to be appreciated, and I would acknowledge that in many companies this does not actually happen enough.

But does that really justify "artificial" award schemes which are simply a sop to the staff.

The standard figleaf of the human resources brigade.

Sadly, all this is doing down the well-respected award schemes that do have genuine street cred.

People are simply getting award weary.

You could bin 90 per cent of them and nobody would notice.

Real achievement does deserve recognition.

But it has to be special, I would submit.

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Hometrack has reported that house prices in England and Wales fell 0.2 per cent month-on-month in November, following a 0.1 per cent decline in October.

Heightened affordability pressures are making it increasingly difficult both for first-time buyers to get into the housing market.

And for existing house owners to trade up.

The question is whether we are now set for a sharp correction over the coming months.

I now tend to agree with Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist with Global Insight, that this has become a very real risk.

Long term, with supply and demand out of kilter, the sector should be set fair.

But, for the moment, we are going through troubled times.