DLitt: Klaus Hansch, past president of the European Parliament, Brussels, member of the European Parliament for the Social Democratic Party in North Rhine-Westphalia; Timothy Brooks, lord lieutenant of Leicestershire since 1989, chairman of Harborough District Council, chairman of the governors of Brooksby Agricultural College and Wyggeston's Hospital; Anne Stevenson, poet and biographer, author of a controversial biography of Sylvia Plath.
DSc: John Enderby, H. O. Wills emeritus professor of physics and director of the H. H. Wills physics laboratory at the University of Bristol, former director of the Institute Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, winner of the Guthrie Medal from the Institute of Physics, 1995; Bill Moffat, founder of the Water and Engineering Development Centre, associate dean of teaching for engineering; DTech: David Moorcroft, international athlete, sports commentator; David Clarke, founder of Graypaul Motors and the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation, president of the G.C.R. Preserved Railway.
MA: Kenneth Long, former vice principal of Loughborough College of Art and Design, honorary curator of the university's art collection.
Coventry University DSc: Graham Suggett, former principal of Warwickshire College of Agriculture.
MA: Judy Ledger, founder of Baby Lifeline; Steve Ogrizovic, goalkeeper and holder of Coventry City Football Club's appearance record, triple Player of the Year in 1996/97; Doris Butterworth, member of Coventry 2000, a charitable trust supporting deprived schools in the city.
University of Luton LLD: Laxmi Mal Singhvi, high commissioner for India in the UK.
DSc: Rolf Schild, chairman of Huntleigh Technology.
MSc: Jim Tabert, senior partner of the university's health service and a general practitioner in Bedfordshire, former vice-chairman of the Family Health Services Authority.
Honorary fellowship: Philip Graham, chairman of the National Children's Bureau, former professor of child psychiatry at the Institute of Child Health and consultant child psychiatrist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children.
DA: Jennifer Freeman, director of the Historic Chapels Trust; John Barrell, chief executive of the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health; Humphrey Lyttelton, musician, composer, chair of Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue; Francisco Sanchez, photo-journalist and war photographer; Dean Richards, England and Lions rugby player, captain of Leicester "Tigers" RFC.
DBA: David Jones, chief executive Next plc DDes: John Sorrell, chairman of Newell & Sorrell and the Design Council; David Mellor, designer and maker of silver for the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, Cutter's Company, Darwin College, Cambridge.
DEd: Elliot Eisner, professor of education and art at Stanford University, US.
DSc: Colin Reddrop, pharmaceutical scientist and president of Astra Charnwood; David Kissman, chairman of governors, Broxtowe College and director of personnel, Boots the Chemist; Keith Boddy, head of regional medical physics, Newcastle General Hospital; Ingram Olkin, professor, department of statistics, Stanford University, US.
DTech: Bruce Macaulay, director, electrical and electronic engineering with the Rover Group.
DLitt: Peter Hobday, journalist, broadcaster, presenter of Radio 4's Today programme; J. G. Ballard, novelist and short story writer, winner of the 1984 Guardian Fiction Award.
LLD: Timothy Brooks, lord lieutenant of Leicestershire; Ruth Runciman, chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission and of the Police Foundation inquiry into drug laws.
Honorary fellowships: Frank Newcombe, former head of pharmacy/associate head of the school of health and community studies; Adrian Davies, consultant at Martineau Johnson, solicitors; Trevor Griffiths, former member of university's board of governors.