Labour's former work and pensions minister Lord Knight challenged the effectiveness of the programme.

BBC: Work Programme stats due in August, minister says

Labour peer Lord Knight accused the government of a "lack of action" on waste reduction and suggested that more rigidly enforced targets might help.

BBC: Plastic bag ban 'could be considered', minister says

Others named in the New Year Honours list include Nottinghamshire's Lord Lieutenant Sir Andrew Buchanan, who was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO).

BBC: Honour for founder of Child Migrants Trust

After all, successfully mixing pyrotechnics and narrative is how the most satisfying genre features of recent years -- such as Peter Jackson's "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy and Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" -- have found artistic, as well as commercial, favor.

CNN: 'Watchmen' finally ticks toward big-screen release