I welcome the opportunity to contribute in this debate, which has become almost an annual debate, just before Armistice Day, tabled by the Welsh Conservatives, and you cannot disagree with the sentiments that have been echoed across the Chamber from nearly all—well, all—the political parties here. But I do think we do need to reflect on the positive experience that people—many people—have in the armed services. It’s quite right to focus on the assistance that’s required for people with health issues and being returned back to work, but the all-party group on the armed services, which attended a recent meeting in Sennybridge, to which David Rowlands came—Lee Waters from Llanelli came as well—really saw the army, and the work that the army provides in training, the enthusiasm of soldiers of all levels, right from the hierarchy right down to the squaddies, and the pride and passion that they have for the role that they undertake. Many had many years’ service in the army, but I’m sure this will resonate in the navy and the RAF as well, and it is a wonderful experience for many young men and women in whatever they choose to do.

As has been touched on by the Member for Neath, the experience via careers and developing the character of the individuals who sign up is life-changing for many of the individuals who experience that, in a very positive way. Many people, when they return back to civilian life, wish to keep their privacy and very often wish to get on with their lives and use the experiences that they’ve gained in the military and put that to good use in civilian life.

One thing that I always remember, when we did an inquiry in the health committee, was that, when we were looking at sharing health information—the reason I use the word ‘privacy’ is because the army made the point, and the Ministry of Defence made the point, that many servicemen and women when they leave the army don’t particularly want to disclose that information or pass it on. They see it as their information. We do have to respect individuals’ rights and individuals’ rights to privacy, whilst making sure that we put measures in place that do help those men and women who do suffer the horrendous consequences of PTSD and life-changing injuries that might happen, and also supporting the families that have had bereavement through loved ones being lost in theatre and have paid the ultimate price and the ultimate sacrifice.

It is the families that we should be reflecting on because, very often, they are the ones who go on for years and decades aching for the love that they felt for that individual who laid down their life in that theatre of war, that conflict, that the Government of the day has chosen to deploy our armed services in, whether that be in special forces or whether that be the RAF, navy or the army.

I do want to reflect on how we can develop those services, because the motion today does call for us to reflect on the experience of what the Scottish Government brought forward in 2014 in bringing forward a veterans commissioner. This isn’t along the lines of the commissioners that we understand—the children’s commissioner, the older persons’ commissioner, the future generations commissioner—with an all-singing, all-dancing office with a lot of personnel and a considerable budget. This is someone who is a champion of veterans’ rights and veterans provisions within society, whether working with Government or working with private business. It does not cost a lot of money. It is a role that has proven to be very successful in providing advice and help to Government Ministers in Scotland to provide that support, whether it be in job creation schemes, in training or in promoting positive images of veterans and the armed services.

The way I’m reading the motion on the order paper today, with the amendment that is before us from the Government—I am detecting that the Government are going to support that, unless the Cabinet Secretary indicates, because the Government amendment clearly does not seek to delete it. So, I would ask the Plaid Cymru spokesperson to reflect, because her amendment does seek to delete that very important part of this motion about the creation of a veterans commissioner here in Wales.

I take the point, Bethan, about how we would need to learn from best practice and look internationally about how we might be able to increase or decrease the scope and capacity of such a commissioner, but I think I’m correct that what you were saying was that you don’t actually object to the role of the commissioner—what we need to put in place to assist was your reasoning for deleting that particular part of the motion. If that part of your amendments was withdrawn, then we would have a motion that would have the requirement for the Government to consider creating that veterans commissioner here in Wales.

I do think that that is a really important credit that the Assembly could get at the end of this debate this afternoon. So, I would implore you to give consideration to your first amendment that is seeking to delete that specific point in the motion today, because we can actually move forward on this very important agenda item if you were to withdraw that amendment from voting later on this afternoon. I urge support for the motion before us today.