I don’t think I can in any way match Dai Lloyd’s poignant reflections on the first world war, but we must remind ourselves that our armed forces do not go to war of their own volition; they go usually because politicians have failed. But it is the personnel of our armed forces who pay the price for that failure. Men and women from our cities, towns and villages are remembered each year by our coming together in those same cities, towns and villages, not to celebrate, but to pay honour to the sacrifice that members of all the forces have made on our behalf. We in UKIP place great value on that sacrifice, not only by those who died in that terrible conflict for which we now celebrate 100 years since its end, known to us as the great war, but also those who died in that second great war of the twentieth century and, indeed, all the conflicts in which our armed forces have been engaged since the end of that second world war. On behalf of UKIP, I would like to thank all those who work in the charitable organisations, in particular the Royal British Legion, to ensure that those who have suffered in their service to this country are looked after in the best possible way.

We acknowledge and welcome the progress made by the Welsh Government in its support of the expert group on the needs of the armed forces community in Wales and their approach in ensuring that the armed forces covenant is upheld, and also the many interventions they have initiated in support of this aim. However, perhaps just one note of discord is that I understand the expert group met last on 7 February 2018, and prior to that on 5 July 2017, a whole seven months between meetings. If this is true, then it's not an acceptable time lapse for such an important organ for the delivery of the interventions put in place by the Welsh Government.

We support the call for an armed forces commissioner. We see him as someone who would have a co-ordinating role in bringing together all the disparate parts of the support mechanisms available to our ex-servicemen and women, and in making sure they work in the most effective way. If we have a children’s commissioner, an older people’s commissioner and a future generations commissioner, why not one for ex-forces personnel? We also support Neil McEvoy’s call for a no soldier left behind Act. Let’s give a legal binding to the Government’s duty of care to our ex-service personnel.

Our armed forces are renowned for being the best in the world, and therefore it is imperative that we have someone at the head to ensure that the best get the best in both the care and treatment they receive when they leave the armed forces and, indeed, whilst they are serving in any of the armed forces.

Let us be proud of the fact that Wales has just 5 per cent of the UK population but provides 8 per cent of Her Majesty’s armed forces. It is therefore fitting that Wales should be at the forefront in ensuring that our ex-servicemen and women are treated with the respect and honour they deserve. Sleeping rough on our streets or the mental problems associated with their days in combat not being diagnosed or treated are not what they should expect. We must do all we can to support such victims and eradicate the scourge of them being forced to live on our streets.