Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm delighted to use my short debate today to once again highlight the issue of the protection of war memorials across Wales. I'm deeply honoured to have the opportunity to once again raise the importance of protecting war memorials in Wales. As I've often said before, they are an essential part of the cultural and social fabric of Wales and Britain, and it's so important that these memorials are protected for years to come. Our future generations must remember and never forget those who died for our freedoms, and, by doing so, they can learn from previous conflicts so that they are never repeated again. It's therefore essential that governments at all levels do all that they can to safeguard these memorials, as sadly, in recent years, they have come under increasing threat.

Of course, this is not a party political campaign, as support for the protection of our war memorials has come from politicians at all levels and from all sides of the political spectrum, and I'm really heartened by the support shown by so many for this worthwhile cause. At Westminster, the then Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree, Luciana Berger, said, and I quote,

'It is so important that we remember the enormous sacrifices made...to secure, for us all, the freedoms that we enjoy today. War memorials help us to remember the people who have given their lives. Memorials also help local communities and young people engage with local history.'

And at Holyrood, the Greenock and Inverclyde MSP, Stuart McMillan, said, and I quote again,

'We owe it to our servicemen and servicewomen to preserve the monuments that honour and remember the fallen.'

Calls from politicians of all parties, and from all parts of the UK, remind us that we are not alone in seeking to honour our fallen heroes, and it also reminds us of the enormous impact that those conflicts have had on the United Kingdom. And so we have an opportunity to lead by example and work together to ensure that Wales's war memorials are safeguarded for the future.

Now, according to the latest estimates from the War Memorials Trust, there are approximately 10,000 war memorials in the United Kingdom. Each war memorial is unique in its own right. Some are plaques, others gardens, others statues, and others even windows. But each of them carry an enormous significance to the families of those who fell in previous conflicts and to the local  community. For some, the names listed on a memorial may be the only record of that individual's sacrifice. That makes it all the more disturbing as we continue to hear stories of memorials vandalised and desecrated across the country. Members may remember, back in March, when a swastika was spray-painted across the Connah's Quay and Shotton war memorial. The vandalism of that memorial shows the deepest disrespect for the 70 soldiers who lost their lives during the first world war.

And that's not the only case  of vandalism in recent months. The Boer War memorial on Swansea seafront, opposite St Helen's rugby ground, was daubed with anarchy symbols and the words 'smash empire' and 'troops out'. And following a climate change protest in north Wales in September, a war memorial in Bangor was vandalised. All of these events happened in the last 12 months, proving that the protection of Wales's war memorials is as important and relevant as ever. And so, today, in this Chamber, I hope Members will join me in saying that we will remember those who fought and died for this country, and that we, as representatives of communities across Wales, will do all that we can to protect and preserve their sacrifice.