The next item is a statement by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government marking Remembrance Day and supporting our armed forces community. I call on the Deputy Minister to make the statement. Hannah Blythyn.

Diolch. In November of each year we rightly take the opportunity to honour and mark the debt of gratitude we owe to the fallen, to our veterans and to our armed forces communities across Wales as part of the annual remembrance period. The year 2019 sees a number of significant anniversaries.

In June we commemorated the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day, a momentous moment that we now know marked the beginning of the end of war in Europe. Major commemorations took place both here in the UK and along the Normandy coast, as communities and countries reflected, recognised and remembered. My own great-uncle Tommy—Thomas Edward Oldfield of the Royal Army Service Corps—served in Belgium and France before D-Day. He was at Arromanches during the landings where he saw his uncle Arthur Brockley getting off a boat onto the shore. His uncle asked him, 'What are you doing here?' and he replied, 'The same thing as you.' Now aged 83, Tommy still attends his local cenotaph annually on Remembrance Sunday.

Last month also marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of the liberation of ‘s-Hertogenbosch by 53rd (Welsh) Division. The First Minister represented Wales during commemorative events there on 26 and 27 October. A hundred and forty six Welsh soldiers were lost during that one engagement. 

This August also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the UK armed forces' deployment on operations in Northern Ireland—the longest continuous operation in British military history.

This year, the Royal British Legion is inviting communities across Britain to 'Remember Together' the service, the sacrifice, friendship and collaboration of the men and women of Britain, the Commonwealth and allied nations who fought together in 1944.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.

And through our Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers programme, we continue to mark the centenary of the first world war. The programme works in collaboration with national and local partners, providing a fitting tribute to those touched by that terrible conflict, and I was pleased that funding has been provided to extend the programme until 2020.

In May I launched the Welsh Government’s first ever armed forces covenant annual report. This report captures the progress we have made and is testament to what can be achieved when working collaboratively across all sectors. Today, I would like to take the opportunity to share with Members the progress made in providing increased support for our armed forces community.

This Welsh Government remains fully committed to supporting the health and well-being of our armed forces community, working to ensure healthcare provision meets their needs. We provide Veterans NHS Wales with nearly £700,000 annually to help treat mental health conditions. This is a unique service—the only national service of its kind in the UK—receiving over 4,500 referrals since it began.

At last month’s covenant conference, I was pleased to help launch the veterans trauma network in Wales. This is an extremely positive development, which, in collaboration with a network of specialists throughout Wales, will provide ex-service personnel, who suffered severe physical injury as a result of their service, access to timely and appropriate care for their injuries, regardless of where they live in Wales.

We recognise the impact transition may have on the well-being of our armed forces community. Having the right support in place on return to civilian life is critical, and is something that we are actively addressing, working with the Ministry of Defence to ensure that service leavers and their families returning to Wales have access to information on the support available at a local level.

To ensure consistency in the delivery of policies and procedures that support our armed forces community, we have allocated £250,000 per year for two years, from 2019 to 2020, to fund the armed forces liaison officers—AFLOs. Working with local authorities, the liaison officers are making considerable progress, helping to increase engagement, upskilling front-line staff and raising awareness of the covenant.

There are numerous examples of best practice. In north Wales, for example, training for front-line service providers is under way to raise awareness of the covenant. Whilst in south Wales, local authorities in Gwent have amended their housing policies to take account of time served in the armed forces when it comes to waiting lists.

At the armed forces expert group in September we heard about the development of the defence transition services. Aimed at those service leavers and their families with complex transition needs, DTS will provide support and information in key areas such as housing, finance, health and well-being. We will continue to work together with key partners to ensure we have a seamless support system in place for those who need it.

The Minister for Economy and Transport and I recently wrote jointly to all Members regarding our employment pathway and employers toolkit. These important resources inform and provide options for service leavers and veterans to get into decent work, applying the many invaluable skills that ex-service personnel have. We’d very much welcome support from Members to raise awareness of these particularly helpful tools within the business community.

Periods of separation and the mobile nature of service life can also lead to employment challenges for spouses. The new Forces Families Jobs website provides a forces-friendly facility that helps support service families in accessing jobs and training opportunities.

Launching the website at our covenant conference, I heard first-hand the unique challenges facing service family members. A number of businesses across Wales have registered with the site, including people like General Dynamics, the University of South Wales and Pembrokeshire College.

Service children with experience of parental deployment can face very real educational challenges. Launched in 2018, the supporting service children in Wales fund has been made available for the 2019/20 academic year. The bespoke fund of £250,000 aims to mitigate the effects of deployment or mobility, supporting schools in embedding practices that can benefit the service children and their school.

I'm aware that some veterans struggle to secure housing, so let’s be clear, this is not acceptable. In recognition of their service, service personnel, who have been seriously injured or disabled in service and who have an urgent need for social housing, should be given high priority within local authority allocation schemes. The Welsh Government is currently reviewing priority need arrangements, and a report on this is due in April next year.

Deputy Llywydd, in the last statement of this kind, my predecessor spoke about our armed forces scoping exercise to identify gaps in service delivery for the armed forces community. This important work is moving forward, and I would like to place on record my thanks to the veterans, families and organisations who have engaged with this work. Issues raised include inconsistency of support during transition, the need for greater family support, help for those in prison and with substance misuse issues, and uncertainties on accessing help and advice.

We are now working in partnership with members of the armed forces expert group to take forward plans to tackle the issues raised. We also continue to work closely with a number of UK Government departments on the delivery of the UK veterans strategy. Our scoping results have fed into that work.

I do know, though, that challenges and concerns remain for members of our armed forces community, and I've heard these first-hand myself. We are listening, we are acting, and we are committed to meeting these challenges. By working well together, we will continue to make a positive difference, ensuring that challenges are not faced alone or in isolation. Our armed forces community deserve our support and they will receive it.

We will not forget the sacrifice—for some, the ultimate sacrifice—our armed services personnel have made. Deputy Presiding Officer, what more fitting way to close this statement today than with the words of John Maxwell Edmonds:

'When you go home, tell them of us and say / For your tomorrow, we gave our today.'

Thank you for your statement. It's actually a decade now since I led a short debate here calling on Wales to adopt the armed forces covenant, and what a long way we've all come in the decade since. But, of course, as the Royal British Legion states, remembrance itself does not glorify war, and its symbol, the red poppy, is a sign of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.

Last Friday I was honoured to attend and speak at the armed forces covenant signing by businesses from across north Wales at the Adventure Parc Snowdonia. And on Sunday I laid a wreath, alongside Lesley Griffiths, at the remembrance service in Wrexham, attended by thousands and thousands of local people.

You refer to the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-day and your uncle Tommy. Well, my stepdad Mack, as we called him, sadly no longer with us, flew a glider on D-day and never wanted to talk about his experiences afterwards, but I think that was the reality of the experience so many faced on that occasion.

You referred to training for front-line service providers to raise awareness of the covenant, which is clearly critical, and to the employment pathway and employers toolkit. Again, early this year, I was pleased to host the launch of the first national veterans awards for Wales, celebrating ex-forces personnel and the contribution they had made to civilian life after transitioning from the military, going above and beyond and excelling in their relevant fields.

Moving on to specific points, SSAFA have said that 74 per cent of veterans experience problems in the first three years of transition, 80 per cent in the first five years. And of the 15,000 men and women leaving the armed forces each year, it's expected that nearly nine out of 10 will transition successfully, utilising the skills they've acquired during their military service, but a small minority will encounter serious problems after they leave. And there's some evidence that this number is growing—whether it's mental health or emotional well-being problems, difficulties finding or keeping employment, relationship difficulties or breakdown, physical health problems or others, but those were amongst the most serious reported.

In Wales there are approximately 48,338 veterans, we believe, of working age living here, but veterans themselves are far more likely to be older, with a significantly higher percentage aged over 75, and almost two thirds aged over 65, putting more pressure on support services for those older veterans with complex needs. Male veterans of retirement age are more likely to report experiencing, for example, heart, blood pressure and/or circulatory problems. So, what consideration is the Welsh Government, in terms of its health provision, giving to the specific complex needs of veterans—not just giving them the entitlement to priority treatment, but to acknowledging the need to perhaps engage with them in a practical and sympathetic way when they do access services?

We know that the Army Families Federation has raised concerns about the trend of some local authorities not giving the appropriate discounts on the council tax reduction scheme for armed forces families. Could you therefore provide an update on how the Welsh Government is engaging with that concern and ensuring it's providing adequate signposting to help and support armed forces personnel who are able to apply for that?

We know that in Scotland there's an independent veterans commissioner giving impartial advice to the Scottish Government on how to support the veterans and ex-forces community in public authority provision in Scotland and promoting veterans as valuable assets in their communities. The Scottish Government has also established a Government Minister with specific responsibility for veterans. In the UK Government, the Prime Minister has established an office for veterans' affairs within the Cabinet Office and appointed a Minister for defence people and veterans. But the cross-party group on armed forces and cadets's inquiry into the armed forces covenant found that

'There is insufficient accountability to ensure that those organisations that have subscribed to the Covenant are actually fulfilling their obligations'.

In the absence of the specific officers and roles existing in other parts of the UK, how will the Welsh Government address that specific concern?

You referred to education and the pupil level annual school census. The Welsh Government said it's committed to changing the pupil level annual school census to include a question on service children. Can you provide an update on the timeline for that?

In terms of mental health needs, we know that the Royal British Legion has stated that one in 10 in the ex-service community have reported feeling depressed—equating to 31,000 individuals in Wales. There's also the prevalence of common mental health disorders in the UK armed forces, estimated at 20 per cent, alongside alcohol misuse at 13 per cent and post-traumatic stress disorder at 6 per cent. The Help for Heroes grant for Veterans NHS Wales, providing support for that community for three years, of £517,000 to employ three full-time veterans' therapists, ends next September, 2020. And I'm told that the service will need funding, additionally, of approximately £160,000 each year to retain those posts, if they're to keep waiting time for treatment under Welsh Government targets of 26 weeks. So, what consideration will the Welsh Government therefore be giving to funding those veterans' services in its forthcoming budget? I appreciate you can't tell us how much, but what consideration will you be giving to that?

Can you wind up, please? You've had nearly as long as the Minister's taken to introduce the statement. So, one final question, please.

Finally, the Royal British Legion make reference to rough-sleeping and homelessness. They note the majority of veterans manage the transition into new homes successfully and that a relatively low number of veterans experience difficulties and therefore become homeless and end up rough-sleeping. But how do you respond to their recommendation that the Welsh Government extend priority need so it encompasses not just those leaving the armed forces, but those who left up to five years ago also, to allow for their adjustment into civilian life?

Can I start by thanking Mark Isherwood for sharing his own family stories of Mack, who flew a glider in the second world war? There are so many tales of tremendous bravery in service that I'm sure that we're all able to share ourselves now as we reflect and remember and also learn from the past.

I'll do my best to try and address a number of the questions that the Member raised. Just to start with the final point with regard to priority access in terms of housing allocation and homelessness, as I referred to in the statement, there is currently an independent review of priority need in housing, which is due to report back in April next year. And, of course, the impact on veterans and the work of our scoping exercise will be a part of that as well.

Alongside the talk of transition, the scoping exercise has picked up that there is support there and it's about the signposting as well and making sure that people are aware of this support, but also, actually, the scoping exercise does highlight transition as one of those areas where we might need to look to see how we can, perhaps, plug some of those gaps. So, I hope, possibly, early in the new year, to be in a position to further update Members on that and the work that the armed forces expert group is now taking forward in order for us to be able to deliver on that.

You raised a very significant point in terms of older veterans in particular, and perhaps the complex needs that they may have. It was my pleasure to be part of the Age Cymru Project 360 and to contribute to that, as well as speak at their conference—to work collaboratively with them and other partners to ensure that, as we move forward, we make sure we are providing the necessary support and assistance for all of our veterans and particularly people as they get older as well.

In respect to another issue, the application of council tax reduction was raised in this Chamber by a colleague of yours last week in business questions, and it's certainly something that I and the Minister for Housing and Local Government can take forward with colleagues in local authorities to ensure that people are being made aware of these reductions and they are being applied where they should be applied as well.

In terms of the question on PLASC, I'm working closely with officials across Government, both in the DES department and with the Minister for Education, with regard to actually taking forward that recommendation. We recognise that having that data would be incredibly beneficial in order to support service children in education and that work is ongoing. I hope to be in a position to update Members shortly.

Thank you. Dai Lloyd. 

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and may I also thank the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government for her statement on Remembrance Day and supporting our armed forces, wherever they may be? Of course, in remembering the sacrifice of those lost, as the Deputy Minister has already mentioned, we also remember the suffering of those who have survived, and we all, of course, think of our own family members who have been involved in conflict. But, as I am so much older than many people who have spoken already, my grandfather fought in the battle of the Somme in the first world war, and, incredibly, he survived—or I wouldn’t be here, of course—but survived facing great suffering until his untimely death, when I was a very young boy. So, of course, we remember the sacrifice of those lost, but we also remember the suffering of those who survived—suffering that goes on to this very day.

And, of course, you mentioned in your statement the health impacts, and the mental health impacts specifically, and looked at the broad range of work happening with various organisations. But, of course, veterans and members of our armed forces have seen appalling things and it’s very difficult to cope with that and they need ongoing support. We need a substantial improvement in our mental health care across the board, because, as doctors and nurses working in the health service, we’re facing an increasing wave of mental health challenges, and, with veterans being at a high risk of being among those thousands of people who are suffering, they’re not all diagnosed as of yet, of course.

The health committee in this Senedd produced a report last year on suicide, and, of course, one of the high-risk groups for suicide are veterans. And I see what’s happening in terms of all of these organisations, but, naturally, there are people who fall between the cracks between the various organisations, what everyone is doing and so on. Essentially, what we want to know is what is the Government going to do to ensure that there is ongoing consistent funding, particularly of those charitable organisations working in our communities that provide mental health support across the board, as well as those organisations that you’ve named here who provide support for veterans. There are other charitable organisations too that are doing laudable work and they would be doing more of that work if they were resourced to the proper extent. That is, more resources, and that resource provided on an ongoing basis and in the longer term—the kind of thing we’re always asking the Government to provide.

And the only other question I have is that when someone who is a veteran returns and comes into contact with our health service, then, on occasion, there is a gap in their medical records. It isn’t always possible to get hold of any sort of information about their medical history whilst they were serving in the armed forces, and when we see them as doctors and nurses out in the community, then there’s no information about any former illnesses that they may have suffered. So, repeated demands have been made, and there are changes happening, but, again, there are some examples when that information simply isn’t available to the health service, and that information relates to the time they spent in the armed forces, and that’s where the information remains. I would hope that there would be some means of transferring that information, that necessary information, about the state of our veterans' health to the proper authorities who look after them now. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your questions, Dai Lloyd.

You're obviously right in what you say in talking about your grandfather in terms of, actually, you know, we commemorate the sacrifice of those lost but also remember the suffering of those who survived as well, which is why it's so important, as a community, as a country and a Welsh Government, that we support those who have served and who continue to serve as well.

In terms of the challenges, there is support there. We are proud to support Veterans' NHS Wales—a unique service of its kind in the UK—but, clearly, as our scoping exercise has identified, there are gaps and, unfortunately, some people do, and, as you say, can sometimes fall through those gaps. So, it's a matter now of actually how we close them and work with those partner organisations to ensure that, actually, if the support is there, people know where to go to get the support as well, and it's signposted effectively and in the right places.

Like I said, I've heard, very movingly on some occasions, on some of the visits I've been on in this role, particularly to organisations such as Woody's Lodge, from veterans themselves of actually the challenges they faced when they left the services and feeling that they were let down. It really did move me, spur me on to make sure that we do, in the next stage in the work of Welsh Government, make sure that we close those gaps to the best of our ability as well, and, actually, how we best support those charitable organisations that, as you say, do wonderful work. And, actually, it would not be possible to do this work without the partnership and without the people who have that expertise. Because we know, in many cases, actually, a lot of these organisations are peer led as well, which makes a huge difference to a veteran if they know they can go and talk to somebody who has shared those similar experiences as well and will understand where they're coming from. So, whilst I'm not able to go into budget figures, as the Member would expect today, I would like to place on record assurances that this Government is committed to continuing to build on the work of supporting veterans and our armed forces communities in Wales.

Diolch yn fawr, Deputy Minister, for this very important statement today. I was privileged to be able to join veterans and members of the public at the cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, something which I have very fond memories of doing as a young child, hand in hand with Dad. And, again, I was privileged to join members of the public and veterans yesterday at the cenotaph in Connah's Quay.

Yesterday saw the unveiling of the commemorations stone for an additional 23 names of people from Connah's Quay and Shotton who fought in world war one. It was also, once again, an opportunity to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms we all cherish. And, Deputy Llywydd, let me say: we will remember them.

As we pass the hundredth anniversary of the ending of world war one and mark the 80 years since the start of world war two, it is incumbent on my generation to do all we can to remember those who fought in these conflicts and all conflicts since. That is why I'm extremely proud to declare today that I am an honorary member of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Shotton and Connah's Quay branch, something which my late Uncle Mark served under.

Remembering is not just about these events, it is also about making sure that our veterans are given the support that they deserve. Deputy Minister, in the same line as Dr Dai Lloyd said—my colleague from across the Chamber—it is extremely difficult even to begin to imagine what the service personnel have seen while on active duty. So, please can you outline what mental health support is available to veterans but also available to serving personnel, as well as their families, and any areas that she feels this provision can be improved?

And finally, Deputy Minister, will you join me in saying in this Chamber 'lest we forget'?

Thank you. Absolutely. Lest we forget—I think there's always consensus on that right across this Chamber and beyond, across the country. As well, may I start by congratulating you on becoming an honorary member of the Shotton and Deeside branch? You started by talking about Connah's Quay cenotaph, and I must admit, Deputy Presiding Officer, I actually have fond memories of Connah's Quay cenotaph myself growing up, not least as the standard bearer for 1st Connah's Quay Brownies during one remembrance service. And actually, just to indulge myself a little bit further, the Great-uncle Tom I mentioned, he was actually at the cenotaph in Connah's Quay on Remembrance Sunday, as well, as he has been every year.

In terms of, actually, the serious points that you raise there with the support for mental health—absolutely, we know that is a priority that needs to be supported, which is why we are proud to have invested in the Veterans' NHS Wales service. As I said previously, clearly, there are people who may not know that the service is available, might not feel able to go and get that support, which is why that peer-to-peer support is so, so important, but also the work that we're doing in the scoping exercise, making sure that we're speaking to those people, veterans organisations, where they feel there may be gaps in services. And, of course, if the Member ever has things raised with you locally with regard to the provision of support, then please do write to us and write to me, because then that can actually feed into how we build on the work we're already doing.

And, finally, Mandy Jones.

Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I welcome your statement today, Deputy Minister, and I wish to pay tribute to all of those who gave so much in various conflicts over the years. I cannot even begin to imagine the horror of war in 1914 or now. I am glad that I cannot. We must acknowledge the sacrifice of millions of lives, but also the sacrifice of mental and physical health, of lives planned and imagined but not lived, of marriages that never happened, sweethearts, parents and siblings lost, and all of the civilian lives lost and affected by war.

We can all recall a member of the family who fell—that name said with pride, and who we cry for every November, however long ago they died. I hear from veterans that they perceive an increase in crowds at the services over the last few years and this is very, very welcome. You all know that my son is currently serving in the army. He has done five tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, plus many more. He has seen friends and comrades die in battle in front of him—they were my sons too. He serves his country and his Queen with pride. He's willing to risk his life for us; my heart bursts with pride at the man and the soldier he has become. 

One of the most touching things about this Remembrance Sunday for me was standing next to a lady who was telling her five-year-old son why we were there. She mentioned a fallen relative and the millions of others who gave their lives and she just said, 'So we can lead a better life'. It is vital that we continue to tell our kids about war and conflict and about reconciliation and tolerance, and my only ask today is that we make sure that our schoolchildren are taught about armed conflict and its place in the development of our democracy. The only political point I feel is appropriate today is that, while a railcard for veterans is very welcome, I know that serving soldiers, sailors and the air force would much rather see homelessness tackled, housing provided and prosecutions stopped. We will remember them.

Thank you for that incredibly moving contribution, which was absolutely from the heart. And I hope that the Member won't mind me placing on record our thanks, on behalf of the Welsh Government, to your son and his fellow soldiers who serve, for all they do in their service to our country and for keeping the world safe.

Just to refer to the comments you made in terms of increasing crowds this year, and many veterans saying that—I think we've probably all seen that in the evidence of photos from the services at cenotaphs right across the country. And I saw it myself in two of the services that I attended this Sunday as well. That is to be welcomed, because it is right that we remember and actually that we learn from that too, and we recognise the great sacrifice and service that people have made previously and continue to make on our behalf, and that that is taught to—. What I found particularly—. You talked about that schoolchildren are made aware of the role that people who serve play. I thought it was quite wonderful to see—and I'm sure that other Members will share similar stories about schools taking part now in remembrance services—local secondary schools, and primary schools, even, laying wreaths on behalf of the children. And the field of remembrance in Cardiff Castle—there is a section there where schoolchildren across Cardiff have been involved in actually paying their own tributes, and, if you go and look at some of those crosses, there are some lovely, moving tributes from the younger generation, remembering the current generation and the older generation and what they did for us.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister.