Serving and Ex-Service Personnel

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:27 pm on 9 November 2021.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 2:27, 9 November 2021

I thank you for that answer, First Minister. Wales has traditionally provided disproportionate support to our armed forces, and that commitment and sacrifice needs to be honoured, especially this coming Remembrance Week. That is why your Government's increased funding for Veterans' NHS Wales, providing mental health support to ex-service personnel, and for the position of armed forces liaison officers, is so important. But the Financial Times assessment of last week's UK budget identified a real-terms drop of 1.4 per cent in the annual growth of day-to-day defence spending over the next four years—yet more Tory military cuts. Have you discussed that with UK Ministers, because the defence industry supports lots of good, high-skilled jobs in my region and Wales more widely, and we must protect the future and the quality of our armed forces' footprint?