4. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to help Welsh communities to engage with remembrance day? OQ57135

I thank the Member for that, Llywydd. This week, we all recognise the sacrifices of those who have been lost in conflict or suffered injury. Members attend key remembrance events in person and our armed forces liaison officers support local remembrance activity in communities across Wales.

First Minister, as the years pass, it becomes a challenge to ensure that communities are engaged with what Remembrance Day is about, and, indeed, the days leading to it. As an adopted Welshman, I am proud of our nation's contribution to defending our freedom, for the sacrifices made then and now. The Royal British Legion has a range of free educational resources for schools to share the importance of remembrance with people. What discussions has the First Minister had with the Royal British Legion to assess its impact in our schools? Thank you.

I thank the Member for that, Llywydd. We're very glad indeed to have him as an adopted citizen here in Wales. I was privileged to attend the one-hundredth anniversary service in Westminster Abbey of the Royal British Legion. The work that they do here in Wales is outstanding, I believe, both in the welfare services that they provide to ex-service personnel, but in the work that they do in making sure that succeeding generations remain aware of the sacrifices that were made here in the past. I know the Member will be especially interested in an exhibition that the British legion has been involved in; it was opened by the Chief of the Air Staff and my colleague Hannah Blythyn here in Cardiff back in September, and it focuses in part on the experience in Swansea 80 years ago this year, back in February 1941. I remember, Llywydd, myself growing up and my father would tell me about how he was called out of his house in Carmarthen to watch the sky where Swansea was burning as a result of those air raids, and the exhibition is designed to remind people today of the experiences that people underwent then—it's part of that effort that the Royal British Legion makes, and the Welsh Government is very pleased indeed to be associated with them. 

Like most if not all Members of the Senedd, I will be attending remembrance services on Thursday and Sunday. I congratulate and thank the Royal British Legion and others such as the Morriston salvation band and Llansamlet historical society who will be putting on events within my own constituency. A request for the Welsh Government: could you provide a list of events on your website, so that people can look on it and find out what is happening in their area?

I thank Mike Hedges for that. He draws attention, Llywydd, to the importance of those local events that happen in so many communities across Wales, and so many Members of this Senedd will be involved in them. I know very much that the Morriston salvation army band, for example, has very long played a part in Swansea in the commemoration events that will be taking place there. We are at the moment exploring with our armed forces liaison officers the possibility that such local events could be publicised through the new Covenant Wales website. That website is under development, it's due to be in place by the end of this year, and it would be, I think, a very appropriate place for events of the sort that Mike Hedges referred to, to be listed and publicised and drawn to the attention of more people as a result.