In this centenary year of the Royal British Legion, it is pertinent that our cross-party motion today proposes that this Senedd remembers and recognises the contribution of all those who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces, particularly those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

As our motion also states, we must welcome and pay tribute to the support that third sector organisations provide to our armed forces community in Wales, which include the Change Step peer mentoring service, delivered by veterans for veterans, led by CAIS, now part of Adferiad Recovery; Woody’s Lodge, providing a communications and social hub for the ex-forces community in Wales; Alabaré and First Choice Housing Association’s homes for veterans; the armed forces charity SSAFA; and, of course, the Royal British Legion. I apologise to any others I've not had time to mention.

Over 6 million men served in the first world war, and of those who came back, 1.75 million were disabled. On 15 May 1921, the British legion was formed by Field Marshal Earl Haig and Bombardier Tom Lister, bringing together four national organisations of ex-servicemen. The women's section quickly followed. In September 1921, the legion adopted the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, and its poppy factory opened the following year. Tomorrow, I'm sponsoring the Royal British Legion's centenary drop-in reception, and Members are urged to attend.

Ahead of May's Senedd's elections, the legion manifesto included calls on the next Welsh Government—this Welsh Government—to work with the Ministry of Defence to provide resettlement centre services in Wales, ensure that injured veterans can consistently access chronic pain treatment, commit to permanently fund the Supporting Service Children in Education Wales fund, expand and accelerate roll-out of guaranteed interviews for armed forces service leavers, reservists and spouses for public sector jobs in Wales, extend housing priority need post military service, ensure divorced or separated spouses and partners of service personnel in Wales can access housing support, and deliver better support to veterans with substance misuse issues.

It's 16 years since I first raised the need for traumatised ex-forces personnel to access mental health care and receive priority treatment here. Regrettably, my repeated pleas to sustain residential respite and treatment in Wales for those with acute needs fell on deaf ears. The Welsh Government did eventually launch Veterans' NHS Wales, providing veterans living in Wales with non-residential assessment and psychological treatment for mental health problems, including PTSD. However, working with the sector, I repeatedly called for its funding to be reviewed over the following years. As I said here remotely last November:

'It's imperative that the hard work of Veterans' NHS Wales both continues and continues to expand'— and that—

'Veterans' NHS Wales's business case for increased funding now is inarguable'.

I therefore welcome the increased funding since announced. They tell me that they're grateful for this increase this year to keep the staff employed that Help for Heroes funded for three years. They add, however, that there were several other funding requests in their business case that the Welsh Government failed to fund, including NHS-employed peer mentors and increased psychiatrist sessions, currently only one day per month. Only yesterday, BBC Wales reported veterans in Wales with PTSD calling for more support.

I led a short debate here in January 2008 supporting the legion's Honour the Covenant campaign, concluding that this must be fought until it is won. And I welcomed that it's been written into legislation 10 years ago. However, I continue to receive casework where public bodies are not honouring this. In its independent review of the covenant to mark its first decade, the legion states that although it doesn't require 'fundamental change' for the next decade, it does require

'renewed vigour in communication and a determination to ensure that it meets the needs of all those in the Armed Forces community who need it.'

I first led a debate here calling on the Welsh Government to establish an armed forces commissioner seven years ago. When I raised this again three years ago, the Welsh Government told me this would divert resources from practical services and support. I therefore welcome the announcement in the UK autumn budget of the establishment of a veterans commissioner for Wales, who will work to improve the lives—