This time of year is a chance for many to pause and consider those affected by armed conflict around the world. As someone who had a grandfather who served and remembers him talking about his experiences, I'm familiar with the impact the armed forces can have on your life, good and bad. We know from research conducted by the Plaid Cymru team in Westminster that ex-armed forces personnel often end up sleeping rough on the streets, in prison or dealing with substance misuse. Allied to this research was a call by our party for much improved aftercare for veterans, something that is particularly important in Wales given the disproportionately high numbers of armed service personnel, or former armed service personnel, from this country. 

The armed forces covenant, which was enshrined in law 10 years ago, was a response to the lack of fair play when it comes to the treatment of veterans. Things have got better since the introduction of this legislation, but there is room for improvement. For example, the armed forces expert group, which advises on how public services can meet the needs of the armed forces community, has said there are several things that the Government in Wales could do to make things better. This includes a national plan to implement changes from the Armed Forces Act 2006, a commitment to permanently fund the supporting service children in education Wales fund and extending housing priority to cover five years after leaving military service. Having said that, praise should be given when it's due, and Plaid Cymru welcomes the recent commitment in the autumn budget to establish the first veterans' commissioner for Wales. This will hopefully help to catch those who fall when they are forgotten about by those in Westminster who seem happy enough to send our men and women into conflict but less eager to help repair the damage this causes.

Third sector organisations carry out fantastic work, but the Westminster Government needs to step up and do more for all those who have served and require ongoing support. When this happens, we may see a significant drop in the number of ex-armed services personnel ending up homeless or with some form of addiction. It will also ease the burden on the charity sector, which has to do what any responsible Government should be doing in the first place. A Government's obligation to people who have served does not end when they leave the forces, and the sooner that is realised by those in Westminster, the better. This Remembrance Day, a lasting and fitting testament to all those who have served would be to greatly improve state support services that will keep veterans in mind all year round, not just on Remembrance Day. Diolch yn fawr.