Can I also thank the Minister for bringing this debate forward today? It is a privilege to work alongside her and Welsh Government officials, and the other organisations that are represented on the armed forces expert group. And it's a privilege also to chair the cross-party group on the armed forces and cadets here in the Senedd. I too need to put on record the fact that I must declare that I am also a member of the board of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Wales, in taking time to make this short speech. 

Like many in this Chamber, I will be laying a wreath at a local cenotaph in my constituency on Sunday, remembering those who've paid the ultimate sacrifice, and indeed those who survived wars but still paid a very heavy price, and their families, in the communities that I represent this weekend. And we're all very proud, aren't we, in this Chamber to support our armed forces because we know that they are such an important part of the local communities that we represent. From Valley, to Brecon, to Cardiff, serving personnel and their families really are the fabric of our communities, and we've got Welshmen and women who serve in our armed forces literally across the globe at any one time.

We know that our armed forces have been critical to the defence of Ukraine. Whilst not on the ground in Ukraine or flying in the air over Ukraine or in the sea immediately adjacent to Ukraine, they, alongside our intelligence services, are a very important part of preparing people for the battles that are taking place right now in that nation. And, indeed, the 160th (Welsh) Brigade was taking part in exercises, and the Royal Welsh was taking part in exercises in Estonia, with other NATO allies, in order to support the NATO alliance and make sure that it's as strong as possible, given the greater threats that we now see in the world, unfortunately, as a result of Russian aggression.

And I want to pay tribute today, Llywydd, as well to the three heads of the armed forces that we have here in Wales, who I think do an absolutely sterling job of engaging with the Welsh and UK Governments, and, indeed, Members of this Senedd: Brigadier Jock Fraser, Royal Marines, naval regional commander for Wales; Air Commodore Adrian Williams, air officer for Wales; and Brigadier Andrew Dawes, who's been the head of the army in Wales for the past three years and is going to soon be moving on from his position at 160th (Welsh) Brigade in Brecon to the warmer climate of Cyprus, which I'm sure he's very pleased about. They've each been a spectacular support for the armed forces community. They've done a wonderful job in terms of the way that they've engaged, and if you think about the challenges that we have had and seen over recent years, with the pandemic, with the commemorative agenda that we've had, and then, of course, with the death of the sovereign, I think that they really have stepped up to the plate and delivered in a dignified way for all of us in this Chamber and, indeed, for the people of Wales.

We are blessed to have a very active cross-party group that takes a great deal of interest in all sorts of matters pertaining to the armed forces community, and we're very pleased that progress is being made year on year to support that community. We were delighted that one of our long-standing calls for a Veterans' Commissioner for Wales was finally delivered, in the form of Colonel James Phillips from Pembrokeshire, and I think that he's got off to an excellent start. He's taken all of the right steps in terms of introducing himself to the various actors, if you like, on the stage, and we look forward to working very closely with him. He's already attended a meeting of the cross-party group and the expert group, and we want to make sure that we work constructively with him, with his important role, to make sure that we deliver.

Delighted, Minister, to hear you confirm that armed forces liaison officers will now be funded on a permanent basis here in Wales. They are a very important part of the infrastructure that we have now, to support the armed forces family more widely. They do an excellent job in all corners of the country, and I think it's very important that they have that job security that they deserve, given the important role that they play. I would like to see much more engagement from some parts of the public sector in supporting our armed forces community. We've seen the advent, for example, of the guaranteed interview scheme for the armed forces by the Welsh Government; I want to see that trickle down through all parts of our public sector, to make sure that those opportunities for employment are there for our veteran community, when they have the skills, when they have the experience that is needed.

So, in conclusion, I just want to say 'thank you' to all those who are serving and who have served across this great nation of Wales, and we salute you this weekend.