VE Day (65th Anniversary)
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S3M-6236, in the name of Stewart Maxwell, on the 65th anniversary of victory in Europe day. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament commemorates the 65th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) when on 8 May 1945 the Allied Forces formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany; honours the contribution by veterans of all ages and from all conflicts; believes that there should be greater recognition of war veterans in Scotland, many of whom sustained severe physical or mental injuries in defending their country, and encourages veterans to take advantage of their eligibility for the Veterans’ Badge, a small, but visible token of society’s appreciation of their service.
17:03
Saturday 8 May 2010 was the 65th anniversary of VE day. Although every anniversary of VE day is a cause for celebration, commemoration, remembrance and reflection, I hope that members will agree that there is some extra poignancy in the fact that a baby born on VE day reached retirement age last Saturday. By the time victory in Japan day comes around later this year, all those who were around during world war two will be pensioners.
That is why it is important that we do not lose the stories and experiences of people who lived through those traumatic times. For example, in the west of Scotland, John Docherty, who lost seven family members during the Clydebank blitz, remembers tables in the streets loaded with home baking, which he had not seen for a number of years. Hugh McIntyre of Port Glasgow recalls the bonfire at the junction of Clyde Street and Glenburn Street, which would have been unimaginable during the war, because of the blackout. In Giffnock, where my family home is, Iain Frew, who was nine at the time, remembers the blackout curtains being thrown aside and that he went to the Tudor cinema in Giffnock to watch throngs of people celebrating as an orchestra played through the cinema’s open first-floor windows.
Those who were there have fantastic memories of an unforgettable day, but I imagine that, among the celebrations, immense relief was felt that the war in Europe was finally over and that brothers, fathers and husbands would come home. The services and support that would be needed to deal with many veterans returning to Scotland were not at the forefront of people’s minds.
It is right and proper that we pay special attention to the second world war, but we must not forget what has occurred since then. Europe returned to peace on 8 May 1945, but allied forces were still fighting in the far east and the Pacific. It is unfortunate that the end of the second world war did not mark a time of peace for our armed forces, which have been asked time and again to answer the call in many wars and conflicts—in the Korean war, the Suez crisis, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, the Gulf war, the Iraq war and Afghanistan, to name but a few.
All those conflicts have resulted in new waves of veterans who have had to adjust to life after the horrors of war. It is unfortunate that some fail to do so. In the Falklands war of 1982, 258 service personnel died. Since that time, it has been reported that 264 veterans of that war have committed suicide. That second figure should alert us to the urgent need for psychological and mental health support and services for some veterans.
As we commemorated the 65th anniversary of VE day last Saturday, hundreds of soldiers marched through Edinburgh to mark their return from a six-month tour of Afghanistan. The men and women of 3 Rifles and 1 Scots—a 1,400-strong battle group—also marched to honour their 30 comrades who were lost in the Afghan conflict. That is the highest death toll of any Scots regiment in 60 years.
In many ways, we are good at paying our respects to those who have been killed in action. However, we are not as good at dealing with the aftermath of military service and particularly with people who emerge with physical and/or mental injuries.
Most people who leave the armed forces go on to lead successful and productive lives outside the military, but the transfer to civilian life is somewhat more difficult for a minority. Some veterans have obvious challenges to overcome that relate to the physical injuries that they have sustained on active service. Others show no outward sign of difficulty but soon succumb to mental illnesses. The figures are unclear, but veterans are likely to make up a higher percentage of the prison population than they do of the population at large. A more recent phenomenon that people who work with veterans have had to deal with is veterans who have contracted diseases of old age, which are sometimes complicated by the emergence of psychological problems that have been buried for many years and perhaps even decades.
When I was made the Minister for Communities and Sport in 2007, I discovered that one responsibility that was hidden in my title was that of dealing with veterans issues. I was greatly impressed by the work that was being done throughout Scotland to support our veterans, particularly by Veterans Scotland, but I realised that we had to go further. That was why we launched the Scottish veterans fund in May 2008 and why I announced the consultation on “Scotland’s Veterans and Forces’ Communities: meeting their well-being and welfare needs” in June 2008.
As a result of those initiatives, improvements have been made, such as the extension of the priority treatment scheme to all veterans, including reservists; priority access to shared-equity schemes; the extension from spring 2011 of the concessionary bus travel scheme to forces veterans who were seriously injured while on duty; and increased funding for the Combat Stress charity.
I was fortunate to visit Combat Stress’s centre at Hollybush house in Ayrshire, where I talked to veterans and saw the excellent work that is done there. I also visited Erskine hospital to see the work that was being done and to distribute several veterans badges to residents. The tie that I am wearing—with pride—is the Erskine tie, which was a gift to me when I visited.
The veterans badge that I distributed to the Erskine veterans is available to all men and women who have served in Her Majesty’s armed forces. I encourage people who have been in the forces to apply for the badge. I was fortunate to help my uncle to receive his veterans badge just a few weeks ago. Applying is simple and the short application form can be posted, faxed or even sent electronically to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. The badge might be a small symbol of our appreciation, but veterans deserve to be recognised. I hope that many veterans throughout Scotland will wear their badges with pride.
Good work has been done and it continues, but we must keep it up if we are to repay the debt that we owe our veterans—particularly those who have been injured in the line of duty.
Arguing for fair treatment for veterans should be unnecessary, but it is clear that we still need to do so. Only today, I picked up from the exhibition outside the chamber a leaflet from the Equality for Veterans Association, which argues for fair treatment in pensions. I wish the association very well in its campaign. I signed the petition that it has put on the table in the lobby outside the chamber. I urge other members to do so, too.
When we commemorate VE day, let us also reflect on our duty as a country to ensure that all our veterans are treated with the respect that they deserve. Among the many things that we need to tackle is the risk that young people end up with the wrong idea about who our veterans are. There is a danger that some perceive our veterans as old men from a war that was fought long ago. The truth is very different: the veterans community is large and varied. It is made up of men and women of all ages who have one thing in common: they have supported and defended us in our hour of need. They deserve nothing less from us.
17:10
I congratulate Stewart Maxwell on securing this important debate, and I commend him for the motion.
Although it is now more than 65 years since VE day, the conflict of world war two will always be remembered. It is important that we mark VE day, as well as remembrance day, veterans day and other poignant moments when we remember the great wars of the 20th century.
World war two was a conflict that touched every corner of the world. The archive pictures and film of the celebrations at Trafalgar Square and across the United Kingdom on VE day remind us of the relief and joy at the end of the war in Europe and are a stark reminder of why we should only ever go to war in the gravest of times and for the noblest of causes.
World war two embodies one of the closest bonds between the different nations on these islands—Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland—which, along with the Commonwealth, came together to fight Nazi Germany. We should remind ourselves that, in 1940, these islands were the last beacon of hope against the Germans. Europe had already been swept aside after gallant France had been struck down. We struggled on single-handedly for a whole year until we were joined by the military might of Soviet Russia and then the power and resources of the United States of America.
Men and women from every community in Scotland fought or contributed to the war effort. My region of Mid Scotland and Fife is proud to be home to the famous Black Watch. Its service during world war two underlines the commitment and sacrifice that so many made for the United Kingdom. Battalions of the Black Watch fought in almost every major British action in world war two, from Palestine to Normandy. Black Watch units held the line against the Germans at Dunkirk, fought in the battle of El Alamein, took part in the allied invasion of Sicily and landed in Normandy on D-day. Those men served Scotland, the United Kingdom and the free world with distinction and dedication. I agree with Stewart Maxwell: we owe so much to all those who fought in the second world war. Our armed forces faced unimaginable horrors. They were called upon to go to the extremes of humanity and they faced up to the enemy with valour, dignity and defiance, as they have done in other conflicts.
I was very taken by what Stewart Maxwell said about our veterans, particularly the fact that, because of recent conflicts, not all veterans are old men. When I was very young, I was allowed to stay up late to watch the festival of remembrance from the Royal Albert hall in London. I recollect very clearly the Chelsea pensioners parading in their famous red jackets, as they do to this day. I remember that the parade included veterans of the Boer war—I am revealing how old I am, Presiding Officer. None of the veterans of the first world war remains with us, and even veterans of the second world war are getting older and older. Sadly, those veterans are being replaced by more and more veterans from recent conflicts—such is human nature.
Like Stewart Maxwell, I agree that we owe a deep debt of gratitude to the soldiers who put everything on the line for our country, but I fear that we are not doing enough to repay that debt. Our soldiers should never again be sent into battle ill equipped, and they should never again have to walk into battle when they could be flown in. Also, their families should not have to live in substandard homes.
In marking VE day, one of our most important duties is always to remember the heroism and sacrifice of our armed forces. I am glad that we are having this debate today so that we can put on record our eternal gratitude.
17:14
I, too, congratulate Stewart Maxwell on securing the debate. We should never forget the horrors of world war two. Folk in my generation—and Stewart Maxwell’s and Murdo Fraser’s—cannot possibly imagine the horror of being directly involved in a war of that magnitude, or indeed the joy and relief that came at the end, on VE day. Stewart Maxwell has referred to the memories of people in Clydebank and elsewhere. The services that are required in the aftermath of war are intense. We cannot imagine the horror and what it does to people. Psychological support is obviously needed. That is as valid today, with our armed forces still at war, as it was on VE day.
Angela Constance recently secured a members’ business debate that is relevant to this debate, on veterans in the criminal justice system. Stewart Maxwell mentioned some figures, which more than suggest that issues remain in that regard. Reference has been made to the campaign in the Parliament this week for signatures to a petition—I understand that the members of the Equality for Veterans Association will be in the Parliament again tomorrow, fighting for pensions equality for all veterans, regardless of when they served in HM forces. I had heard about the campaign before, but I was shocked to discover the extent of the problem. All that those people are doing is seeking justice for people who left the forces before 1975 with less than 22 years’ service, who, I was amazed to learn, do not qualify for any military pension. Like Stewart Maxwell, I urge people to sign the EFVA petition.
Many people served with great honour during world war two, and their efforts culminated in our ability to celebrate VE day. I pay tribute to one of the groups involved: the Territorial Army. The TA fights alongside the regular military in all conflicts. Having looked into the history a wee bit, I note that the TA was formed way back in 1908, when the voluntary army was combined with parts of the yeomanry and militia, which date back to the Napoleonic wars. The TA was first mobilised to fight in the first world war, serving alongside the regulars. We should never forget that the lives of those in the TA are also on the line. In 1939, as war approached, the size of the TA was doubled, and it was mobilised when hostilities broke out. It was reconstituted, in the form that we know now, in 1947, as a part-time reservist force.
The TA currently provides about 1,200 troops each year to support the regular Army in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. The TA does extremely important work—and none more so than the signal squadrons. I am pleased that 51 signal squadron (V) troop is based in the constituency where I live—I must find out whether that V stands for 5. I have visited the troop many times. The TA in East Kilbride is very much part of the community, with open days and other forms of support for the cadets.
Among the components of the TA’s success have always been the good will, support and encouragement that it gives to young people in the communities where it is present. Tribute must also be paid to the employers who support their employees who do TA service. It is the willingness of employers to champion the men and women of the volunteer reserve force that makes the TA’s role possible.
The TA’s role is huge and does not just involve front-line fighting alongside the regular troops. The signal regiment, for example, provides vital communications support for emergency services during times of crisis. The regiment responds to terrorist threats and attacks, flooding, industrial action and outbreaks of disease. The TA uses some of the most up-to-date communications and information technology equipment.
There is no time in this speech—or even in the entire debate—to begin to pay tribute to all those who contributed to our ability to celebrate VE day in the manner that Stewart Maxwell discussed, or to repay the debt that we still owe them all. Let us not forget that there are still people heading out from this country to the front line—to war—who are putting their lives on the line for the rest of us. We owe them such gratitude.
17:19
I congratulate Stewart Maxwell on securing this debate so that we can talk about matters that are long in the past, but which have huge implications to this day for the participants, and for the families of people who did not survive.
The Arctic convoys to Russia were among the most hazardous and important activities that created the potential for the allies’ victory in the war. On Sunday, when the Russians celebrated the 65th anniversary of the great patriotic war, it was interesting to see a body of Welsh Guards parading in Red Square in Moscow, along with French, United States and Russian troops. One of the leaders of the convoys is still alive and was a guest of the Russian Government at the ceremony.
I have been involved in helping to ensure that there are memorials to the convoys at Loch Ewe and at Lyness, in Orkney. Merchant ships gathered at Loch Ewe before they sailed off, with a naval escort, which gathered around Orkney. On Sunday I laid flowers on the memorial for the Russian Arctic Convoy Club at Rudha an t-Sasain on the south side of Loch Ewe. Beside the fine monument there are little stones, on which individuals who took part have laid their names, reminding us that there are still people alive who took part in the incredible convoys.
To celebrate the 65th anniversary of VE day, Sergey Krutikov, consul general of the Russian Federation in Edinburgh, honoured 30 survivors of the Arctic convoys with medals. The stories that those people have to tell are amazing. Every schoolchild should hear some of those stories—they would be eye-openers for them. The survivors are scattered across the country and I know two or three of the old guys. Sandy Manson, from John o’Groats, got his 65th anniversary medal. Reay Clarke, from Edderton, was not well enough to attend, so his medal was posted to him. It seems to me that as part of the celebration we can do more to pass on people’s memories to younger people.
At the ceremony in the Merchants’ hall, Fergus Wood, the provost of Stirling Council, made a speech. He is the veterans champion for the Stirling Council area. I would like to hear more about veterans champions taking up the cause of veterans of the current age and being given every support to do so. Champions are the local link for the processes that are set in train, in particular by the Scottish Government.
Like the Russians, we in Scotland respect our veterans and remember the people who set out on the convoys, some of whom were never to return. In that regard we have a fitting link with Russia, which is becoming an important partner in trade, education and cultural exchanges. I encourage the people who come to Scotland to visit the places from which the convoys left—it is tourists rather than service personnel who come now, of course. When I was a member of Ross and Cromarty District Council, the council set up a naval trail that enables people to visit those places. Since then, the convoy memorial at Loch Ewe has been built. I hope that Highland Council does more to ensure that it is properly signposted and that people know about it.
The Russian consul general laid flowers at the memorial in Orkney, which was unveiled at Lyness in August. For the first time, there is a memorial there to acknowledge the convoys that were so vital to success in the war. What a pity that it had to be the Russian Government and supporters who provided the money for the monument.
17:24
I congratulate Stewart Maxwell on securing the debate. Like him—although perhaps for a shorter time—I was a minister with responsibility for veterans. Of all my responsibilities, that was probably the one that I regarded as being the greatest privilege and the one for which I felt most inadequate. I regarded the job as being very serious; there is a huge responsibility on whoever has that job.
The reality is that whatever we say in the chamber or elsewhere will be insufficient to match the courage and sacrifice of a generation that fought against fascism, defended the country, put their own lives at risk and paid the ultimate sacrifice. It was clearly a battle of good against evil. As we reflect on those times, we remember how quickly the ideas of fascism could catch hold and what a challenge they were to everybody’s lives throughout the world when they did so. It is important not only to mark the celebration but to acknowledge the struggle and what caused it.
We have a people’s history of the experience at that time and it is important that we capture that. There are records not only of the experience of those who fought, but of the impact on families and communities. They record the impact on large communities in the west of Scotland and on small seafaring communities, such as the one from which my family came in Tiree. Such small communities suffered a huge impact because they lost a generation of young men. The small monuments in those communities, along with the large ones in our big cities, reflect respect and commitment to a generation that fought on our behalf.
As we pass on from the general election, it is interesting to reflect that that generation not only fought fascism, but it came back determined to shape the world in which it lived. A disproportionate number of those people still go out to vote and understand the importance of doing so.
It is important to acknowledge that we now have veterans of all ages. We owe a duty not only to the elderly veterans; we must also recognise the particular needs of those who are involved in, or are recovering from, more recent struggles.
It is important to recognise the role of veterans organisations such as Veterans Scotland and Erskine that campaign and challenge those who make decisions about veterans’ needs. We must recognise the huge housing needs that have been mentioned, the health needs and the need for support for families in caring for veterans. I heard on the radio the other day people talking about the impact on families after the second world war, when fathers came back to families where the children did not know them. That is still true today, and we need to ensure that the services to support them exist.
In these challenging funding times, we need to listen to veterans organisations and give assurances that, in the times when there are pressures on funding, veterans services will not miss out and that, in shaping services, we will talk to those who understand the needs and priorities.
Not a few years ago, on a visit to the United States I was struck by how that country manages to celebrate its veterans and soldiers regardless of the purpose or cause of the conflict: they are owed a duty of care and should be treated with respect regardless of what Government decisions had led them to conflict. We must find a way of doing that in our discourse so that it is about recognising not only what was done in the second world war or what is done now, but that people live daily with the consequences of decisions over which they had no control.
In the practical delivery of services to those veterans, we will honour those who, a long time ago, fought fascism in Europe and those who now take on serious responsibilities on our behalf. Because it is a cross-party issue, I look forward to the minister identifying the ways in which funding can be secured to meet the needs that veterans organisations have identified.
17:29
I thank Stewart Maxwell very much for lodging the motion.
About this time of year, three years ago, just after being elected to the Parliament, I was waiting for our oath taking to be shown on the television when my father, at 92, started up, jabbed his hand towards the TV and said, “There’s Harvie.” He did not mean me or Patrick; he meant his cousin, Sir George Harvie-Watt, who was being shown in a big open car with Winston Churchill, driving in London on VE day.
Harvie-Watt was Churchill’s principal private secretary during the war. My father’s role was much more modest. He was in the Highland Light Infantry, then he went to the air force. He had the sort of war that many servicemen had, which was one of colossal boredom interspersed with terror—that was when he was on convoys to the United States and was the officer of the watch. Of course, even on the large liner that he was on, it was always possible that you would be overwhelmed by U-boats.
I made my political debut in 1945, when I was wheeled in my pram by my mother when she went to vote for Dr Robert McIntyre to be the member of Parliament for Motherwell. He was the minister’s son, which was why she voted for him. To her horror, he got in. She has never voted Scottish National Party again. A couple of weeks later, I was out in my pram demonstrating for allied unity, with little American, British, French and hammer-and-sickle flags. However, it was not as straightforward as that. The second world war tends to be rather sentimentalised by a lot of us, but it hit Scottish society hard. There were 50,000 dead. There were much larger numbers of dead in the merchant navy in the second world war than there were in the first world war. Others died as bomber air crew or prisoners of the Japanese.
In world war two, Britain was not the great power that it had been in 1914 to 1918. Then, had the arsenal of the Clyde stopped functioning, the central powers—Germany and Austria—would have won. However, Scots industry was fully engaged in world war two under a remarkable Secretary of State for Scotland, the Labour politician Tom Johnston. As Rob Gibson reminded us, Scotland provided the great junction for the transatlantic convoys, which went south to the English ports where the D-day preparations were being made, and north to Archangel and Murmansk in the icy, dangerous dark, described by the novelist Alistair MacLean in his best book, “HMS Ulysses”. A third writer, Captain Hamish Henderson, who fought his way through the desert over to Sicily in what he described as the last classical war, then up the spine of Italy, described the fate of both sides in one of his “Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica”, in a poem called “Seven Good Germans”—good, of course, because they were dead. However, when the soldiers investigated the dead men’s wallets and that sort of thing, they discovered that the Germans had the same sort of lives as the Scots or English soldiers who had killed them. It is there that the words that I used in a contemporary history of Scotland come from:
“There were no gods and precious few heroes ... They saw through that guff before the axe fell.”
My father’s cousin, Tom Notman, was of that company. He shared the pacifist views of Jimmy Maxton, a friend of his father, who was a Glasgow minister. However, Tom Notman won the military cross for evacuating soldiers of both sides from Monte Cassino in the summer of 1944, only to be killed about two months later at Lake Trasimine. I was born shortly after that, and I bear his name.
That reminds us, I suppose, that there were many casualties apart from the troops. We have that wonderful monument in Edinburgh castle that recorded the range of people who became involved in the first world war: the firemen, sailors and nurses. In the second world war, that range included the evacuees and refugees—those who were caught up in a war and made into enemies by actions that they had no part in. In that regard, one thinks of the tragic fate of the Scots Italians being deported to the United States who went down with the Andorra Star in the Atlantic. Angus Calder, who wrote “The People’s War: Britain, 1939-45”, has reminded us of how Britain changed at that time and how the Beveridge report led to the creation of the British welfare state.
The least that we can do for soldiers and other people involved in war—the women at home, the refugees, the people looking after the victims of terrorist action—is to ensure that they are commemorated in the way described in the motion. My father has never claimed his badge, but I will encourage him to do so. I will also do what I can to help the veterans so movingly remembered today to get what they deserve.
17:34
I, too, welcome Stewart Maxwell’s motion and congratulate him on securing a debate to mark the 65th anniversary of victory in Europe on 8 May 1945. I am very supportive of the motion, which thoroughly deserves the endorsement of all members—albeit that we do not vote on such motions.
Every speech in the debate has been exceptional. It is a pity that members’ business debates are not so well attended, either in the chamber or in the gallery. This is the second veterans debate that we have had in recent weeks. The quality of the debates—perhaps because they do not lead to a vote, which means that we can unite behind the motion—has been exceptionally high.
As a number of members have indicated, VE day marked a halt to the deaths of people from as far apart as the eastern USSR, as it was then, and the west coast of the United States of America. Almost every nation on earth paid a heavy price. Australia lost 40,000 military personnel, which was a lot of people, given that its population at the time was about 12 million. Canada, which also had a fairly small population, lost 45,000 military personnel. Poland, the Soviet Union, the United States and the UK lost 240,000, 10 million, 417,000 and 380,000 personnel respectively. As Christopher Harvie pointed out, about 50,000 of those 380,000 British military deaths were of Scottish soldiers. Those are only the military deaths. On top of those were the civilian deaths, of which there were millions across Europe and the rest of the world. In addition, there were the Holocaust victims, of whom there were 6 million.
VE day was a celebration of good over bad and totalitarianism. It meant that people could hope, plan for the future, return to their normal lives and put war behind them. The massive celebrations that took place—with some justification—on the day stretched from Los Angeles to Vladivostok and from the Arctic circle to the south of New Zealand.
The UK and its then empire had much to celebrate. Troops would be returning home, families would be reunited and people would have a chance to build a new country from the ashes and destruction of bombing. Celebrations were held across the UK. I am too young to remember VE day, but I am sure that those who lived through it will remember the crowds around Trafalgar square and on the Mall in front of Buckingham palace in London, and the celebrations that took place here in Edinburgh and the length and breadth of the country. Churchill said on the day:
“It is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land. In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best. Everyone has tried.”
VE day should not be left just to the history books. It is our duty and our responsibility to ensure that the toil, the effort, the sacrifice and the ultimate success of our armed forces continue to be recognised and acknowledged. Our veterans, whether they be Scots or people from any other part of the UK, the then empire or the allied nations, deserve nothing less. We are all agreed that what we owe them is immeasurable.
In his motion, Stewart Maxwell makes clear that
“there should be greater recognition of war veterans in Scotland”.
I totally agree, and all those who have served as veterans minister, regardless of which Administration they have served in, would agree, too. We now know the shape of the new Cabinet in London. I had a good and close working relationship with Kevan Jones, who was the minister for veterans in the previous Westminster Administration, and I spoke to Liam Fox, who is the new Secretary of State for Defence, a few weeks ago—although I am not in any way suggesting that I predicted the outcome of the general election. I met him at a function for veterans in St James’s palace, when we agreed that if he became the defence secretary, we would work closely to ensure that our veterans got the level of service that they required and to which they were entitled north and south of the border.
I have an update for members on the debate that we had about veterans who end up in the criminal justice system. We have asked the Scottish Prison Service to undertake a survey of the prison population to determine the number of ex-service personnel who are serving custodial sentences in Scotland. That will inform our policy with a view to avoiding many of them ending up in the criminal justice system, often as a result of mental health and addiction problems that they have incurred as a direct result of their war experiences.
Rob Gibson mentioned veterans champions, on which I take this opportunity to update the chamber. Veterans Scotland is holding a seminar tomorrow for veterans champions from across Scotland. At that seminar there will be an examination of their role, how they engage with service providers, how they share information, including on best practice across Scotland, and how they can help to resolve issues that our veterans face. There are already approximately 50 such champions in Scotland, and we expect most of them to attend tomorrow.
As well as having veterans champions at the political level in our local authorities and in health boards, we have veterans co-ordinators at official level, with a view to ensuring that when veterans leave the services to go into civvy street they have as smooth a transition as possible and a continuum of service provision from the armed forces resettlement officer to the local champions and co-ordinators.
I confirm that I and my ministerial colleagues will attend and participate in as many commemorative events as we can across Scotland, as well as elsewhere in the United Kingdom and Europe, from VE day to armed forces day, which takes place in June. I assure members that, right across the range of devolved services for which we are responsible, we are working with the Ministry of Defence, the armed forces, the health service, local authorities, the veterans community and service providers to put in place the best possible level of support for our veterans across Scotland.
Although the control and management of the award of medals to veterans is reserved to the Ministry of Defence, I agree with Stewart Maxwell’s call to veterans to take advantage of their eligibility for the veterans badge, which they should wear with pride.
We celebrate VE day with pride. It marked the end of tyranny in Europe and rekindled hope and the human spirit. For that, we should all be eternally grateful.
Meeting closed at 17:43.