The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-10427, in the name of Keith Brown, on support for armed forces and veteran communities in Scotland.
14:49
Recently, the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D day landings on 6 June 1944 took place in Normandy, France, with widespread recognition across generations, young and old. We have to ask why the marking of an event that took place so long ago had such a draw and such an impact and why it generated so much interest. Why is that event in our national psyche?
The events of 6 June 1944 changed the world and led, ultimately, to the end of the second world war and a much more peaceful Europe. I very much look forward to going to Contalmaison, where many members of McCrae’s battalion—which included players and supporters of Hearts Football Club and other Scottish football clubs—perished on 1 July in the push on the Somme. We have seen an increase in peace since the second world war, and the sacrifice that was made on 6 June 1944 in Normandy by so many—those who died and those who survived—has always been recognised and acknowledged. Those who defended our freedoms past, present and future deserve our respect, gratitude and appreciation.
Of course, commemorations were not confined to Normandy. I was honoured to join the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, the head of the Army in Scotland, politicians from across the political spectrum and veterans and their families at a reception in the great hall of Edinburgh castle. It was a genuinely enjoyable and uplifting occasion, and I met many remarkable people at that event.
The Scottish Government is playing its part in commemorating world war one, and a number of events in Scotland were recently announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs. As members will know and welcome, Stirling will host armed forces day this Saturday. It is the second time in five years that Scotland has played host to the event, and I believe that that is deserved recognition of the esteem in which Scotland is held by our armed forces community. I can confirm that a grant of £80,000 has been given to the council by the Scottish Government for armed forces day, and the First Minister will join the principal guests on the day. I will be there, too, and look forward to showing my support for our service personnel at what is, after all, one of my local armed forces day events. I strongly encourage members to attend their local events or to come along to Stirling—I am sure that they will be impressed if they do.
In the weeks to come, the support of Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel in making the Commonwealth games the success that they will undoubtedly be will also be a testament to their professionalism and skills.
Amid all this recognition, we should not forget about the cadet forces—the Army, sea, marine, air training corps and combined cadets. They are to be found all over Scotland and are a shining example of young people at their best. I met two RAF cadets today, who displayed many characteristics of that. The United Kingdom Government has recently announced funding for the Department for Education to expand cadet forces. I support that and wish to investigate it further. I made it clear to the two cadets whom I met today—this is one of the things that cadets have asked about—that, in an independent Scotland, the important role that cadet forces play would be maintained. We would also expect them to flourish, as we value what the cadets do and what people get from the cadet forces.
Members will recall that, back in January, I announced that we would create a new Scottish veterans commissioner. There was broad support for and consensus around the creation of that post. I acknowledge the opposition, to some extent, of the Liberal Democrats and the reservations that Alex Fergusson expressed at the time. Nevertheless, the Parliament was generally supportive of the idea of the commissioner’s role and I very much welcomed that non-partisan approach to discussing ways in which we can support our 400,000-plus veterans. A thorough and detailed process has been followed to get the right appointment. The advertising process elicited considerable interest and a strong field of candidates. I believe that the commissioner will be in a pivotal position to improve the ways in which veterans access public, private and voluntary services. What will tie all the commissioner’s work together is how effective that proves to be, which is why I will ask for regular reports from the commissioner. Those reports should lead to action and, crucially, better services and support for our veterans. We are nearly at the end of the appointment process and expect to make an announcement shortly.
Often, in our roles, we learn of the problems faced by those who come out of the military or who returned to civilian life some time ago. Before any examination of perceived problems, I make it clear that there are more than 400,000 veterans in Scotland and the overwhelming majority of them, including the 2,000 or so who return to live in Scotland each year, do so without any real difficulty. They return to civilian life with skills, experience and a sense of civic responsibility that is entirely admirable. They are assets to their local communities and we are the richer for having them as neighbours. I discussed the need to convey positive messages about veterans with Lord Ashcroft, and he agreed that that is the centrepiece and the main theme of the report on his veterans transition review, which was published in February.
It is important to nail some myths and to portray an accurate picture of veterans. For example, the Scottish prison population is not and never has been dominated by veterans. The latest Scottish Prison Service bulletin says that only 200 of the prison population—just under 3 per cent—self-identify as being veterans. That stands against an average total of more than 8,000 prisoners in custody in Scotland. Even if other recent surveys are taken into account, the number rises—if it rises at all—to only 600 at most. That position is consistent with various studies on the prison population in England and Wales. Crucially, the numbers are far lower than some occasionally lurid headlines would have us believe.
I agree with the minister that people can overegg the issue, but does he acknowledge that the number of veterans in prison last year in Scotland rose by 40 per cent, and that we should not be complacent about that figure?
I take the point. I refer to the figures that I have just mentioned and also to the fact that the veterans first point service is doing some important work on the issue just now. That should give us some more detail, which would be welcome all round.
Not all veterans are homeless, and not all homeless people are veterans. Most veterans live in their own homes, with parents, spouses, partners and children. I welcome initiatives such as Dumfries and Galloway Council’s policy of giving veterans extra points on the allocation scale, something that was made possible by legislation that we introduced.
Making use of its capacity-building contract of £200,000 over three years, which it received from the Scottish Government, Veterans Scotland is undertaking a mapping study of approaches to housing allocations and is investigating ways in which its own common housing register for ex-service charities might be adopted more widely. I will look to Veterans Scotland and the commissioner to work together to come up with innovative ideas, proposals and, of course, possible solutions.
Addressing the needs of veterans who experience mental health problems is also a priority. There is a wide variation in the reported prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder by the media and others, and such reporting is often not based on evidence. A 2010 study by the King’s centre for military health research in London on the consequences of deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan for the mental health of the armed forces reported prevalence of PTSD at around 4 per cent. However, I do not underestimate the impact of PTSD, and I do not trivialise the difficulties that are faced by those who live with it. Of course, PTSD rarely presents in isolation, and veterans will experience mental health problems similar to those that are experienced by the general population—most commonly depression, stress and anxiety.
Responding to those needs is just as important, and we are taking action through the delivery of a range of commitments in our national mental health strategy. We also continue to contribute £1.2 million a year to fund a commissioned service in partnership with the national health service and Combat Stress for the provision of specialist mental health services, including an intensive PTSD programme. We continue to fund the Combat Stress community outreach services across Scotland, to the tune of £200,000 a year, and are providing the veterans first point service with £200,000 this year for its one-stop shop that offers help and assistance to veterans and their families.
The ranks of the unemployed, which are too high by any measure, are also not disproportionately filled with veterans. When service personnel leave the military, the vast majority go on to other successful careers. However, our ex-servicemen and women can also face a number of barriers that affect their successful transition back into civilian life. Of course, as it can with anyone else, unemployment can have a detrimental effect on a number of aspects of the lives of veterans. Disability, a lack of transferable skills, poverty and housing problems can all be linked to difficulties with accessing employment, which is why we need to address and support this area. The lack of awareness of some veterans of the transferability of some of their skills is another issue that we must address.
It is widely agreed that early intervention is key to a successful transition, with potential barriers identified and targeted. Remploy has concerns that veterans are not utilising the help and specialist support that are available, or recognising the areas in which they need that help. We are considering how to address that problem and target those who are most in need, so that we can help them to get back to work.
Employment support is available for the most vulnerable ex-servicemen and women through the new service, employ-able, which has been created by Poppyscotland and the Scottish Association for Mental Health. All 32 local authorities are working together to develop local support services that link into the armed forces covenant, while working with key service providers. Successful transition and integration into employment rely on easy access to services and on relevant help being available.
The Scottish Government has also been making progress elsewhere. On health, we implemented the recommendations of the Murrison report, “A Better Deal for Military Amputees”, providing £2 million for a new national specialist prosthetics service. On housing, through grants we have facilitated large housing construction projects for veterans at Cranhill in Glasgow and in Carnoustie. On community justice, we have worked with Police Scotland on the appointment of an armed forces and veterans champion who has hit the ground running. Everyone who now enters a police station will be asked whether they are a serving armed forces member or a veteran and those figures will be shared with the Scottish Government.
Veterans organisations, many of which are represented in the gallery today, are an invaluable asset in the work that the Scottish Government undertakes. They are at the coalface of support to veterans. They provide a wide variety of services and support, which I have witnessed across the country and which never fails, alongside their inventiveness and tenacity, to amaze me. That is why the Scottish Government supports veterans organisations. The Scottish veterans fund has distributed around £600,000 to more than 70 projects to date, and I have increased the annual amount available by 50 per cent, to £120,000. I have provided Veterans Scotland with capacity-building funding of £200,000 over three years, and I look forward to continued joint working with Martin Gibson and his team, who are now better resourced than ever to take forward the work that matches their ambitions.
Our approach to improving outcomes for veterans must be based above all on working in partnership with those organisations. A concern raised about the commissioner’s appointment was about the need to ensure that the position in no way supplants or undermines the work of our veterans organisations. It absolutely should not do that, and the veterans organisations are aware of that, as the new commissioner will be. I will look to the veterans commissioner to take forward an approach of partnership working with the veterans organisations as he or she goes about his or her work, and the Government seeks to pursue that approach, too.
Our armed forces personnel and veterans have earned our respect and support and, most definitely, their place in our communities. I have said this before, and I hope that it becomes a cliché, because it is certainly very true: when somebody joins the armed forces, they make an extraordinary commitment. They commit themselves to undertaking things that other people would not be asked to do. Given the extraordinary nature of that commitment, they are entitled to expect an extraordinary commitment from us, through the state and its various bodies. They put themselves in danger’s way and we must recognise that. They are not looking for advantage; they are looking for the removal of any disadvantages that they may have as a result of the service that they have undertaken, and we wish to do that.
On that note, I am happy to move,
That the Parliament acknowledges the debt of gratitude that it owes to the armed forces, past and present; recognises the valuable skills, experience and sense of civic responsibility that ex-service personnel bring to society on returning to civilian life and welcomes wide involvement, including of the Scottish Government, in commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the Scottish Government’s ongoing support for Armed Forces Day, and notes progress with the appointment of a new Scottish Veterans’ Commissioner and the aim of encouraging new working relationships between the commissioner and ex-service charities that help the armed forces community, including veterans, access the highest level of services and support available.
15:02
I very much welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate on the subject of armed forces veterans and the vital support services and charities that operate in Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom. I would like to acknowledge, as the Government motion does, the debt of gratitude that Scotland owes to those who have served in the defence of freedom and to put on record the continued support that we, on this side of the chamber, give to our armed forces personnel and the 400,000 veterans in Scotland. I also echo and support the minister’s comments on the support that there was on the ground for the veterans who returned to celebrate 70 years on from D day.
We are committed to continuing to work on a cross-party basis to ensure that our veterans and their families receive the support that they need and deserve. In particular, we recognise that our service personnel often need help with the transition to civilian life—particularly in finding housing and employment—and we recognise that those who leave the service can bear physical and psychological scars for many years after their service ends.
Being a member of the armed forces, particularly during times of conflict, is immensely stressful—stressful beyond anything that we can imagine. However, that stressful situation creates a level of commitment and an intense bond among service personnel that is unique to our armed forces.
I could only listen and try to take it on board when I heard from a soldier who had served in Afghanistan what it was like to come under fire, and what the impact on their battalion or regiment was when it lost a member of its own, who was as close as any family member.
I can only imagine how isolated someone must feel if they are discharged from the armed forces into society alone, with no family support, having had such a close bond with the comrades they fought with and possibly lost in combat—going from living in such close quarters with people they considered family, and eating, sleeping, working and socialising with the same close group, to being discharged into a community of strangers who tend not to understand military life and the bond between people that it creates.
As the minister said, the majority of servicemen and women make a successful transition to civilian life. The veterans we have in Scotland are not a problem; they are an asset to communities. The minister was quite right to flag up that a lot of veterans have transferable skills that they do not realise they have, which become assets to companies and communities.
For the reasons that I mentioned earlier, it really is not hard to see why some veterans struggle to adapt and reintegrate, which can put a massive strain on family life as well as on those without family.
It is vital that the advice and support services are in place for former service personnel to adjust to living in mainstream society. We must support plans to co-ordinate and deliver support and advice services from the public, private and voluntary sectors for ex-service personnel, their partners and their children.
There are too many fantastic organisations providing support and advice to ex-service personnel and their families to mention and do justice to them all, but I want to mention some. The first is Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers, which I have spoken about before, which gives people experience of what being an armed forces reservist involves. SaBRE gives advice and information on the extra skills that a reservist can bring to an organisation or company, to try to boost the likelihood of companies employing reservists. It provides weekend training courses for employers so that they can see exactly what skills a reservist picks up in their training and what they can bring back to their organisations. There is an open invitation from SaBRE to any MSP who would like to go on any of those training weekends. I would be happy to pass on the details.
We must continue to support organisations that do tremendous work in the community for former service personnel across Scotland, including the Royal British Legion. The legion provides practical care, advice and support to armed forces personnel, ex-servicemen and women of all ages and their families. It runs the poppy appeal annually. Recent appeals have emphasised the increasing need to help the men and women who are serving today, as well as ex-service people and their dependents. The legion also assists any serviceman or woman to pursue their entitlement to a war disablement pension. Every year, up to 200 ex-service people in Scotland are represented at war pensions tribunals.
Just across the road from the Parliament we have Scottish Veterans Residences, which provides residential accommodation to more than 300 ex-service people and their partners and has helped more than 60,000 veterans throughout Scotland since it was established.
The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association Forces Help, whose Lanarkshire branch covers my region of Central Scotland, offers financial, practical and much-needed emotional support to current and previous members of the armed forces and their families through services such as forcesline—a support service independent from the chain of command, which serving members of the armed forces can go to in confidence that they will receive the support and advice that they need. It also runs a forces additional needs disability support group and organises children’s holidays run by volunteers that offer experiences and activities to which some of the children would not normally have access.
Erskine is the leading provider of care for veterans in the country. I am happy to be wearing my Erskine tie for today’s debate. Helpfully, it came through to the office about a week ago. Erskine provides fantastic services within the community.
There are things that individual members of the Scottish Parliament can do to assist armed forces veterans and their families. We could take up that offer to go on one of SaBRE’s training weekends. On Friday, with the support of the Royal British Legion, Citizens Advice Scotland, Erskine, North Lanarkshire Council and Lanarkshire armed forces associations, I am holding a veterans surgery in Cumbernauld to mark armed forces day and to bring those groups together to give advice and support to any veterans in the Lanarkshire area.
I note the point about support that the member has just made, and his earlier reference to training weekends. I am to meet Anna Soubry, a UK defence minister, next week and I will ask her whether she will allow the armed forces programme that Westminster runs for its members to be extended to the devolved Administrations to give their members more experience of the armed forces. Is that something that the member supports?
I would certainly be happy to come together with the minister to see whether we can add cross-party support for the extension of that scheme.
I know that the interviews for the new veterans commissioner were held recently and I hope that whoever is appointed will be able to build on the tremendous work that is already being done by the Government in our veterans community.
I will close as I opened by acknowledging the debt of gratitude that Scotland owes to those who have served in our armed forces in defence of freedom. We will support the Government’s motion at decision time. As always, we are happy to work on a cross-party basis to support veterans in Scotland.
15:12
Yesterday I attended, as did many colleagues, the flag-raising ceremony in my nearest town to mark the start of armed forces week. There was not a huge turnout, but it was impossible not to be moved by the pride, the passion and the camaraderie that were still so clearly evident in the group of veterans who were in attendance as they drew themselves smartly to attention as the flag was raised. The passion, pride and camaraderie are surely totally justified because it is almost entirely thanks to their selflessness, courage and commitment that we all now enjoy a comparatively safe existence in today’s world, as the minister acknowledged in his opening speech.
It is therefore absolutely right that the motion begins by acknowledging the debt of gratitude that we owe our armed forces—past and present. That the minister himself is numbered among them simply adds to the quality of the depth of understanding of, and interest in, armed forces and veterans issues that Parliament has shown since its earliest days.
As I said in the debate on 14 January, that interest has been continued in a largely exemplary fashion by this Government, and in a way that has been welcomed by the armed forces and veterans community. I hope that that level of support and interest will be continued by Parliament and Governments, of whatever political colour, for many years to come.
Further to the minister’s intervention on Mark Griffin, does Alex Fergusson share my interest in having an armed forces scheme in the Scottish Parliament, and does he share my support for looking at the idea on a cross-party basis? I participated in the scheme in the House of Commons and it was excellent.
I hope that such issues, above all, are ones on which we can share interest across the parties. I endorse David Stewart’s feeling.
Those who in the past put their lives on the line for our security, and those who are doing so currently, deserve no less than our full support. I am quite sure that we all agree on that; everything that the minister said in his opening comments suggests that, for the time being, that will be the case.
I acknowledge the fact that the majority of ex-servicemen make a seamless transition back into civilian life. However, many need, and will continue to need, our support and interest. One of the remarkable outcomes of recent conflicts has been the incredible response of the public. I have no doubt that that response has been prompted and, in some ways, promoted by the fact that the media can now bring the stark reality of modern-day warfare virtually into our homes in a graphic and previously unimaginable way. Indeed, the sight of returning forces and, worse, the funeral cortèges of those who have paid the ultimate price has undoubtedly awoken the conscience of the public in a remarkable fashion.
Literally hundreds of charities have been established in recent years. Although that is for the very best of reasons, many of them to a degree overlap in what they seek to achieve. The result of that is growing duplication of effort that leads inevitably to competition between some charities in attracting public willingness to donate to veterans-related causes.
That point about willingness to donate highlights a further potential concern. There is little doubt that, as our involvement in overseas theatres of war reduces and the accompanying media exposure declines, the attention and interest of the general public will inevitably decline with it. That gives us a potential problem because—as I have learned all too clearly through the work of the cross-party group on armed forces veterans that I convene—often the problems and issues from which our veterans suffer do not manifest themselves until several years after those veterans are discharged. We could face declining public empathy and financial contributions, alongside a growing requirement for help and support, as many of the issues that will come to light for today’s serving personnel become evident over the next 10 to 20 years.
Many of the larger charities already recognise that. I was pleased to host a seminar in Parliament just a few weeks ago at which the Royal British Legion Scotland—now known as Legion Scotland—brought together several of the main players in the voluntary and charitable sectors to discuss its plans to restructure and work with others in partnership to provide support in the future. Others are, no doubt, doing the same.
That brings me to the role of the veterans commissioner. As the minister mentioned, I had a few reservations about that role, but I am happy to admit that many of them have dissipated somewhat as I have thought about the role more carefully. I hope that he or she will be able to take steps to ensure that the huge number of armed forces and veterans-related charities do not duplicate their efforts. If the generosity of the public is to be used to maximum effect, it is essential that any duplication of effort be addressed.
My colleague Alex Johnstone will speak later of the need for Government, local authorities, health boards and others to work together to ensure maximum effectiveness. l suggest that the commissioner might well have a role to play in that process. Although all our local authorities and health boards have dedicated armed forces champions, there is a clear need for a more joined-up approach across the public sector, as there is in the third sector, if we are to maximise support for our armed forces veterans. Some of what is needed is pretty basic; for example, many local council switchboards do not even know who the veterans champion is—if someone rings up to get him, they cannot. It is not rocket science.
The armed forces themselves still have a lot to do in ensuring that their serving personnel are fully prepared for discharge and for the intense dose of reality that often accompanies the return to civvy street. A lot has been done in recent years within the armed forces to improve that facet of service, but a lot more could and should be done. If everyone—the Ministry of Defence, the UK and Scottish Governments, our local councils, health boards and the voluntary sector—meets the coming challenges successfully, we will be able to be as proud of the lifelong support that we offer as we are of our armed forces personnel and veterans to whom we offer it. That must surely be our goal.
I am pleased to support the motion.
15:18
The run-up to armed forces day is a poignant time to have the debate. Commemorations will take place in communities throughout the country to mark anniversaries that are specific to our Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force and the exceptional sacrifices that were made in the first and second world wars. We should support our servicemen and servicewomen, past and present, full-time and reservists, which is why I am pleased to support the minister’s motion.
I particularly note progress with the appointment of a new Scottish veterans commissioner to ensure
“the highest level of services and support available”
for our armed forces community. I understand that that ambassador will work with services charities, local authorities and health boards to identify any areas and public services that could provide greater support to veterans, and help to shape future policy developments and opportunities.
Progress in that regard has been made across our public services. On health, the Scottish Government has put in place a raft of measures to remove disadvantages that members of the armed forces community face in accessing the national health service. There is priority NHS treatment for veterans and serving and retired reservists who have service-related conditions and—this is important—the Government has ensured that veterans can receive state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs, which are equivalent in standard to those that the defence medical services provide.
The minister mentioned specialist mental health services. Services have been enhanced by the introduction of a six-week intensive post-traumatic stress disorder treatment programme, through a partnership between NHS Scotland and Combat Stress. That is important, because although the effects of PTSD can be felt immediately after the trauma, the condition can manifest itself a long way down the line, so it is important that it is being recognised.
It is also important to have an armed forces champion in every NHS board in Scotland. We have such champions in local authorities, but I recognise what Alex Fergusson said about it not always being apparent that specialists are there to help to co-ordinate services. I hope that when the veterans champion or commissioner is appointed, the issue will be given much greater recognition.
On housing, guidance for landlords has been revised to highlight issues that former services personnel face, and to give landlords flexibility. I remember a fairly long meeting some time ago with an organisation that deals with such things that was concerned that allocation policies across the west of Scotland were patchy. I hope that the veterans ambassador or champion—I keep forgetting the title—
Veterans commissioner.
That is the one. I hope that when he or she is in place they can pull together that kind of thing.
On education, the Government has recognised the additional challenges that children from services families face due to the nature of their parents’ postings. I am pleased that last year £180,000 was given for outreach projects that Army cadets associations offer.
On transport, the Scottish Government extended the concessionary travel scheme to include HM forces veterans who have mobility problems.
On justice, I remember that Angela Constance, before she was a minister and then a cabinet secretary, talked a lot about her experience as a prison social worker and how former services personnel in prison who were suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues were not getting attention. The presence of a veterans in custody support officer in each prison in Scotland is an excellent initiative, which will be supplemented by the work of the Scottish veterans prison in-reach group.
The support does not all go in one direction. The motion refers to the
“valuable skills, experience and sense of civic responsibility that ex-service personnel bring to society on returning to civilian life”.
That is true. The organisations that do excellent work to support our armed forces personnel are generally headed by ex-service people, as are the Army, RAF and sea cadets organisations in many of our constituencies—we have strong cadets organisations in East Kilbride—which offer excellent opportunities for young people.
Many other voluntary organisations are headed by people who have military connections. Global charities are often manned by people who use the skills and international experience that they gained in the services to help other people all round the world. I have unlimited respect for Mission Aviation Fellowship, which was founded by a former military pilot and involves many ex-service personnel, who work on the ground and fly to difficult parts of the world to help other organisations to take support and succour to people in need.
I recognise that our services personnel have valuable skills, and I acknowledge the debt of gratitude that we owe them. I support the motion.
15:24
If I am a little slower than usual in rising to speak this afternoon, it is because I had the pleasure—if one may call it that—of leading out the Scottish Parliament’s football team against the RAF on Friday in a game to mark armed forces day.
Members may be interested to know that following last year’s parliamentary triumph, the RAF this year reasserted its hold on the trophy. I hope that the minister and my front-bench colleague Mark Griffin feel suitably guilty at the gaps in our defence that were highlighted by their absence.
That annual fixture has, in addition to allowing us as parliamentarians to show our own support, highlighted the support—and indeed the affection—for our armed forces that exists among the wider community, and the footballing community in particular. Football clubs that have supported the fixture in the past include Kilmarnock, Hearts and Alloa Athletic. The latter club, as the minister will know, pursues a policy of granting serving military personnel free entry to home matches.
This year, we were grateful to Raith Rovers for hosting us at Stark’s park in Kirkcaldy. As some colleagues may know, Raith Rovers have marked 2014, as the centenary of the great war, by launching a new away strip. It is emblazoned simply with the word, “Remember”, and rather than displaying the traditional team colours, it is designed in the green and black of the hunting Stewart tartan that was worn by Sir George McCrae’s battalion.
Hearts fans will be well aware of the service and sacrifice of their players who signed up for the original sportsmen’s battalion in late 1914. Hibs, Falkirk and Dunfermline players joined players from Hearts, as did seven players from Raith Rovers, three of whom were subsequently killed at Passchendaele and elsewhere on the western front. Ten other players from Raith Rovers also enlisted between 1914 and 1918. When one sees those numbers, one thinks about whole teams of our fittest, strongest and most talented young men signing up in defence of our country. It is difficult to do justice to the courage and sense of duty and service that those men displayed.
I am struck by the desire among those of us who still to this day enjoy the freedoms for which those soldiers fought and died to do what we can to recognise the sacrifice that was made in the past and to support the armed services personnel who are currently serving.
This weekend, all three services, accompanied by the cadets and by veterans organisations including Legion Scotland, paraded in Rouken Glen park in East Renfrewshire, and local families turned out in their hundreds to watch the flag-raising ceremony and the march past. Every member who has spoken so far in today’s debate has described in similar terms the events in their own communities, which reveals the strength and depth of that support.
As well as the act of remembering, what can we do to show support? I will give just one example. I am hosting a reception in committee room 1 tomorrow evening—I was going to say that it would be after decision time, but that has been postponed, so it will take place during decision time—for a new scheme that has been set up to support and provide legal support to serving and retired soldiers. The scheme was the brainchild of Wing Commander Allan Steele, who is a constituent of mine. With the strenuous efforts of his wife Linzie, he set up a scheme called AFLA, which stands for armed forces legal action. The scheme has brought together a network of solicitors to provide discounts and advice for soldiers, both serving and retired, and has as its motto, “For Services Rendered”, which is a fitting summary for this debate. That is one simple and straightforward—but, I hope, very practical—example of what we can do.
Retired soldiers sometimes need considerable support to function in civilian life, but that support, whether it is for mental health or for finding employment, is not always available. I believe that both the UK Government and the Scottish Government can do more in that regard. For example, Poppyscotland recently found out that, of the 189,000 working-age veterans in Scotland, some 28,000 are out of work. That is twice the unemployment rate among the general population. As members have mentioned, it can be extremely difficult to account for the important and useful skills and experience that soldiers accumulate while serving, which makes finding civilian employment that much more difficult.
My colleague Jim Murphy, when he was shadow secretary of state for defence, launched a very beneficial scheme to encourage businesses to sign up to a veterans interview programme. The scheme recognised that the skills that are gained in the armed forces are transferable, but often come across better in an interview than in a standard application form. Many businesses, including John Lewis, O2, Celtic, Greggs and Centrica, signed up to the scheme and offered the first step on the ladder for many ex-soldiers. Such schemes are inexpensive to run but make a big difference. I invite the Scottish Government to see whether we can do more in that area.
SAMH and Poppyscotland highlighted a similar situation in the recent launch of the Employ-Able service, which provides local support, training and practical advice to assist veterans in their search for work. The service involves one-to-one and group sessions covering topics including interview techniques, and offers targeted support where necessary.
We have talked about the wider issue of the health and wellbeing of former soldiers. The minister mentioned the Prime Minister’s special representative on veterans affairs, Lord Ashcroft. What I found most interesting from Lord Ashcroft’s recent research was that nine out of every ten people thought it common for former soldiers to have severe mental health problems and for them to commit suicide. That misconception has a negative impact on the likelihood of former services personnel being hired for jobs or functioning normally in society.
The ideas that soldiers have no skills, that they are all mentally unwell and that they are unfit for certain jobs need to be challenged. By challenging the stereotypes, we can provide the correct support that those men and women need. Our communities expect us to do that, parliamentarians want us to do that and our armed forces need us to do that.
15:31
I join members in paying tribute to those who have served their country, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring peace to the United Kingdom. The fact that the peace here has been so enduring is the ultimate tribute to their sacrifice. The peace that we enjoy on these shores, which we have perhaps taken for granted, is a recognition of the armed forces’ professionalism in the second world war and previous wars.
Over the years, as the armed forces have reduced in size, our personal contact, awareness and understanding of them have reduced, too. In the past, it was often the case that a person would not just read about soldiers’ deaths in the papers or hear about them on the news; rather, it would be their family member who had passed away while serving their country. These days, we are a little bit more remote from that.
In addition, because of the conflict in Northern Ireland, serving soldiers, airmen and sailors were reluctant to wear their uniforms. That also made the armed forces a little bit more remote from our daily lives. We created armed forces day to bring them back into our lives and to make them part and parcel of what we do—not only so that we can show our appreciation for them and what they do for us, but so that they can see how much we value them. There is great value in armed forces day. I, too, will be at Stirling on Saturday to recognise the contribution that they make.
On making more people aware of the armed forces generally, does Willie Rennie agree with Mark Griffin, David Stewart and Alex Fergusson that the armed forces parliamentary scheme—Willie Rennie will be aware of the scheme from his time at Westminster—could be usefully extended to this Parliament and other devolved Administrations, so that we can, on an individual level, get that familiarity with the work of the armed forces?
The minister can count on my support for that. I did not join the armed forces parliamentary scheme; I was distracted by other matters. I was part of the Liberal defence team and a member of the House of Commons Defence Committee. Perhaps I will get a second chance to take part in the scheme this time—if they will have me, which is probably the more important question.
We were a bit reluctant about supporting the creation of the Scottish veterans commissioner mainly because we were concerned that it would just be another appointment in the absence of real change. We are looking for significant change from this Parliament and that change is needed in a number of different areas. First, we want change on veterans. Many members have referred to that this afternoon. We also want changes on serving personnel, whether for full-time personnel or the increasing number of reservists that there will be in the coming years, which poses significant challenges of which the Scottish Government is, I am sure, fully aware.
I will run through a number of the issues on veterans. This year, Combat Stress has reported a 57 per cent increase in the number of referrals. That could be a good thing—it could indicate that former servicemen and servicewomen are overcoming stigma and are, because they recognise that service-related stress is not something to be embarrassed about, more forthcoming about getting the support that they need. However, it could also indicate that there is a greater problem and that a greater number of people out there need our support. We need to dig down into the numbers and the motivation of people to find out why that is happening, but it is clear that there is still an issue. That significant increase in referrals to Combat Stress will need to be recognised in the form of support.
I have been to see Veterans First Point, which has an office at the far end of Princes Street—if the office is still there. It does excellent work. It is a one-stop shop that signposts people to other services. It is not badged as a mental health service, but it helps people who need mental health support or any other support. It is a good service, and the Government deserves credit for introducing it.
I would like the minister to provide more information on how effective the priority treatment scheme for former servicemen and servicewomen who sustained injuries while they were serving has been, and what extra support they will get. Is that just a service that is available, but which no one takes up? Have people benefited from it? I would like to hear more.
I will join Ken Macintosh at the AFLA reception tomorrow night. I think that the AFLA scheme, which provides legal services support for veterans, is great.
Perhaps the minister could also give us an update on employability. It is quite clear that not all veterans are victims, but it would be possible to think that that is the case from reading the newspapers. It is not. I know many veterans who have gone on to get well-paid jobs and who have contributed greatly to society and to employment. The charity Sorted! is a collaboration of different organisations that have come together to provide an employability scheme. I would like to find out what the Scottish Government is doing to work with it.
The fact that servicemen and servicewomen are forced to move around the country on different deployments creates a real problem for them in getting proper general practitioner support and dental services, and in being able to get their children into the right schools at the right time, when their children are uprooted. Does the Government know whether that is a significant problem? If it is, how is the minister addressing it?
I must give credit to the Scottish Government, which I think is working well with the UK Government on the issue. It was a sticky situation at the beginning, but good work is now being done, and I pay tribute to the minister for that.
15:37
Like a number of colleagues across the chamber, I participated in two armed forces events in Hamilton on Saturday. One of them—the flag-raising ceremony—was organised by the local council. The other, which was a coming together of all the organisations across Lanarkshire that support one another, was organised by Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire. Talking to some of the veterans who were there and hearing their stories made me think how hard fought for our freedoms are. On the march past, I always seem to be more taken by an RAF uniform—I think that that is because my father was in the RAF—but perhaps the minister would prefer me to say that a Royal Marines uniform is much nicer.
I want to talk about some of the organisations that were involved in the event. It was an awareness-raising event in the centre of Hamilton. Lots of people were there, and the fire service was there as well as members of the armed forces. Among the organisations in attendance were Help for Heroes, Women’s Aid, SAMH, the citizens advice bureau and the armed services advice project, which is a specialist project that is supported by Poppyscotland.
Members will be aware that I spoke about the armed services advice project—which is normally known as ASAP—in a previous debate, when the pilot ran in Hamilton. It delivers an information service, gives advice and supports members of the armed forces community and their families. It has a presence throughout Scotland. As well as having a helpline, it does face-to-face casework and covers nine regions: Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire; Edinburgh and Lothians; Falkirk; Fife; Inverness, Moray and Nairn; Lanarkshire; Renfrewshire; Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire; and Tayside. I urge any MSP to go and see the work that ASAP does in their area. It does signposting and many of the things that have been called for in the debate. If that can be continued, it will only be to the benefit of armed forces service personnel and their families.
The ASAP service started on 1 July 2010 and has had a total of 4,745 individual clients, which is a huge number. The clients’ financial gain from the service ensuring that they get the benefits and payouts that they are entitled to now sits at £3,241,000, which is a return of £3 for every £1 of funding that the project has received over the period. The people who come to the project have complex support needs and are seen on multiple occasions. Some of them have issues around debt and addiction, and the advice staff work on many complicated situations. Approximate figures for the issues that the project has dealt with over its four years show that 39 per cent were about benefits, 19 per cent were about debt, 8 per cent were about housing, 10 per cent were about financial issues, including grant applications, and 7 per cent were about employment. Members can see from that the work that the project does and the wraparound care that it provides to ensure that people get the right support.
Interestingly, the figures on referrals to the project have changed slightly. The total figure for self-referral and word-of-mouth referral is now 40 per cent, which is where we would want it to be because that is sometimes the best type of referral. Referrals from CABx are now at 11 per cent and those from SSAFA are at 8 per cent. The referral figures from the Veterans Welfare Service, the Royal British Legion Scotland, Poppyscotland and the armed forces welfare service are around 2 or 3 per cent. The 40 per cent self-referral figure probably comes from men and women veterans who are transitioning out of the armed forces talking to each other, which can only be a good thing.
I lodged a motion in Parliament a few weeks ago about the new ASAP service—I hope that all members have taken the opportunity to sign the motion—that involves working with Police Scotland. Alex Fergusson mentioned that 40 per cent of veterans land in prison. I hope that the new service will prevent some of that.
Will the member take an intervention?
Sorry. Have I got that figure wrong?
Just a little bit. If I may, I will correct what the member said. I drew attention to my understanding that the figures show that there was a 40 per cent increase last year in the number of veterans going to prison.
I thank the member for that clarification; I must have picked him up wrongly when I was taking my notes. I apologise for that. However, the new service will address the people whom Alex Fergusson spoke about.
ASAP is working with a wide range of organisations, including Police Scotland, which will now help people to access the ASAP helpline. Police Scotland deals with people in a wide range of situations, but the biggest issue is keeping people safe. Some veterans come to the attention of the police because of issues in their community, but it can become apparent that they have mental health issues or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The police can now refer such people directly to the ASAP service, which can only be a good thing. Early indications are that the service is working extremely well.
In this year of the 100th anniversary of the start of the first world war, I finish by quoting from a statement to the House of Commons on the declaration of war. Prime Minister Herbert Asquith said:
“If I am asked what we are fighting for I reply in two sentences. In the first place, to fulfil a solemn international obligation ... an obligation ... of honour, which no self-respecting man could possibly have repudiated ... secondly, we are fighting to vindicate the principle ... that small nationalities are not to be crushed, in defiance of international good faith, by the arbitrary will of a strong and overmastering Power.”—[Official Report, House of Commons, 6 August 1914; vol 65, c 2079.]
I think that the armed forces commissioner will uphold all those standards and support and respect all our service personnel.
I call Annabelle Ewing, to be followed by Richard Baker. We are very tight for time, so speeches should be up to six minutes, please.
15:43
I, too, am very pleased to be called to speak in the debate. Like Alex Fergusson, I speak as a member of the cross-party group on armed forces veterans, where I have taken a particular interest in the welfare of our armed forces veterans since my election to this Parliament, just as I did when I was a member of the Westminster Parliament. I was involved there in a number of defence-related issues, including the widely supported but, sadly, subsequently unsuccessful campaign to save the Black Watch and the other Scottish regiments. Sadly, that campaign fell on deaf ears with the UK Government of the day.
It is fitting that we are having this debate today, in advance of armed forces day being held in Stirling on Saturday, and in this year when we remember in particular those who fell in the first world war in the fields of Flanders and beyond. What a terrible price was paid by so many millions of young men, and what a terrible impact the war had on communities the length and breadth of Scotland and of every country across the European continent and the wider world.
As the minister said, we also look back this year, on the 70th anniversary of the D day landings, to the bravery of those who came ashore on the beaches of France to liberate a continent. There really are no words properly to describe those heroic actions and the sacrifice involved. Each of us can ensure, however, that those who have served their country are treated with the utmost respect and dignity when they leave the armed forces. Here in Scotland, it is a matter of some pride that we have a dedicated minister for veterans to ensure that, as far as we can, with the limited powers that this Parliament has, we support the 400,000 or so veterans in Scotland. As we have heard, the Scottish Government has made significant contributions to Veterans Scotland and, through it, to a number of important ex-service charities to support their excellent work.
The 2012 “Our Commitments” report—to give it its full title, “Our Commitments: Scottish Government Support for the Armed Forces Community in Scotland”—provides, inter alia, for a co-ordinated approach across Government to planning for and delivering devolved services for our armed forces community. As Christina McKelvie said, it is important that we include within that the families of members of our armed forces and of veterans, as they, too, play a very significant role, albeit not on the front line. There is provision in the report for regular meetings with Veterans Scotland, and there is assistance to NHS boards and other public sector providers.
There are recurrent themes in the work of the cross-party group, one of which concerns health matters. It is very welcome that there is provision for priority NHS treatment for veterans and both serving and retired reservists with what is defined as a service-related condition. At recent cross-party group meetings, there has been discussion about the parameters of “service-related condition”, in particular where mental health issues present; they might present not immediately, but some time down the line. Perhaps the veterans minister could look at that area in conjunction with his ministerial colleagues in the health portfolio to see what can be done to ensure that the implementation of the policy is as clear cut as it can be for all concerned.
Reference has been made to other excellent provision for veterans in the health field, including specialist mental health services, in conjunction with the NHS and Combat Stress, and the NHS armed forces champion in each NHS board. A leaflet has been provided to raise understanding among GPs about what it means to be a veteran and the issues that may present.
In addition to the important area of health, housing is another key area that is frequently raised at the cross-party group. I am pleased to note that a number of initiatives have been promoted by the Scottish Government, including the introduction of proposed legislation on homelessness to ensure that employment and residence connected to the armed forces constitute a local connection for the purposes of the legislation, and that there is priority access to the Scottish Government’s low-cost initiative for first-time buyers and the shared equity scheme. The minister referred to the 50-home unit in Glasgow and, I believe, to developments in Carnoustie. Those are very much to be welcomed, and they will include social and transitional housing.
Welfare issues have also been raised at the cross-party group. Sadly, although veterans face many considerable challenges to do with welfare, the Parliament can do very little about that at present, as we simply do not have welfare powers, which reside with Westminster—but, hopefully, not for much longer, further to what I hope is a yes vote on 18 September.
We have heard about the veterans champions in local authorities. It might be timely to consider that again, to see what further awareness could be raised about, and access facilitated to, those champions. They do a power of work, but their role could be further enhanced and explained to the veterans community that they are there to serve.
I wish well the Scottish veterans commissioner, whoever they may be, in the new post that the Scottish Government has created to bring a greater focus to all the areas that we have discussed this afternoon. That acts as a significant marker of the Scottish Government’s absolute commitment to doing right by veterans in Scotland and ensuring that they receive the help that they need. The people of Scotland would expect nothing less.
15:50
I, too, welcome the opportunity to recognise the contribution that our armed forces have made to our lives in Scotland and Britain today. The recent events to commemorate the first world war and the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings bring back to all of us the huge debt of gratitude that we owe to all who have served in our armed forces and what they have achieved together.
We are approaching armed forces day, which the minister mentioned. That will be an important opportunity to celebrate the crucial role that our armed forces perform today in protecting our nation as well as to recognise all that they have achieved in the past.
It is good that we can agree across the chamber on the sentiments in the Scottish Government’s motion. I join others who have welcomed the progress towards appointing a new Scottish veterans commissioner. That role will be important to building new relationships between all those who work for our veterans and it will ensure that the Scottish Government can play its role in contributing to that important work.
Each year, we in the Parliament are all reminded of the vital role that is played by charities that work with veterans, through the work of Poppyscotland and the chance that we have on remembrance day to commemorate our armed forces’ contribution. However, it is important that we are aware throughout the year of the work that is done by our armed forces and for our veterans.
I am sure that all of us have met veterans for whom the transition to civilian life has not been easy, for a host of reasons. For some, experiences of combat have left mental and physical scars. That underlines the importance of the support that they receive from organisations and charities that work with veterans and the need for our public services to provide the right support for veterans. I am sure that the veterans commissioner will have an important role to play on that issue.
We recognise the challenges that many veterans face, which the minister outlined, but it is also important to recognise the great contribution to our communities that many veterans make. It is right to emphasise that. As Ken Macintosh said, stereotypes need to be challenged. A number of other members have also made that important point.
As I represent North East Scotland, members would expect me to talk about the vital role played in our community by the Gordon Highlanders. Gordon Highlanders veterans make a great contribution to our area and our communities. The majority of the regiment’s ranks were made up of men from Aberdeen and the north-east, who fought on battlefields across the world. In August 1949, the regiment was given the freedom of the city of Aberdeen. Sir Winston Churchill said:
“There is no doubt they are the finest regiment in the world”.
In October 2011, I was privileged to attend the unveiling in Aberdeen’s Castlegate of a commemorative statue to the Gordon Highlanders regiment, which Aberdeen City Council commissioned. The sculpture of two soldiers is magnificent. It was unveiled by Prince Charles, who served as colonel-in-chief of the Gordon Highlanders and is a patron of the Gordon Highlanders museum.
The museum plays an important role in the city and a tremendous amount of work has been invested in making it the excellent resource that it is, not only as a place to visit and to learn about the Gordon Highlanders but as a centre for learning and research. It focuses on the contribution that soldiers made and it reminds us of the contribution that we must make to veterans’ lives today.
I pay particular tribute to the tremendous work that has been done by Lieutenant General Sir Peter Graham, formerly commanding officer of the first battalion of the Gordon Highlanders and subsequently general officer commanding Scotland, who has been instrumental in making the museum the great success that it is. He also has a personal mission to help our veterans in today’s community.
The museum is important to celebrating the history of the Gordon Highlanders, but it also offers activities for families and children and learning experiences for pupils, who can find out more about what life was like for soldiers in the Gordon Highlanders. That outreach work is important for our younger generations, as it is for all of us who have lived in times of relative peace and who have—fortunately—not had the experiences that our grandparents had, because it ensures that we understand better how that peace was secured and empathise more with the crucial role that our armed forces play today.
The work of the Gordon Highlanders museum receives fantastic support from our local community in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. It is therefore right that, on a broader level, the work of Poppyscotland, Erskine and other charities that work with veterans across Scotland receives support from the Parliament and the Scottish Government. I am pleased that the minister outlined exactly that kind of approach in his speech and that it is certainly outlined in the motion.
It is good that the Scottish Government is taking a strategic approach to that work and that we can look to progress with the appointment of the Scottish veterans commissioner so that, as a society, we ensure that our veterans have not only the gratitude that they so richly deserve from us but, crucially, the support that many of them need from our communities and public services.
15:55
The fairness and decency of a society can be measured in a variety of ways, not least by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens and, of course, those to whom it owes the most. Veterans are one group that absolutely comes under the latter heading. If we are honest, I am not sure that we can as a society say that, historically, we have done all that we might have done for veterans, but that has been changing in Scotland over recent years.
As we all know, Scotland has a long and proud military history, which has been shaped by the efforts of those who have served in our armed forces in the past and those who serve in them in the present. Like Christina McKelvie, I should perhaps declare an interest. Three successive generations on my mother’s side served in the military, including my grandfather, who won the military cross while serving with the Gordon Highlanders during the second world war.
We owe a tremendous amount to the men and women of our navy, army and air force, and it is essential that we do all that we can to help and support them when they look to return to civilian life, whether that is at the conclusion of an extended period of service or as a result of an injury that was sustained in the line of duty. We may not always agree with the conflicts in which our armed forces were ordered to participate, but that is frankly irrelevant in respect of our duty of care to them. Having placed those individuals in harm’s way and all too often subjected them to witnessing events and experiencing traumas that can leave a lasting legacy—as Alex Fergusson mentioned, that can all too often take time to fully manifest itself—we must as a society be prepared to provide the appropriate support to them as they seek to reintegrate into everyday society.
As we have heard, there are approximately 400,000 veterans in Scotland, which is proportionately a larger amount than other areas of the UK have. That, of course, presents a challenge to national and local government. With 2,000 personnel leaving the armed forces annually and seeking to return to or move to Scotland, the challenge will become even greater, albeit that, as the minister pointed out, the vast majority of veterans integrate back into civilian life without significant difficulty.
I do not think that there is any doubting the integrity of the Scottish Government’s response. Since 2008, £600,000 has gone to ex-service charities from the Scottish veterans fund, a further £200,000 has gone to Veterans Scotland to improve support for veterans over the next two years, £2 million has been dedicated to the new national specialist prosthetics service, and £1.2 million has gone on the provision of specialist mental health services. There has been a £2.3 million grant to the Scottish Veterans Housing Association to provide 50 homes in Glasgow, the concessionary travel scheme has been extended to include forces veterans with mobility problems, and, of course, there is the pending appointment of a Scottish veterans commissioner. The Government has therefore very much backed its words of support for veterans with firm action.
I am pleased to say that, at the local authority level in my Angus South constituency, Angus Council is also leading by example, particularly in housing. As the minister noted, Angus Council is building a number of wheelchair-accessible properties to be allocated to veterans in Carnoustie. The demolition of the old Camus house care home, which the minister got behind the controls of a JCB to at least symbolically commence some months ago, has paved the way for the location of 11 council properties that are to be made available to the general populace and, in conjunction with the Houses for Heroes Scotland charity, five for use by injured veterans. Angus Council has provided a third of the funding and Houses for Heroes Scotland has provided the rest. I can tell the minister that the project has progressed to the stage at which the foundations for the houses are now being laid.
That really is a project to be commended, as it integrates housing provision for our veterans within the community. The grouping of veterans’ housing can offer an obvious peer-support mechanism, but it is also important that we do not in any way ghettoise that. The message that is sent out must be that those who locate to such facilities are very much part of the wider community and should be welcomed into it.
I share the opinion of the chairman of Houses for Heroes Scotland, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Callander, that the partnership that was established with Angus Council is an example to other areas of Scotland. The council has, of course, gone beyond that with the appointment of a veterans champion in the shape of the former Black Watch major Councillor Ronnie Proctor and the establishment of Veterans First, which provides contacts and advice for veterans on topics that range from housing to health, finding new employment and expanding their skill set.
In case anyone thinks that I am praising Angus Council because it is SNP led, I point out that Councillor Proctor is a Conservative and, if I recall correctly, his predecessor was a Lib Dem. That reflects the cross-party support for the veterans’ cause that exists in Angus and, judging by today’s speeches, in this chamber.
Angus is doing its bit, as is the Scottish Government. The unusual degree of consensus in the debate has made crystal clear the Parliament’s commitment to supporting our veterans community. As the minister noted earlier this year, we cannot rest on our laurels—more can be done and will need to be done in future. However, the message that I think goes out from the debate is that the Scottish Parliament is fully aware of its responsibilities to veterans and fully committed to meeting them.
We come to the closing speeches.
16:00
This important debate falls at an appropriate time, with armed forces day only a few days away and with memories of the D day commemorations still in our minds.
I of course support the motion in the name of the minister. I add my weight to his comments in fully praising those who have served this country over generations. It is important that we do not forget the debt of gratitude that we owe to the many men and women who have served this country in military roles. We must take that responsibility seriously.
Members have spoken about the disadvantages that some people have on discharge, but we must emphasise that most veterans fit in very easily when they come out of the armed forces. In fact, many of those who choose to serve their country are the brightest and best and naturally acquire skills that they can take into the community. I know of companies that serve the oil and gas industry in the north-east that are willing to recruit at the drop of a hat anyone who leaves an engineer or signal regiment, because they are so qualified and able to do the jobs.
I welcome the fact that the minister has committed the Government to further support for the cadet forces. My memories of Stonehaven in the late 1970s are that, at 9 o’clock on a Friday evening, there were no teenagers out of uniform. People from the air training corps, the sea cadets and the army cadet force all mixed in the square as they made their way home from the meetings on that night. I believe that the cadet forces play an important role and can play a more important role in encouraging young people to take a responsible and positive attitude towards their role in society. Only good can come of that.
The Scottish Parliament has a good record in placing a greater emphasis on veterans issues. I remain greatly encouraged by the work of successive Scottish Governments and the work of the cross-party group on armed forces veterans, which has done an excellent job of engaging with veterans organisations. In particular, I pay tribute to Alex Fergusson for his work.
In 2012, I was delighted to sponsor a reception for veterans housing charities. They are a group of organisations that have achieved so much, yet they need to learn to work more closely together. Graeme Dey mentioned that Angus Council has been heavily involved in putting together projects to provide homes for veterans. The project in Carnoustie that he mentioned exemplifies the holistic approach, which includes engaging with veterans charities and the Scottish Government. I pay tribute to Councillor Jim Miller, another Conservative, who was the convener of the neighbourhood services committee, which drove through that project in its early stages.
That leads me on to a point that relates to the important issue of co-operation between organisations. I mentioned the proliferation of veterans housing charities. The proliferation of responsibilities in providing assistance for veterans when they need it can in fact work as a negative rather than a positive.
I would like to see greater co-operation and partnership working not only between the Scottish Government and local government, but involving the NHS and the third sector, so that we can bring those activities together in a co-ordinated way. It is a safety net that we need to provide, and sometimes that safety net allows people to fall through. It should be possible, with the level of activity and support that we already have, to avoid that problem in the future. A little work could go a long way in achieving that objective.
It is vital that we do not allow our veterans to go under the radar. We must ensure that there is an understanding of what needs to be done on their behalf. Our understanding of the issues that veterans face increases all the time, and we must do everything possible to make sure that legislation and assistance keep pace with the changing needs of our veteran population. They have done so much for us; we must do everything that we can for them.
The appointment of a veterans commissioner will prove to have been an appropriate action. When the announcement of the minister’s post was made, I said that I hoped that having a minister for veterans who had such recent military experience would lead to improvements and a strengthening of our performance in that area. If the veterans commissioner is the right person in the right place, many of the problems that have been identified can be brought together and solved.
The final problem is one that I have mentioned previously—the pressure that our veterans services are going to experience in the next few years. It is a challenge of our times that, with the military withdrawal from the middle east and the removal of troops from Germany to be stationed back here, coupled with the downsizing of our military forces in some cases, the demands on veterans’ support mechanisms will be at their height for the next few years. It is important that we ensure that support is made available when necessary and is tailored to deal with that bump in demand.
16:07
I close the debate as I opened it, by stating our continued support for our armed forces personnel and veterans.
It is no surprise that there is such strong support in Scotland for our armed forces personnel and veterans. That came over loud and clear in the speeches that we heard from Christina McKelvie and Graeme Dey, who spoke about their families’ military background, as have other members in previous debates. I do not think that that is the exception, as almost everyone in Scotland can point to some military experience or history in their family.
That is the foundation of the support that we give to our armed forces personnel and veterans. We owe them a debt of gratitude, and we will be able to mark some of the key events from world war one over the next few years. I met Norman Drummond, the chair of the Scottish commemorations panel, who was able to outline the key dates and events to commemorate the ones with a strongly Scottish dimension, and I look forward to attending as many of those events as possible over the next few years.
Those who serve in our armed forces are asked to make massive personal sacrifices in their human rights and, ultimately, to give up their right to life in the service of the nation. It is only right that, in return, Governments and we as a nation value, respect and support our armed forces. That culminates in the annual commemoration of armistice day, when we stop to remember those who gave their lives in action so that we can enjoy the freedom that we experience today.
Members will know that I spent some time in the Territorial Army, and I have not had the same experience in any other situation in life. However, although I went through all the training that a reservist can, I did not deploy because of other commitments. I cannot begin to imagine the level of intensity and commitment to their fellow soldiers that those on the front line will have experienced.
It is hard to listen to people who have served in front-line action when they speak about some of their experiences but, having done so, it is easier to understand the sort of conditions that people often come home with. We can only imagine how isolated someone must feel when they are discharged from the armed forces after being in such stressful situations. It must be difficult for them to find themselves alone, perhaps without family, and they will miss the close bond that they had with the people they fought beside.
It is of vital importance that the advice and support services are in place for former service personnel, so that they can adjust to living in mainstream society, and that Governments continue to plan, co-ordinate and deliver support and advice services from the private, public and voluntary sectors for ex-service personnel and their families. I hope that the appointment of the veterans commissioner will achieve that and will pull together the work of Government and those voluntary organisations and charities across Scotland.
I welcome the appointment of veterans champions by local authorities. That approach is starting to deliver positive changes, as in North Lanarkshire, which has amended its housing policy to recognise the priority needs of homeless ex-service personnel and their families when they have just been discharged. I take the point that Alex Fergusson made that there is no point in having a champion if no one is able to access them, if the role is not publicised and if veterans or members of the armed forces community do not know who it is or find it difficult to make contact with them.
We should continue to support the work that is done by many charities and organisations across Scotland. We have heard many examples of that work today.
We are committed to working on a cross-party basis to ensure that our veterans and their families receive the support that they need and deserve. In particular, we recognise that our service personnel often need support with the transition to civilian life, particularly with regard to the need to find housing and employment, and that there must be a recognition of the impact that their tour of duty can sometimes have.
Another important issue that was raised repeatedly concerns the skills that ex-service personnel can bring to communities. Alex Johnstone pointed out the skills that are in demand by companies, and Linda Fabiani pointed out the contribution that ex-RAF personnel are able to make with regard to international development and aid after their tour of duty. That is not to be forgotten.
I have spoken about what MSPs can do with regard to supporting the organisations and charities that operate in our areas. I hold a veterans surgery. Kenneth Macintosh flagged up the Parliament football team’s match against the RAF. I know that the trophy is no longer in the Scottish Parliament. I do not really think that that is because the minister and I were not there. I think that it is because also absent were a couple of members of Kilsyth Amateur Football Club, who would have shored up the leaky defence on the Parliament side.
This has been another good, consensual debate on the need to support our armed forces and veteran community in Scotland. I will close as I opened, by acknowledging the debt of gratitude that Scotland owes to those who have served in our armed forces in defence of freedom. We will support the Government motion at decision time. We are willing, as always, to work with the Government on a cross-party basis to support veterans in Scotland.
16:14
It is fairly clear from today’s speeches that there is unanimous admiration for our armed forces community, which does not surprise me. As I have said in previous debates, members should be aware of how much that level of consensus and unanimity is appreciated by the armed forces community.
As others have said, our armed forces are at the ready every day, trained and equipped to do what is necessary. They are based in our communities, they contribute to our economies and they live as our neighbours and our friends. They are an integral part of our society.
Rather than make the remarks I was going to make, I will try to respond to as many of the points made as possible. I apologise to members if I do not respond to their points, but they should be assured that we will take them up.
I say to Mark Griffin, David Stewart, Alex Fergusson and Willie Rennie that we are very pleased about the consensus on the need to extend the armed forces parliamentary scheme to the devolved Administrations. That needs to happen for the reasons that Willie Rennie gave: we can become more familiar with the armed forces’ work by experiencing it. If those members I mentioned are happy for me to do this, I will put round the letter that I will take to Anna Soubry when I make that case next week. If members are able to sign it, that would be great.
I strongly support the minister’s view on the armed forces parliamentary scheme. As I said earlier, I had the great privilege of spending two terms with the RAF during my time at Westminster. Does the minister have any plans to meet Sir Neil Thorne, who chairs the armed forces parliamentary scheme? If not, I suggest that he meets him to talk about the costs and practicalities of extending the scheme to the Scottish Parliament.
That is a very worthwhile suggestion and I undertake to look into it. Our previous representations have been made at ministerial and MOD level, but we will take that suggestion forward.
I pay tribute to Alex Fergusson and Annabelle Ewing for their work in the cross-party group on armed forces veterans. I was a founder member of the equivalent group in the last parliamentary session, and I think that it does very good work.
Alex Fergusson made a very important point about duplication among the charities. However, his concern with the appointment of the commissioner was that it should not usurp or undermine the charities’ role. I take on board his point about duplication, which I know very well—there are 500-plus charities and we need to ensure that there is not duplication—but that will have to be for the charities. Rather than the Government or commissioner imposing anything, the charities can best look at what they are doing and maximise and focus their work.
I understand absolutely what the minister says. However, might the commissioner not have a role in guiding people towards coming together to address that problem? In other words, might there not be a need for a central focus on what those very disparate and diverse charities need to do?
The charities are governed by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator as much as anybody else. Alex Fergusson makes his point well, but it is down to Veterans Scotland, which is the organisation that would bring the charities together, to take on that role. I am happy to see that happen.
Ken Macintosh mentioned the hunting Stewart tartan. He will know that our near neighbours, across at the palace, have the ancient hunting Stewart as their tartan—a very fine tartan it is.
Christina McKelvie said how attractive the air force uniform is. It is indeed very smart, but I have to say that there is nothing to compare to the Lovats and green berets of Royal Marines commandos—but I may be prejudiced in that regard.
If people want the chance to see what D day was actually like, I commend the “Band of Brothers” series, which is currently on TV. Although it is fiction, it is underpinned by the real-life experiences and testimony of people who experienced D day. It gives a very good idea of what the sacrifice that was made in 1944 was all about.
A number of members mentioned the private sector and the help that it has given. I should also mention the Malcolm Group; First Group in Aberdeen; and ViNE—veterans into new enterprises—which I visited with Angus MacDonald in Grangemouth yesterday. It is an entrepreneurial initiative by the Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce to make sure that veterans can get fulfilling careers after they leave the service. Those organisations are all worth while and they do great work for veterans in a way that is fairly understated.
Alex Johnstone said that the oil and gas industry uses veterans—including signallers—in the North Sea. I wish that I had known that as an ex-signaller in 1983—my experience is not that recent, as members can imagine. If only I had known that, the Parliament could have been spared my contributions, because I could have gone off to a career in that industry.
The North Sea sector is very important. I know from my experience in the 45 commando that the sector is often the first choice of people who leave the forces. They look for training support, diving support and things that will help them to move into that area, and we have been trying to help them with that.
Willie Rennie raised the important point about the priority treatment scheme. We do not gather those statistics, as that would be quite an administrative burden on the boards concerned. However, I will ask the NHS chief executives to look at that further, to see what we can find out.
With the appointment of the commissioner very shortly we will have a central focus for undertaking that kind of work. The underlying point is that, when we take forward these initiatives, we should make sure that they actually work and that they are being taken up. I understand the point that is being made.
There was a very good contribution from Graeme Dey, who mentioned his grandfather’s time in the Gordon Highlanders when he won the military cross. It is worth saying that none of us should underestimate what it takes to win a military cross. That exemplifies the point made by Richard Baker about the fantastic record that the Gordon Highlanders have.
I welcome the support of all parties for the initiatives that we have taken forward and the emerging consensus about the commissioner. Although these debates are fairly consensual in nature, it is absolutely right that they throw up challenges. I was happy to hear the challenges to the points about the commissioner and the concerns that it might usurp some of the role of Veterans Scotland. I have tried to allay those fears and I hope that I have done so satisfactorily. It is encouraging to see the level of consensus that has emerged, because those in the veterans community appreciate it when they see it from their elected representatives.
I have mentioned one or two organisations. One that I did not mention, although somebody else did, is Scottish Veterans Residences, which is just across the road from here and which is represented in the public gallery today. Scottish Veterans Residences and the other veterans housing providers deliver very high-quality accommodation and all manner of support that makes a tremendous difference to the lives of so many veterans.
On the proliferation of mental health issues, housing issues, unemployment or even representation within the judicial system, it is extremely important to be accurate. We can overstate the problems sometimes. If we do that, we are not doing right by our veterans. We have to be accurate about the fact that the vast majority take up viable employment and have a very successful career upon leaving the forces. It is very important to realise that. However, neither should we underestimate problems, because if we do so, there is the danger of our not providing the services that are required.
Alex Fergusson gave the figure of a 40 per cent increase in the number of veterans in prisons. That came from a freedom of information inquiry by the Daily Record, which has done a tremendous job in highlighting some of the issues that our veterans face. It highlighted a monthly, self-reported figure in the Scottish Prison Service statistical bulletin, which was up from around 150 veterans in 2011-12 to 200 in 2012-13. The SPS advises that it is too early to say whether any trend is underpinned by that data, as it has been collected only since 2011 and the figures are self-reported, so it cannot yet say whether they reflect a real increase. It is an important issue and we have to continue to monitor it. The work that Veterans First Point is undertaking in this regard will add to our understanding of it.
The Scottish Government will continue to work with the military, the ex-service charities and service providers. That work is easier to undertake with the level of consensus and unanimity that we have in the chamber. I look forward to the ideas and the new thinking of the veterans commissioner. I believe that that appointment will be very well received when it is announced.
We are all working in partnership and pulling in the same direction. As we have all said, we owe our armed forces community our best efforts, our best endeavours and our best wishes. If we continue to work together, we will get to the point where Scotland becomes the best country in the world in which to be a veteran. If we can aim for that very high standard, we will do well by our veterans.