In this Remembrance Week we propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
- Recognises that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect.
- And Believes that Wales should be at the forefront of implementing the Armed Forces Covenant, which is intended to "redress the disadvantages that the armed forces community may face in comparison to other citizens, and to recognise sacrifices made".
An estimated 385,000 members of the current and ex-Armed Forces community live in Wales.
According to the Royal British Legion’s 2014 household survey, this comprises 310,000 members of the current, and former, Service community in Wales, with an additional 75,000 children.
Ministry of Defence statistics have further suggested that there are 153,000 veterans amongst this population.
July 1st was the Centenary of the start of the most bloody battle of the First World War – the Somme.
7th July was the Centenary of the Battle of Mametz Wood, when infantrymen of the 38th (Welsh) Division walked straight into the German machine guns in front of a wood, roughly a mile in length, near the small village of Mametz.
It was an honour to sponsor last week’s Royal Legion Poppy Ride here, when Assembly Members and Staff joined Veterans, Legion Members and Staff to cycle the distance from the Assembly to Mametz Wood to mark the Remembrance period.
On this day, 9 November 1916, 100 years ago, the Battle of Ancre Heights began as the final phase of the Battle of the Somme was drawing to a close.
By 1918, 280,000 Welshmen had served in World War I, of which approximately 40,000 died.
On this day 22 years later Germans started expelling 180,000 French from conquered Alsace-Lorraine.
People have also made the supreme sacrifice in Iraq, Afghanistan, Falklands, Northern Ireland and Korea, to name but a few.
The past informs the future.
Let us never forget.
We call on the Welsh Government to note the Scottish Government's creation of a Scottish Veterans Commissioner in 2014, to champion the needs of the Armed Forces community, and to create an Armed Forces Commissioner for Wales, dedicated to improving outcomes for both veterans and serving forces, and their families.
The establishment of an Armed Forces Commissioner for Wales is essential to support the specific needs of veterans and represent these to Welsh Government – and to properly scrutinise service delivery for veterans carried out by Welsh Government, NHS Wales and local authorities.
They would engage with the Armed Forces community, as well as all public services and champion the many key third sector projects supporting veterans and their families, so that they may be supported and rolled out nationally by the Welsh Government.
This role has been supported and endorsed by the Armed Forces community and Armed Services Heads.
We also call on the Welsh Government to introduce a veterans needs assessment, as the basis for delivering services to ensure that former members of the armed forces are entitled to receive the support they deserve.
The Armed Forces Covenant refers to the mutual obligations between the UK nations and our Armed Forces.
Its principles were enshrined in law by the previous UK Government in 2011, ensuring that the Armed Forces community does not face undue disadvantage when accessing services, such as housing and health.
All 22 Local Authorities in Wales have in place an Armed Forces Community Covenant, requiring them to have elected Member Armed Forces Champions, but more is needed.
Leading the Welsh Conservative debate on veterans here in July, I provided the example of a constituent, who following his Army discharge was diagnosed with Chronic and Complex service related PTSD.
He had attempted suicide in March after repeated attempts to secure appropriate NHS Wales intervention had failed.
Further to my intervention, his Community Mental Health Team promised him a care coordinator within 4 weeks.
However, when I was asked to visit him again 2 months later, he had still heard nothing.
Only after my further intervention at the highest level in the Health Board was he appointed a care co-ordinator.
Despite the clear commitment of local authorities and the Welsh NHS to deliver as many tailored services as they can to the Armed Forces, Welsh Conservatives casework - and no doubt that of other parties - provides evidence that this does not go far enough.
Improved Welsh Government data collection is vital in order to establish the health needs of veterans; identify the support needed by their families and carers; inform commissioning and service provision; and highlight the engagement needed with people in the armed forces, serving and/or at transition into civilian life.
In fact, this is exactly what June’s ‘Call to Mind: Wales’ report, commissioned by the Forces in Mind Trust, and based on interviews with veterans, their families and people working in the voluntary and independent sector, called for.
This report also called for increased Veterans’ NHS Wales capacity, stating that much more needs to be done to support the mental health needs of veterans in Wales.
The need for improved data collection is further emphasised by The Royal British Legion’s ‘Count Them In’ campaign, which calls for questions on the Armed Forces community to be included in the next UK Census.
As they say, it is estimated that there are currently between 6.5 million and 6.7 million members of the Armed Forces community living in the UK, representing about a tenth of the population. Yet little is known about the exact numbers, location and needs of this significant group.
When I raised this with the Cabinet Secretary in July, he stated the Welsh Government was supportive of the principle, he believed that it could put service personnel at risk.
However, he also promised that an expert group would look at this issue.
There could be up to 250,000 veterans in Wales, but without this data we cannot plan for the NHS Wales capacity needed, commission the wider services required, or provide the support on which families and carers depend, and we cannot deliver on the promise made by the Armed Forces Covenant that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
We will support Plaid Cymru’s amendments 2 and 3 and commend the work of organisations such as “65 Degrees North”, which helps the rehabilitation of wounded or damaged ex-service men and women by offering the opportunity to participate in challenging adventure.
The project has secured support from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry’s Endeavour Fund and UK Government Armed Forces Covenant LIBOR funding – which has also provided funding for CAIS Wales Change Step Veteran Services, providing veterans across Wales with tailored peer support and specialist intervention – AND for First Choice Housing Association to support Wales Homes for Veterans – Alabare.
Having led the first debate here calling for adoption of the Armed Forces Covenant in Wales and campaigned on issues ranging from service related mental illness to the total disregard of the War Disablement Pension, I welcome some of the subsequent steps taken by the Welsh Government.
However, much more is required and we will abstain on the Welsh Government’s amendment 4.
It refers to the development of a “Housing Pathway” for ex-service personnel and their families.
I am advised, however, that this just details in one place everything someone is entitled or not entitled to, but doesn’t actually offer anything extra – and that the Welsh Government needs to ensure frontline staff training about it.
Instead of £585,000, Veterans NHS Wales have stated that they need £1 million annually to meet the mental health needs of the Armed Forces Community in Wales.
Although a letter sent to me in August by the Welsh Government states that “between 60 and 65% met criteria for post traumatic stress disorder with the mean time from referral to first appointment being 42 days,” this is outside the Welsh Government’s 28 day target for Primary Care referral to assessment, and real referral to treatment waiting times were up to 38 weeks last month.
Although the Welsh Government letter says that it expects therapists to help one another across Health Board boundaries, if there is sickness or absence, I am told that the backlog this would create in the other Health Board makes it impossible.
The Welsh Government letter says that some veterans could have their care met from Local Primary Mental Health Support services, but I am advised that most Veterans NHS Wales patients have complex biopsychosocial needs requiring their treatment and support.
As the Royal British Legion’s response to the consultation on the Welsh Government’s new “Together for Mental Health document” stated, “the delivery plan at present does not address the complete package of mental healthcare needs for the Armed Forces community, and will not provide the right level of leadership or performance measures to adequately address the future needs of Welsh veterans or their families” - and “the document should echo the intentions within NHS England’s constitution”.
I commend this motion accordingly.