Hansard

I start by thanking the BBC for advance sight of the minister’s statement. Although I say that in a fairly light-hearted way, there is a serious issue here. However, we must not allow that to get in the way of the unanimity that exists in the chamber. It is with that in mind that I rise to support the minister’s motion.

As other members are, I am delighted to welcome the management team of Scottish Veterans Residences to Parliament today—they are in the public gallery. Scottish Veterans Residences is one of several veterans housing charities that operate in Scotland. It offers veterans a range of housing options and is currently driving forward an innovative and much-needed development in Glasgow.

As members may be aware, I have an army veteran in my office, so I have had no alternative but to keep a keen interest in veterans issues over a number of years now. In 2012, I was delighted to sponsor a reception on the issue, which the minister kindly attended along with many other MSPs.

For most service personnel, the move from military to civilian life is a smooth one, although many veterans have told me that it can be more of a culture shock than they envisaged. For some, however, their military service or even underlying health issues that were previously undetected will mean that they face greater challenges in adjusting to their situation. Although veterans housing charities often specialise in different needs, the fact that they operate under one umbrella and have a single application process demonstrates partnership working and a desire to deliver effective services to those who need them.

To secure a home is a fundamental need for anyone, but veterans often require more than that. It is estimated that more than 70,000 members of the British armed forces have served in Afghanistan since 2001 and more than 100,000 served in Iraq between 2003 and 2009, so I am sure that we all agree that specialist services for veterans will become increasingly important. Poppyscotland found that, compared with their English and Welsh counterparts, veterans who live in Scotland are 10 per cent more likely to become homeless, 8 per cent more likely to suffer from mental health problems, 5 per cent more likely to have financial problems, 5 per cent more likely to have a criminal record and 3 per cent more likely to suffer from alcohol problems.

One person in five in the Scottish population is a member of the veterans community through being an ex-services person or being the spouse or dependant of such a person. Research shows that some 350,000 members of the veterans community have potential welfare needs, and I feel that it is important to highlight that.

Yes, the support that is given to serving personnel who are making the transition from military to civilian life has improved considerably over the years, but too often a need for specialist support manifests itself only years after discharge. That is why I am glad to see the growing recognition that our veterans may need our help well beyond the initial phase of their civilian life.

The issues that have been raised in the debate are important and varied. However, the minister’s proposal for a veterans commissioner draws considerable interest and I wish to address it directly. In his opening remarks, the minister made it clear—I quite agree with the principle that he set out—that in the past many veterans believed that they were properly represented because there were so many veterans in our elected parliaments and other bodies. That is no longer the case.

However, my concern over the appointment of a commissioner—not my opposition, members will understand—is that we have been too quick to appoint commissioners in the past. We are in a particularly lucky position in having here in our Parliament a minister who has been appointed to represent veterans’ interests who is a man who has done considerable military service. The concept of a commissioner has worked many times for other purposes, but the cluttered environment of commissioners and ombudsmen has required thinning in recent years, so the appointment of another commissioner, if it is to be done, must be done with key objectives in mind.

There is already an extremely complex—some would say cluttered—landscape for veterans in Scotland. The ability to bring together specialist support is already achieved by that complex landscape of charities and veterans representatives, including veterans champions, across all our communities. For that reason, I am somewhat concerned about the appointment of a commissioner, and I am also concerned about how it may be funded. I would like the minister to explain the funding arrangements. If it is to be funded by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, we must consider whether that money could be better spent on other priorities.

The Government has to justify its call for a commissioner to deal with veterans’ issues. The minister must explain to us exactly what a commissioner would achieve that is not being achieved by those who already work extremely hard in the sector, and exactly what we can expect to see over the longer term. If, as has been the case with some in the past, the appointment will gradually be subsumed into another responsibility and watered down, it may actually make things more complicated rather than more simple.

With my qualified support, I look forward to hearing more answers from the minister and to having in place a system that will deliver, whether we have a commissioner or not.

14:43