Hansard

We all know the quote:

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

In this case, it is for one’s nation, but do we really know the sacrifice that we ask of our armed service personnel when we ask them to pay the ultimate price for our freedom and democracy? Do we truly understand the impact on any human being who has witnessed the horror of war? Do we take account of the impact on the families left behind to face an uncertain future, either without their loved one or with the duty to look after a damaged or injured loved one?

Do we really understand that, for some, the battlefield becomes civvy street? Citizens Advice Scotland has published a report called “Civvy Street: The New Frontline”, which states:

“The recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have led to an increased focus on the support needs of veterans and those still serving. In turn, this has led to better advice and training for those leaving the Armed Forces and better support for those who experience problems after doing so.”

However, as the minister said, there remain some who slip through that net. Many veterans continue to experience real difficulty, especially in that transition period, and some experience it for decades. My involvement in the firm base forum in Lanarkshire has shown me clearly how problems can arise years later.

One of the things that I support is the armed services advice project, which was established in 2010 following a very successful pilot in my constituency of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. It provides advice and support for all members of the armed forces community, whether serving personnel, veterans or their families. ASAP is delivered by the Scottish citizens advice bureaux service—a highly trusted network with decades of experience of delivering free, independent, confidential and impartial advice and information to the general public.

In its first two years, ASAP was extremely successful. It assisted nearly 1,800 clients with over 6,000 issues, 84 per cent of whom were either veterans or their dependants. Some of them were still serving and needed support with the transition out of the forces, which they were finding very difficult. ASAP was able to deliver that support, too.

I was honoured to have a debate on the project a number of months ago. We saw from case studies that armed forces veterans have similar issues to everybody else but that things for them seem to be 10 times more difficult. If they have a mental health problem or an on-going injury—sometimes issues are not diagnosed until years later—they can find it extremely difficult to go and ask for help.

ASAP provides that help. It gives it on an informal basis and supports people in the measures that they want at the pace that they want. However, to truly accept the responsibility and duty of care that we have for our armed services personnel, we must ensure that they have the best of care and that when they come to the end of the service that they have given—irrespective of the reasons for going to war and whether we agree with them—they should get the highest standard of care.

That is why I welcome the minister’s announcement today. In my opinion, a commissioner can make the difference between standard local authority care and high-quality, consistent healthcare. As an active member of the firm base forum, I have seen a lot of the issue and I have seen how needs are addressed.

The minister will remember visiting with me Remploy’s veterans employment project in Hamilton last year, when we heard at first hand about the challenges faced by veterans in gaining support and, in some cases, the challenge of actually admitting that they need support. He will remember that consistency of service was one of the biggest challenges faced, and I believe that the commissioner will take steps to address any inconsistencies.

I believe that, like the other good partnerships and collaborations that the Scottish Government has with veterans organisations in Scotland, the new veterans commissioner—a first in the United Kingdom—will add to the successful approach taken by our minister in Scotland. Our commitments paper demonstrates clearly that the SNP Government understands the sacrifice that veterans have made and that we will do all that we can to provide the highest quality of care and support.

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