Hansard

I, too, welcome the announcement of the creation of a new post of veterans commissioner.

I have a personal interest in the military, as my daughter’s boyfriend of around two-and-a-half years passed out as a Royal Marine just before Christmas. I congratulate him on achieving that esteemed position and on following in the footsteps of the minister, who is a former marine.

In 1915, the Scottish War Blinded charity was set up in Edinburgh to take those from the front line who had been blinded by mustard gas. That charity has gone from strength to strength and continues to support and rehabilitate not only veterans from recent wars such as those in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland but veterans who have lost their sight due to age or infirmity. The charity has changed with the times, and the minister is sending a message that we must change with the times, too. There is a recognition that our veterans require additional support, which, for example, might take the form of their being placed at the top of the list for appropriate housing when they leave the forces, of general practitioner support being there when they need it or of hospital treatment being provided if it is needed.

I believe that the commissioner will be able to take up those issues and co-ordinate the many organisations that already exist and aid the partnership working that they do. As Liam McArthur said, there is a plethora of organisations in this area, which can in itself lead to confusion. I hope that the commissioner will be able to take some of that confusion away and provide co-ordination.

I believe that it was Churchill who said that there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. In my constituency, there is a charity called HorseBack UK, which uses horses to rehabilitate and enable personnel who have come back from a conflict, many of whom have lost limbs and have gone through the arduous and sometimes painful process of getting prosthetic limbs. However, the issue is not just one of being able to use the limbs correctly, but one of coming to terms with the amputation and the psychological aspects of having lost a limb and why.

The minister has visited HorseBack UK, and there is an open invitation for him to return when the weather is slightly better so that he can enjoy getting into the saddle along with some of the veterans and experience some of the work that the charity does.

HorseBack UK is an integral part of the community in Aboyne and west Aberdeenshire. It tries to give something back to the community. It talks about its work being about repaying and embracing its community. Most of its work is done outdoors, and it has school visits. It also provides team-building training for oil and gas companies. It provides professional strands of training through the disciplines that have been learnt through the military. It has given to many veterans who have struggled and continue to struggle with mental health issues a real sense of purpose in the community. I commend Jock Hutchison for the work that he continues to do.

I had hoped that Alex Johnstone and Liam McArthur would welcome the announcement regarding the commissioner and ask the minister a few questions about the purpose of the commissioner and what the role would look like.

I finish with the words of Martin Gibson of Veterans Scotland, who personally thanked the minister for the overall support for the wellbeing of veterans. I echo those words.

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