 The final item of business is members' business debate on motion 15011 in the name of Gordon Lindhurst on remembering the Korean War, and the debate will be concluded without any questions being put. May I ask those who wish to speak in the debate to press the request-to-speak buttons? I call on Gordon Lindhurst to open the debate for around seven minutes, please. Deputy Presiding Officer, I am proud to be allowed now to stand here today as a Lothian SP and lead this debate to remember the Korean War. The motion was originally submitted by me during summer recess to mark 65 years since the signing of the armistice in 1953 that brought an end to the fighting. We now have the opportunity before the end of that 65th year to remember those who fought in the war, including over 230 Scots who paid the ultimate sacrifice, a quarter of the British dead. We also recognise the service of the veterans who came home without some of their friends. I am pleased to welcome some of them with their friends and family to this chamber today sitting in the public gallery. They include Major Alan Cameron, former president of the Lothians and West of Scotland Korean Veterans Association, who sits on the memorial board of trustees Adam McKenzie and Ronnie Wilson, all veterans of the Korean War. Other veterans present are Jock Barr and Jim Bain. Many of them have played a key role in ensuring that the Korean War and its fallen comrades are not forgotten. To all of you, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the service that you have given to your country. At 1950, Britain was understandably a country tired of war and threadbare because of it. It was after all less than five years since the end of the Second World War and Korea was either a wholly unknown country or too far away for many to care about. Then, Prime Minister Clement Attlee admitted that Korea was distant, yes, but nonetheless an obligation, reflecting the UK's membership of the newly formed UN Security Council. That indifference pervaded society, not helped by an inglorious culmination to the war, which saw both sides back to where they started territorially, before the war, along the 38th parallel. In interviews with BBC's Jackie Bird in 2012, one veteran said of his homecoming, "...we were only young, we'd start to talk about the war and be told away lad, that was nothing, I was at Dunkirk. It is why, Deputy Presiding Officer, on both sides of the Atlantic the conflict is often referred to as the forgotten war. Yet the stories from it would have reflected the infamous conditions of trench warfare France, sodden and rat infested, a war of attrition and stalemate involving ferocious hill fighting because in Korea the force controlling the hill tops controlled the country. Culminating in infamous battles such as that of hill 235 for the British Army's 29th Infantry Brigade resisted a force that outnumbered them by 18 to 1. All made worse by the fact that the first winter of fighting in Korea was the coldest in a decade, cold that we can hardly even begin to imagine in Western Europe. Indeed, the late George Younger, a platoon commander during the conflict, recalled how the boiling water he used to shave turned to ice before he had finished. The Scottish Korean War Memorial is at witch craig in the Bathgate Hills within my own Lothian constituency. It is in fact the only war memorial in the UK devoted solely to those who died in the Korean War. It lists names from across the whole of the UK, not just Scotland. It is in a beautiful setting with an historic Korean style pagoda between two grass mounds arranged like the yng and yang on the Korean flag. The pagoda itself contains the names of around 1,100 British troops who died in the war, represented further by roughly the same number of native Scottish trees and 110 Korean fir trees for every 10 of those soldiers. I would encourage members, if they haven't done so already, to visit and pay their respects if they are able to. It can be difficult to locate, but members will be guided by local road signage recently installed by West Lothian Council. Councilers, including Charles Kennedy and Tom Conn, who are also in the chamber today, should be commended for their role in that signage being put up. What is disappointing, Deputy Presiding Officer, is that their calls and those of the board of trustees, including Major Carman himself, which have called for trunk road signage to complement that local signage, has not been forthcoming. That request made to Transport Scotland has been following instances of those wanting to pay their respects, getting lost trying to find it from the M8 and M9, including an incident last year involving a number of Koreans, among them the London Attaché, who exited the motorway at the wrong junction and spent the next hour trying to find the memorial. That is, Deputy Presiding Officer, all the more embarrassing when we consider the efforts of the South Korean Government, which it has taken in funding the majority of re-visits to Korea by former veterans that have taken place over the years for veterans from this country. Also, the warm welcome that they have experienced by an appreciative Korean public, which has broken into spontaneous applause in cities such as Seoul as metal clad Scottish veterans walk by. The minister and I have corresponded on the issue of signage, and I would repeat my calls to him to ensure that appropriate signage is installed. The Scottish Korean War memorial is not simply a tourist destination in the normal sense. Although it may not reach the 50,000 visitors per year that the usual criteria in respect of signage asks for, it is an important memorial in Scottish and British military history and that should not be diminished. The costings that I have seen appear to me to be excessive in relation to the signage, but I understand that memorial trust has offered to pay. As myself, someone who regularly travels around West Lothian on the M8 and M9 does not appear to me to be excessive existing signage that would prevent that. The Korean War may be known as the Forgotten War, but there are clearly steps that we can take to mitigate that perception. What better year to do so than in the 60-50 years since the signing of the armistice? We move to the open debate and speeches of around four minutes, please. Kenneth Gibson, followed by Elaine Smith. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to today's act of remembrance. I congratulate Gordon Lindhurst on securing this debate and providing all of us with the chance to keep the memory of the Korean War alive. A wallet is often forgotten, as Gordon has said, yet it brought more British deaths than any other post-World War 2 conflict. I welcome veterans of the Korean War to the gallery. When war broke out in 1950, Scotland and Britain were still recovering from World War 2. By necessity, the fighting force in Korea was mostly made up of young national servicemen, the majority of whom were teenagers, men of whom had never left their home towns before. It is hard to imagine being sent to a far-off Asian peninsula at such a young age, with such meagre life experience, but that, for many, was the reality. With just 16 weeks training, these young soldiers faced grueling or deals, including ferocious hill battles, trench warfare and attacking human waves of the well-drilled Korean People's Army, backed with tanks, artillery and aircraft supplied by the Soviet Union and China. Of 14,198 British soldiers who served with the United Nations Forces, 1,114 lost their lives, including 236 Scots. UK forces suffered total losses of 4,502, including missing, wounded and captured. Almost a third of the entire contingent became casualties in one way or another. It is right, therefore, that we pay tribute to those men who lost their lives, as well as those who were maimed or who endured the nightmare of a North Korean prison camp. Scottish Soldiers made up nearly a quarter of the dead, and it seems that Scotland's casualties have long been disproportionate in conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars onwards, evident with the names of the 134,712 men and women projected onto the building on 11 November. Those lucky enough to return from Korea did not receive a hero's welcome. Veterans report that, after experiencing the horrors of war and the brutal cold of a Korean winter and the searing summer heat, those young fighters returned home to Britain that simply did not want to know. While Scotland may not have recognised the courage and sacrifice of those young men, in South Korea, United Nations, who fought in the war are considered heroes, as Gordon Lindhurst has mentioned. The South Korean Government even helps fund revisit programmes, allowing veterans to pay tribute to fallen comrades buried in the Commonwealth cemetery in Busan. Scottish veterans revisiting Korea dressed in regimental blazers, military berries and well-polished medals were met with bows and applause in recognition of their role in saving South Korea from the Stalinism, which still grips the north. I am heartened that the Scottish Korean War Memorial has duly commemorated the sacrifice of each of the British soldiers who lost their lives. The 1114 native Scottish trees and the surround by a landscape indicative of Yang and Yang provides a fitting setting for a place of remembrance. In July this year, Ayrshire veterans visited the site and were moved by its serenity and symbolic significance. I support Mr Lindhurst's call to ensure that the site is accessible to all, not only so that veterans can recall this chapter of their lives and pay tribute to fallen friends, but so visitors, young and old, can understand the significance of this forgotten war and the tragedy of young lives lost. We must not allow the Korean War to simply be a footnote in Scotland's public consciousness. Where people at home may not have felt involved in a war with no real victor, this conflict is intrinsically linked to international relations today. To understand the harring reality of human rights abuses, enslavement and imprisonment of North Korean citizens, we must first understand the history of the region and our part in it. Presiding Officer, while it is often easier to look away and forget, to do so would be to fail people who lost their lives in the conflict and those who are relying now on the international community to recognise the scale of the abhorrent situation in North Korea. In 2018, as we commemorate the 65th anniversary of the signing of the armistice on 27 July 1953, we also witnessed some modest steps forward in the painfully slow Korean peace process. While there is still much to be done, I hope that the armistice will eventually be replaced with a comprehensive and permanent peace treaty to officially end the Korean War that we commemorate today. Elaine Smith, followed by Maurice Corry. I thank Gordon Lindhurst for bringing forward the interesting debate this evening to commemorate the armistice. I have to admit that my knowledge of the Korean War is somewhat limited, but I am sure that that will be the case for many people, since the Korean War is indeed known as the Forgotten War, as noted by the two previous members. The main information that I had came from MASH, the satirical American television show about a mobile army surgical hospital during the Korean War, is that I spent some time with family friends who lived in Canada when I was 17, and much of my time then was filled by watching back-to-back episodes of MASH on the novelty of multi-channels that we had only for in the UK at that time. Although that dark comedy drama was fictional, depicting a group of doctors and nurses who served as the fictional 4077 mobile army surgical hospital during the Korean War, it exposed some of the horrors of the war and often used satire to do so. That was undoubtedly because it was semi-autobiographical, as it was based on the 1968 novel by Richard Hooker, entitled MASH, a novel about three army doctors. The book was based on Richard Hooker's own experiences as a surgeon in the 8055th MASH in South Korea, and the main character, army doctor Hawkeye Pierce, is based on the author. However, I really had no knowledge of the thousands of UK service personnel who fought and died in that war, and I had no idea that there was a memorial in West Lothian, which I am certainly now keen to see for myself. The war itself was part of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, with Korea splitting into two sovereign states and both Governments claiming to be the sole legitimate Government of all Korea and neither accepted the border as permanent. The conflict escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces, supported by the Soviet Union and China, moved into the south on the 25th of June 1950. The UN Security Council authorised the formation and dispatch of UN forces to South Korea to repel a North Korean invasion, and 21 countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force with United States providing around 90 per cent of the military personnel. The UN force included those service personnel from three Scottish regiments, as recognised tonight. I was quite hardwad to read that the youngest soldiers went out and waited in Hong Kong or Japan until they were 19 and considered old enough to go into battle. I am pleased that God and Lland Husters raised the profile of the Memorial in West Lothian. The Lothian in the West of Scotland branch of the British Korean Veterans Association, supported by the local authority, created the memorial nearly 18 years ago, but it is not well known. Therefore, I think that it would be helpful if veterans and visitors could have improved signage on their motorways to help them locate the memorial, not least myself if I am going to go visit. That would be helpful. The development of a wider education programme would also be welcome, building on the excellent work that has been done so far in West Lothian. Educating our young people about the reality of war and the sacrifice of those who were injured and died is so important. Education about the horrors of war takes many forms, be that in the classroom or in our museums and galleries or through satirical dramas like MASH. In 1945, with millions of lives lost in two world wars, 51 countries signed up to the UN Charter of the United Nations, providing a framework for international co-operation, dialogue and discussion to provide solutions to international social and economic problems rather than conflict. Tonight's debate has given us a chance to reflect on the impact of war in families and communities who have lost their loved ones. We know that those who have seen war and suffered its effects think that more should be done to avoid it. Revisiting our history, remembering forgotten wars and attaring to international treaties and agreements that respect human rights and freedoms is vital if we are to work together to build a world free of wars and conflicts. Once again, I thank Gordon Lindhurst for bringing the debate. It is indeed a privilege to speak this afternoon, and I thank my colleague Gordon Lindhurst for bringing forward his member's business. I am delighted to welcome veterans here today in the public gallery and, in particular, John Barr and Jim Bain, my fellow Argylls. With this year being the 100th anniversary of the First World War armistice, hundreds of thousands took part in active remembrance and commemorations, but this year also saw another anniversary, one that lacks the same coverage and awareness of the Korean War, otherwise sadly known as the Forgotten War, as Gordon Lindhurst has already stated. As a veteran myself, I am keenly aware of how important it is to remember the sacrifice of those who have fallen in war. The Korean War, just as every other conflict, deserves to be remembered, as do our British soldiers who fought in it. The Cold War left Korea a split nation, with worsening tensions between both sides, and in response to North Korea's invasion of the South in 1950, the UN commenced its first act of military operations. Indeed, over 21 countries from around the world joined forces in a UN coalition. Britain also played its part and had its part to play in that, and that was not insignificant. Not even a decade had passed after the Second World War, and yet almost 100,000 Britons committed themselves to fighting in yet another conflict, one that is separate and distant from their own country. Many were young men and had no idea of what they were involving themselves in. Along with other Scottish regiments and my own, the Argyll and Sullenhanders joined those forces. In 1953, fighting came to an end, and with analysis signed and a demilitarised zone created as a result. Territorially, the end result proved no different from the beginning for both nations. Over 1,100 British lives were lost, and over 230 of those men were Scottish, as was mentioned by the previous speaker. Their bravery should not be forgotten, yet, upon their return, many British soldiers felt their communities indifferent to their sacrifice. Some were made to feel that their fighting in the Korean War was inferior to the sacrifices made in the Second World War. Their cost and commitment was not given the validation that they needed. Perhaps that was due to their being no clear victory or perhaps the nation had just emerged from the horrors that they had wished not to endure again. However, for whatever reason, we need to make sure that we also count the cost of those who fought and died in the Korean War. There are memorials scattered across Scotland and the wider UK in remembrance of soldiers lost in two world wars. Edinburgh alone has 37. In Scotland, there is just one memorial to remember the particular cost of the Korean War. The Scottish Korean War memorial can be found tucked away in the Barthgate hills in West Lothian. It is designed to create a space to reflect. Surrounding the memorial are Korean ffars and over 1,000 native Scottish trees, which stand as a collective reminder of lives lost. A traditional pagoda lists the names of those who did not return home, and this tribute marks the bravery and admiration that are owed to veterans of this conflict. Their experiences and casualties from this war are worth no less than any other. It shows the connection that we are proud of to share with South Korea, one that should not be ignored. Creating awareness of this project is key, and I congratulate the efforts that are made to do this. For instance, the 2008 project, West Lothian and Forgotten War, described what life was truly like as a Scottish soldier fighting in Korea. It brought individuals to the fore who endured injury and captivity. Projects such as this, just like the Scottish Korean War memorial, emphasise the reality of this conflict and give it the detail and nuance that it deserves. To conclude, Deputy Presiding Officer, this memorial serves to encourage not just our remembrance but our appreciation of the link that Scotland has with South Korea. I support the calls for greater signage in order to clearly direct visitors to this special place. With its 65th anniversary year now, I hope for greater awareness and understanding, for only with this can we have true gratitude for those who fought in the Korean War. I thank Gordon Lindhurst for securing an opportunity to highlight the Korean War and for his scene-setting opening speech. As we have heard tonight, the support for our veterans in the chamber has crossed party. We remember the hardships endured, the courage displayed in the face of adversity and the ultimate sacrifice made by many. Over the past four years, we have been commemorating the many centenaries linked to the Great War. However, this has focused attention on one specific major conflict. It has more generally raised awareness of others and recognised the dedication and determination of previous generations. It is important that we continue to remember those who served and lost their lives in all conflicts, not to glorify war but to recognise the sacrifice that was made in many cases to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today. Tonight's debate has helped us to do just that. Let me thank members for their contributions and perhaps explain to the veterans in the gallery that my ministerial colleague Fiona Hyslop would have added her voice to those contributions but for the fact that, as a minister, she is prevented from doing so. As we have heard 2018 marks the 65th anniversary of the Korean War or the conclusion of the Korean War, a brutal conflict where many lives were lost, as we have heard approximately 1,100 UK lives, of which 236 were Scots. As we have also heard in June 1950, just as the UK was rebuilding, regenerating and recovering from World War 2 and still subject to rationing, many families were plunged yet again into the uncertainty and worry of loved ones fighting overseas. Some who had survived the Second World War, a very short time before and thought never again to be involved in such conflicts, were recalled for service in Korea. You can only imagine how some of those must have felt. Three Scottish regiments served in Korea, the Argyll and Southern Highlanders, the King's Own, the Scottish Borders and the Black Watch. We should recognise as Kenny Gibson did that many combatants were very young national servicemen. The Korean conflict has been labelled the Forgotten War by some, but for many, certainly in the service community, it is a conflict recognised just as much as others. At last one's national remembrance event held in Dundee's Care hall, which I attended as a veterans minister, veterans of the Korean War were rightly afforded their place. However, the Black Watch with its near 300-year history, Korea, is up there with the other conflicts that it has served in. I visited the Black Watch Museum in Perth on Monday and, while there I noted, there are a number of references to the regiments involvement in Korea, including a photograph of the First Battalion Black Watch being inspected by the Queen Mother before they embarked for the East. Let me commend the efforts of all concerned in making sure that the Korean War receives wider recognition as remembered by the current generation. I particularly acknowledge the two-year education project with Slothian in the Forgotten War, which involves veterans and local school children in developing educational material and raising awareness of the conflict. It is essential that our young people today continue to be able to understand the parts of our history for young people to learn directly from veterans of the conflict, many of whom would have been in their late teens in the 1950s. It is a unique experience, the significance of which should not be underestimated. Let me also recognise the Scottish Korean War Memorial Trust, Major Alan Cameron and his predecessor, the late Lieutenant Colonel Johnnie Johnson, West Lothian Council and previously the work of the Lothians and West of Scotland branch of the British Korean Veterans Association in establishing, promoting and maintaining the Scottish Korean War Memorial in the Bathgate Hills. All Scottish War dead are commemorated in the Scottish National War Memorial, including those Scottish servicemen who served in the Korean War, but it is also fitting that such a striking memorial, a Korean-style wooden, slate-crafted pagoda to all those who fought in Korea, is sighted in Scotland. The unique nature of this commemoration is emphasised by the inclusion of the trees around the site to represent the total UK personnel killed in that war. I am, of course, well aware of the Korean War Memorial Trust's ask for improved signage to the site, which has been noted by a number of members tonight. As we have heard, Transport Scotland has been involved in discussions with the Trust around the signs on the M8 and M9 and have assessed the application for signing in line with tourist signage policy. Members will appreciate that there needs to be a national policy in place for signs to ensure consistency and suitability of tourist signage on the trunk road network. In particular, the M8 and the M9 motorways are high-speed routes carrying large volumes of traffic. It is therefore necessary to ensure that signage is limited only to that which is essential to the continued safe operation of the routes. Unfortunately, the Korean War Memorial does not meet the strict eligibility criteria, which is why it has not been considered appropriate to sign from the M8 and M9 motorways in this case. That is particularly due to the criteria around visitor numbers to the site. However, I am pleased that West Lothian Council has installed Brown Tourist Signs to direct visitors to the Korean War Memorial from its local site. I just want to clarify with the minister that he said that he talked about member numbers. I just want to clarify that, because there is not enough visitor numbers, the signage cannot go up. Obviously, that is a tricky next situation, because if there was signage, there might have been more visitors to the memorial. I accept the point that the member makes, and I will perhaps deal with it as I close. As I said, I am pleased that West Lothian Council has installed Brown Tourist Signs on its road network. Those signs were erected earlier this year, and I hope that they are now enabling improved visibility and access to this important memorial. In addition to that, I have asked Transport Scotland to make contact with West Lothian Council to explore what opportunities exist to improve travel information provided in the memorial's online page. However, I have also listened to the views that are held on the issue of signage, along with representations from my colleague Fiona Hyslop, in whose constituency the memorial stands. As a consequence, I have entered into discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity. As a result of those discussions, we will be tasking Transport Scotland with scoping a potential review of its signage policy as that pertains to war memorials of national significance, such as this one. I would stress that, should it proceed, it would only look at war memorials of national significance and any changes made would have to be consistent with the other wider requirements of such signage. However, I hope that this commitment will be seen for what it is. Demonstration of the respect that this Government holds for its veterans community and the genuine willingness to explore whether we can address concerns around signage in relation to the Korean War memorial.