 The next item of business is members' business debate on motion 19234, in the name of Maurice Corry, on Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This 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, and I call on Maurice Corry to open the debate for around seven minutes, please. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm delighted today to bring this business to the chamber today, and I'd also thank members for their support throughout the Parliament for my motion. I'd particularly like to welcome Patricia Keppey from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who's come here today to listen to our debate. I do appreciate all the work that she does and plays throughout Scotland for the commission. The work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission certainly deserves our appreciation and support. As an intergovernmental charitable organisation supported by six independent member states, the role of the commission is to record and maintain war memorials and the graves of those who died in the First and Second World Wars from across the Commonwealth. We can trace back the inception of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to the First World War. Sir Fabian Gweir, a commander of a British Red Cross unit, saw the magnitude of loss felt through the war and recognised the important need to ensure that, wherever possible, those soldiers who died were not lost but laid to rest respectfully as they deserved. By 1917, the work under the title of the Imperial War Graves Commission was officially established by the Royal Charter and tasked with gathering and recording details of the war dead. By the end of the war in 1918, 587,000 graves had been identified with a further 559,000 individuals' registers having no grave. With war graves spread across all those areas that had experienced the catastrophic impact of war, many individuals were either buried in unidentified locations or were fighting had been at its most intense, left unburied. It is therefore the depressing context in which the Commonwealth War Graves Commission set out to honour those who had paid the ultimate sacrifice. Through the sensitive process of excavation and reburials, the group could begin the meticulous process of recording and archiving the soldiers' details that we rely upon so much today. The commission also allows the remembrance of those who died in war but were never found. The memorial to the missing provides a focal point for individuals who have no known grave to ensure that they are properly commemorated and are not forgotten. It is abundantly clear that the commission workers take great care intending to these memorial sites. That is evident through its horticultural care. The commission rightly prides itself on employing horticultural experts across more than 150 countries—individuals who are incredibly mindful of being sensitive to the look and feel of these memorials and war graves. For instance, in gerker cemetrys, experts planted in the police seeds in Dieppe, France, one can find Canadian maples to commemorate the fallen Canadian soldiers who have been laid to rest there. Furthermore, the task of preserving and maintaining these peaceful places of remembrance falls to a group of over 900 gardeners, which the commission employs. The efforts of those individuals deserve to be commended, and I gladly do so here today. The Commonwealth War Grades Commission has recognised the impact of agricultural design from the beginning. In its commemorative planning, it utilised the wealth of skills and experience by having three well-known principal architects—an original Blomfield, Sir Edwin Lutian and Sir Herbert Baker. Their work has culminated in making enduring memorials to the war dead, recognisable across the world. For example, the Mennine gate memorial of Dieppe in Belgium and the India gate, sites such as those point towards the enduring legacy of sacrifice visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. Perhaps the two most recognisable and visible features of Commonwealth War Graves cemetrys are the War Cross, designed by Blomfield, and the Stone of Remembrance, designed by Lutian. Blomfield's War Cross was quickly adopted as a fixture of memorials and war graves across the Commonwealth, as early as in 1917, with more than 1,000 crosses being erected in France and Belgium alone. The Stone of Remembrance is designed to represent all faith and none, and stands as a symbol of common sacrifice. Pointedly, Rudyard Kipling, who was brought in by the commission as a literary adviser, suggested that the inscription on the stone taken from the book of Ecclesiasticus their name liveth forever more. Of course, those architects could not carry out their work without a team of assistant architects, many of whom had first-hand experience of war, and surely their personal insights were reflected in the sense of the design befitting of those who died in service for their country. Equally, it is at the core of the Commonwealth War Graves commission and neither rank nor race matters. Every individual across the Commonwealth is commemorated equally without bias, and at its root, the Commonwealth War Graves commission recognises the importance of providing a focal point for remembrance and commemoration. At the monumental scale of loss through war, particularly evident in the aftermath of the First World War, left countless families bereaved and a grieving nation. Of course, for loved ones especially, a respectful memorial, one that encourages remembrance and pays tribute with great care can bring the closure that they need. Today, the relevance of the Commonwealth War Graves commission is in no doubt. Their future and their vision for the future is consistent with the ethos that has always underpinned its work to commemorate both service men and women fallen during the First and Second World Wars from across the Commonwealth. It still seeks to ensure that the archives and records are preserved safely and by relying on an experienced and proficient team. War cemeteries and memorials are maintained with the utmost standard of care. To conclude, Deputy Presiding Officer, the Commonwealth War Graves commission highlights an amazing depth of commitment and care. It is evident in the many soldiers who gave their lives for peace and in those who maintain their final resting places. I am sure that future generations will continue to be grateful for the work of the Commonwealth War Graves commission in ensuring that their name liveth forevermore. We move now to the open debate and speeches of four minutes please. We have Bruce Crawford, followed by Edward Mountain. I thank Maurice Corry for bringing in this debate to the chamber and I also say how much I enjoyed his opening contribution and the knowledge that he has just shared with us. As many members will know, this year marks the 103rd anniversary since the Imperial War Graves commission was established—now, of course, it is called the Commonwealth War Graves commission—a point that was made by Maurice Corry, which was established in 1917. It is found in principles where each of the dead should be commemorated by name on a headstone or memorial. Headstones memorials should be permanent. Headstones should be uniform. There should be no distinction made on account of military or civil rank, race or creed. Those principles are as relevant today, Presiding Officer, as ever they have been. Powerful declaring that each life lost is worth no more, no less than the next, no matter who. The role of the commission today is in preserving the memory of 1.7 million people who died fighting in the horror of the two world wars of the last century. I understand that it is the case that the remains of a military person are found that are not from either of the world wars, but the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence to arrange for a military funeral. However, for a fallen person of the first and second world wars, it was and is the responsibility of the commission. That responsibility is carried out with dedication and commitment at around 23,000 locations around the globe in 154 countries. The significance of the role of the Commonwealth War Graves commission and how much of an undertaking the commemoration and memorisation of our fallen soldiers is. In Scotland alone, there are around 1,275 Commonwealth War Graves sites. Those range from military cemeteries owned by the commission, religious sites and those run by local authorities. That includes 240 war graves in the Stirling area, an example being Balangeek cemetery, which sits in the shadow of the historically significant church of the Holyrood, as well as Stirling castle in the Stirling old town. It is also the final resting place of 58 people who fell during the two world wars. Stirling and Scotland suffered a tremendous loss of life during those wars. I am hugely grateful that the commission was created in order to ensure that there would be an official body tasked with commemorating the ultimate sacrifice that is made by so many. Of course, a major part of the role of the commission is maintaining those graves and memorials. All of us in this chamber take part in the annual commemorations for the war dead, and my constituency, the Scottish Government, helped to fund extensive reparation work on the cenotaph in Stirling city centre. It is another example of just how important commemorative sites such as those and the Commonwealth war graves are to preserving the memory and lessons learned of the past. The First World War ended over a century ago, but yet this annual ceremony to this day is a very, very sobering moment. A chance to reflect with others on the sacrifice made by so many that today's and future generations could live with the freedoms that we often take for granted. I would like to conclude by going over some of the numbers worth the game. They are worth repeating—240 war graves in the Stirling area, over 1,275 commission sites across Scotland with 20,000 war graves, and 1.7 million graves worldwide of which 175,000 are Scots. Around the globe, there are 23,000 sites in 154 separate countries, and those figures on their own tell the scale of the two world wars. The work of the War Games commission is hugely important, not just in honouring the dead but also highlighting the devastating cost of war. Generations throughout the last century had their lives torn apart by two world wars. I hope that none of our generations today or in future will ever know that horror again. I thank Maurice Corry for bringing this important debate to the chamber as the years pass and the world wars become a more distant memory. It is important that the work of the Commonwealth War Graves commission continues so that we remember our war dead. Our war graves and memorials put into perspective the huge loss of life that it experienced in two world wars. As Mr Crawford has said, the Commonwealth War Graves commission honors 100, sorry, 1.7 million men and women who died. They are located at 23,000 locations in more than 150 countries and territories. Taken as a whole, the figure that I got from the website is the equivalent of managing 994 football pitches, not a small undertaking. When I was serving in the army in Egypt, I remember visiting the Earl Alamain War Cemetery, cared for by the commission. There are 11,872 Commonwealth soldiers buried there, and a simple search online will enable you to find all their details, country of origin, regiment and family. The way in which our war dead is interned does not glorify war, but is a respectful way of remembering those who gave their all. When I was there, I also visited the German War Memorial. Their War Graves commission also does an equally good job, and it was an important moment of reflection for me. In peace, it is right that we remember that we don't want war and that it is every side that suffers. Presiding officer, I would like to recount a brief story that happened when I was serving in Uganda in 1983 with the Commonwealth military training team. The then High Commissioner asked that if I was passing whether I could visit a site, which I think was called Simba Hill, to view a graveyard that apparently was in poor repair. The request came from the Commonwealth War Graves commission, as apparently it was the resting place of one Ugandan soldier killed in World War 1. This request was not without issue. To put it mildly, the area that we were asked to go to was an interesting area and one that I would normally have avoided. I still wonder today what the locals thought when four heavily armed soldiers, clearly identifiable as Commonwealth soldiers, arrived asking directions to a Commonwealth war grave. It was clear that no one was going to offer to take us there, and in most cases left in quite a rush looking less than happy. When we did eventually find the site, it was an overgrown mess, which, given the eight years of Idi Amin's rule and the on-going civil war, was unsurprising. I reported back to the High Commissioner. Some months later, he sought me out and showed me some pictures of the site which had been completely transformed. I asked who had done that, and he simply answered the Commonwealth War Graves commission. From that day on, I have had the greatest respect that they will take every care and look after our war dead. I would also like to point out that it is not just that that they do. There is much more than tending cemeteries that they do to ensure that the sacrifices of the two world wars are never forgotten. The commission set up its own charitable foundation to engage with young people in the story of the two world wars. The foundation supports educational initiatives in-term programmes and community activities, which not only help to honour the 1.7 million people that the Commonwealth War Graves commission commemorates, but also equips our young people with new skills. I would like to close my speech by thanking the Commonwealth War Graves commission for their tireless and dedicated care of war cemeteries and memorials across the world and across the Highlands and Islands. On one occasion, I contacted them about a site at Arnesdale, where the war grave was in less than perfect condition. It was quickly repaired and I am pleased to report that this work was undertaken by the Highland Council, who should have undertaken the work in the first place. As a whole, I have nothing but praise for the commission. The immaculate upkeep that they ensure truly honours the sacrifices that so many of us have made for so many of us and which the commission's archives clearly demonstrate the costs of war. Annabelle Ewing, followed by Annas Server. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I, too, am pleased to have been called to speak in this member's debate this afternoon. I congratulate Maurice Corry on securing the debate. I also wish at the outset to welcome Patricia Keppey of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, whom I believe I had the pleasure of meeting when Patricia took the time to come to this Parliament last year to highlight the work, the important work of the Commonwealth War Graves commission. As we have heard, the Commonwealth War Graves commission is an inter-governmental organisation comprising six member states and its principal function is indeed to mark and to record and to maintain the graves and places of commemoration of the Commonwealth War Dead of the First and the Second World Wars. The commission is currently responsible, as we have heard, for the continued commemoration of £1.7 million to ceased Commonwealth military personnel in some 154 countries. As we have also heard, it is important to highlight the scale of the work in the remit of the Commonwealth War Graves commission, but the commission is also responsible for the care of war dead at over 23,000 separate burial sites and the maintenance of more than 200 memorials worldwide. Indeed, the remit and the significant responsibilities that the Commonwealth War Graves commission is very clear to see. Aside from looking simply at the statistics involved, it would also be important to place emphasis on the fact that the War Graves commission carries out its work and discharges its responsibilities admirably, but it is also the very dignified way in which the commission discharges its functions that we need to commend. Indeed, there is a lot of care and a lot of pride in the work that the Commonwealth War Graves commission does and a lot of sensitivity. As has been said, another very important point to make is that all Commonwealth War dead are commemorated individually and equally, such that their name, if known, will appear on a headstone at an identified site of burial or in memorial. Equally, they are treated in the sense that they are treated exactly the same, irrespective of military rank, of their race, creed or any other consideration. Those headstones, cemeteries and memorials are indeed perpetually maintained and carefully tended to. It is also worth pointing out that the commission itself has constructed or commissioned memorials to commemorate the dead who have no known grave, the largest of those being, at Teatval memorial to the missing of the Somme in France. I would also like to make reference to the fact, and it is important to mention that the commission maintained over 40,000 non-Commonwealth war graves. It is also responsible, interestingly, for some 67,000 Commonwealth civilians who died as a result of enemy action during World War II. That commemoration is achieved by the entry of the names of the civilian war dead in the Civil War dead role of honour, which is located at St George's Chapel in Westminster Abbey, here in Scotland. As we have heard, there are some 20,000 war graves. Careful by the commission and by my constituency of Cowdenbeath, there are, I understand, some 106 Commonwealth war graves. Those are to be found in Blingray, in Aberdare, in Cowdenbeath, in Carden Den, in Inverkeithing, in Recythe, in Lochgelly and in Delgate Bay. Prompted by this debate this afternoon, my New Year's resolution would be to aim to visit each and every one of those in my constituency to pay my respects. Perhaps the minister would care to join me on one of my visits, and I am sure that such participation would be very much appreciated by my constituents of Cowdenbeath. In conclusion, I wish to thank the War Graves commission for all that it does to ensure that the countless lives lost in World War I and World War II are not just commemorated, but are commemorated with the dignity that they so very much deserve. The last of the open debate contributions is from Anna Sarwar. Can I, too, start by congratulating Maurice Corry on bringing forward this important debate, and congratulating him on his unstinting commitment to this issue and to marking and recognising the role of all our armed forces personnel, either current or former? Like all the speakers, I want to congratulate the Commonwealth War Graves commission on their fantastic work. All the volunteers and activists involved in that work and their honouring of the 1.7 million men and women who lost their lives in defence of our country in both the First and Second World Wars. It is really important, particularly for future generations, that we recognise the role of those who have fallen and never forget them, and in the process never forget both the impact of war but also the consequences of war and what it has meant for our history and what it means for our future. I particularly think that it is important that we are increasingly divided times to remember the concept of how we got here and the fact that we did have Commonwealth citizens from right across the globe, people of all faith and none, standing shoulder to shoulder in both the First World War and the Second World War, particularly when we have the narrative of the far right being established here across the UK, who want to demonise migrants, who want to demonise people from ethnic minority communities, who want to demonise certain faiths, forgetting that we are what we are as a country because of the sacrifice of people from various backgrounds, various ethnicities and various faiths. In the world war I and II there were 4 million Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and other faiths from South Asia alone who fought on those two wars. 74,000 members of the British Indian Army lost their lives in defence of this country in world war I. Over 87,000 members of the British Indian Army lost their lives in defence of this country in world war II. That is why working in partnership with colourful heritage and others, we are trying to establish the first ever memorial to the British Indian Army and the contribution that they made here in Scotland. I know that that is from my discussions with the minister, something that is supported in principle by the Scottish Government and also by the minister himself. I hope that we can make that reality, if not this year, then next year. One of the things that was done recently is that we had the first ever memorial to the British Indian Army that was held at the War Graves in Canussy. I know that that was the first one last year, but this year it was visited by the minister. I know that that was greatly appreciated by people not just who have some heritage and history with the armed forces but also by our wider communities in Scotland. I want to share just one story that answers that call from the far right. Those War Graves, although they have only recently been discovered in Canussy, have only recently had their multi-faith, multi-ethnicity memorial in Canussy, bringing together charities, bringing together the British armed forces and, indeed, the Scottish Government and other representatives. There is one woman in particular that I want to thank, and that is Isabel Harlin, who is a local in Canussy, aged 95, whose own brother served in the Royal Air Force as part of the force K6 soldiers. For the past over 60 years, he has been personally tending to those graves and looking after them, showing the fantastic recognition that people of all faiths and none have in terms of the role played by all those people in defence of this country in World War 1. I hope that, in the coming months, working with colourful heritage, who want to capture, celebrate and inspire future generations, working with colourful heritage, working with the British armed forces and the minister directly and also with the Scottish Government, that we can have that lasting memorial to the British Indian Army here in Scotland. I want to end by again congratulating Maurice Corry on bringing forward this debate to again thank the British Commonwealth War Graves commission for their tremendous work, and I look forward to working with them in the coming months on those objectives. I thank Maurice Corry for securing this opportunity to highlight the excellent work of the Commonwealth War Graves commission. I also welcome the contribution of members because it is entirely fitting that this Parliament marks the efforts of the commission. Its role is the custodian of the final resting places of the 1.7 million men and women, military and civilian, from across the Commonwealth who died during or as a result of the First and Second World Wars should not be overlooked. Scotland saw the death of around 150,000 and then 50,000 of its young men and women in the First and Second World Wars respectively. Their graves are scattered across the globe, as we have heard, tended beautifully by the staff of the CWGC. Some might I add in places still touched by the horrors of modern conflicts. Of the 1.7 million individuals that I noted, just over 21,000 are buried here in Scotland across 1,300 cemeteries, many as we have heard from other corners of the Commonwealth. In my own county of Angus there are 400 graves that the commission maintains in 33 different sites, largely honouring young men of the royal navy and royal forces who gave their lives during conflict. That, along with the contributions of members today, illustrates that barely a household in Scotland has been left untouched to some degree by the horrors of those wars and that, as a result of the work of the Commonwealth War Games commission, does a reach into each and every one of our communities. The commission's founding principles seek to ensure, as we have heard, that all those who made the ultimate sacrifice are honoured equally, regardless of rank, religion or race. To that, we might add, on the back of Edward Mountain's contribution, also regardless of wherever they were laid to rest. Their efforts in maintaining and caring for the tranquil surroundings that form their many cemeteries and memorials mean that the descendants can still, despite the many years that have passed, pay their respect to loved ones lost during those conflicts. That is something that I, as minister for veterans, am very grateful for. I would be pleased to join Annabelle Ewing on one of the visits that she has pledged to undertake in her constituency. The other point that I want to make today is around the extent to which the commission really does represent the Commonwealth and the strong bonds that exist between Scotland and fellow Commonwealth members. Its membership includes Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, countries that Scotland retains firm ties to. During Anzac Day last year, my ministerial colleague, Ben MacPherson, for example, spoke at a service to remember two young New Zealand pilots who were plane crashed during the Second World War, whilst training not far from Edinburgh. Last October, as Anas Sarwar noted, I was incredibly honoured to be invited to speak at a commemoration service in Cinysi that honoured the men of 4K6 of the British Indian Army, several of whom are buried there. Presiding Officer, at the outbreak of the Second World War, those young men found themselves leaving their homeland to travel first to France before coming to the Highlands following their evacuation from Dunkirk. The young man who was grave, I laid a wreath at in Cinysi, was just 18 when he left India. One can only imagine the impact those experiences must have had on him. The headstones there now mark the final resting place of 13 members of 4K6 across the north of Scotland. Despite the sad circumstances in which those bonds were formed, it is welcome to see that the links between our two countries still endure. To give it a couple of brief examples, the Scottish Government has provided support to establish the Social Enterprise Academy in India to provide support for Indian social enterprises, while 16 of our 19 higher education institutions have researched links with India, including in areas of national importance to India such as smart cities, health and water treatment. I hope that those links will continue to grow and strengthen as the years go by. I was so touched by the turnout at Cinysi of so many different denominations of Indian heritage there, as I was, to honour the sacrifice that was made by soldiers from the subcontinent, and in so doing provide a sharp reminder to those who seek to sow the seeds of division of the kind of inclusive and multi-cultural Scotland that we are and must continue to be. I could not agree more with Anas Sarwar on that and also on his desire to see colourful heritage as a wonderful campaign to provide a lasting memorial to the sacrifices that the Indian Army has realised in the not-too-distant future. I have committed to meeting with colourful heritage in Glasgow to learn more of the work that it is undertaking. Presiding Officer, wargrave settings can be sad places, but they also serve a purpose beyond merely providing a fitting resting place and somewhere for families to connect with members lost in long past conflicts. Edward Mountain talked of visiting the cemeteries of El Alamein. Many years ago, in a different life, I visited the cemeteries at Arnhem in Holland. It was an incredibly moving experience, one that left a lasting impression in terms of the horrific price that was paid in war and the need to prioritise avoiding such conflicts. A lesson today, more than ever, as Bruce Crawford suggested, we should be mindful of. I thank Maurice Corry again for bringing forward this debate and allowing us to mark the work of the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission. I thank members for their contributions. That concludes the debate. The meeting is suspended until 2 o'clock.