Alison Taylor

It is a pleasure briefly to the debate today. May I associate myself with the words of other hon. Members, reflecting the respect and gratitude we have for servicemen and servicewomen, past and present, and of course, remembering all those who have been lost? Around the country, communities have been gathering around a cenotaph or a war memorial. In Renfrew in my constituency the war memorial stands all year round as a poignant reminder of their service. I therefore welcome the recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that a £2 million fund has been provided to restore war memorials across the UK, as many have fallen into disrepair. I will certainly be following up on that for my own constituency. Last week, it was a privilege to visit Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company in Bishopton. The company is a collaboration between the Royal British Legion and the military charity Erskine. I met veteran employees, many of whom had struggled to transition to civilian life and acquire gainful employment again. I heard at first hand about their journey from military to civilian careers, and was struck by how difficult some of them had found the experience and how brave they all were. Erskine was established in my constituency in 1916 and provides care, employment and housing to many ex-service personnel. Today, I wish to honour them and, on behalf of all my constituents, thank Erskine for all that it does. My constituency sits on the River Clyde, a strategic target during world war two and still home to many strategic defence assets and military personnel. I want every young man or women who makes the choice to serve to know that their service is respected and that we owe them a debt of gratitude and honour. In closing, I simply say to all of them: thank you for your service.