Armed Forces Day

Kirith Entwistle Excerpts

Thursday 26th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Kirith Entwistle (Bolton North East) (Lab)]

I rise to pay tribute to our armed forces personnel. May I associate myself with the Minister’s remarks? I start by recognising veterans for their past service and their contribution to society. They continue to serve society with their skills and leadership, shaped by their unique military experiences. I also thank our reservists for the extra time they give in supporting our armed forces, and I declare an interest, as I have a husband who is a reservist in the Army. I also thank our cadets and our armed forces families, who make sacrifices in their own way to keep us safe, which must be recognised.

[Alice Macdonald (Norwich North) (Lab/Co-op)]

At the weekend, I attended the Royal British Legion Old Catton’s 90th birthday celebration, and I pay tribute to all the volunteers and community groups, as well as our armed forces and veterans. I met cadets from Constitution Hill, Aylsham Road and College Green in Norwich, and what they are learning is phenomenal. Does my hon. Friend agree that we have to back them with support and also back the many volunteers who help make those cadet groups run effectively?

[Kirith Entwistle]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. Our cadets provide a good opportunity for our young people, and they should be supported and backed as much as possible.

I am proud to have attended Monday’s flag-raising ceremony in Victoria Square, in my constituency of Bolton North East. I was proud to see the strong showing of support for our armed forces at that ceremony, where the armed forces flag was raised above Bolton town hall. It will fly there proudly until the end of Armed Forces Day on Saturday. The ceremony was an opportunity to reflect on those who have served and those who are currently serving, especially those deployed overseas and in active service. I was glad to join in celebrations with Jerry Mistry, president of the Royal Artillery Association’s Bolton branch, and also members of the Royal Artillery, such as Gunner Paul Brindle. There are nearly 3,000 veterans in Bolton North East, and Bolton is also home to the 216th Battery of the 103rd Regiment of the Royal Artillery, which is the most northerly sub-unit of the 103rd Regiment, with lineage dating back to 1889.

I am deeply proud of our local military history, but on Monday I also heard concerns from members of the 216th Battery about a lack of funding, particularly around general training, meaning that there is not enough money to progress training levels. I sincerely hope that the Government will look at ways to provide more support on that.

I am also a former employee of the Royal British Legion, and as someone with experience campaigning to improve the lives of our armed forces, I strongly welcome this Government’s commitment to renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve and those who have served. Having worked on raising awareness about the armed forces covenant, I am pleased that this Labour Government recognise its importance in supporting our armed forces communities and that we have committed to enacting it in law. However, what plans do the Minister and his Department have in place to ensure that sufficient funding and budget is in place to implement an extension of the armed forces covenant duty? How do the Government intend to work with different layers of local government and our regional mayors?

As a parent, I welcome plans to expand wraparound childcare to support families deployed overseas, and I was pleased to hear that they will now receive 20 hours a week of funded childcare, saving families around £3,400 a year. I strongly commend the Minister and this Government on broadening support to our armed forces families, because I have experienced at first hand how much they struggle and the unique challenges they face.

[Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire) (Lab)]

On that point, there are many brave men and women in my constituency who are serving or who have served. I am proud of them and their families, and I thank them for their contribution this Armed Forces Week. My hon. Friend mentioned the Royal British Legion, and I wish to give particular thanks to Tilehurst Royal British Legion in my constituency. It does a fantastic job to support our veterans, particularly Christine Lewendon, the president of the Tilehurst branch. Will my hon. Friend join me in thanking them for all that they do?

[Kirith Entwistle]

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in that. We should pay tribute to the Royal British Legion, its branches and its teams, with all the various support that they provide to our armed forces community.

I am pleased to see that this Government are boosting cadet forces, creating opportunities for 42,000 young people by 2030, because I know how much of a difference that will make to people in my constituency. I also welcome the largest pay rise for the armed forces in more than 20 years, and I am deeply grateful that we are establishing an armed forces commissioner, which is long overdue.

Finally, I will end by reiterating the concerns highlighted by members of the 216th Battery around funding for training. I hope that the Government will look at more ways to provide more support so that we can continue to back up our words with action and help to upskill our vital defence sectors and our armed forces community. I look forward to joining in Armed Forces Day celebrations this Saturday.