Cross Party Group on Armed Forces and Cadets

Annual Report – December 2022

1. Group membership and office holders

Chair: Darren Millar MS (re-elected unanimously at the AGM in July 2022)

Vice-Chair: Alun Davies MS (re-elected unanimously at the AGM in July 2022)

Other Senedd Members who attended or had representatives attend include:

· Laura Anne Jones MS

· Peter Fox MS

· Jack Sargeant MS

· Mark Isherwood MS

· Altaf Hussain MS

· James Evans MS

· Sam Rowlands MS

· Natasha Asghar MS

· Joel James MS

· Mike Hedges MS

· Samuel Kurtz MS

Secretary: Curtis Shea, PA to Darren Millar – June 2018 – November 2022

Other external attendees and the organisation(s) they represent:

Colonel James Phillips                      Veterans’ Commissioner for Wales

Brigadier Jock Fraser                        Royal Navy

Brigadier Andrew Dawes                  Commander 160th Brigade

Peter Evans                                      Welsh Government

Peter Kellam                                    Welsh Government

Cerys Gage                                      Welsh Government

Lisa Rawlings                                   Regional Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer

Millie Taylor                                    SSCE Cymru

Flight Lieutenant Ella Fortune           RAF

Tom Livesey                                    Welsh Conservative Group Office

Emma Perrin                                    Army Families Federation

Dominic Morgan                              RFCA

Julian North                                     Help for Heroes

James Dunn                                     Office for Veterans Affairs, Cabinet Office

Neil Kitchener                                  Veterans NHS Wales

Air Cdre Dai Williams                      Royal Air Force

Stephen Townley                              Regional Armed Forces Liaisons Officer

Dominic Morgan                              RCFA

Colonel Sion Walker                        Deputy Commander 106^th Brigade

2. Meetings since the previous AGM

Meeting 1: 9^th December 2021

Attendees:

Darren Millar MS                             Chair & Member for Clwyd West

Natasha Asghar MS                          Member for South Wales East

James Evans MS                               Member for Brecon and Radnorshire

Altaf Hussain                                   Member for South Wales West

Sam Rowlands MS                           Member for North Wales

Mike Hedges MS                              Member for Swansea East

Joel James MS                                  Member for South Wales Central

Peter Fox MS                                    Member for Monmouthshire

Millie Taylor                                    SSCE Cymru

James Dunn                                     Office for Veterans' Affairs (Cabinet Office)

Brigadier Jock Fraser                        Royal Navy

Air Cdre Dai Williams                      Royal Air Force

Neil Kitchiner                                  Veterans’ NHS Wales

Stephen Townley                              Regional Armed Forces Liaison Officer

Dominic Morgan                              RFCA

Lee Gonzalez                                   Office of Joel James MS

Lisa Rawlings                                   Regional Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer

Cerys Gage                                      Welsh Government

Peter Evans                                      Welsh Government

James Wallice                                  Office of Samuel Kurtz MS

Ryland Doyle                                   Office of Mike Hedges MS

Colonel Sion Walker                        Deputy Commander 160th Brigade

Curtis Shea                                       Secretariat

Summary of issues discussed:

· Update from Millie Taylor, SSCE Cymru

· Presentation from James Dunn, Cabinet Office on the Welsh Veterans Commissioner.

Meeting 2: 13^th July 2022

Attendees:

Darren Millar MS                             Chair & Member for Clwyd West

Jack Sargeant MS                             Member for Alyn and Deeside

Altaf Hussain MS                             Member for South Wales West

James Evans MS                               Member for Brecon and Radnorshire

Peter Fox MS                                    Member for Monmouthshire

Mark Isherwood MS                         Member for North Wales

Colonel James Phillips                      Veterans’ Commissioner for Wales

Brigadier Jock Fraser                        Royal Navy

Brigadier Andrew Dawes                  Commander 160th Brigade

Peter Evans                                      Welsh Government

Peter Kellam                                    Welsh Government

Lisa Rawlings                                   Regional Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer

Millie Taylor                                    SSCE Cymru

Curtis Shea                                       Secretariat

Flight Lieutenant Ella Fortune           RAF

Tom Livesey                                    Welsh Conservative Group Office

Emma Perrin                                    Army Families Federation

Emilia Douglass                               Office of Laura Anne Jones

Harry Saville                                    Office of Sam Rowlands

Dominic Morgan                              RFCA

Julian North                                     Help for Heroes

Summary of issues discussed:

· The Group held its AGM and the following appointments were made –

Darren Millar MS was unanimously re-elected as Chair.

Alun Davies MS was unanimously re-elected as Deputy Chair.

Curtis Shea was unanimously re-elected as Secretary.

· Q&A with Colonel James Phillips, Veterans’ Commissioner for Wales (VCW)

· The group received an update from Millie Taylor, SSCE Cymru

3. Professional lobbyists, voluntary organisations and charities with whom the Group has met during the year

None.

4. Other activities and visits

The group visited RAF Valley on 1^st April 2022.

The group visited the Royal Navy Outdoor Leadership School, Talybont-On-Usk on 7^th July 2022.

Annual Financial Statement.

There are no expenses for this CPG

Group’s Expenses                             None.                                                                   £0.00

Costs of all goods                             No goods purchased.                                            £0.00

Benefits received by the group or       No benefits received.                                            £0.00

individual Members from outside

bodies                                                                                                                         

Any secretariat or other support         No financial support received.                               £0.00

Services provided to the Group such No hospitality received                                         £0.00

as hospitality

Total cost                                                                                                                    £0.00