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First World War Veteran (State Funeral)

: I begin by congratulating the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith) on securing this debate on the topic of a state funeral for the last surviving veteran of the first world war living in the United Kingdom. I also thank him kindly for his opening remarks. The meeting that I had with him was very helpful; he made some good comments and gave very helpful advice, which I appreciated greatly. He made a powerful argument this afternoon, and everyone who listened to his comments was moved not just by the content, but by the tone in which he addressed this difficult and serious matter. As the right hon. Gentleman knows, I share his concern that the passing of this special generation should not go unmarked. Their service and sacrifice deserve our admiration, respect and gratitude, and it is the Government's intention that all those who participated in that ““war to end wars””, as it was thought of at the time, should be suitably commemorated. I hope to be able to make a statement to the House shortly, setting out how we intend to do that. In essence, we have focused on two main options: either to provide a high-profile funeral for the individual as the representative of all those who served or, following the death of the last known veteran, to hold a national memorial event for the passing of the generation. The right hon. Gentleman made that point. Today, however, I would like to outline the main issues that have exercised us as we have been developing our plans. Recent television programmes such as ““The Last Tommy”” and ““Not Forgotten”” tended to focus attention on the role of the soldier on the western front. Perhaps the most poignant and lasting image of the first world war is that of the Tommy in the trenches in Flanders. The roles of the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps can, unfortunately, be overshadowed in the mind of the public and the media. They tend to be forgotten, as do the many other theatres of war and the vital support provided by service personnel at home. The first world war was, in every sense, truly a world war. In our armed forces, every man or woman served in the capacity to which they were directed, and it would be unacceptable to single out any branch, trade, posting or theatre for greater prominence than any other. Every one of those people made a huge contribution to victory in that awful war. Some might have served for only a few weeks by the date of the armistice, some might not have finished their training or have left the UK, and many might not have seen a shot fired in anger. That should not debar them from receiving due recognition as veterans who served during the first world war. Those who survived were all veterans. In formulating our plans, we also need to take account of any individuals who might live in the UK but who are not British citizens, although they joined and served with the UK armed forces during the first world war. Any surviving Irish veterans, who would have been British citizens at the time, need to be considered too. We also have a practical problem, as we are not sure who the last veteran is, or who that person will be. More than 6 million men and women served in the UK armed forces during the first world war, and more than half the service records of that period were destroyed in the blitz in 1940. The situation is worse for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, as only 12 per cent. of its records were unharmed. Surviving records can tell us who served, but not whether they are still alive. Most of those who survived were demobilised after the war, and for the past 90 years they have had no reason to contact us. They have no obligation to notify the Ministry of Defence of their existence, nor do their next of kin have to inform us of their death. The first world war veterans we know about are those who have identified themselves voluntarily. To monitor the existing veterans and, whenever possible, to identify others, I and my staff have regular contact with Dennis Goodwin, chairman of the World War One Veterans Association. He acts in an informal capacity as ambassador, spokesman and co-ordinator of the small band of known veterans. We are hugely grateful for his contribution to our discussions. Inevitably, the number of surviving veterans of the first world war will dwindle, but the number of those known to us goes up as well as down. For example, the announcement of the death of our last known female veteran prompted claims that there are two others still alive. My officials are researching their backgrounds to confirm whether that is the case. The French have also just discovered a further two veterans, which is not a surprise. We estimate that there are in the UK more than 400 citizens of an age to have served at some time during the first world war. It is likely that there are others of whom we are not aware. Some people signed up under assumed names, while many others falsified their age to join. Some known veterans emigrated after the war, and there is a high possibility that others of whom we are not aware did the same. Many women who served will have married subsequently and changed their names. Tracing them all is an impossible task. In short, there is no complete list of surviving UK veterans, nor do I think there ever will be. Consequently, identifying the very last veteran with any certainty is impossible. The US and Australian Governments have acknowledged the same problem. We must consider another key point. Whoever the last known veteran is, he or she is not just a representative of that generation. They are also somebody's parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or somebody's husband or wife. We must be sensitive to what the family would want in the circumstances and to how they would want the commemoration or service to mark the death of their loved one. Veterans of many conflicts seek to forget the traumas of warfare and often desire a simple family funeral without fuss or military overtones. The right hon. Gentleman made that point fairly. A number of the known first world war veterans have indicated that they and their families would not welcome any wider public intrusion. I am sure the right hon. Gentleman agrees that their preferences should be respected. Indeed, he said as much in his speech. Even defining the parameters of the first world war is not as straightforward as it might at first appear. End dates range from Armistice day on 11 November 1918 to the official cessation of the war on 31 August 1921. Those are some of the key issues in our deliberations on this sensitive matter. I hope hon. Members appreciate that this decision needs careful thought. I am encouraged by the high public interest in the subject, and that interest has read across more generally into veterans' issues. I am encouraged, too, by the comments of hon. and right hon. Members in this House. Being sensitive to the fact that veterans are still alive, I hope that the emphasis being put on what we should do after their passing translates into a public celebration of their remaining time with us. That has to be recognised, and it is proper that it should be. When the last surviving veteran dies, their memory and the living link to the horrors of the first world war will continue for at least two generations through their children and grandchildren, some of whom are themselves veterans of later conflicts. The right hon. Gentleman referred to letters that he has received from children in his constituency. Through education and the involvement of children and schools with veterans in ““living history”” initiatives, an understanding and appreciation of the sacrifices of that early 20th century generation will continue. Whatever we do, we shall take all steps to ensure that first world war veterans and the sacrifices that they made are remembered, as the magnificent painting in this room helps us to remember the funeral of the unknown soldier. It is a duty of all of us in this place to ensure that we take the right decision. It will not be easy, and there are many sensitivities to explore, but I hope that colleagues understand that I fully take on board their points. I pay tribute to the right hon. Gentleman, who initiated this debate, for his comments and advice. I hope shortly to make a statement to the House, so that colleagues understand how we shall take this matter forward.