Victory in Europe and Japan: 80th Anniversaries

Ben Obese-Jecty Excerpts

Thursday 13th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock]

The hon. Lady has rightly outlined the huge contribution that people across Northern Ireland made, and as I outlined in my statement, a number of commemorations are taking place across Northern Ireland. I am due to visit Northern Ireland in April; perhaps I can reach out to the hon. Lady to take her up on her kind invitation. While I am not in a position to commit financial support today, I would be delighted to visit if the diary allows.

[Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)]

As a veteran myself—albeit of a much later conflict—I welcome the commitment to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day. In my constituency, we had both RAF Bomber Command’s Pathfinder force and the US air force’s 303rd Bomb Group, which flew the first US mission over Nazi-occupied Europe in 1942. The US air force is still at RAF Molesworth today.

My question is about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In November, the Veterans Minister confirmed to me in a written answer that the CWGC’s budget for financial year 2025-26 would not be known until the MOD’s budget had been confirmed after the spending review. There are concerns about the increased level of activity this year, not only due to VE Day and VJ Day celebrations but the CWGC’s work in expanding the Loos cemeteries—the world war one war graves—in northern France. The French are building a new hospital and a canal, and are anticipating exhuming more British soldiers there who will need to be buried, so those cemeteries will need to be expanded. Could the Minister make representations for the CWGC’s budget to be uplifted for next year, so that we can ensure that work is done?

[Stephanie Peacock]

Of course, the whole House thanks the hon. Gentleman for his service as a veteran. He has outlined the importance of VE Day and VJ Day to his constituency of Huntingdon. His specific question about funding is of course one for the MOD, but I will write to the Department to relay his question.