Preseli Pembrokeshire Paul Davies has declared his support for The Royal British Legion’s ‘Count Them In’ campaign which calls for questions on the Armed Forces community to be included in the next UK Census. It is estimated that there are currently between 6.5 million and 6.7 million members of the Armed Forces community living in the UK, representing about a tenth of the population[i]. Yet little is known about the exact numbers, location and needs of this significant group. Including new questions on the next census would provide public bodies, and charities with information to ensure they are able to deliver the best services they can for our Armed Forces community.

Mr Davies said, “I was pleased to meet with RAF veteran Andy Davies and representatives of the Royal British Legion to discuss the Count Me In campaign. It’s crucial that more is done to build a better future for the armed forces community in Wales and the first step in doing so is ensuring that information is appropriately collected through the census, so that we can start delivering the services that our armed forces families need.”

Chris Simpkins, Director-General of The Royal British Legion, comments: “As a nation we promise to provide lifelong care and support for those who serve our country, and by adding questions to the 2021 UK Census we can help public bodies and charities to deliver the best services they can for our Armed Forces community where they are needed most. We thank Paul Davies for adding his support to our campaign and it’s time to make the next census count for our Armed Forces community. We count on them, let’s Count them in.”

People can show their support for the campaign by visiting the campaign website, www.britishlegion.org.uk/census, or by posting on social media using the #CountThemIn hashtag.