Defence is currently leading on behalf of the Government in the planning of a series of significant commemorative events in the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, to mark next year’s 80th Second World War anniversaries. Further details will be announced in due course, nearer the time.

The Government and the nation continue to recognise and be thankful for all those who served in the Far East Campaign during the Second World War. We recognise the sacrifices made and the horrors to which our personnel were subjected.

We are committed to ensuring that ex-Prisoners of War from the Far East Campaign remain in the public consciousness as much as those who served in other campaigns. In conjunction with the Royal British Legion, we will look to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day on Saturday 15 August 2020 in an appropriate way.

While I understand the desire for a national day of remembrance for Servicemen held as prisoners of war by Japan from 1941 to 1945, the Government regularly receives requests for additional commemorative days for cultural, historical and military events. It is simply not possible to accommodate all these requests and so we are not planning to accept any new commemorative or remembrance days at this time.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster) on 28 February 2019 to Question 224816 to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Heidi Allen).

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-02-22/224816/

I totally endorse the hon. Gentleman’s comments. I will have a word with the Leader of the House and you, Mr Speaker, as the responsible authorities, but I would certainly back such a debate.

Since the Prime Minister set out plans for the Centenary in October 2012 the Government has delivered highly successful commemorative events for the start of the First World War and the Gallipoli Campaign.

In May 2016, commemorative events will be held for the Battle of Jutland, and in July 2016, we will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by holding national events at the Thiepval Memorial in France, at Manchester Cathedral, and at Heaton Park. In addition, a national vigil will be held in June at Westminster Abbey, and there will also be vigils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Season Two of the 14-18 NOW culture programme has been announced and this - together with Centenary Partnership events, Heritage Lottery funded projects and local commemorative activity - will ensure people right across the UK have the opportunity to participate in commemorative events.

Other centenary activities such as the UK Tour of the “poppies” and the national repair and conservation of War memorials also continue, more details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

There are two key first world war events to commemorate this year. On 31 May, national events will be held in Orkney to mark the battle of Jutland and the wider war at sea, and on 1 July national events will be held both in Manchester and at the Thiepval memorial in France to commemorate the battle of the Somme. These form part of wider national commemorations over the next two years, and I would encourage all hon. Members to read details of the latest 14-18 NOW culture programme, which was announced yesterday.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his words, and in turn thank him for his support. We may argue over many matters in this House, but I think all parties can come together in memory of those who sacrificed so much. He mentioned the weeping window and the wave sculptures, and I was delighted that the Chancellor has made more money available to allow us to take that sculpture to more parts of the country, including St Magnus cathedral, as part of the commemoration of Jutland. The hon. Gentleman’s suggestion that we should have an opportunity here to commemorate those who gave their lives is an excellent one. It is not entirely one I can deliver, but I am very happy to pursue it.

Since the Prime Minister set out plans for the Centenary in October 2012 the Government has delivered highly successful commemorative events for the start of the First World War and the Gallipoli Campaign.

In May 2016, commemorative events will be held for the Battle of Jutland, and in July 2016, we will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by holding national events at the Thiepval Memorial in France, at Manchester Cathedral, and at Heaton Park. In addition, a national vigil will be held at Westminster Abbey, and there will also be vigils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Other centenary activities such as the UK Tour of the “poppies” and the national repair and conservation of War memorials also continue, more details can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

Since the Prime Minister set out plans for the Centenary in October 2012 ( a transcript of the Prime Minister's speech can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-at-imperial-war-museum-on-first-world-war-centenary-plans ) the Government has delivered two highly successful commemorative events for the start of the First World War and the Battle of Gallipoli. In 2016 commemorative events will be held for the Battle of Jutland in May and the Somme in July 2016. In 2017 the battle of Passchendaele will be commemorated followed by the Armistice in 2018.

Other commemorations such as the UK Tour of the “poppies” and the national restoration of War memorials also continue, more details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

Following the Secretary of State's announcement on 1 July, which launched the ballot website to strong press interest, we are looking at a number of further opportunities to raise awareness of the ballot. Leaflets were handed to all those attending the 1 July event this year and are available at the Thiepval Visitor Centre. Our partner organisations, The Royal British Legion and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, are also promoting the information on their websites and through related social media channels.

Communications activity will focus on key points in the period from now until the ballot closes on 18 November. It will involve press announcements and planned coverage in both media and broadcast outlets to highlight the relevance of the battle of the Somme, the upcoming centenary and the ballot arrangements. The communications campaign will be supported by a strong social media presence, under #Somme100, to promote engagement beyond traditional audiences and direct users to the dedicated event website. We will also work closely with our key stakeholders to amplify messaging around the ballot and look to use celebrity endorsement.

Details regarding the Edith Cavell commemorative coin are available at the following link:

http://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/news/royal-mint-honours-edith-cavell.

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise that excellent campaign, which was inspired by Sir Edward Grey’s famous remark on the eve of the war:

“The lamps are going out all over Europe”.

This is a way to get people, particularly young people, engaged with what happened a century ago and to help them to understand the consequences for Europe, for our world and for our society. A lot of events will take place this year to commemorate the first world war appropriately. One of the most significant will take place tomorrow when the Imperial war museum—an absolutely superb museum—reopens to the public after a major investment. I know that my own children enjoy going there, and I am sure that many people will make the most of it.

As well as being Chancellor of the Exchequer, I am Master of the Royal Mint. I can therefore address the hon. Gentleman’s question directly. I am certainly aware of the campaign, and I of course honour the bravery and sacrifice of Edith Cavell. There will be a whole series of coins to commemorate the first world war, some of which will be in general circulation and some of which will be for collectors. Like previous Governments, we act on the advice of a Royal Mint advisory committee on these topics, but I will directly take up with it the suggestion of marking Edith Cavell’s sacrifice and make sure that it is honoured in an appropriate way.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind words and for the support he has given to the centenary commemorations—I really welcome that cross-party support. He raises a very important point. It is important to ensure that the efforts on the home front are properly commemorated, and I am happy to discuss that with him further if he thinks we can do more.

I have asked officials from my Department to meet the organisers of the ‘Never Such Innocence’ campaign.

The Department for Education and Department for Communities and Local Government are jointly funding the First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours Programme. This is led by the Institute of Education (IOE), the principal co-ordinator of educational resources for schools for the First World War centenary. Through a dedicated website and Battlefield Tours Programme, leading educational experts from the IOE are creating and sharing teaching ideas and resources on a wide range of topics surrounding the war and these will continue to develop and expand in their range and depth over the next five years. A number of other key organisations are also producing resources to commemorate the centenary.

When teaching about the First World War it is up to schools and teachers to decide what resources they use.

The Government’s WW1 centenary programme will run for four years and is composed of an array of different projects and partnerships that will commemorate those who sacrificed their lives. As part of the programme, there is a £40 million project to deliver new first world war galleries at the Imperial War museum’s London site; a £5.3 million project for secondary school visits to the battlefields of the western front; £5 million for the conservation and protection of war memorials and burial sites, and funding for a wide range of centenary-related projects up and down the country from the Heritage Lottery Fund who have so far allocated over £45 million. £10 million of lottery funding has been allocated to the 14-18 NOW cultural programme. In addition, the DCMS will deliver national events at key points during the four-year programme.

On 11 October 2012 the Prime Minister announced a series of measures to commemorate the centenary of the first world war. The Government's preparations will include national commemorations for key events, including the outbreak of the war on 4 August 2014.