The annual national period of remembrance is always a time of reflection and an opportunity to honour the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service to our country.

While we associate the act of remembrance especially with November, I believe we should never forget the incredible contributions made by our Armed Forces and we should keep the spirit of remembrance with us all year round.

On behalf of residents of York Outer, I placed a tribute in the Constituency Garden of Remembrance in New Palace Yard this week. The Constituency Garden of Remembrance is a joint commemoration project by the House of Commons and the Royal British Legion.

Now completed, the garden contains tributes from constituencies from all over the country as well as from the member countries of the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. A striking reminder in the heart of Parliament that war touches all parts of the United Kingdom and every constituency.

In York, I once again had the honour of laying a poppy wreath as part of the city’s Remembrance Sunday parade.

It is always heartening to see a strong public turnout, especially younger generations who are learning about Remembrance Day and will keep the act alive for future generations.

At the heart of the nation’s Remembrance Day commemorations are teams of Royal British Legion volunteers who make all the wreaths and coordinate the Poppy Appeal.

Not only is the Poppy Appeal a visible act of remembrance but it also raises vital funds for charity veterans’ services.

The Government is committed to making our country the best place to be a veteran and has launched the first ever UK-wide survey for veterans and their families.

Over the next 12 weeks, veterans across the country can complete the survey to shape the future of veteran services.

This survey, in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics (ONS), will ask veterans to describe their experiences of being a veteran and of using government services. This will ensure that the government can adapt services to better meet the needs of veterans and their families.

The launch of the survey comes alongside the release of the ONS’s Census 2021 data on the veteran population in England and Wales.

Last year was the first time a question about someone’s military service was included in the Census.

The new ONS figures released today show that there were 1.85 million people in England and Wales who reported that they had previously served in the armed forces.

I encourage all veterans and their families in York to complete the survey, which can be found here: gov.uk/government/news/uk-veterans-get-their-say

It is only by knowing as much information about the lives of veterans that policy and services can be tailored to best support them.

This survey comes after the Government launched the Veteran’s Strategy Action Plan for 2022-24 earlier this year.

Under a new Prime Minister, our obligation to our veterans remains as every day the men and women of our Armed Forces show their courage, commitment and dedication to our country.

No matter how dangerous or trying the circumstances, they have never failed us and it’s vital that we do not fail them.

We have an obligation to ensure that our veterans continue to thrive after leaving the services. This strategy is not simply covering our moral duty but recognising our veterans the skills, experience, and expertise to contribute to our country after their service in the Armed Forces.

In another act of remembrance, I had the privilege to attend a service in tribute to the former head of our Armed Forces – Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Our city should be immensely proud to be home to the final monument to Queen Elizabeth II commissioned in her lifetime.

I hope it will stand as a testament and reminder of her life dedicated to public service. It was her commitment to service which endeared her to so many in the Armed Forces. As I wrote in my column in September, we should keep Her Late Majesty’s memory alive by learning lessons from her life. One way would be keeping the act of remembrance all year round and making sure we never take our veterans’ service for granted.

Julian Sturdy is the Conservative MP for York Outer