Veterans minister plans Afghan trip

Veterans minister Keith Brown yesterday said he intended to go to Afghanistan to see the conditions faced by Scottish soldiers there.

Mr Brown, a former Royal Marine and Falklands War veteran, said: “If Cheryl Cole can go, there is no reason why the minister responsible for veterans should not go.”

In the past, the SNP has objected that no ministers from the devolved nations have gone to Afghanistan. Mr Brown was speaking at Edinburgh Castle as he launched a document underlining the SNP government’s commitment to looking after war veterans.

The armed forces commitment paper sets out what the government is doing to address the health, housing, education and justice needs of current and former service personnel.

Top brass lent its support to the initiative.