Kildwick teenager Paul Figg, a corporal in 2431 (Keighley) Squadron ATC, took part in a defence and remembrance tri-service cadet force debate, which was held in the House of Lords and chaired by the Lord Speaker, Baroness D’Souza.

The event, shown live on the BBC Parliament channel, involved 146 cadets and 47 Royal British Legion veterans from all over the United Kingdom. Paul, a pupil at Ermysted’s Grammar School in Skipton, was the only air cadet from this area to have won a coveted place.

“Over the last few months, teams from all over the UK have been taking part in preliminary debates adjudicated by the English Speaking Union,” said Paul who celebrated his 17th birthday on Sunday. “I was fortunate enough to be selected for the ATC finals which were held at RAF Cranwell and from there I was offered the opportunity of participating in the debate held in the House of Lords itself.”

This was the seventh time the House of Lords had hosted an external debate “It was a privilege to be sitting on the red benches,” said Paul. “They are actually quite comfortable. The chamber itself is smaller and more intimate than I had imagined from watching proceedings on TV.”

The debate focused on the question: “One hundred years after World War One, what is its legacy for the UK and how does it shape the nation today?”

Baroness D’Souza said it had been an extraordinarily good debate, with the majority agreeing that the UK had not learned from its experience.