To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to support efforts to bring major international sporting events to Scotland. (S1O-158)

The Scottish Sports Council operates a major events programme to assist eligible bodies to attract and stage major events in Scotland. Since its inception in 1996, it has supported 19 events of Commonwealth, European and world level in Scotland.

I notice that Ms Brankin made no mention of the Ryder cup. Is she aware of plans to prepare a bid to bring the Ryder cup to Scotland in 2009? That is a long way away, but it gives us time to set up a cross-party working group to support and promote that bid to bring a major supporting event to Scotland.

Many of us would love to see the Ryder cup come to Scotland. In the first instance, that is a matter for the relevant golf associations, although we would all like to the event to take place.

I understand that the relevant golf associations need to be involved. The idea is to promote a cross-club bid, which would, in the first instance, bring the event to Scotland. That bid is coupled with the imaginative idea of establishing a youth Ryder cup at another club the week before the main tournament. Will the minister support such a bid?

That would be an interesting development and I would be happy to talk to Fiona McLeod about it.