Youth Sport Strategy

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 10 December 2013.

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Photo of Mary Scanlon Mary Scanlon Conservative

First, I thank Margo MacDonald for her speech. It takes a qualified, highly specialised PE teacher to tell us what it is all about—well done, Margo.

I started reading the Government’s draft strategy “Giving children and young people a sporting chance” after coming home from my Pilates class last night, so my first comment is that it is not only children and young people who need access to sports and exercise but people of all ages. I looked back at where our adult sport strategy was and I found the Labour-Liberal Democrat Government’s publication “Let’s Make Scotland More Active: A strategy for physical activity”, which was published in 2003 and which included both children and adults.

I understand that since the publication of that strategy, which set targets of physical activity for children and adults to be reached by 2022, we have tended to focus on children, which is reasonable and fair in terms of assuming that they will continue to be physically active throughout their lives. However, I hope that the targets set for adults in 2003, which I understand were reviewed in 2008, have not been abandoned. I ask the minister to give a progress update on that either in her summing-up speech or in writing later.

There is much that local and central Government can do to provide local facilities for exercise and other classes for people of all ages. The Health and Sport Committee carried out an inquiry on pathways into sport in 2009. We discovered that where there was a can-do attitude, such as in East Renfrewshire Council, the two hours of quality physical education by specialist PE teachers was delivered. However, in other local authorities there were plenty of excuses to be found, such as a crowded curriculum, lack of facilities and transport, and staff issues. We heard, though, that physically active children were more alert and attentive in the classroom and that their level of fitness enhanced their learning abilities.