Glasgow 2018 European Championships

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 10 January 2018.

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Photo of James Kelly James Kelly Labour

As a Glasgow MSP, it gives me particular pleasure to take part in this afternoon’s debate. I am looking forward to the European championships 2018. The events will not only provide a fantastic opportunity for the whole country to witness top athletes competing in our country and experience the buzz that top sporting events give spectators; they will bring clear economic and sporting benefits, as we saw in Glasgow in 2014 with the increased number of visitors to the city, the economic growth that resulted from the games and the sheer verve and energy that the event produced.

An element of this debate is looking back to 2014 and looking forward to this year. We are right to celebrate the legacy of 2014 for sporting success and infrastructure. I recently ran along the Clyde for the length of what was the Commonwealth village site and it was amazing to see the extent of the housing there and how the area has been transformed in the past 10 years as a result of the games being held in the city. There are real benefits and advantages to see there.

However, an issue that has run through the debate is participation levels. There is no doubt that there is mixed evidence about participation levels following the games. The recent report by the Health and Sport Committee showed that there had not been any dramatic increase in participation levels; in fact, there had been a decrease in some areas. Although it is great to see an increased number of people turning out to train in athletics, which I see in my local club, Cambuslang Harriers, the household survey that the minister quoted shows that in Glasgow alone participation in sport has decreased to 73 per cent, which is the lowest level in seven years. Bob Doris made a relevant point about who benefits from the legacy of the games. The Scottish health survey statistics show that the participation rate is 80 per cent in the least deprived areas but only 57 per cent in the most deprived areas.

There is a clear challenge for all of us to overcome that. The levels of 65 per cent of people in the country who are overweight and 29 per cent who are obese are real challenges, and we have not been able to turn those figures around in the time since the Commonwealth games.

Some things that could help us to meet those challenges are further promotion of the daily mile and greater use of the school estate. I know that there are contractual issues, but even in my local area, schools often lie dormant over the holiday period and we do not make the most of their facilities.

We are coming up to consideration of the budget, and local government funding is going to be key. If we want to drive up participation levels, we need to fund sport properly. We also need to encourage employers to have more gym or training facilities on their premises.

Let us celebrate the upcoming events while also looking at the issues that can move participation forward.