6. To ask the Scottish Government whether the finance secretary plans to allocate to local authorities any funding from the block grant that has arisen as a result of Barnett consequential funding from the United Kingdom Government’s swimming pool support fund. (S6O-02565)

Local sport and leisure facilities, including swimming pools, are vital in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation.

Compared to the less than £6 million of consequentials that the Scottish Government received for swimming pools following the UK budget, the Scottish Government allocated £100 million of additional funding to local government at stage 3 of the budget bill, which was funded in part by those consequentials.

It is immoral of the Government to get funding for swimming pools from the UK Treasury and not pass it on for its intended purpose. In Aberdeen, Bucksburn swimming pool was closed and has been stripped back to the walls by the local Scottish National Party council, which is being taken to court by its own citizens over the closure. Is the minister happy that swimming pools in our communities are being forced to close?

The member was a local councillor, so he knows that councillors are democratically elected to make decisions on the priorities in their local communities. It is really important that, as elected members, we respect the democratic mandate of councillors across Scotland.

The money has all been allocated, and the difference is clearly that Mr Lumsden is coming to the chamber and asking the Scottish—

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

Minister, please resume your seat. There are members shouting across the chamber; that is not acceptable. The minister has been asked a question and we must listen to his response.

As I said, the money has been allocated. It was allocated to budgets as part of £100 million of additional funding that went to local government at stage 3 of the budget bill.

Mr Lumsden has come here to say that that money should have been ring fenced. I encourage him to speak to his local government colleagues, because I know that they are looking for more flexibility. They are not asking us to ring fence more pots of money. In fact, they are asking for exactly the opposite—more flexibility, so that they can use their democratic mandates to determine what is best for their local communities.