Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 12 February 2026 [Draft]
12 Feb 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Edinburgh South Community Football Club and Grass-roots Football
I call the minister, Maree Todd.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I ask the people who are leaving the public gallery to do so as quickly as possible as we move to the next item of business, which is a members’ business deb...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Inaudible. My competence with the technology in the chamber is matched by my competence at football.In these sorts of debates, many of us will say that we ca...
The Minister for Higher and Further Education (Ben Macpherson)
SNP
I welcome this debate, particularly as I was formerly an under-12s player for Inch boys club. I also recognise the contributions that the Spartans Community ...
Daniel Johnson
Lab
I am grateful to Ben Macpherson for intervening, although I think that he has shown that he is probably more qualified than I am to speak on the topic. His w...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
We move to the open debate.12:58
Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
SNP
I will not start by talking about my own footballing prowess, because you have seen me play, Deputy Presiding Officer, and will be able to adjudicate on that...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank Daniel Johnson for securing this debate and for giving me the opportunity to speak. I did not have anything written down. I wondered where I would go...
Daniel Johnson
Lab
Will the member give way?
Brian Whittle
Con
Of course I will give way to Daniel Johnson.
Daniel Johnson
Lab
Brian Whittle raised an important distinction in what he said about primary school and secondary school. Some of the opportunities that exist at secondary sc...
Brian Whittle
Con
Let us say 50.
Daniel Johnson
Lab
—does he agree with that point?
Brian Whittle
Con
Daniel Johnson is absolutely correct. When I was at Marr college playing rugby, 36 schools in Ayrshire played rugby. Last time I looked, there were six. Gras...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
Thank you, Mr Whittle. I can advise you that, although few football careers start in goal, many of them, as I know from experience, end in goal.The final spe...
Davy Russell (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, thank my colleague Daniel Johnson for bringing the motion to Parliament for debate.I love football. Believe it or not, I am still playing two or some...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I call the minister, Maree Todd.13:14
Maree Todd (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
SNP
Tapadh leibh, Oifigeir Riaghlaidh. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thank you to everyone who has contributed to this very interesting debate on the vital r...
Brian Whittle
Con
Does the minister agree that, more than just enabling others to participate, volunteers are looking after their own health and mental wellbeing and that they...
Maree Todd
SNP
Absolutely. Volunteering is undoubtedly good for the person who volunteers. We think that it is an altruistic act, but it is actually pretty good for the vol...
Daniel Johnson
Lab
I fear that I may have interrupted the minister when she was about to address this point. Jamie Hepburn and I are always slightly surprised when we alight on...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
Minister, I will give you the time back.
Maree Todd
SNP
I was about to say that I am not sighted on the proposals or the specific issues. From what has been said today, I understand that, although the City of Edin...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
That concludes the debate, and I suspend the meeting.13:23Meeting suspended.14:30On resuming—