Committee
Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 25 Mar 2003
25 Mar 2003 · S1 · Education, Culture and Sport Committee
Item of business
Sport 21
It is clear from the document that the partnership approach involves not only the statutory agencies and local authorities, but sports clubs, which are the backbone of sport throughout the country and provide volunteers, training, coaching and services in their own facilities and in local authority facilities. The partnership also increasingly involves the private sector. There is some recognition in the document of the private sector's role in the development of sport in Scotland. That is important. The money coming in from the Executive needs to be channelled correctly. I agree with Ian Jenkins that sport is important in itself. I have held that position over the past four years. However, sport is bad at promoting what it can do across the range of other issues in the country. Whereas other areas have generated income and received support because of their ability to gear their funding applications appropriately and blow their own trumpet, sport has not been particularly successful in that regard. We need to address that, because sport is one of the key factors in attempts to deal with health, educational attainment and social inclusion issues. The document is good and I look forward to the implementation of its recommendations. I also look forward to taking part in a bit more sport, as I fall into one of the age groups that is mentioned.Finally today, I would like to thank everyone who has served on the committee. Some of you have been here since its inception in 1999 and all of you have worked hard to get us where we are today. We have done some valuable work.On behalf of committee members, I thank our support staff—those who are with us now and those who have been with us in the past. A variety of staff have supported us in the past four years, including the clerks, our advisers, the Scottish Parliament information centre and the non-Executive bills unit. They all ensured that we were able to deal with the many challenges that have faced us. I hope that we have produced something positive—I think that we have—and I look forward to working with you all in any guise. Ian Jenkins is excepted from that, as he will not be returning to Parliament.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Lab
Members will be aware that "Sport 21 2003-2007: The National Strategy for Sport" was launched this morning. It contains 11 key targets, which I certainly sup...
Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I agree that a lot of useful work has been done in the past four years. It has been useful to identify the issues and to make appropriate links across portfo...
Ian Jenkins:
LD
This is a strategy document, so I do not want to get into detail. I will mention a couple of points that were raised this morning in discussions before the l...
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
Way back when there was a COSLA community services working group, it was always keen to say that local authorities play a key role in promoting sport. We mus...
The Convener:
Lab
It is clear from the document that the partnership approach involves not only the statutory agencies and local authorities, but sports clubs, which are the b...
Ian Jenkins:
LD
You will be able to work with me somehow.
Mr Monteith:
Con
Perhaps Ian could return as an adviser to the committee.
Michael Russell:
SNP
Three of us have been members of the committee throughout the session—Brian Monteith, Ian Jenkins and I, although Brian is the only one who has held his part...
Ian Jenkins:
LD
It has been a pleasure and an honour to serve on the committee. I am delighted that we will be able to end the four years of the parliamentary session by dea...
Mr Monteith:
Con
I agree with the comments that have been made. I congratulate Ian Jenkins on being not only one of the three permanent members, as it were, but the member wi...
The Convener:
Lab
Does that mean that he has a veto?
Mr Monteith:
Con
The committee has been one of those that have given the impression that the work of the committees is a good aspect of the Scottish Parliament. I am thinking...
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
I echo what has been said.
The Convener:
Lab
Is everyone going to make a speech?
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
I have enjoyed my time on the committee. It is important to highlight the role that the committee has played in showing how committee members can work togeth...
Michael Russell:
SNP
Why are you staring at Brian?
Cathy Peattie:
Lab
When people talk about the way in which Parliament works, they often forget the role of the committees. However, the SQA inquiry is an excellent example of t...
The Convener:
Lab
I will finish up by asking people not to mention the Hampden inquiry, which was not our finest moment.Are you indicating that you want to say something, Jackie?
Jackie Baillie:
Lab
As the baby of the committee, I thought that we were all required to make a comment. I thank everyone who has supported the committee and note that we will a...
The Convener:
Lab
Irene, do you want to make a comment? Come on, you might as well. After that, we will see if anyone from the audience wants to say anything.
Irene McGugan:
SNP
There is little to add so I will continue to play the role of the committee member who speaks the least. I express my appreciation of the opportunity to serv...
The Convener:
Lab
I thank everyone who has been involved in the committee and I hope that, tomorrow, we get the vote that we want on the Commissioner for Children and Young Pe...
Meeting closed at 15:40.