Hansard

With the spectacular success of the Commonwealth games and team Scotland’s record medal haul fresh in our minds, I am delighted to address members on the legacy of the games. I will reflect on the opportunities that have been brought about by them; touch on the core Commonwealth values of humanity, equality and destiny; and look forward, reflecting on the need to maintain momentum and drive and to build on the strong foundations that are now in place for the benefit of Scotland.

From the outset, the legacy was central to the planning of the games. With more than 50 national legacy programmes in place, people across Scotland and the Commonwealth are benefiting now. We have reaped the rewards of record levels of investment in Commonwealth games sports with team Scotland’s highest ever medal haul. It delivered the biggest ever Scottish team, with 310 athletes, and secured a record-breaking 53 medals and four new Commonwealth games records. Such world-class performances, which were supported through a system that was delivered in Scotland, are an inspiration to us all. Scottish Disability Sport and other governing bodies of sport now stand ready for an upsurge in interest and to harness enthusiasm through the unleash your sporty side campaign.

The working group for sport identified that Scotland has world-class sporting facilities to complement the world-class sporting system, and they are being used by performance athletes and communities alike. They include many facilities that were used in the games, such as the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, the national indoor sports arena and the Commonwealth pool, but also excellent facilities such as the Aberdeen Sports Village, the regional gymnastics facility in Dundee and many others.

In fact, since 2007, more than £100 million has been spent on new and upgraded facilities; £25 million has been committed to support the development of the new national performance centre for sport; a further £20 million has been made available through sportscotland’s national and regional sports facilities fund; more than 100 projects have been supported by the £10 million legacy active places fund; and, just prior to the games, I announced a further £50 million for sportscotland’s active schools network, which provides pathways between school, club and elite levels. That is not to mention the 133 community sports hubs in development or operational across all 32 local authorities.

I turn to the economic legacy. Games procurement is estimated to have supported as many as 30,000 jobs. The £500 million that has been spent on the athletes village over the past six years has, on average, supported around 1,000 jobs and contributed £52 million to Scotland’s economy each year. Through our national legacy programmes, 5,000 events-related training and job opportunities are available across Scotland for those who can most benefit.

We worked hard to ensure that contracts were accessible. Some 69 per cent went to Scottish businesses and almost £1 million was awarded to supported businesses. Next, we will help companies to take that new confidence and capacity to international markets. With a major international business conference and more than 90 business events held at Scotland house, we engaged more than 1,000 national and international business leaders and helped to strengthen international connections.

The conversion of the athletes village to housing will leave behind a well-designed residential area where before there was a 90-acre brownfield site. Major transport projects that were completed ahead of the games are helping to open up the area to further development opportunities.

The legacy is also evident in the events sector, where an additional 37 national and international events worth £14 million have been secured. That bodes well for the sustained use of games infrastructure.

Alongside the sporting action, the cultural programme involved more than 1,500 events and thousands of performers at venues across Scotland. In Glasgow, more than three quarters of a million people visited the games live zones, which cemented our reputation as a truly creative nation.

As well as providing an unprecedented opportunity for tourism, the games attracted Commonwealth heads of Government and state, as well as numerous other international dignitaries. Those individuals have taken away a lasting impression of why Scotland is such an attractive place to do business, invest, work, live, study and visit. I have no doubt that the success of the games will continue to be felt throughout Scotland for many years to come.

I will reflect briefly on the core values of the Commonwealth games, which are humanity, equality and destiny. From the outset, Glasgow 2014 was a truly inclusive games, with para-sport fully integrated and the highest number of medal events ever. Visitors and athletes alike saw at first hand what it is like to be in a country whose Government is committed to an equal and fair society for everyone and has a progressive approach to human rights. The rainbow flag has been flown in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the Commonwealth, and Pride house welcomed more than 6,000 visitors through its doors. The Scottish Government launched its one Scotland campaign in the middle of the games, promoting the message that Scotland believes in equality. It is vital that the games are a positive force for inclusion not just in the weeks past but for the decades to come.

Our para-athletes performed fabulously at the games, winning seven para-sport medals, which is why I am delighted to announce £6 million as part of a £9 million investment for the development of a new national para-sports centre. Based in Largs, sportscotland’s national centre will nurture and hone future sporting talent in Scotland. The centre will complement our network of world-class facilities and will allow for a future Erraid Davies, who amazed us at Tollcross, or Neil Fachie or Aileen McGlynn, who rode to the podium in the velodrome. The centre will be the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. That is testament to the fact that sport can truly be a powerful catalyst for change.