Meeting of the Parliament 06 January 2026
We have passed over significant Barnett consequentials, as I set out in my intervention on Mr Carlaw, in an increase to local government funding, which I will come to in more detail. Those particular decisions need to be taken locally; I am more than happy to consider any approaches on individual cases, but they are for local decision makers to take forward.
Public leisure facilities play a crucial role in tackling loneliness. Activities such as aquatic exercise classes for older adults not only improve balance and strength but foster social connections, which often extend past the pool to the cafe and the wider community.
For children and young people, swimming pools offer more than just exercise. They offer the chance to learn a life-saving skill, as Mr Carlaw and Mr Sweeney have set out. Pools build confidence and a sense of achievement. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim. It can save lives and lead to a lifetime of enjoyment through swimming, as Mr Scott highlighted in his evidence. However, we know that there are significant inequalities in access to swimming lessons, which is why we funded swimming pilots in partnership with sportscotland and Scottish Swimming. The pilots demonstrated that the school swimming framework is the most effective model for enabling children to learn to swim, particularly in addressing poverty-related barriers to access.
Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water recently marked 10 years of the learn to swim programme, which is a joint initiative delivered by 38 local aquatic partners. Progress has been remarkable: participation has grown from 53,000 people in 2017 to more than 83,000 in 2024. Even more encouraging is the increase in participation by children from Scotland’s more deprived communities, which has grown from 10 per cent in 2018 to 16 per cent today. That is a real and measurable impact, widening access and delivering social value. The success of the programme is a testament to the dedication of Scottish Swimming, Scottish Water and local partners. Their collective efforts deserve recognition, especially given the setbacks during the pandemic that affected water safety attainment and swimming instruction.
We also acknowledge the challenges faced by operators of sports and leisure facilities, first during the pandemic and then through the energy crisis, which created significant financial pressures. Rising operational, energy, building and transport costs have placed real strain on resources, making it harder to heat pools and buildings and maintain infrastructure. Although the funding of local sports and leisure facilities, including pools, is the responsibility of local authorities, we recognise the importance of support. Our policy on local authority spending is to allow authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant.
As I set out to Mr Carlaw, the 2025-26 budget recognises the importance of local government and provides local authorities with a record funding package of more than £15.1 billion in 2025-26, which is a real-terms increase of 5.5 per cent. The Government has made a significant commitment to Scotland’s sporting future. Since April 2007, sportscotland has invested more than £211 million to help sports clubs, community groups, local authorities, sports governing bodies and other organisations in delivering new and upgraded sporting facilities across the country. That investment has helped to create spaces where people can come together, be active and thrive.
However, we understand that significant challenges remain. That is why we commissioned sportscotland to undertake a comprehensive review of the condition and long-term investment needs of Scotland’s sporting infrastructure. The report will be published shortly and will sit alongside the 2023 swimming pool review, providing vital information to help us make informed decisions collectively. The 2023 review highlighted the ageing pool estate and the significant energy improvements that will be required if we are to ensure that facilities remain sustainable. The review’s findings underscore the need for a collaborative approach that brings together Government, local authorities, other partners and communities to secure the future of our sporting infrastructure.
I hope that today’s debate will spark ideas and inspire collaborative solutions that can support both the operators who keep facilities running and, critically, the users who depend on them.
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