Hansard

I know that I did. I was most disappointed, but it was perhaps worth it to hear about and celebrate the good work of Hamilton International Sports Trust. It is also important to have the opportunity to talk about the importance of youth sports.

I believe that seven competitors from the Hamilton area competed at the Commonwealth games in Manchester, including the judo bronze medal winner, Fiona Robertson, who I had the pleasure of meeting when I was in Manchester. That demonstrates the success that the trust has had in bringing on young athletes. The trust is an excellent example of a number of agencies working together.

I find it refreshing to hear about an organisation that received £1,000 16 years ago and has not come back for more since then. That bears testament to the organisation's tremendous fundraising record.

I am also pleased that the Hamilton International Sports Trust is promoting minority sports. Promotion of excellence and community involvement are important and we cannot have one without the other. As other members have said, we need grass-roots involvement and youth involvement to produce the elite athletes of the future. At the same time, elite athletes should be able to inspire the young people who are coming on.

As many members have said, sport is central to the promotion of social justice. It is also essential to the delivery of national priorities in education and health improvement. The Executive's physical activities strategy will be published tomorrow.

There is a desperate need to address the low level of physical activity in our population. We must foster habits of physical activity in young people. That will enable them not only to live longer—medical intervention can enable people to live longer—but to live healthier.

As we have heard, sport has the potential to regenerate communities. It empowers citizens and contributes to crime prevention by providing alternatives to anti-social behaviour. I agree with Tom McCabe that, unfortunately, the local and national media tend to prefer to concentrate on the bad things that young people do rather than the great successes that many young people achieve. It is a pity that we do not see better reporting of young people's successes in the field of sport.

Donald Gorrie is quite correct to say that the clubs are the cornerstone of sport in Scotland. We acknowledge that and are in discussions with sportscotland. One of sport 21's original aims was to foster more coaches and to provide better training for them. Unfortunately, we have not been able to deliver on that as well as we wanted to and we will return to that issue in the review of sport 21.

Johann Lamont made an important point about girls and young women. Unfortunately, girls' level of physical activity declines much faster than that of boys. By the age of 14, the majority of young girls are not taking sufficient physical exercise and we must address that in a number of ways. The same is true of older women, and I say that as someone who does not take enough exercise.

We have a number of programmes aimed at young people. I will not use up all my time by going through them, but examples include the New Opportunities Fund, the quality of life funding and end-year flexibility money. School sports development officers have been around for almost four years but that programme will be extended and we hope that it will be taken up in all schools, so that we can introduce young people to as many different sports as possible and give them choices, so that they can find a sport that they like and which they will continue to do in later life.

A scheme that is being worked up at the moment is the sports ambassador scheme. In that, we are aiming to use top sportspeople, such as the Commonwealth games medal winners, to work with young people and to provide good role models for them, and to promote healthy lifestyles and activities. I hope that we will be making an announcement on that soon.

A number of members mentioned sports facilities. The 2002 spending review includes a commitment to a national indoor facility. Certainly, part of the Euro 2008 bid legacy will focus on community and youth sports. Unfortunately, I cannot yet give Johann Lamont details, but I am sure that someone will be making an announcement in the future. We have been engaged in recent discussions with sportscotland and others about future requirements for indoor training facilities. We have also had discussions with the Scottish Football Association about its review of youth football and about the sort of training facilities that are required to improve our football chances.

Jamie Stone mentioned the problems of rural and remote areas. I recognise those problems because I come from a rural area. I know that access can be more difficult in more geographically remote areas. Access will be part of the review strategy.

While I am on that subject, members might be aware of the sportscotland consultation document "Time to Speak Up". The final review document will be launched at the end of March, and I hope that members of all parties will come to the launch. The document is not party political; it is about Scotland's sports strategy, and I hope that we will all be able to sign up to it.

On support for young athletes and their kit, which Tom McCabe has raised with me, the governing bodies are responsible for sending out representative teams that are properly prepared. The talented athletes programme includes some contributions towards kit. The junior groups funding can also provide some funding towards kit, but that would go through the governing bodies.

On start-up grants for trusts, I am happy to discuss that with sportscotland. Off the top of my head, I wonder whether some of them might qualify for awards from the Community Fund. I am taking a stab in saying that, but I am happy to look into the matter.

Irene McGugan made the point that people do not know about diets and supplements. The Scottish Institute of Sport at elite level provides a sports medicine department and advice on diet and appropriate exercise. That advice is also available through the six area institutes, so mechanisms and structures are in place to provide that sort of advice to young people.

There is not much more for me to say, because my seven minutes are up. I think that we are all agreed, irrespective of political difference, on the importance of physical activity and sport to the health of our nation and to the health and well-being of our upcoming generations. I am pleased that Tom McCabe secured the debate, and that we have had an opportunity to hear contributions from different sides of the chamber on how the issue can be furthered in future years.