Chamber
Plenary, 30 Nov 2006
30 Nov 2006 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Swimming Pool Charges (Senior Citizens)
Education and Young People, Tourism, Culture and Sport
Does the minister agree that swimming, particularly by elderly people, should be encouraged by councils? Will the minister join me in deploring the 320 per cent increase in charges to senior citizens for access to swimming baths in North Lanarkshire? Charges have been increased from £14.50 a quarter to £15 a month. To defeat those increases—which were even worse than those that have been imposed by fuel suppliers—some senior citizens in North Lanarkshire have taken to using their free bus passes to go to South Lanarkshire, where access is cheaper. Why should we have a postcode lottery?
In the same item of business
1. John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP):
SSCUP
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to prevent local authorities from increasing swimming pool charges for senior citizens to an unafforda...
The Deputy Minister for Education and Young People (Robert Brown):
LD
It is for local authorities to determine the level of admission charges to their swimming pools.
John Swinburne:
SSCUP
Does the minister agree that swimming, particularly by elderly people, should be encouraged by councils? Will the minister join me in deploring the 320 per c...
Robert Brown:
LD
John Swinney's central point—
Members:
Swinburne.
Robert Brown:
LD
John Swinburne's point about the importance of swimming for older people is correct—I very much agree with him. Nevertheless, under our system, local authori...