Chamber
Plenary, 27 Nov 2003
27 Nov 2003 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Physical Activity: The Need for Improvement and the Cost of Failure
The Executive's acknowledgement of the serious levels of inactivity in Scotland and its support for walking are welcome, as is the call for national leadership for physical activity.
The chairman of the physical activity task force notes in the foreword to the report "let's make scotland more active" that we live in times when
"the people of our country would rather drive than walk and when parents are terrified to let their children play in the streets because they are full of cars."
It is appropriate to reflect on the fact that, 30 years ago, 80 per cent of young people walked or cycled to school and only 20 per cent took the bus or went by car. The situation is now completely reversed: 80 per cent of children arrive at school by bus or car and only 20 per cent arrive on their feet or on a bicycle.
We need a combination of an acceptance of personal responsibility and national and local leadership to break the lose-lose circle. That call is in line with my party's policy for widespread implementation of home zones to make residential streets primarily part of the living environment—to which Duncan McNeil referred—to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists and to recreate outdoor spaces for children to play in safety. Shona Robison referred to such spaces. We need regulations that require new housing developments to comply with a minimum standard on access to high-quality informal play spaces for children. If we create spaces, children will fill them up. Informal spaces for football and other games are sadly lacking and the existing spaces are being built over at a horrifying rate.
Only when people live a healthy lifestyle in a healthy environment will our health improve substantially. The report makes the observation that environmental policies are essential to help people to be active as part of their everyday lives and cites the example of the ring-fenced resources in the public transport fund that are used to support developments that will help people to walk and cycle.
We have made tremendous progress in tackling smoking, even though that has taken half a century and we still have a way to go. That fact gives a context to the task force's 20-year target on physical activity. As we speak, the level of activity is declining—I will mention an example later. It is ironic that obesity looks set to overtake smoking as a health hazard. The annual cost to the national health service of obesity and obesity-related illnesses has been estimated at £171 million. Think of the number of schools within walking distance of the communities that they serve that we could build with that kind of money. At present, the NHS is a sickness service, but we need a health service that works through health promotion.
The task force is to be commended for its broad view of physical activity. The fact that the report dispels the notion that organised sport has a monopoly on physical activity is particularly welcome, as is the stress that is placed on play.
David Davidson mentioned links with the education service. I am surprised that Peter Peacock is not in the chamber, given the links between education, sport and health. This afternoon, I have lodged a motion on outdoor education. Members, including Jamie McGrigor, have referred to walking and hillwalking and we heard on the radio this morning that the magazine Trail recommends the Lairig Ghru and other parts of Scotland as being safe to walk in, particularly when there is no snow. Outdoor education for every pupil in Scotland is essential, but, in the past decade, the amount that pupils do has declined or stayed still.
My motion addresses those concerns. There is no national programme of outdoor education in Scotland and we need an update of the guidelines on the health and safety of pupils who are on educational visits. Outdoor education programmes vary greatly from council to council—I suspect that some councils have hardly any programmes. Children do not have equal access to the opportunities and advantages that are provided by outdoor education and even within council areas schools lack uniformity in implementing outdoor education programmes.
Financial and socioeconomic factors and a lack of access to outdoor educational facilities serve as obstructions. For instance, the City of Edinburgh Council utilises only two outdoor education centres—Benmore and Lagganlia—excellent though they are, and only a few schools offer activities at those centres. There is no national teaching certificate in outdoor education and primary teachers have access to only one week of outdoor experience in their four year course—geography teachers get only a few days. Moreover, the number of biology students who go on outdoor environmental studies courses is declining.
I ask the Executive—the request is really to Peter Peacock rather than to the ministers who are present—to set up a working group to report before June 2004 on all those issues. We cannot discuss walking without talking about outdoor education and walking in Scotland's countryside. Of course, children, young people or even adults who go out into the countryside must learn about the risks. Outdoor education is about ensuring that people go out well informed and trained so that they can enjoy Scotland's countryside in absolute safety.
The chairman of the physical activity task force notes in the foreword to the report "let's make scotland more active" that we live in times when
"the people of our country would rather drive than walk and when parents are terrified to let their children play in the streets because they are full of cars."
It is appropriate to reflect on the fact that, 30 years ago, 80 per cent of young people walked or cycled to school and only 20 per cent took the bus or went by car. The situation is now completely reversed: 80 per cent of children arrive at school by bus or car and only 20 per cent arrive on their feet or on a bicycle.
We need a combination of an acceptance of personal responsibility and national and local leadership to break the lose-lose circle. That call is in line with my party's policy for widespread implementation of home zones to make residential streets primarily part of the living environment—to which Duncan McNeil referred—to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists and to recreate outdoor spaces for children to play in safety. Shona Robison referred to such spaces. We need regulations that require new housing developments to comply with a minimum standard on access to high-quality informal play spaces for children. If we create spaces, children will fill them up. Informal spaces for football and other games are sadly lacking and the existing spaces are being built over at a horrifying rate.
Only when people live a healthy lifestyle in a healthy environment will our health improve substantially. The report makes the observation that environmental policies are essential to help people to be active as part of their everyday lives and cites the example of the ring-fenced resources in the public transport fund that are used to support developments that will help people to walk and cycle.
We have made tremendous progress in tackling smoking, even though that has taken half a century and we still have a way to go. That fact gives a context to the task force's 20-year target on physical activity. As we speak, the level of activity is declining—I will mention an example later. It is ironic that obesity looks set to overtake smoking as a health hazard. The annual cost to the national health service of obesity and obesity-related illnesses has been estimated at £171 million. Think of the number of schools within walking distance of the communities that they serve that we could build with that kind of money. At present, the NHS is a sickness service, but we need a health service that works through health promotion.
The task force is to be commended for its broad view of physical activity. The fact that the report dispels the notion that organised sport has a monopoly on physical activity is particularly welcome, as is the stress that is placed on play.
David Davidson mentioned links with the education service. I am surprised that Peter Peacock is not in the chamber, given the links between education, sport and health. This afternoon, I have lodged a motion on outdoor education. Members, including Jamie McGrigor, have referred to walking and hillwalking and we heard on the radio this morning that the magazine Trail recommends the Lairig Ghru and other parts of Scotland as being safe to walk in, particularly when there is no snow. Outdoor education for every pupil in Scotland is essential, but, in the past decade, the amount that pupils do has declined or stayed still.
My motion addresses those concerns. There is no national programme of outdoor education in Scotland and we need an update of the guidelines on the health and safety of pupils who are on educational visits. Outdoor education programmes vary greatly from council to council—I suspect that some councils have hardly any programmes. Children do not have equal access to the opportunities and advantages that are provided by outdoor education and even within council areas schools lack uniformity in implementing outdoor education programmes.
Financial and socioeconomic factors and a lack of access to outdoor educational facilities serve as obstructions. For instance, the City of Edinburgh Council utilises only two outdoor education centres—Benmore and Lagganlia—excellent though they are, and only a few schools offer activities at those centres. There is no national teaching certificate in outdoor education and primary teachers have access to only one week of outdoor experience in their four year course—geography teachers get only a few days. Moreover, the number of biology students who go on outdoor environmental studies courses is declining.
I ask the Executive—the request is really to Peter Peacock rather than to the ministers who are present—to set up a working group to report before June 2004 on all those issues. We cannot discuss walking without talking about outdoor education and walking in Scotland's countryside. Of course, children, young people or even adults who go out into the countryside must learn about the risks. Outdoor education is about ensuring that people go out well informed and trained so that they can enjoy Scotland's countryside in absolute safety.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-661, in the name of Tom McCabe, on physical activity: the need for improvement and the cost of failure. T...
The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care (Mr Tom McCabe):
Lab
Inactivity in the Scottish population constitutes one of our most serious public health issues and one that we must tackle with urgency. Two thirds of the ad...
Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West):
*
What is happening with the review of physical education in schools? When is it likely to finish?
Mr McCabe:
Lab
Mr Canavan will appreciate that that is a matter for my colleagues in education, but I have no doubt that they are progressing the review with as much speed ...
Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP):
SNP
I share the minister's enthusiasm for land reform in relation to access. To ensure that progress continues to be made, will he tell us when the Scottish outd...
Mr McCabe:
Lab
In line with my previous answer, I say that the code will be made available without undue delay. Parliament has legislated, so it is important that such meas...
Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
The minister talks about bringing together people from the Executive's departments, but a few minutes ago he could not answer Dennis Canavan's questions beca...
Mr McCabe:
Lab
It is not a case of my not being able to reply to interventions from Mr Canavan or anyone else. The debate is serious and I ask Opposition politicians to tak...
Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab):
Lab
On what the minister said about the importance of research, are there any endeavours to examine community schools and new public-private partnership schools ...
Mr McCabe:
Lab
In all of our work, we want to examine what is going on in different parts of Scotland, be it in schools or communities. I will make some mention of the cont...
Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP):
SNP
I am probably in danger of incurring the wrath of the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care by saying this but, in response to his comments to David ...
Dr Jackson:
Lab
Does the member agree that PPP is a wide term and that there is great variation in access to schools? The later development at Balfron High School took on bo...
Shona Robison:
SNP
Many of the PPP projects that are alive and kicking in Scotland are as I have described. People are paying the price for them—that is the reality of the situ...
Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
In speaking to my amendment, I assure the minister that, as a health professional, I take the matter extremely seriously.Once again we have a glossy document...
Mr McCabe:
Lab
I appreciate everything that Mr Davidson says about sport and I do not want to undermine or devalue the important role that it plays, but I spoke earlier abo...
Mr Davidson:
Con
I accept that; I was going to go on to talk about that issue.One of the helpers at the match that I mentioned e-mailed me this afternoon to tell me about the...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
During the Parliament's first session, I used to criticise Executive motions for being rather feeble. Although I feel that motions have improved during this ...
Mr Davidson:
Con
Does the member agree that the problem relates to the lack of competitive sport in schools, where children can learn that sport is not war, play responsibly ...
Donald Gorrie:
LD
I agree. Sport in schools has a huge part to play and I will talk about that in a minute.The minister mentioned dance. The varied types of dance offer very g...
Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab):
Lab
I am sure that Donald Gorrie's announcement that he is his party's spokesperson for walks will send a shiver down the spine of certain organisations in the w...
Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
As a comparative youngster, I enjoyed Duncan McNeil's recalling of life in early 18th century Greenock. It was very interesting.It is ironic that I intervene...
Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green):
Green
Does the member agree that it is not just a matter of leisure facilities not being incorporated when communities are planned, and that there is also a lack o...
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
I agree with that sentiment. Building community, sports and leisure facilities should somehow be done automatically. It should not rely on planning gain buil...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
Although I welcome the initiative, I must ask how we have come to be in the dismal position where, although sport dominates our television screens and the ta...
Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab):
Lab
Sport 21 is the national strategy for sport. It is not the strategy of the Executive but the strategy of the sports community in Scotland.
Mr McGrigor:
Con
The strategy is being carried out after a very wide consultation in Scotland.Target 1 is that 80 per cent of primary school children should have at least hal...
Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab):
Lab
I am pleased to take part in a debate that acknowledges the issues that our nation faces, given that physical inactivity is a barrier to health improvement a...
Mr McGrigor:
Con
On that point, is Elaine Murray interested in trying to reach the targets?
Dr Murray:
Lab
Of course I am. I would hardly have chaired the group if I had not been interested in doing so.In 2001, the Council of Europe defined sport as"all forms of p...
John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD):
LD
There is a general acceptance that we need to improve the levels of physical activity in the population as a whole. Members have mentioned the statistics. It...