 The next item of business is a member's business debate on motion 2.930, in the name of Fulton MacGregor, on what this way at Dunbeth park. I'm intrigued. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put with those members who wish to speak in the debate. Please press the request to speak buttons now. I call on Fulton MacGregor to open the debate seven minutes, please, Mr MacGregor. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'd like to, first of all, thank colleagues who supported this motion and those who have decided to stay and speak in the debate tonight. I know that Ruth Maguire will, for the SNP, mention other initiatives in her constituency area on the topic, Graham Simpson, for the Tories, who has taken the time out to come and speak to me about the debate. I'm also delighted to say that Elaine Smith, a fellow Cope Bridger, and quite fittingly has also decided to speak in the debate. I say quite fittingly because Dunbeth park is an area to the east of Cope bridge towards the border, and I grew up in an area on one side of the park, and Elaine is from an area on the other, so I think that that's actually very, very fitting. I think that those debates should be all about. I'm pleased to be able to bring this subject to the chamber today, especially on the 20th anniversary of Paths for All. For those who aren't familiar with the charity, I know that the minister will speak a wee bit more about it, but it is an organisation that is devoted to encouraging and promoting walking in all communities across Scotland. I would like to take the opportunity again to congratulate the staff and students at the Cope Bridge campus of New College Lanarkshire on the recent student association unveiling of their walk this way walking routes at Dunbeth park, as I said, within the constituency, and of course welcome them to the chamber today. I hope that the creation of those paths will encourage even more people in Cope Bridge and the wider community to enjoy the park. I've said already that this was my local park when I was growing up and I still use it regularly. To go round it normally is about just over a kilometre, so I thought I would use the mile routes that is put in by the students and it was more challenging doing it that way. Although the motion makes mention of Dunbeth park, it would be unfair for me not to mention other great places to walk in my constituency, mainly post Industrial Heartland. Some people from out with the area are often surprised to learn about the quite stunning walks, such as Dream Bell, your country park, known as the locks locally, or Gartclawshire Nature Reserve, or you could walk along the old muntland canal going through summer lee here at each park. I would encourage anyone listening to come and visit the area, and I'm sure that Elaine would back me up on that and do a wee tourist information. It's undeniable the positive impact walking can have on health, both physical and mental, and it's something that a lot of people, alone, are important to remember that not everyone can take part in as it's free and accessible for all ages. People can go walking themselves, with the dog or with their family, and walking as major health benefits and studies have shown that regular walking alone has been shown to the just risk of chronic illness, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers. A community group in my constituency who have taken all of this on board are Muirhead District and Seniors Forum. In addition to keeping local residents in the 55 plus age bracket up to date with community local authority and national information, the forum in July this year set up a walking group. Financial assistance was provided by Age Scotland, allowing the group to get started, and the group now averaged 15 of three train group leaders heading out along various routes twice a month at various levels of difficulties. The group leaders explore potential routes for suitability. I'm told that a cafe is an essential requirement as a main purpose of the group is to combat loneliness within the community. Another local group that I would like to mention in my constituency is the St Monica's Rambler. The club was formed 25 years ago and since then have dedicated themselves to organising walks every fortnight. Members are primarily from Coatbridge, but they come from across Lanarkshire with members of all ages. I've had some contact with the Ramblers this week and there's truly something for everyone with everything from scaling rows to more local walks in a really, really inclusive group. I'd agreed when I was speaking to the Ramblers group this week to maybe go a walk with them at some point this year, but looking on their website at some of the walks that they undertake I'd better get into training fast. If there's somebody else I don't mention when talking about walking, it won't go down well in the McGregor family home and I might even get de-invited for Christmas dinner because my dad and mum are avid walkers. My dad is a self-proclaimed ro-bagger. He has many under his belt and I can't recall how many he is, but I know he's down to the very sort of more difficult ones now, so I think he'll be quite pleased that I've mentioned him today. He's taken on some quite challenging summits, usually to my mum's horror as he'll say, and this is an easy one before they start off. I may try to follow on his footsteps, but so far I've only managed a handful of these walks. There's no doubt that as a society we have become much more reliant on cars in recent years. Even for short distances, like taking our children to primary school or going to the local shops. I believe that a year of walking, well-publicised, will encourage more people to walk these shop distances as well as raising awareness of how enjoyable walking one of Scotland's hills or Monroe's or any of the great walks that we have can be. I hope that this is an overall consensual debate and I hope that it is something that we can get behind. It's clear that organisations of that initiative, such as those that I have mentioned, will play a vital role in helping us to achieve this goal and get everyone who can out to enjoy walking. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Having mentioned your file, you're guaranteed trifle now. I now call Margaret Mitchell to be followed by Elaine Smith. Ms Mitchell, please. Presiding Officer, I welcome the opportunity to acknowledge and pay tribute to Pass For All for the excellent work that it has carried out over 20 years, which is indeed a real milestone. I also congratulate Fulton MacGregor for tabling this motion and, in doing so, highlighting the work of staff and students at the Coatbridge campus of New College Lanarkshire. The campus successfully merged into New College Lanarkshire in 2004, joining with the other main campuses of Cumbernauld, Motherwell and Kirkntillock. As such, as I learned on a visit earlier this year to the Coatbridge campus, New College Lanarkshire NCL, for short, now provides almost two-thirds of the further and higher education provision in Lanarkshire and delivers qualifications to almost 27,000 students. As the motion states, the Coatbridge campus, working in partnership with Pass For All, has unveiled the new Walk This Way walking routes in Dunbeth park in Coatbridge. Those newly designed walks in the park are graded and colour coded. For example, the blue route is nothing.5 miles in length, the yellow one increases to nothing.75 miles and then the yellow route walk increases to one mile. Clearly, people can start on a shorter route and then gradually increase the distance while enjoying different aspects of the park. The three walks within Dunbeth park are included under the generic name of co-root to reflect Coatbridge's coal mining history. In two of NCL's other campus areas, a steel route is to be located in Motherwell and an iron route in Cumbernauld. All three routes have been designed by creative art students under the Pass For All walking for fitness programme. Pass For All has reached its 20th anniversary as a testament to the impact that this charity is having on the everyday lives of people across Scotland, encouraging them to get out and get walking in the interests of fitness and health. It comes as no surprise that Rambler Scotland was one of the founding partners of the Pass For All partnership and has maintained a close relationship with the organisation over the last 20 years. Just to make quite clear the advantages of walking, those include not only physical and mental benefits but a free and accessible pursuit, which in turn helps to counter loneliness, especially when undertaken as part of a walking group. However, I want to concentrate on the remainder of my comments on Dunbeth Park itself. As a native of Coatbridge, from the Cliftonville area where the park is located, I fully appreciate just what a pivotal role it plays in providing leisure pursuits in the area. By way of background, the park dates back to the Victorian era and was gifted to the local community by the Baird family in 1887. At that time, the park, as we know it, was surrounded by fields and partial marshland. However, by 1940, the area that covers just over 11 hectares was surrounded by housing on three sides as a result of the industrialisation of Coatbridge. The park has five entrances, one of which provided a shortcut for me, as I walked home from Coatbridge High as a pupil. I thought that you want to know that, Presiding Officer, as with the rest of the chamber. Perhaps more importantly, today it includes bowling greens, all-weather football, pitches and three rugby pitches on offence children's playgrounds. In conclusion, there is absolutely no doubt that Dunbeth Park is a well-loved and well-utilised green space, which now has the welcome addition of the coal route to encourage people of all ages without financial costs to engage in a healthier lifestyle. Presiding Officer, I congratulate Fulton MacGregor on securing this debate on the importance of walking for health, which is an issue that I am sure we can all agree on. Dunbeth Park is a place that I am very fond of, as Fulton MacGregor pointed out. I lived nearby as a child in a tenement with an outside toilet. My husband and I then bought our first flat close to the park, happily with an inside toilet but no heating. I currently live in the area happily with both an inside toilet and some heating. I do appreciate the park having had a history with it. I am also a member of Dunbeth bowling club, which, as Margaret Mitchell pointed out, is based in the park. Sadly, what I do not do is walk in the park often enough. Having signed that motion, I intend to make a new year resolution to try to walk there at least once a week. It is a great idea to have walking targets in the park, and I congratulate the students from New College Lanarkshire, who have been working with Pass For All to provide that incentive to aid health, wellbeing and fitness. By making exercise part of our daily routine, we can increase learning capacity, metabolism and overall feelings of wellbeing, as well as helping with weight loss. Recent research has shown that built environment or urban landscape around schools and colleges can actively deter younger people from walking anywhere. That is worse in areas that have already suffered from deprivation. We also know that those who come from a poorer background are more likely to be in worse health, and that makes it vital to tackle the root causes of inequality in our communities. It also means that it is extremely important to properly maintain attractive public areas. Providing information on the best walking routes can help to change habits for the better and encourage walking, as well as other exercise. That is all the more important, because a recent report by NHS Scotland said that physical inactivity costs us around £94 million a year. Obesity was also in the news recently. The Scottish Parliaments Health and Sport Committee has been looking into the issue, and last week at the committee, the Minister for Public Health noted that it is a significant problem. Obviously, walking and other exercise will help to reduce weight, but with regard to fitness and health, I think that an obesity plan for Scotland must also look at the ways that people are exposed to sugar and fatty foods, the cost of health and nutritious food. I want to make a mention tonight in a debate about wellness and fitness for increasing breastfeeding. We know that young adults who are exclusively breastfed for three months or more are significantly leaner and have less body fat than those who are not breastfed, so increasing breastfeeding, along with other life habit changes such as encouraging walking and things like free nutritious school meals, can have a massive effect on the general health of young people and last throughout their lifetime. What I would suggest would not be helpful is a punitive approach, which is the opposite to what has been proposed at the park and the walking routes that we have been talking about. I note that the UK Government recently dropped controversial proposals to withdraw benefits from people who refuse treatment for obesity, but the fact that that was considered is deeply worrying. I think that we should concentrate on positive ways to help people and encourage them in their fitness and to lose weight. Having a year of walking as outlined in the motion is a way that we can positively encourage everyone, but particularly our children and young people, to concentrate on their health and fitness. That is a really good idea, and part of that approach should be encouraging all our schools to use their own outdoor space, as well as local parks, such as Dynbeth. I hope that, in the future, the initiative act in Dynbeth park will be extended to parks in Cumbernauld, in Motherwell 2, as was mentioned by Margaret Mitchell, and as planned by the local colleges—sorry, the college. Once again, I congratulate Fulton MacGregor for bringing forward this important debate this evening. I call Ruth Maguire to be followed by Graham Simpson. I congratulate my colleague Fulton MacGregor on securing this debate and by welcoming the highly deserved parliamentary recognition that it accords to paths for all on its 20th anniversary. As the time for new year's resolutions approaches, I am sure that many of us will be thinking about how we could be fitter and more healthy in 2017. That is an implicit recognition of the benefits to all of us of good physical and indeed mental health, given the positive impact of physical wellbeing on our mental wellbeing. It is for this reason that walking groups such as paths for all are so important. As we have heard from contributions across the chamber this evening, the charity does excellent work in encouraging walking and good health throughout Scotland. My constituency is no exception. The KAA Walk, which takes place across North Ayrshire, welcomes walkers of all ages and abilities and provides a supportive and welcoming environment for anyone who is keen to start walking. As well as allowing people to reap the benefits of being physically active, emphasis is also placed on the social aspect of group walking. Family and friends are encouraged to attend together and people have the opportunity to meet others from the local community. The Cunningham Ramblers are another group that does excellent work in my constituency. As the local branch of the UK-wide Ramblers Association, they organise weekly walks within Ayrshire at various levels of difficulty. As with the paths for all groups, the Ramblers are open and welcoming to all, and the focus is likewise as much on making new friends as it is on the health benefits of walking. I could not be more sure of the positive impact that good health and good relationships have on our wellbeing and happiness. A landmark study entitled The Origins of Happiness, published this week by a team of researchers at LSE, is the latest contribution to decades' worth of research, indicating that social and psychological factors are more important to the wellbeing of individuals than income levels. Indeed, as well as we know through—although average incomes have more than doubled over the last 50 years, we are by no means happier on average. Though issues of income inequality and poverty are of huge importance and must be tackled, it is becoming ever clearer that our happiness is ultimately rooted in our physical and mental wellbeing and that that in turn relies on regular exercise, healthy eating and positive, respectful and fulfilling relationships. In the wider picture of working towards wholesome and sustainable wellbeing and happiness and better physical and mental health, walking groups have a hugely important role to play. I welcome this debate in marking their role and look forward to supporting their work locally to me in the future and maybe even getting the chance to join them out in the fresh air in the lovely Ayrshire countryside. I congratulate Fulton MacGregor on bringing this debate. It is important because it gives us a chance to highlight local walking routes as Fulton MacGregor has done, but it also highlights the importance of walking in general and getting out and about. I have to confess that I am not familiar with the park that Fulton MacGregor mentions, but it has been an eye-opener to me as a new member for Central Scotland, just the wealth of countryside that North Lanarkshire offers. I am more familiar with South Lanarkshire, but North Lanarkshire has a great deal to offer. I was recently visited a couple of times Barrens Hall in Motherwell, which offers a great chance to walk for miles, and there are plenty of other places as well. Last week, I became the vice convener of the cycling, walking and buses cross-party group. Alison Johnstone, just behind Fulton MacGregor, is one of the conveners. We formed that group because it is really important to put this issue on the map. It is not just about walking, it is basically about getting out and about and becoming fit, because most of us do not get enough exercise. Certainly before coming here, I did use my bike quite a lot. I walked as much as I could, but I found that I had been getting far more exercise since I had been spending more time in Edinburgh. It is a very friendly city for walking and cycling. I first got into walking at school. I went to school in Carlisle, and we had a base in the Lake District in Little Langdale. We used to have school trips. I met one of my former teachers recently, my first former teacher at high school. She was recalling how she had an absolute nightmare of a trip to that school in Little Langdale. It was a first outdoor trip, and it was horrendous for her, but lovely for us pupils, even though it poured down. I have loved walking on the outdoors ever since. I tried to get my own children into walking without much success until they left home, and then they have suddenly become fitness freaks, which I am very glad about. If you look me up on Google, you will find that I am a keen hill walker, and somebody did, because just the other week they asked me to become the species champion of the Bilbury Bumblebee, which is apparently found on Scotland's Hills. I am very pleased to accept that accolade and promote the Bilbury Bumblebee. I have mentioned it twice. You do not need special facilities to walk. We all know that. It is one of the easiest forms of exercise. It beats the gym. As I have said, I am keen on cycling. Just a few weeks ago, I was very pleased to open with Humza Yousaf the missing link of National Cycle Route 74, which runs from Glasgow to Carlisle. We together opened the last bit of that, and that was a very proud moment. I want to at some point cycle that whole route. I have also cycled the route from Glasgow to Edinburgh. That annual event, I would invite MSPs to join me in doing that at some point. If Fulton MacGregor fancies bagging among Rowell 2, I will happily join him. I was just thinking of the things that you learned from this chair about inside toilets and bumblebees and hills. My goodness, there is no end to it. Alison Johnstone, please. I thank Fulton MacGregor for ensuring that we debate this important issue this evening and for giving us the opportunity to congratulate paths for all on a very important anniversary. The consequences of not moving give us all the proof that we need that the human body is designed to move. Our health depends on movement, yet in recent decades physical activity rates have dropped off markedly. Recent evidence to the health committee, Ian Finlay from paths for all, said that over the past 50 to 60 years, we have done extremely well in designing physical activity out of our lifestyles. He is quite right. The cost burden and the life limiting impacts of increasing incidences of non-communicable disease means that it is essential that we make movement a priority. I was introduced today to the concept of movement snacks. Don't have a biscuit, get up and have a few steps. We only get one body for life. We need to nourish it, not just feed it, and we have to move it too. There is a growing body of evidence that physical activity is a key component in a healthy life. When it comes to physical activity, walking has so much to commend it. It helps your pocket, it helps your punch if you have one, it helps your mind, it helps your heart. You do not need special gear, walking can actually save you money. Would you believe that two thirds of all journeys in Scotland, under three kilometres, are taken by car? That is a distance from here to the castle and back. For most people, that is perfectly walkable, so you can see how much potential we have to save money, to cut pollution, to get fit, to get happier. A two-mile walk has the potential to change how you feel about your day. While I live in Lothian, with its excellent bus service, it is fair to say that, on many occasions, I beat the 35 bus up the hill and beyond. That is largely because it is stuck in traffic, traffic consisting mostly of single-person cars, travelling less than two miles, causing gridlock, costing business billions, contributing to air pollution, which is responsible for the deaths of two and a half thousand Scots each year. The same number as those who die prematurely from lack of physical activity. Ian Finlay also told us in committee that that physical and activity is costing the NHS here £94 million per annum. We can do better. I would ask the minister in closing to address the issue of funding, because off the very large transport budget, currently only 1.9 per cent of that is spent on active travel. If we get more people walking these manageable distances, we cut air pollution, yes, but we also reduce incidences of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, falls, depression, dementia, joint and back pain and so much more. Walking is part of the solution. Walking has the potential to reduce loneliness and isolation. A recent meeting of the cross-party group on sport, Dave Caesar, the CMO's clinical adviser, told us that, on average, adults in Scotland are sitting for 5.4 hours each day in their leisure time. If we here in Parliament add that to the time group that is spent sitting in committee and in this chamber, that is quite a statistic. But if I invited you all to stand up here, we would not be abiding by standing orders, and the Presiding Officer might have something to say about that. But we can make walking meetings more routine. Culture change is required, but it will be worth it. As we heard from a learned professor at the past scroll lecture, yes, walking is good for you, very good for you, but if you walk in a green space, we have evidence now that tells us that that is even better. The Journal of Environmental Science and Technology confirms that green spaces have a sustained positive effect on mental wellbeing, and those accessing such space display fewer signs of depression and activity. I am closing, Presiding Officer. Scotland's chief medical officer tells us that doing something is better than doing nothing, that just 10 minutes at a time provides benefit and that it is never too late. Let us show our appreciation for the excellent work of paths for all by using those paths, by expanding those paths, by joining up those paths. Thank you very much, Ms Johnson. You have made me feel suitably guilty, and I have a new year resolution coming on. I feel it coming on. I now call on the minister, please, to close for the Government seven minutes, please. Please do not tell me that you do lots of exercise as well. I am sure that there are some porkies being told in here. I will start straight off. I thank Fulton MacGregor also for proposing that motion today, and for the outline of the interesting and beautiful walks across his part of Lanarkshire. I will also put on record that my part of Lanarkshire also has lots of good walks to take part in too. I am immensely grateful to everyone involved at Paths for All for their 20 years of dedication, hard work and support that they have provided to the people of Scotland. I am delighted to see and know that some of them are in the public gallery this evening to hear about how they have positively impacted on many of our communities and the transformative work that they do through the power of walking. Paths for All, as we know, was formed in 1996 as a partnership of organisations, including Scottish Enterprise, NHS Health Scotland, Visit Scotland and Sports Scotland, with the late broadcaster, Magnus Magnuson, who is much missed as their chair. That organisation has certainly grown over the past 20 years and now consists of 28 partnership organisations with interest in our health, environment, infrastructure and economy. They have worked with those partners with one unified purpose to utilise Scotland's countryside, our paths and our roads and our people to get everybody, regardless of their age, background or lifestyle, out walking. The four stands of their strategy, focusing on walking for health, active environments, active travel and communications and policy, indicate the scope and the impact that their agenda can have for our country. As the many testimonies provided here today indicate, they and the local organisations and dedicated volunteers that they work with have had a hugely positive impact on our communities. I have enjoyed hearing about the work at Dunbeth Park and the supportive role of Paths for All in that development, and hearing about the walks in Ayrshire from Ruth Maguire and others who have mentioned their local areas as well. Many members have discussed the benefits of walking for the health of our population. Medical evidence shows us that regular involvement in physical activity reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and dementia and a whole host of other conditions. Walking and being out in the open air has a number of other benefits too, getting us away from the TV screens and computers, getting us out into the open air and providing opportunities to socialise with family and friends. It also has the potential to increase our happiness as Ruth Maguire outlined, and physical activity is also good for our mental health wellbeing. I would like to go out and reset my appreciation of the seasons, which I think all too often when we are cooped up indoors that we miss. I will also take on board the points that were raised by Elaine Smith regarding obesity, and point to the fact that we will be coming forward next year with our obesity strategy consultation. I hope that she takes part in that and raises the issues that she mentioned around breastfeeding in her response. The Scottish Government's Active Scotland outcomes framework sets out our ambitions for a country where more people are more active, more often through a range of opportunities and incentives for involvement in sport and physical activity. We see walking as a key part of that vision. It is free, accessible and everybody can do it pretty much anywhere. I am pleased that Elaine Smith has resolved already to make use of the outdoor space on her doorstep. Paths for all is an active travel programme that provides financial support and training to enable enthusiastic volunteers around the country to set up walking groups and to touch on people from all walks of life. Some of the stories that I have heard about are truly inspiring and transformative. They absolutely show what happens when you proactively work with communities, build on their assets and empower people to take control of their lives. Health walks are just one example of the services that paths for all help deliver to our communities. They also support the development of a nationwide walking football network, providing an opportunity for people of all ages and fitness levels to be involved in the beautiful game. They promote walking for people affected by cancer through Macmillan and provide strength and balance training to allow staff and care homes to support patients in this area among a myriad of other activities. Of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention the step count challenge—a path for all biannual workplace walking challenge—a fantastic means of encouraging Scotland's workforce to incorporate walking into their day-to-day routines, a point that was touched upon by Alison Johnstone. This year's recently finished autumn challenge saw over 995 million steps being walked by a total of 716 teams. My work to persuade my ministerial colleagues to enter a team for next year's challenge is still on-going, but perhaps if Fulton, if Elaine, if Ruth, Margaret, Graham and yourself would like to set a good example by making the use of the space outside our Parliament, perhaps next year we can all sign up and show leadership across our parliamentary colleagues. I see your smile in the air, Presiding Officer. Perhaps there will be a nod towards the agreement as well. However, I will continue with my remarks. Paths for all are also helping the Scottish Government deliver its active travel vision that, by 2030, walking and cycling will be the most popular choice for short journeys. We have a record investment into active travel. I understand that there are challenges there, and those are points that Alison Johnstone will legitimately raise, but certainly we have a record of investing heavily in active travel, although we recognise the challenge to do more. Paths for all have also brought their dedication, expertise and skill and leadership working to bear with their support for the development and taking forward Scotland's national walking strategy and our wider ambitions for activating the entire Scottish population. The progress of the strategy is overseen by a national delivery forum, and Paths for all leadership has been crucial in driving forward the work of that forum. The proof has been there for us to see in recent years that the number of people walking for recreation in Scotland is on the increase. The 2015 Scottish householder survey shows that 69 per cent of adults in Scotland take part in walking for leisure, which is an increase of 5 per cent from the previous year's survey. In one year, we have seen a significant increase of around a quarter of a million people in Scotland walking for recreation. That does not happen by accident. It is through leadership and the role of Paths for all, and it is along with our focus as a Government on walking that has enabled that progress to be made. However, there are challenges ahead with more than a third of adults not currently meeting the recommended level of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. What for the next 20 years? I think that we would all like to see Paths for all continue on their journey that they have made so far—their innovative thinking, their collaborative work—and continuing to work in partnership with like-minded organisations to seize the opportunity that we have created by Paths for all, all's enthusiasm and focus in place to target those hard-to-reach areas of the population. I would like to conclude by adding my sincere thanks and appreciation to everybody at Paths for all and its staff, and the many volunteers and partner organisations who are out there working locally to make walking and activity possible across our community and across our country. I think that we would like to unify, across the parliamentary chamber, Paths for all a very happy 20th anniversary and raise a toast to the next 20 years, which I know will ensure that Scotland's population gets more active and reverses some of the health challenges that we have as a nation. Thank you very much, minister. That concludes the debate. Thank you, members, for an interesting debate. I now close this meeting.