 The next item of business is debate on motion 17034, in the name of Joe Fitzpatrick, on changing lives through sport and physical activity. May I ask those who wish to speak in the debate to press the request to speak buttons, and I call on Joe Fitzpatrick to speak to and move the motion for up to nine minutes, please, minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'm delighted to bring this debate to the chamber this afternoon. Presiding Officer, sport has the power to change lives, and we know that being physically active is one of the best things we can do for our physical and mental health. Recent global research shows that levels of physical activity are declining in most developed countries, with large-scale changes in patterns of work and leisure leading to less active lifestyles. In contrast with this global trend, everyone shows that in Scotland we're succeeding in maintaining rates of participation. We're also seeing a number of positive signs, including a significant rise in recreational walking. In my time in post, I've seen how people of all ages and all backgrounds can change their lives and feel a sense of empowerment supported by sporting organisations across Scotland, which provide them with the tools they need to achieve their own personal goals. Changing lives is about using sport and physical activity as an intentional tool to achieve increased participation and wider social outcomes. It can help to support wellbeing and resilience in communities, which is an important aim within the Active Scotland Outcomes framework. Evidence has shown that being active can bring about positive changes beyond participation. It can impact positively on the health and wellbeing of individuals, on their skills, on learning and on communities, ensuring a more inclusive and healthier nation. Emerging from the Sport for Change report that was published in 2017, the Robertson trust Scottish Government, Sport Scotland and the former Sport for Change Network, all changing life partners committed to embed a changing lives approach within Scotland's sporting system. That aim to use sport and physical activity for wider benefits such as health, education, communities and economy. Being physically active also has the potential to bring about positive and often interrelated changes. However, whilst participation in sport and physical activity can bring about positive change, it doesn't happen automatically for everyone. We need to have a clear intention to bring about change. That is most likely to happen when we have a clear focus on what change we are seeking to deliver, who we are experiencing that change and how we will know if it has happened. I am keen that we get buy-in and support for the changing lives approach across sporting and non-sporting organisations. We continue to build on the great work that is already happening across Scotland through partners and programmes such as cashback and projects supported in community sports hubs. Last year, I visited Fairfield community sports hub in Dundee. With funding from Sport Scotland targeted at hubs in areas of deprivation, they launched a sports employability programme. Running partnership with Dundee City Council adult learning, the programme targets unemployed men and women in the local community. It mixes desk-based learning and practical sports coaching qualifications, supporting participants back into work. The programme has also partnered up with the local prison to engage inmates on day release. Football and football clubs can also be a powerful force for good in communities. A range of programmes led by the Scottish FFAA and partners are delivering a wide range of outcomes. Football acts as a hook to attract people to participate in a range of activities. The pioneering and hugely successful football fans in training programme, directly funded by the Scottish Government, is a notable example. Football engages people who are not attracted by traditional interventions, and those are often the people who are most in need of help and who we must therefore reach. However, there are countless other programmes delivering outcomes in health, education, justice and right across the whole range of portfolios. We need to work together to gain a better understanding of the needs of the wider community and individuals that we are working with to help to identify target groups and develop appropriate services and activities for people. I want to see the barriers, real or perceived, to participation removed. It sounds obvious what benefits can only be achieved if people participate. We need to understand who are not participating in sport and physical activity and what the barriers might be that they are facing that stops them from participating. Alison Johnstone It is fair to say that one barrier to getting more people in particular to cycle and to walk is the lack of safe infrastructure. The Government currently spends a measly 3 per cent of a £2.4 billion transport budget on that specific infrastructure. Does the minister intend that we will do better in the future? Obviously, we are about to miss the 10 per cent of journeys by bike by 2020 target. I think that we need to work together across the system to make sure that we are removing barriers. The member will be aware of the significant increase in funding for that area. There are some fantastic projects that are in the early stages. I am really excited about a project that would effectively move more of the streets of Dundee over to cycling. Clearly, there is work to be done in order to take the majority of the population who currently do not cycle with us in that journey. However, if we want more of our road space to be safer space for cycling, we have to accept that there will be less road space, particularly in established streets for motor cars. There is a sacrifice there to be made. However, if we work together, we can take the whole community with us on that. That is one of the barriers that we need to work with. We need to work across the society, including local government and other partners. Barriers to participate in sport and physical activity can be complex and varied. They can include things such as a lack of confidence, a previous negative experience of sport or physical activity in the person's past. Considerating those barriers and how they might be stopping some of our community participating will help us to deliver services and activities that attract the widest range of people, including those traditionally least likely to participate. I want to see inclusive, accessible and stronger communities that seek to support the inactive to get active. The aim should be to provide everyone with the chance to get involved no matter their age or ability. I want to see more family sessions that see the whole family support each other to take part in sport and physical activity. Person-centred approaches such as youth work and community development approaches focus on the needs, skills and aspirations of individuals and communities. By building on sport development and person-centred approaches, we can create services and activities that meet the needs of the communities and our target groups. Our staff and volunteers across the country are one of our most valuable resources, so engaging people from a particular community that they are working in can provide reliable, knowledgeable role models. We need to ensure that everyone is well supported and committed to what they are trying to change, helping to develop a range of appropriate skills, including person-centred and sport development approaches. An example would be the Thrive, which is a toolkit for practitioners that brings together learning about what works to help inactive people to become active and promotes a small-step approach to supporting people on their active journeys and recognises that small things can make a big difference. That has led into the development of the Actify project, which I know that members will be aware of. However, the fact is that no one organisation has the ability to make changes in their community on their own, so finding like-minded organisations and groups in local communities and collaborating can make a bigger impact for everyone. We need to make sure that we are doing that across the society, working with organisations and sporting groups. That is why the changing lives programme is so important in supporting organisations to use sport and physical activity to achieve positive individual and community change. Sport Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Robertson Trust in spirit 2012, together with partners, are working to deliver a wide programme of support and funding that aims to support organisations to use sport and physical activity to intentionally achieve positive individual community change as a core element of the existing world-class sporting system. To support community-based sport and physical activity projects across Scotland, we have benefited from a £1 million fund as part of the changing lives through sport and physical activity programme, which was launched in April 2018, and that benefits some 17 projects nationally over the past while. I have got a number of examples that I wish I had time to cover, but I really do not. The programme and fund are aimed at projects that demonstrate a clear commitment to their key aims of sport for inclusion, sport for health and wellbeing, sport for skills and sport for communities. I think that it's very much like to see this capacity building to ensure that changing lives approach is sustainable and becomes embedded across our system. I'd like to see everyone recognising the power of using sport and physical activity to intentionally bring about positive change for individuals and communities across Scotland. I'm looking forward to hearing about the progress of the projects that have been funded and I wish everyone involved well in their endeavours. We should have had so much more time, but I move the motion in my name. Brian Whittle, to speak to and move amendment 17034.2 for six minutes, please. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I thank the Scottish Government for giving me the opportunity to speak on this topic. I wish, like the minister said, there were more time to do so. I'll start by moving the amendment in my name and also to let everybody know that we will be supporting both the Government motion and the Labour motion. I would also say that I could quite easily make this speech in Westminster, as it would be just as relevant. On Tuesday, I got to speaking to a representative of children first who wanted to tell me how he'd gotten into the park run habit and how he'd been joined by his sons, how his son had received the prize for the most personal best in the park run last year, and how his neighbour had joined them along with one of his sons' friends, who went on to get his T-shirt for completing 10 park runs, and it was the first thing that he had ever won. How to beat their time, they understood that they would have to go out running during the week. In that one story is everything that you need to know about the impact of sport and physical activity. We are talking about attainment, ambition and resilience, about confidence, inclusion and discipline all within our active family framework. Life lessons learn far away from the classroom yet important tools to achieve in the classroom and along the way a hugely positive impact on physical and mental health. If we want to tackle attainment, many of the tools that a student needs are better learned outside the classroom than in it. Eye tracking, co-ordination and balance are crucial to attainment in the classroom. I remember saying that in a debate on the step programme hosted by my colleague Liz Smith last year. I don't know how many of the decision makers in this place, on any other place for that matter, fully grasped that concept. I watched a programme on Tuesday night and in that programme Sebastian Coe said, Sport is not funded properly. We've strangled the life out of youth services in this country. Politicians still don't really get that. They don't understand what sport is doing at community level. I would go further than that. I think that the issues of poor health that are preventable, where sport and physical activity can play such a key role, include obesity, chest heart and stroke, COPD, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal and arthritis, poor mental health, preventable cancers and on and on. These are costing the Scottish economy around £30 billion a year and rising according to the Health and Sport Committee investigation. Physical activity is also a key element in rehabilitation. That suggests to me that the Scottish Government is prepared to pay for the consequences of physical inactivity rather than invest in enabling activity. Between the health and education budgets, the Scottish Government spends the best part of £18 billion and gets to allocate just over £40 million to sport. Sport is such a good sports policy. It's a good health policy. It's a good education policy. It's the best policy for social cohesion that I can think of. In that same programme last Tuesday, Daley Thompson said, Sport is not a complete answer or the only answer, but sport can change lives for the better. Sport is the most potent social worker in any community. I always think that the other Sebastian Cohen Daley Thompson was from such disparate backgrounds close friends brought together by sport. Sport has that capability to see past colour creed religion of social background and join people with a common passion and respect. In today's world, is that not something that we are striving for? When it comes to funding, I wonder what we're doing with the proceeds of sugar tax. How about keeping schools open during school holidays for activities? No health inequalities are exacerbated in school holidays and food bank usage spikes. Surely that would be a good use of those extra funds. Extra curricular sport is essential if we are going to give access to opportunity. I think that that speaks very much to the Labour amendment. Here we are sitting in this place and yet again, like many other forums, talking shops and conventions, having the same conversations over and over again with so many of the same outcomes remaining unchanged. Everybody in this debate from all parties, I am sure, agrees with the potential of sport to have a huge positive influence both in health and in education. I have to say that it is doubtful if many of the politicians or civil servants have the background or knowledge to fully appreciate the power of sport. I would love to bring somebody like Kelly Holmes in here, so there is an opportunity to hear from someone who's lived it, because sport has shaped who she is and through her organisation is now helping thousands of disenfranchised children to find their way back into society using sport as a medium. Sport has that potential to offer children an alternative path in life, not necessarily into a life of sport but using sport as an enabler to re-engage. We have to make sport accessible to all and make it easy to participate. I have a few suggestions to finish, if I may, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to see a PE specialist in every primary school. It's so obvious. We want to fully utilise the school estate, especially at the end of the school day, before pupils go home and recognise the importance of extracurricular activity. Don't wait for pupils to come to sport. Bring the sport to them. Use schools as a community hub outside of school time, including in school holidays where activity and a healthy meal continue to be part of all pupils' day. Connect up PE lessons that we watch and offer in the community to make sure that what is learned in PE can be applied on an on-going basis. Or if there is a desire for a certain activity, bring the national governing body in to help deliver on that passion. We need to look to the third sector, the clubs, the organisations that deliver against this agenda and look at how we recruit into the third sector. Dr Frank Dick wrote a really interesting paper on this and it's definitely worth a read. Finally, make sure that there's a pathway for young sportsmen who want to travel in a destination on that path that matches their ambition. Presiding Officer, I would like to say so much on this topic and, as you know, if I had a bit more time, I think that the Government's motion suggests their intent and I genuinely believe that that's the direction of travel they want to go in. However, the current system is a very long way from delivering what it can in this agenda and there is much more to be done if we are to truly recognise the importance of sport and realise its potential for the people of Scotland. Presiding Officer. I now call David Stewart to speak to and move amendment 17034.1 for five minutes. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Sport and physical activity, of course, is the ideal social prescribing tool, the key preventative spend for the health service, but also it's crucial for the economic productivity of our nation. Let me give you one example. Scientists at the University of Alberta observed 2,500 families. They found that two hours or more a day on devices such as smartphones were linked to high rates of behaviour problems in younger children. However, that was offset by participation in organised sport. The leader of the study, Duttall Mannheim, said, that it wasn't physical activity on its own that was proactive. The activity needed of a structure. The more time children spent doing organised sports, the less likely they were to exhibit behavioural problems. The key conclusion of the study was that plain organised sport appeared to be the strongest association with improved behaviour. The premise of the Scottish Government motion is correct. Presiding Officer, you won't hear me say that very often. Lives can be changed through sport and physical activity. It's a key part of a healthy lifestyle. Being active, as we've heard, improves the health of the heart, muscles, bones and immune system. Lesser known but equally importantly, physical activity can boost mental wellbeing and improves mood and sleep quality. That does not mean, Presiding Officer, that we all need to be award-winning athletes such as Brian Whittle, who I suspect is faster on one running shoe than I am on two. The key is that activity must be normalised by that, I mean, regular and measurable. 10,000 steps a daily mile, taking the stairs, not the lift. During my time on the corporate body, we were discussing member room allocation. One witt, who will remain nameless, suggested that the rooms on the highest floor, furthest from the lift, should be allocated to members most in need of physical activity. My football club, in Vanessa Cally's This On, I refer to my register of interests, offered exercise classes to fans over 50, including walking football, which is very successful. Last year, I watched a game during the Presiding Officer's tour at Charleston academy in Vanessa. One of the star players had early-onset dementia. However, I am concerned that poor levels of participation in sport are exacerbated by deprivation. Figures from the 2017 Scottish Health Survey revealed that, and I quote, "...adult physical activity rates were significantly associated with areas of deprivation. So physical activity was highest in the least deprived areas and was lowest in the most deprived areas." We all know from personal experience, I am sure, that taking part in sport comes with a price tag, clothing, equipment, club membership, class fees. Low-income households are far too often priced out of sports clubs, gyms and activities, even if they exist in the local community. Also, lower physical activity levels were also associated with age and sex. For example, only two-thirds of adults met the guidelines for physical activity, but lower levels of activity were associated with increased age, as you would expect, and being female. The other main strand of my name is about recovery and rehabilitation. We have heard that already from Brian Whittle. Physical activity is, of course, crucial for recovery from illness and injury, but it is also a key factor in maintaining the wellbeing of people living with long-term conditions. Again, the 2017 Scottish Household Survey showed that individuals living with long-term conditions are far less likely, as we would expect, to be physically active, just 40 per cent, compared to 89 per cent of people with no conditions. There are clear gaps in the provision of appropriate physical activity programmes and rehab support across Scotland's communities. Do not just take my word for it. I have called on the Scottish Government to support local healthcare providers to boost programmes for people with musculoskeletal conditions. The Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland estimated that 70,000 people in Scotland could benefit by family rehab, yet currently there is only capacity for 6,000. I mentioned to the minister, through you, in my health board in Highland, it has been estimated that 3,400 patients with COPD would benefit from this rehab. The current capacity is 307, and there is a shocking 9 per cent of the totals. So, school activities are vital for closing the participation gap. Scottish Labour established the Act of Schools Network in 2004, and we want to see an increase in level 3 of affordable sport. Brian Whittle mentioned the point about the soft drinks industrial levy, and in the wind-up perhaps the minister could refer to this. The UK Government promised a billion worth of funding for school sports if he's paying attention. Can the minister confirm in the closing remarks that the Scottish Government will commit to ring-fence the Barnett consequentials to fund free sports in schools? In closing, this has been an important debate and which I welcome. I move the amendment in my name. In conclusion, as John Ffcendi said, physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it's the basis of dynamic, creative, social and economic. Alison Johnstone, four minutes please. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'd like to draw members' attention to my register of interests. I welcome the debate on the positive effects of sport and physical activity on Scotland's population. I'd like to thank the many organisations who have provided briefings. I'll say at the outset that the Scottish Greens will support both the Government motion and the Labour and Conservative amendments. The economic benefits of physical activity are well publicised and there's compelling scientific evidence that regular physical activity is beneficial for both body and mind. I'm pleased that both the Conservative and the Labour amendments today address the issue of access on which I'd also like to focus. I welcome the Scottish Government's motion which recognises the many benefits that sport can bring to communities. I'm sure that we all recognise that sport has great variations in the ability to take part in sport and physical activity across the country. There is an explicit link between deprivation and physical inactivity. While I agree that it would be wonderful and it has to be our aim that everyone in Scotland can ride their bike to school or work, that they can join a local football team if that's their thing, or that they can simply go for a walk in the local park on a regular basis. It's still an oversimplification of a matter of choice. Sports facilities can be prohibitively expensive for families and that's if they're available at all. In my own region, Meadowbank is currently closed for long overdue refurbishment but in order for that work to be funded part of the site has had to be sold off. That's an unsustainable model. We can't fund future refurbishments by selling off land for housing. As much as that housing is needed, we have to sustain and maintain those facilities. We need to invest in leisure and sports facilities in Scotland. Otherwise, people will find it much more difficult to lead the healthy act of lifestyle that we want them to. We also need to ensure that infrastructure is in place to allow walking and cycling. A recent study into inequalities in active travel found that people living in the most deprived areas were more likely to undertake journeys on foot or by bike than those in the least deprived. Walking does really well as the minister will appreciate in terms of gender equality. 69 per cent of men and 71 per cent of women taking part in recreational walking. That bucks the usual trend. Greater investment in walking and cycling will really benefit those living in areas of deprivation and will help to reduce health inequalities. Greens have a long-standing policy as long as I can remember being a member of the party that active travel should get at least 10 per cent of the transport budget. That is backed by the Institute of Public Health Directors and many more. That would bring spending up to £25 a head. That would put us on a par with spending levels in the Netherlands. If anyone is interested in having a look, it is fair to say that they are not suffering from the obesity epidemic that we are seeing here. We need to build, as Brian Whittle said, activity into daily life. You do not always have the time to exercise getting tuned from work. That is really important. On the issue of access to local quality green space, we know that that improves your physical and mental health. Parks and green spaces are estimated to save the NHS £111 million a year. That is based solely on a reduction in visits to the GP. Greenspace Scotland tells us that 90 per cent of urban Scots say that green space is important to them, but one in four Scots say that green space has declined in the last five years. Public parks and sports areas account for just 4 per cent and 9 per cent of green space respectively. Asterity continues to impact on public sector spending. Council expenditure on parks and green spaces has continued to decline. We have to make sure that we see leadership from this Parliament. We have to ensure that people have access to facilities and spaces where they can run, walk and play. The Government previously produced a report on the amount of green space that had been lost, on the amount of playing fields that had been lost in any year. I would be grateful if the minister could have a look into whether or not that information is available because I am finding it hard to get hold of. In really closing, I will say thank you to the chamber. Thank you. Tavish Scott. That will be another four-minute contribution. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Sport inspires. Tomorrow night, my nine-year-old son has the great dilemma of whether to wear his Sadio Mane shirt or his Morsala shirt when I take him down to Anfield with his older brother to watch the title run-in. Brian Whittle is white. I am going to take up Brian Whittle's challenge. We have these debates from time to time and we talk around these issues. I think that I have heard Brian Whittle make the kind of positive contribution he may have after sports minister that Joe Fitzpatrick rightly did today and talked about many things that we all agree with. However, it is making things happen in this area that really matters. On that principle, I got together some people to try to build what Paul Lorry and Stephen Gallagher's golf foundations are doing, one in the north-east where Paul Lorry is resident and Stephen Gallagher in West Lothian. What we are hoping to do when we had a very useful meeting with the Deputy First Minister is to take that programme around Scotland to make sure that it is available to all. We met the Deputy First Minister because of the very point that the Sports Minister made in his speech. It is not just about sport, it is about participation. It is about people from every background. It is, for example, involving children with disabilities and golf too. It is a programme that is all about the broadest possible advantages that sport can bring that contributions in this debate so far have already rightly mentioned. It is the kind of initiative that I hope will be particularly important for the future of golf, which, as we are the home of golf in Scotland, we need to constantly stress and constantly work on. However, it is so much more than that because of the advantages that it brings to young people's self-esteem for their ability to take up a new game that they have not tried before and if they like it, stay with it and then to move that experience and take that experience through life. It is, after all, one of the sports that is easy to play all life. I know Brian Whittle's golf game. It is possible to play might be a better way of putting it. The other point that I wanted to make was on Alison Johnson's point about infrastructure or facilities. In Shetland, we built a 6040 indoor 4G facility some years back linked to the New Anson High School in Lerwick and it provides state-of-the-art facilities. The best bit about it is mums and dads can take their wee ones to, for example, football training or rugby training and it's inside. In Shetland's climate it's not always, as you see it on the telly when you're watching Shetland drama programmes. It does occasionally rain and it occasionally blows a blink in huli as well. The advantage to junior coaching particularly from those facilities is absolutely phenomenal and is already paying off. I take Alison Johnson's point and I suspect others as well that that kind of facility needs to be much more widely available right around Scotland, certainly in the far-flung parts of the country. A couple of points to finish with if I may, Deputy Presiding Officer. This weekend or sorry, shortly the Shetland women's netball team will play in the final of the Evelyn Beattie Quake. Last weekend they beat the Glasgow South Salta sorry, Joanne Lamont, maybe in your patch but they're into the final of that great achievement for the Shetland women's netball team. The Shetland women's hockey team play Orkney, glad Liam McArthur isn't here. They play Orkney this weekend in the semi-final of the Scottish District Cup and I hope we win. Since I'm on women and participation in sport the Shetland women's rugby team has had a phenomenally successful year and that sport is growing and developing in my part of the world as it is indeed in fairness across the country. Sport can inspire on that, I absolutely agree with all contributions. Can I say that the opening speakers have used up most of the extra time so strict four-minute speeches please? Sandra White, followed by Miles Briggs. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Some very, very interesting speeches and I think I agree with everything that was said. I'm not going to speak about the various clubs etc in my constituency which I normally do but I came across a very, very interesting project and it's actually a programme which has been launched by the Scottish Government so it's a significant programme so I thought I would bring it to you and put my hat on as a convener of the older people age and ageing cross-party group and my focus will be on this significant programme which has been carried out by the Care Inspectorate 2016, the Care Inspectorate was commissioned by the Scottish Government to deliver care about physical activity we call it CAPA for short it's an improvement programme aimed to improve the health and wellbeing of life of older people which are experiencing care across Scotland in home and also in care homes and it's been hailed a complete success with the independent research results from that it empowers care staff with confidence, knowledge and skills to promote and enable opportunities for movement for older people experiencing care it was delivered across areas in Scotland involved up to 140 care services including care homes, re-enabling services day care, sheltered housing and care at home services and the independent research which I've already mentioned commissioned by the Care Inspectorate found that older people involved in the programme basically improved their hand grip strength their leg strength, increased their flexibility which improved mobility in levels of independence and significantly reduced their likelihood of falls as a result of moving more and moving about more the programme supported people to feel happier satisfied, more satisfied with their lives, more worthwhile and felt less anxious after being involved in the CAPA programme and the experience in people, experience in care reported improvements in their quality of life including they felt a sense of purpose more socially connected which is part of the motion in the Government's motion a greater sense of wellbeing more confident and a result of moving about each day of the CAPA programme which I found really interesting and I wanted to highlight it to you it's an intergenerational project it's a winning project actually won an award of the most inspiring innovative project at the 2018 Scottish Government and Healthcare Improvement Scotland quality awards in that respect and really it's about bringing in nursery school kids along, you've seen it on the TV but this is actually throughout Scotland and it's actually happening here and basically they bring local residents and kids from nursery schools together and together that means that people are more active in fact a pilot project was set up with a group of residents parents, staff from care homes and nursery together to really discuss what they wanted to get out of the project and ideas about what changes they could make to sessions to benefit both generations so basically you'll say well what were the benefits well the obvious benefit in terms of social interaction between the older and younger participants however the children apart from just doing their one mile to the care home that's great for them but they actually started to walk more and walk quicker as well and improve their healthiness and their fitness and that was in nursery school kids the residents activity levels were also measured in each session and it showed much more physical ability much more wellbeing as I said before so basically happiness and confidence all went hand in hand with these two projects together now it's present across Scotland as I said and also across Glasgow as well on a weekly basis but it's quite sporadic some in my area and some not in other areas as well and the project model really does benefit everybody who's involved in it so in closing I certainly advocate into generational work but I would like to see it more across more of Scotland and I just wonder if the minister is summing up or whatever it may be if there are any more plans to push this project further out in the country Thank you very much, Presiding Officer Miles Briggs, followed by George Adam Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer I'm pleased to take part in today's debate on changing lives through sport and physical activity Sport and physical activity can undoubtedly go a long way in improving the health and wellbeing of individuals as well as having wider benefits to society As Brian Whittle outlined is encouraging more people to participate in sport and physical activity and nowhere is this a bigger challenge than in deprived communities Sport and physical activity can provide significant benefits for everyone but it's our young people who can benefit the most from sport and physical exercise with health benefits in later life I'd like to start by welcoming some of the good work the Scottish Government has taken forward including the work around community sports hubs Health and Sport Committee have had the chance to visit myself visiting the one in Averymore I was hugely impressed by that work I'd like to recognise the work of my fellow St Johnston's fan Aileen Campbell when she was sports minister and working to take this work forward Alison Johnston and Tavish Scott have both highlighted important points to this debate that we need to make things happen I'm therefore very concerned about the cuts to sport and leisure budgets across councils across our country In Edinburgh, for example the Edinburgh City Council has seen an 8.6% cut which the councils decided to make to the sport and leisure budgets one of the largest cuts of any budget in the council The city council has a strong opposition to reducing funding which has themselves looked towards aiming to take forward the healthier lifestyle programme which the capital has said is part of its priorities Those cuts mean that the cost of accessing services will go up and increase and go against the actual strategy that the councils put forward Last summer, the city of Edinburgh council proposed sport clubs in the city would pay £35 an hour to use school sports halls a proposal that I raised during the last sports debate with the cabinet secretary which was going to directly hit junior sports clubs across the capital I'm pleased that the proposals were put on hold following public outcry But since then, Edinburgh city council has stated that they are now planning to still raise fees for clubs using sports facilities putting up barriers to local sports clubs at the very time when we should be trying to take these down I think that's at the heart of what Tavish Scott was really raising We can have this debate and we can talk about progress but actually councils are aware often that progress is being unpicked or actually where barriers are putting up to some of the potential solutions that we all want to see I've really not got time I've only got four minutes There are many charities across Lothian doing exceptional work in trying to change people's lives through sport One of the charities that I've been working with is the School of Hard Knocks that uses sport to build people's confidence and develop skills for getting into employment I recently attended their awards event hosted at Spartans community football club here in the capital In the last year, the charities worked with over 8 per cent finding employment 8 per cent now volunteering and 18 per cent moving into further education or training Of the adults completing the School of Hard Knocks 95 per cent have improved self-confidence, motivation, hopefulness and ability to face the challenges of getting back into the workplace After talking with participants in the programme from the School of Hard Knocks at this event, it was clear and from their first-hand experience that graduates felt that the transformational effect that sport had offered to their lives Improving the health and wellbeing of everyone in Scotland is something that every member of this chamber is united in and believing that we can all help to achieve There's a lot of positive stories and benefits that sport and physical activity can bring However, we need to focus our efforts on improving participation rates across Scotland and how that's delivered in our councils I'm very much engaged with this and I know across the chamber we all want to see this happen I'm sure that the barriers that councils are putting up, the Government are wise to I support the amendment in my colleagues Brian Whittle's name George Adam, followed by Johann Lamont Thank you, Presiding Officer I know that we always welcome a debate in the chamber It becomes a bit of a cliché at the start of all of our speeches For me, I wholeheartedly believe in what we're trying to achieve with this debate because it's not just about the medals you win or the trophies or how high you can jump or how far you can jump It's not about how fast you can run or how hard you can kick or hit any size or shape of ball This is about changing people's lives for the better and using sport as a key element of that The timing of this debate could not be better for me as it comes in the middle of MS Awareness Week I'm not one for taking advantage of an opportunity I would like to talk to you about a project that had joint funding by the MS Society Scotland and the Scottish Government The Active Together Scotland project was a multi-layered programme that aimed to support those with MS and affected by MS to continue to stay active This obviously needs to be extremely focused as one of the few symptoms that those with MS have is chronic fatigue The project was co-designed and developed by people with MS and ran between August 2017 and November 2018 The findings from the project were interesting The MS Society found that as people's confidence and attitudes to physical activity and exercise grew there was a movement to which they interacted with and found most useful within the programmes on offer This was obviously empowering those with MS involved in the programme as well They also found that people with MS want to take part in activities that are MS friendly and suitable for their condition but at the same time they felt less comfortable being in an MS-only environment which isolated them from people of other abilities and conditions People with MS basically want to be seen as an equal part of our community Sport and activity in fitness is a way for them to do that Some of the quotes that came from some of the people, the 200 plus people that participated in the programme It was very emotional getting on a horse again and my daughters were so proud that I did it That was from a woman that was a horse riding participant in the programme I have found my forever sport as regardless of what happens to me through my MS I can continue to curl someone that was involved in that sport that everybody knows was as origins are in Paisley It is one of those things when you look at how this programme the Scottish Government and the MS Society working together they are now moving on to continue their activities I also have a vision for sport and activity in the community I may have mentioned this before but I am a supporter of Sipmurn FC We went so far to push this programme forward that we could actually we bought the club as a community and my vision is similar to what Miles Briggs said about Spartans was our vision is to build a football club that is fantastic in the community programme and make it better similar in Fergusley park right in the heart of Paisley effectively always mentioned in this place when you talk about deprivation so my idea would be that and it will work to this programme through is how can we make a sports development education to help people with access to work to make sure that they get these opportunities to actually use sport as a way to gain confidence to move forward in the world and that for me is the most important thing because as we go through this debate and we talk about if someone wins a medal and they come from Paisley I will take that for any young person but it's not all about that Sport isn't all about winning it's about changing people's lives and what they can be in the future Joanne Lamont, followed by Jenny Gorruth Thank you very much I usually start off by saying I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate and I don't want to come across as a curmudgeon but I have to say I have enjoyed the debate far more than I expected to and I thought that there are very substantial and interesting contributions thus far but I do want to just say that the Scottish Government needs to think about how it's allocating its time I think there is an issue about thinking about safe debates which in fact as we've shown not that safe at all but I think we need to be careful that we're not simply rehearsing these arguments over and over and I would make a plea to the minister to think with his government about how government time is being used so that it can really challenge and make a difference I'm not casting any aspersions on the commitment of the minister to this issue I have no objection or disagreement on the self-evident truth of the substance of the motion or of those who have made a very serious contribution in their speeches and for the absence of a doubt I absolutely agree that physical activity is good for people's health and for our communities Indeed as a young woman who was not particularly involved in sports the development in the 80s of running for fun and the fun run movement actually got me out of the period of trainers running to a point where I at one point managed to finish a marathon so I know that that kind of unusual sport not just formal sport is really really important in people's lives and also of course in a city where a Labour council actively decided that in order to address the economic challenges and the health challenges of that city they were going to do massive things around culture and around sport to the extent that we hosted the Commonwealth Games and we are now one of the most popular venues in the world for sport is testimony to what sport can do and despite some evidence to the contrary I am all in favour of building consensus but I think the real challenge in building consensus is not just on what not even just on why but also on how and I think too often the issues of how we then take our aspiration forward are left behind we have debates where we settle for lines to take in the party divisions rather than then connecting that to real changes in our policy thinking I have made this plea on innumerable times round education Jo FitzPatrick for taking intervention the member asks about the how and one of the hows is the changing lives fund that I managed to talk a little bit about and one of the organisations that have been funded from that that I didn't manage to mention earlier is active stilling and signpost recovery that I visited last week and they are really inspiring to hear directly from service users about their lived experience of substance use and the vital part that sport and physical activity is playing as part of their recovery and that's just one of the examples of the how we're managing to use sport and physical activity to really change lives and we're doing it now I'll give you two four and a half minutes Joanne Lamont Thank you very much I want to make the point about we have asked for an education debate on substantial issues and I think in general terms the Government should look at that point but on the issue raised by the minister he is right, there are lots of good things happening there are lots of brilliant ideas in here I don't think they are being transmorative enough because we are not challenging some of the fundamental decisions that Government are making that are shaping our capacity to do that so it's not just aspiration it's not just policy it's the budget decisions this Government is making which are having direct consequences on the capacity for local authorities and local communities to deliver our change our aspire changes I would make fundamental this point local government cuts are having consequences in terms of our capacity to deliver at a local level we know that community football for example does far more than just teach young people about football but they do that without one coin of support from anybody in the system and I think we need to look at that I was a swim mum and spent too many mornings in my life going to a swimming pool at 5 in the morning it would have been impossible if my husband was not able to share that and we didn't have a car so we know that inequality is burnt in to some of the issues around sport and I think again we need to hear how they connect their aspiration which is absolutely right to the budget choices that are making those aspirations far more difficult on that I just would ask the minister in his summing up to address that question about where the budget choices match up with the policy aspiration that we can all sign up for Jenny Gilruth followed by Peter Chapman Thank you Sports and physical activity have the power to change lives we know that if you eat well and exercise you're more likely to live longer you're less likely to get ill you're more likely to be happy Sport has a propensity to do that and even mild physical activity like walking has a power to make everyone including cynical MSPs feel better about themselves too often however access to sport is predicated on the ability to pay gym membership, swimming lessons or even buying a bike for example in the dim and now seemingly distant past health inequalities in modern studies this is around the time of the infamous sick fat man of Europe rather headline and I recall in a classroom not too far away from where we are now being confidently told by a senior class one day that if poor people couldn't afford gym membership then they could simply go for a run we then got into a really good debate about why that might not be possible about environments and about their impact on life expectancy for example and later that year I arranged for the then chief medical officer Sir Harry Burns to come and speak to the class about health inequalities and I will always remember his presentation about the importance of relationships in formative years, access to green space and of course regular exercise things many of my pupils growing up in leafy barnton often took for granted in the Kingdom of Fife our sports and leisure trust is required by Fife council to widen the level of participation in sports and active recreation to develop opportunities and pathways for people to take up and fulfil their potential in sports and to provide good quality adequately resourced facilities and services which meet the needs and aspirations of Fifeers and visitors to the area and since it's launched in 2008 the trust has seen a two thirds increase in male membership in gyms and a 90% increase in children aged 5 to 17 and an 84% increase in adults aged 18 to 64 and Fife sports and leisure trust is actually helping to contribute to an estimated £2.7 million in savings to health services in Fife indeed the Scottish health survey published in 2016 showed that 63% of adults and 73% of children in Scotland met the guidelines for moderate or vigorous physical activity in the previous year Scottish Government research shows that a lack of physical activity contributes to nearly 2,500 deaths in Scotland and costs the NHS around £91 million a year preventative spent and investment in sport and activity for all is therefore vital Last week I visited rainbow nursery England and Rottis as part of their Easter Welly Walk It was a real privilege to walk with the toddlers along Boblin Glenway and to roll eggs at Warwick stadium although small these children were certainly determined with their egg rolling and I was very careful to dart out of the road to avoid being torpedoed by a stray boiled egg Rainbow nursery are a great example of an ALC setting which embeds outdoor learning in all that they do walking was just another part of Wednesday's learning and we know that if children are taught about the importance of sport and exercise they are much more likely to contribute and to take part throughout their adult lives In 2017 the Parliament's Health and Sport Committee of which I'm a former member published results of our inquiry into sport for all and I always remember being taken by the evidence we heard from the Robertson Trust about access to the school estate and they told us about the cost of accessing the school estate which are often too high we have had conversations with organisations seeking to take on or to build their own facility due to the fact that they are not able to access facilities in their local community at a time or a price that is suitable for them Now I appreciate that site with the minister's portfolio today but I would be grateful if he could perhaps consider reflecting upon the use of the school estate within the parameters of closing the poverty related attainment gap and the obvious opportunities which should present from opening up our schools for community use Presiding Officer, this afternoon's motion is focused on sport and physical activity to change lives and to promote social cohesion Our schools are well placed to advance the agenda and many already do so Early years learning settings and bed outdoor learning using physical activity every day but we should all resolve to think more critically about the ways in which we can make sport more accessible to our constituents in an area which often excludes the poorest from society Thank you Peter Chapman followed by Gillian Martin Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer Just before the Easter recess I took part in a debate led by my colleague Brian Whittle about the importance of a healthy diet to tackle Scotland's growing problems with obesity In our debate we discussed how important it is to teach our kids the value of good nutrient rich food It is clear that in addition we must also teach our kids the necessity to live an active lifestyle A healthy diet and an active lifestyle go hand in hand Only two thirds of Scottish adults meet guidelines for physical activity in 2017 Two thirds of adults in Scotland are overweight including 29 per cent who are obese Leaving Scotland with the worst obesity records among the OECD countries Cancer research statistics showed that the obesity crisis in Scotland has led to an estimated 4,800 cases of bowel cancer in the last decade This is a national crisis There is no easy fix but if we can help to ensure measures are put in place to reduce health inequality by giving more opportunities for our schools to provide the best physical activity and provide healthy meals that would be a good start for our children Last year the Scottish Conservatives set out our strategy to improve both nutrition activity and to reduce health inequalities in Scotland This strategy focused on the link between nutrition, activity and education Only 33 per cent of children aged 5 to 15 were active at the recommended level of at least 60 minutes and every day of the week Those figures declined massively as children got older from 45 per cent of children aged 5 to 7 to only 18 per cent of those aged 13 to 15 Something is going seriously wrong here School is a place where many children get their first experience of sport and we must use that opportunity to take sport and physical activity to the children in our schools rather than hope for them to seek it outside of school Joe FitzPatrick I thank the member for taking the intervention because he does let me make the point about the active schools programme which I think has had support across the chamber it's been in place for a number of years and it's a programme which I think is to be commended Over 309,000 young people engaged in 2018 in terms of economic deprivation and the access and participation in that scheme goes right across Scotland and across communities Peter Chapman I thank the minister for that intervention and I agree entirely with him but the point is that I believe that many more hubs for out-of-school activities should be established to ensure that social inclusion is available for all coupled with the opportunity to participate in an activity of choice so we need to do more and if schools open their facilities to more out-of-our clubs, there will be more opportunities for local teams and clubs to grow and more youngsters would get the chance to enjoy sport The long term strategic nature of these recommendations would not only have a positive effect on reducing physical health inequalities and improving sport participation but it would also help in the prevention of mental health issues Mental health organisation SAMHUH states that the main principles for good mental health are inclusivity, namely opportunities to participate in social activity consistent mental activity and consistent physical activity and James Joplin, Samaritan's executive director for Scotland says physical activity can provide mental health and wellbeing benefits of itself but can also provide an environment for individuals to connect with other people and provide an antidote to feelings of social isolation and loneliness Attainment studies show that pupils who have an active lifestyle outside of school show significant improvements in attention behaviour and academic achievement so as closing the attainment gap is a priority for every political party and given consistent evidence that shows having an active lifestyle can be a solution it is vital that a sport and active lifestyle strategy should be front and centre of any plan to tackle the attainment gap and health and equality Thank you The last of the open debate contributions is from Gillian Martin Thank you, Presiding Officer I want to talk about cycling which will come as no surprise to people who know me The health benefits of cycling are clear and it is a form of exercise that can be for recreational use as well as endurance but also to aid at your daily life It is also an everyday way of protecting the environment in bikes for zero emissions before that phrase was invented Cycling can help to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke while also boosting your mood and keeping your weight under control It is low impact and it is very good for your core muscles and when you can do it safely it is also great fun but I would also like to associate myself with the fact that cycling is made around cycling safety and the need for better, safer infrastructure In GPs around Scotland they are beginning to prescribe activities such as walking and cycling to help to treat illnesses including diabetes and heart disease It is long win the case that exercise has been prescribed to patients suffering from depression and I can recommend cycling as an ideal activity in that regard Cycling hubs given people access to bikes who cannot afford to buy a bike Cycling hubs all over the country I believe that everyone should have the right to a bike and cost can be a barrier to the sustainable and cheap-to-run form of transport as well as a great source of exercise I also think that we should have a right to cycle a bike without fear of getting killed Road deaths Road deaths are down in Scotland from 2018 figures Deaths of road cyclists are up by 16% which I think is a sobering statistic However, in the north-east of Scotland there are positive things The University of Aberdeen has benefitted from investment in electric bikes The e-bike grant fund from the Scottish Government awarded the institution £15,000 for 12 e-bikes last year The grants focus on providing support to community organisations local authorities, public sector agencies colleges and universities through direct grants It helps to ensure that people across Scotland can access the benefits of this new exciting way of cycling It's one of the great examples of the investment in cycling and active travel that the Scottish Government is doing As Dave Stewart said in his contribution that there's also an economic benefit of the preventative spend in investment into things like cycling In my Aberdeenshire east constituency there are many brilliant routes to get out and about walking cycle for leisure like for Martin Buckingway However, cycling infrastructure for those wishing to commute between towns in Aberdeenshire or into Aberdeen city itself I believe is not fit for purpose and I say that from personal experience Real investment needs to be made to encourage people into swapping cars for bikes for their daily commute or simply going about their daily lives All the same, recreational cycling can also be a good way to socialise meet new people I think that it's always been mentioned that you can combat social isolation and loneliness There are a number of groups in my constituency I've got the Buckingdurlers cycling club based in Mintlaw The Bells on Bikes Network of Women's Cycling Group is a Scotland-wide organisation They've also got a group in Aberdeenshire with a friendly, inclusive and relaxed environment for women to take up cycling In January, I celebrated a milestone birthday and received a brand new Dutch road bike from my family Yesterday, Jenny Regal Ruth suggested that I just talked for four minutes I think that she was making a criticism of the fact that I'm always banging on about it I do want to use my passion for cycling to be a vehicle to urge the Government once again to look at real transformational infrastructure investment in cycling to put Scotland in a power to be in neighbours like Denmark and the Netherlands Cycling should not be something people just talk about as a hobby like I've just done With good comprehensive cycling infrastructure the citizens of Scotland should be a cycling nation cycling every day with all the health and environmental benefits that that brings Move to the closing speech It's David Stewart, four minutes please Thank you, Presiding Officer This has been an excellent debate and in my 12 years in this place it's the first time I can safely say that I've agreed with every word of every speaker in the debate Perhaps, Presiding Officer, I'm getting a bit mellow in my old age First of all, Brian Whittle spoke extremely well with his background in sport that sport gives life lessons far from the classroom talked about how sport is not funded adequately but has a very preventative role Of course, I agree with the point you said which is that good sport policy is good education policy about that good sport is the most potent social work in any community is a very relevant one I support them in that I also agreed with Alison Johnstone about sport is good for body and mind but access is key and she gave a very good example of medabank and I didn't realise the issue about the land and refurb that's a very good example of the importance of access but the infrastructure for walking and cycling is crucial is that active travel should be 10% of the transport budget and that would be a huge investment but I think certainly one that the chamber will look with great interest in future budget and negotiation Tavish Scott I think made a very relevant point about sport inspiring and that we should make it happen and I wasn't aware of the initiative he was projecting about the golf tour round Scotland I wish him well in that and I'll look forward to reading a lot about the future Sandra White who's still here talked about best practice examples from our constituency about how that aids wellbeing but I think she made a very important point about the intel generation programme that we need to develop in any other Scottish Government developments Joanne Lamont made a very wide point which was very correct about how Government spends its time in this place and the other debates we look at we of course should focus on physical activity but I think she made a very good point about the important role that Glasgow City carried out in its work for example attracting the Commonwealth Games but equally importantly the very important legacy aspect of that so we have the Commonwealth Games but it's not just a one-off it's about the infrastructure we build for the long term so in somebody in Australia we've been by being under time this has been as I said an excellent debate I apologise for those that I haven't mentioned as I said in my introductory remarks sport is the best tool for social prescribing and prevention and in the spirit of consensus that is broken out today Labour will support the Scottish Government motion and I hope it will be just sub-decrated it hasn't mentioned yet and we will support the Tory amendment as well Thank you Liz Smith, five minutes please Thank you Deputy Presiding Officer It's been a great pleasure to sum up on behalf of the Conservatives and what's been a very short but nonetheless very important and very enjoyable debate Sport has a very considerable role as I think we've all agreed about the country's future health, wellbeing and prosperity and that's been very self-evident throughout all the speeches though I think it was Tavish Scott who said that sport itself is not particularly relevant in that context but something tells me Mr Scott that we will have a very different view on that perspective Of course sport transcends politics thank goodness for that it gives hope to millions of people and it does not respect political divisions and nor should it in fact it can develop with so many shared experiences, values and purposes along with the building of personal pride skills and responsibilities Now very many members who have spoken in this debate have pointed out that there is a great deal of educational evidence showing that encouraging more physical activity has proven benefits of improving levels of attainment and in the context of the attainment debate at the moment that could hardly be more important My colleague Brian Whittle mentioned initiatives such as the STEP programme a bespoke school-based literacy programme that is aimed at pupils in primary 4 and 5 and has a very proven track record of encouraging children to develop the fundamental skills that are needed to learn successfully certainly nobody pretends that that is an easy task Brian Whittle made a very important point when he mentioned the STEP programme it is not just about funds and facilities that are undoubtedly scarce but it is about some of the barriers that are in the way when it comes to ensuring that there are enough people professionals and volunteers to support all those sports activities that we need but he also talked about the better understanding that is required and I think that we all need to take lessons in what that understanding has to be composed of So just as we've had to deal with a very difficult and complex situation regarding the debates that we've had in this chamber over alcohol, over drugs smoking, I think we need to be very bold in our approach to sport too because the future of our young people is far too important as indeed is the social fabric of our nation and the economic rewards for developing a sporting infrastructure for exactly the reasons that Johann Lamont cited in her excellent speech she may not see herself as a sports lady but I have to commend the fact that she made some extremely important points in what she said because the research by Sport Scotland on the economic impact of sport particularly on the social aspect of that economic impact contributes so much to our local communities to the jobs that are available in our communities and of course to consumer expenditure and the income that comes back from that and that is hardly an insignificant sum so I would suggest that the essential starting place is to build upon the projects which we know have actually worked and the minister has cited a couple of these but I think it's not just about the quantitative evidence that we have it's about the qualitative evidence that proves that progress is being made and we all have in our constituencies examples of very good projects but for me the most successful projects have some defining characteristics and Brian Whittle mentioned some of them when he talked about the cross different portfolios approach that we have to have for me it's not just about expanding the numbers that are involved in sport that's important it's much more about the quality of the experience that people have feeling that they are able to do that without any of the impediments and barriers that sometimes face them it is about access to professionally trained PE teachers particularly in the youngest years that first sparks that interest but it's also about ensuring that it's much easier for people to volunteer and I note what the Scottish Sports Association has said in terms of developing employer schemes which support and encourage that volunteering and Alison Johnson and I have been privileged to serve as co-conveners on the cross-party group on sport and I think one of the main messages that we've had in recent times is about the quality of the volunteering programme and just how much we need to encourage that because it is such a crucial part of ensuring that we build to the future I will finish my remarks and I think it's impossible in the time that we have to do justice to everybody I can give you an extra minute I shall take it unlike what the Labour Party was saying I think I will take it up because David that's very generous of you but thank you very much for that because I do think there's some really important things that have come out from the cross-party group on sport because we've had privilege to witness at first hand the outstanding work that goes into so many of the third sector groups that promote the extra-curricular activities in schools but especially with children who might be denied the opportunity elsewhere a lot of these are about unsung heroes who work day and day night in some cases trying to ensure that these youngsters are given an opportunity that we don't always know about and I think we should reward that work and we're not always very good at doing that but let me finish about the situation you are building confidence and self-esteem because if the mental wellbeing of our society is to improve that confidence and self-esteem is something that is so important just as well as obviously the health ambitions that we have now that's not always a popular theme these days sometimes people see that as slightly elitist I don't believe it is at all I think it's something that is an intrinsic part of every young person every person as they start out on the journey of finding their inner being and sport is absolutely crucial in that respect so thank you Deputy Presiding Officer for allowing me the extra minute I hope it's been worthwhile thank you to wind up the debate seven minutes or take us up to decision time thank you very much I'm delighted to close the debate on changing lives many contributions across the chamber that highlight the way sport and physical activity can be used intentionally to bring about positive change for communities and people in particular I was encouraged by the ways in which organisations are working together to use the collective power of sport and physical activity to create positive lasting change for individuals and communities to address specific need and if I can turn to some of the really interesting contributions that there were across the chamber I think it was a very consensual debate today and showed our Parliament at its best when we can all come together Brian Whittle spoke very passionately not for the first time in this chamber about the power of sport and its holistic impact on lives David Stewart also spoke about individuals with long term conditions and the importance of them remaining physically active and the impact that that can have Alison Johnstone's contribution spoke of the building activity into daily life and how important green spaces are to us all and Tavish Scott unsurprisingly spoke very proudly about Shetland sporting success and I think he also spoke about Paul Lorry and the golf tour that he was talking about last year and I can assure him that a number of actions have been picked up by the Scottish Government and Education Scotland following that meeting Sandra White spoke of the award winning KAPA project and extra funding was announced by my colleague the Minister for Public Health and Sport last year for that project an extra £130,000 last September George Adam unsurprisingly spoke to us about Paisley in St Myrran but also about the active together project encouraging people with MS to be active with others and joining the community and Joanne Lamont's contribution about the infrastructure left in Glasgow struck a really personal note with me today because in my own constituency of Rutherglen we were blessed with Cunninggar loop which was a development from the commonwealth games the largest urban park in south Lanarkshire and only yesterday it won the RTPI awards for planning excellence for health and wellbeing and has had a real big impact in terms of the health and wellbeing of my constituents and of many more across Glasgow Jenny Gilruth spoke about the success of Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and its increase in participation and we heard about Gillian Martin's passion for cycling and the need for safer infrastructure and her ambition for Scotland to be a cycling nation so really varied contributions and it is clear from the work that organisations do in communities and we have heard about much of that the very positive and life changing effects that sport and physical activity can have on mental wellbeing and mental health is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government and strong research is now emerging to support the strong positive links of physical activity on positive mental wellbeing almost everyone knows of the benefits of being physically active and we want people to be more active more often in part because being active is good for mental wellbeing being physically active can reduce stress it can improve self-esteem and it can help to manage depression and anxiety and I want to see an increase I'm really pressed for time sorry Mr Stewart I want to see an increase in the number of people who engage in sports and physical activity not for its own sake but for the wider benefits it can bring particularly in terms of mental wellbeing however doing sport isn't just about playing in teams or joining a club any kind of physical activity can boost mental wellbeing from swimming, walking, dance or golf for example the changing room is a great example of partners working together to promote men's mental health and wellbeing through the power of football and the ALBA project also builds on the well established links between physical activity and improved mental health I'm pleased that SAMH are an important partner in the delivery of the changing life through sport and physical activity programme through their partnerships not only in changing life and ALBA projects but with Scottish sports futures to deliver a joint programme that will promote positive mental health for young people and address stigma and discrimination felt by those with mental health problems and last week I met staff delivering the community strides project a collaboration between SAMH and Jog Scotland funded through the changing life funds and it provides opportunities for people from the BAME communities to get active with local jogging groups I was struck by the passion of the staff to use jogging as a tool to impact on individuals physical and mental health and they are getting to know the women attending the sessions and working with them to understand and overcome potential individual and community barriers to participation this work with BAME communities builds on an existing successful partnership which sees jog leaders undertake mental health awareness training and then where a simple I'm here badge which they can use as a tool to start a conversation with their members and show that they are open to chatting about mental health and the intention is not to turn jog leaders into trained councillors but to make them feel more confident to provide a listening ear and know how to help members find more help if they need it in August 2016 SAMH also announced the development of Scotland's mental health charter for physical activity and sport aims to empower physical activity and sports communities to improve equality and reduce discrimination ensuring mental health and wellbeing is not a barrier to engaging and participating and achieving in physical activity and sport. The charter encourages organisations to show their support by signing up to the charter to ensure that they are able to participate by signing up to the charter to create a positive change and it's encouraging to hear about the diversity of the range of signatories from sport Scotland governing bodies such as basketball Scotland leisure trusts, PE departments and local schools, local clubs that have already signed up to the charter and I would encourage those involved in sport and physical activity across communities to sign up to the charter too and this will signal to anyone with a mental health problem out there to help to overcome the barriers to getting active and achieving their own personal goals. In closing this debate I want to thank members for their contributions and that we will all continue our efforts to deliver wider outcomes for individuals and communities across Scotland through sport and physical activity and the Government will be supporting both the Conservative and Labour amendments. Thank you very much and that concludes our debate on changing lives through sport and physical activity and we're going to turn straight to decision time. The first question is that motion 16708 in the name of Kezia Dugdale on Hutchison's hospital transfer and dissolution Scotland will be agreed and this is to pass the bill so we will hold a division. Members may cast their votes now. The result of the vote on motion 16708 in the name of Kezia Dugdale is yes, 100. There were no votes against, there were no abstentions, the motion has agreed and that Hutchison's hospital transfer and dissolution Scotland bill is passed. Our next question is that amendment 17034.2 in the name of Brian Whittle which seeks to amend motion 17034 in the name of Joffice Patrick on changing lives through sport and physical activity be agreed. Are we all agreed? We are agreed. The next question is that amendment 17034.1 in the name of David Stewart which seeks to amend the motion in the name of Joffice Patrick be agreed. Are we all agreed? We are agreed. Our final question is that motion 17034 in the name of Joffice Patrick as amended on changing lives through sport and physical activity be agreed. Are we all agreed? We are agreed. That concludes decision time. I close this meeting.