Seòmar agus comataidhean

The next item on our agenda is the final oral evidence session of our inquiry. I welcome Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport and Andrew Sinclair, head of the active Scotland division in the Scottish Government.

We will move straight to questions. Minister, what progress has been made towards introducing a national approach to increasing female participation in sports leadership and governance, as recommended by the “Levelling the Playing Field” report?

We move to our next theme, which is sport and physical activity in the community.

When we had our witnesses in last week, Kim Atkinson queried how local authorities are held accountable for their investment in sport, given that, as Paul Sweeney has said, quite a substantial amount of the money that is put out by the Scottish Government for sport goes through local authorities. I have seen the price increases in my area, which caused a huge outcry. There was a 114 per cent increase for children and young people through a change to the discount that they had to access sporting facilities.

I appreciate that we want local authorities to be as autonomous as possible, and the Scottish Government walks a very fine line in that regard, but, given the impact that some of those price increases and closures might have, particularly on children and young people, is there more that the Scottish Government can do to ensure that the money gets to where it should be going?

Do Carol Potter or Calum Campbell want to come in to answer my question?

The £12.6 million was spent on agency.

Good morning, and welcome to the 20th meeting in 2023 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received apologies from Stephanie Callaghan and Tess White. James Dornan is joining us as a substitute, and David Torrance is joining us remotely.

The first item on our agenda is to decide whether to take agenda items 4 and 5 in private.? Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

It did.

Is that locum, bank or agency, or is that all one figure?

I move to Gillian Mackay for questions on our next theme.

Sandesh Gulhane might want to comment on the rugby.