Health and Sport Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Official Report 624KB pdf

“Sport for Everyone” (Government Response)

In a moment we will move to agenda item 2, on the draft Community Care (Personal Care and Nursing Care) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018.

Before the commencement of the meeting, we had a discussion on our “Sport for Everyone” report, which we completed on 28 November 2017. I know that the matter has been drawn to the minister’s attention this morning. We were expecting a response from the Government in January. The minister will recall that I wrote to her in February to ask her about that response, and I wonder if she would like to take the opportunity this morning to tell us when we should expect it.

Thank you, convener. I understand and appreciate the timescales that you are setting out. We would expect you to have it very soon. It is with me before we issue it to you, which we will do imminently. There was a lot within the requirement of the letter. It required us to engage with many different departments and agencies, and we want to furnish the committee with the right level of detail and do justice to the work that you have put in.

It will be with you shortly. I apologise for the delay, but it is in order to give you the best response that we can, given the importance of the topic. It is indeed topical, given members’ continuing interest around diet and obesity strategy and the whole host of other public health developments that are happening.

I can only apologise for the delay, but it is because of the attempt to get you the right information, and engagement has had to take place across many different parts of the Government. I hope that that meets with your understanding, although I understand the requirement to get you the response as soon as we can. As I say, it will be with you imminently.

I am grateful, minister—that is helpful. Having sat at a ministerial desk—

On the other side of the table.

—I know that, once something is on the desk and you have taken that responsibility, it is now over to you.

It is over to me—absolutely. I am a poacher turned gamekeeper, Mr Macdonald.

We look forward to hearing more very soon.