Chamber and committees

I need to move on a little bit.

Nobody should be left behind.

I share concerns with other members, including Jackie Baillie, about the long-term funding issue. We should not need the Commonwealth games to provide the impetus to teach swimming in schools. Alongside Bikeability Scotland training, it should be part of the experience and life development of every primary 6 and 7 child.

Miles Briggs raised an important point. There is cross-party commitment to have swimming lessons in every school. We should get behind and deliver on that.

Steven Bonnar talked about the talent, the endeavour and the success in our communities and how that is epitomised by sport. That is the summer of sport that I am looking forward to. Yes, there is a scunner factor out there, but let us get the positivity back. Let us have a great summer of sport and let us inspire communities and get everybody active.

That is a feat in itself, to be honest.

I return to my speech. The national holiday on 15 June is welcome, but I note that only one council in Scotland is giving staff the day off, and I really pity the teachers and students who will be forced into class having been up the entire night before.

These are important collective national memories, whether someone watches them on TV or they are in the stadium or by the track side. They should be accessible—fans should not be priced out by exorbitant ticket prices or pay per view.

I am really pleased that my colleague Gillian Mackay helped to secure the commitment for free-to-view matches for our national football teams and that she is, today, taking the campaign to the next stage, calling for a price cap on stadium tickets. It is good to see, stateside, the mayor of New York following Gillian Mackay’s lead. I am sure that more conversations will take place about exactly how a cap could be introduced.

I welcome what I think will be Government support for the Green amendment today—with backing even from our colleagues in the Conservative Party, too.

Clubs, at their best, are all about community—where no one is left behind, regardless of who they are and what they can afford. Jack Middleton made a very moving speech about his personal experience and the importance of that accessibility.

I pay tribute to the volunteers who power grass-roots sport. They are the people who turn up week in, week out—setting up pitches and tracks, providing taster sessions for four-year-olds through to performance pathways for promising teams, and fundraising for better facilities. They are always there, in all weathers—offering friendly advice, marshalling, providing first aid, and washing the kit. It is the grass-roots scenes, across so many sports, that nurture talent and build that sense of community.

I really enjoyed listening to Liam McArthur talk about the island games. I wish that I had been in Orkney in 2025—I can imagine the excitement and the community building that come from such an event. It would be as exciting as the Olympics.

For my part, I have just spent another slightly terrifying weekend living in a field with my son, supporting him race in the SDA Scottish downhill mountain bike series. The camaraderie and support for people of all ages and abilities at these events make them a wonderful experience to be part of.

For some, there is a part to play, whether that is on a bigger stage or as a future career, in their sport. Across sports, we are seeing an elite pathway alongside inclusion at the grass-roots level.

The legacy of the Commonwealth games, the world cup and—let us not forget—the Tour de France next year needs to be one in which grass-roots participation is grown through better facilities and more confident volunteers.

As the minister mentioned, we need partnerships to deliver long-term growth. We need to throw open the doors, so that everyone is invited to join the party and get involved in whatever way they feel inspired to.

We also need women’s sport to be visible, inspiring and supported, not an afterthought. Jackie Baillie raised an important point about the past 100 years, in which women have been largely denied access to pitches and SFA facilities.

This is not the first time that Clackmannanshire residents have been evacuated at short notice. The reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete evacuations were handled badly by the council; houses were boarded up and personal possessions were left to rot for months on end. I hope that lessons were learned from that incident about the need to address the evacuees’ trauma while, at the same time, protecting their personal safety. What reassurances has the cabinet secretary had that the evacuation will be handled more sensitively than the previous one?

I congratulate all members who have been returned to the Parliament. I thank a number of members who have given their first speeches in the debate. I say to Adam Harley that that suit fits him very well, and I congratulate him.

Alyn Smith is right. We have just been through a really hard election, particularly in Stirling, and we all look forward to some downtime this summer. A summer of sport sounds pretty good to me. For hard-pressed families, the free activities will help to fill those long summer holidays. For some young people, a new sporting dream and ambition will be ignited, or maybe they will learn how to dance the Orcadian strip the willow. Lots of opportunities will be available to get active and to be part of communities.

First, however, we have 15 June. Clearly, all eyes will be on our men’s team. It is 28 years since John Collins thumped that goal into the back of the Brazilian net, and 40 years since a teenaged—I think—Liam McArthur sweated his way around Mexico with the tartan army. [Laughter.]

He is exasperated. I give way to Mr McArthur.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. It appears that I was unable to vote for Gillian Mackay earlier. I do not think that that was recorded. Could you check, if you do not mind? The vote was for Gillian Mackay.

In my heart, my allegiance is to the people of Scotland.

I, Mark Ruskell, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.