Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address reported inequality in sports participation for children living in a household with a disabled parent.
The Scottish Government acknowledges that households with a disabled family member often face challenges such as accessibility issues and increased poverty, which in turn can create barriers to participation. The Scottish Government’s devolved disability benefits help with the additional costs of being disabled. These vital payments can reduce barriers to equal participation in communities and increase life opportunities, including for children and young people.
The Scottish Government remains committed to increasing opportunities for children and young people to participate in sport and physical activity, no matter their background. The Active Schools programme provides access to sport before, during, and after school. It is delivered free of charge, making it is accessible, irrespective of socio-economic background. Active School’s mainstream extracurricular programmes target groups in greatest need of inclusion and operate in both mainstream and ASN schools across all 32 local authorities. In 2024-25, Active Schools delivered approximately 265,000 sessions to 280,000 participants.