Chamber and committees

The bidding process devised by the Ryder Cup Committee for the 2009 event involves countries or regions of countries making bids to stage the event. That is why the Scottish Executive has led the bid to bring the event to Scotland. The bidding for the European Nations Football Championship, like most other major sporting events, is the responsibility of the national governing body which in the case of football in Scotland is the Scottish Football Association. We are already assisting the SFA with the feasibility studies it is carrying out to inform a decision on whether it should bid for the 2008 Championships.

We have no plans to do so.

Local sports councils are part of the local delivery of sport in Scotland and their funding is a matter for individual local authorities. sportscotland provides grant (currently £21,000 per annum) and other support to the Scottish Association of Local Sports Councils.

Notwithstanding and without prejudice to the wider review of NDPBs announced by the Minister of Finance on 18 January, sportscotland are reviewing aspects of their organisation and operations. The appointment of consultants to assist them in that process will be a matter for sportscotland. The Executive will ensure that the views of sportscotland's customers and partner organisations will be sought during this process.

The provision of adequate leisure facilities, including sports facilities, is a matter for individual local authorities in accordance with the Local Government and Planning (Scotland) Act 1982.sportscotland's strategic plan for the distribution of lottery monies, Levelling the Playing Field, includes a Sports Facilities Programme which seeks to convert, adapt or increase the accessibility of existing sports facilities to their communities. The facilities invested in are in schools or in clubs near schools. sportscotland has made awards totalling £9.6 million under this programme contributing to a total investment in this area of almost £42 million.

I refer the member to the answer I have given to her question S1W-12949. The key factors involved in deciding whether to assist the SFA in a bid for the 2008 Championship are the realistic prospects of a bid by the SFA being successful, Scotland's capacity to stage an event of this magnitude and the prospective economic and other benefits. There is no link with our Ryder Cup 2009 bid.

School sports co-ordinators in Scotland and England cover broadly similar remits. Co-ordinators in England work with groups of schools. In Scotland, our objective is to appoint a co-ordinator in every secondary school and we have announced funding to extend the scheme to enable co-ordinators to work with local sports clubs to introduce young people to club sport while still at school. The role and remit of sports assistants is still being developed prior to the pilot being commenced but the intention is that they should complement the work of co-ordinators in schools.

The desirability of primary schools providing a minimum of two hours of physical education per week was identified in Sport 21, the national strategy for sport in Scotland, and the Scottish Executive is working towards that.

sportscotland works closely with education authorities in a number of programmes, targeted at primary and secondary schools, which aim to promote and increase the level and range of sporting and physical activity of school-aged children during and after school hours.There are, however, no plans to prescribe as part of the curriculum that school children should have set levels of sporting activity per week.

Yes. The Prime Minister's speech on 11 January referred to the UK-wide proposals for the next round of New Opportunities Fund initiatives. These proposals involve a major investment in school and community sport in Scotland. Sam Galbraith also announced in Parliament on 9 November 2000 a substantial increase in funding for sport in Scotland as part of the outcome of the 2000 Spending Review.

The agreement following the McCrone Report into teachers' terms and conditions of service will, if accepted, introduce a framework for the continuing professional development of teachers. The framework would ensure that continuing professional development reflects individual need and school, local and national priorities. It would incorporate existing CPD provision and widen the range of opportunities available to teachers.The framework would not be prescriptive but sufficiently flexible to meet the specific training needs of individual teachers and schools, including training relating to sport and physical activity where required.