I have discussed that problem with my counterparts in Victoria, Australia, who are also working to address a problem that they only too readily recognise as being prevalent in their country, despite their reputation as a great sporting nation.By encouraging more people to be more active more often, we hope to encourage participation levels and ultimately to produce more sports stars. However, that will take time and commitment, not just from young people, but from teachers, youth leaders, parents, sports clubs and national and local politicians.Michael Matheson rightly mentioned an area that concerns me too—the need to form stronger links between schools and clubs, so that young people's participation in sport can lead to a lifetime commitment to their sport once they leave school.The active schools programme is an important part of the strategy, but we must also commit to increasing the level and quality of physical education.