This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Commonwealth Sports Ministers conference
24/07/2002
Scotland's Deputy Sports Minister will today take part in a Conference of Commonwealth Sports Ministers, on the eve of the commencement of the 17th Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Dr Elaine Murray will share the experiences with Ministers or their representatives from the 72 nations taking part in the event. Issues being discussed are women in sport, anti-doping in sport and social cohesion through sport.
Dr Murray said:
"Today's meeting addresses a number of issues at the heart of Scottish Executive policies, the discussion of which among fellow sports Ministers should prove both stimulating and informative.
The Executive is aware of the significant contribution that sport can make in improving the nation's health, stimulating community regeneration, in social inclusion, education, lifelong learning and many other areas of Scottish life.
Sport 21 contains a target to increase the number of people who participate in sport from groups that include people with disabilities, women and young girls, people who live in areas of economic and social disadvantage, rural communities and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. In addition, sportscotland has committed £3 million from the Lottery Sports Fund (LSF) over three years to encourage increased participation in sport in the 48 Social Inclusion Partnership areas.
Both the Scottish Executive and sportscotland are committed to ensuring a drug free environment for sport. We are working with the UK Government and UK Sport and have fully supported the Statement of Anit-Doping Policy for the UK.
sportscotland is working on a code of ethics which will encompass anti-doping policies and will provide comments on the first draft of the World Anti-Doping Code."
The Scottish Executive's priorities to sport are to:-
* Increase levels of participation in sport at all age groups and across all communities;
* Maximise the contribution of sport and physical activity to improving the health of the nation;
* Support sports people to achieve at the highest level;
* Develop the understanding of sports tourism and its contribution to the economy.
The Scottish Executive has been instrumental in pushing forward a number of initiatives to tackle social cohesion and disadvantage through sport. Among these are:-
* £87 million New Opportunity Fund monies to be committed by 2005 under the PE & Sport in schools initiative. It aims to bring about a step change in the provision of sporting facilities for young people and for the community in general. It will also fund out of school hours sporting and cultural activities and projects aimed at diverting young people away from criminal activity or behaviours likely to lead to this type of activity. It will therefore assist in tackling social disadvantage and exclusion and plays a crucial part in raising standards in both health and education.
* Six areas in Scotland have been identified for additional funding under the Fair Share Initiative: Renfrewshire, North and South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire, Dundee and Glasgow. These areas have been selected on the basis of deprivation and low levels of lottery funding. £14.95 million will be channelled into these areas by Fair Share over the three years to March 2005 (£5.75m from NOF and £9.2m pounds from the Community Fund).
* sportscotland are currently supporting the following projects with specific women in sport targets:
- Jogscotland
- SFA women and girls football (the fastest growing sport in Scotland)
- TAP programme (from June 2001 - 2002 45 per cent of funding went to female athletes; 55 per cent to male athletes)
The Commonwealth Ministers meeting takes place in the Midland Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Manchester. The event is expected to be attended by representatives of the 72 nations taking part in the Commonwealth Games.