Chamber and committees

We spoke earlier about how single mothers are least likely to get involved in sport, how mothers put their children first and how the situation would be better if only women had more time. How do we ensure that women make it a priority to look after their physical and mental health by getting involved in sport and activities? Perhaps the pregnancy and postnatal periods are an opportunity to do that.

Lots of mums prioritise their children and go to breastfeeding groups and toddlers groups, so why are we not looking at them going to activities and sports groups as well? We need to get the message out to those parents that, if they keep themselves active and get involved in sports, that will be a huge benefit for their children. Is that an area that we should be looking to develop, so that we can bring through the next generation of young people? That question goes first to David Ferguson. It would also be good to hear from Flora Jackson, and I can see Kim Atkinson nodding.

I want to go back to the first question that David Torrance asked. Has there been an impact on patient wellbeing as a result of the Covid pandemic? Has the pandemic exacerbated some patients’ problems and made it more difficult for them to have a safe transfer to lower levels of security?

That is very challenging, indeed.

You said that young people need those opportunities more than ever. I must declare an interest as the mother of a sixth-year pupil who is just leaving school. I am very aware that young people who are leaving sixth year just now are being really harshly impacted. Covid started during their third year at school and lasted right the way through their national 4s and 5s and into their highers. They did not, as the previous year did, benefit from getting automatic upgrades when they appealed. It really does not seem fair that the Erasmus+ replacement will not be there in time for them but will be a bit too late for them, when they have been through quite so much.

Would you make any specific recommendations in relation to things that the Scottish Government could do to monitor and support those young people and maximise their positive outcomes and experiences, when they are missing out on that part?

I have a quick one for colleagues in Wales. You spoke about wanting to be truly inclusive, and there was some discussion earlier about the extra costs that can be involved for carers and so on. When you look at the funding, are you setting a proportion aside to tackle that stuff, or does the funding follow the numbers of people who are benefiting?

Not at all. You spoke about how important being truly inclusive is, and we heard earlier about how there can be additional costs for carers and so on. When you look at the funding, do you portion that up to start with and look at what will be allocated to that type of work, or does the funding follow the numbers of people that you want to support?

My first question is the obvious one: what impact has the withdrawal of Erasmus+ had on youth work in Scotland?

Perhaps it would be helpful to have a focus on that age group specifically.

Is there anything that you would like to talk about in relation to young people with additional support needs who perhaps struggled to get that support during the pandemic?

That is clear and very helpful. Thank you.

I have another question for you, and maybe others could also come in. It is great to hear you talking about fun and enjoyment, because that is where it all starts and that is where motivation comes from.

We have focused quite a lot on sport, but healthy activity outwith sport is incredibly important too. In Vienna, all government agencies are required to have strategic plans and initiatives for equitable policy and there is a gender mainstreaming model. The research has found that girls who are aged nine and upwards barely use parks. That model has been adopted in many other countries, including in Berlin, Barcelona, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Do you think that Scotland should consider having a similar holistic model that focuses on gender alongside race, disability, mental health and other issues? I am happy for you to answer that and to open to anyone else.