I absolutely agree with Mr Whittle. I was just about to come on to that point. He is absolutely right. Investing in sport and physical activity is preventative spend. It is the preventative spend that we talk about in the Parliament. That is why we need to protect those budgets.

It is equally important that we acknowledge some of the barriers for women at the elite level. As has been mentioned, women’s funding, pay and media coverage in comparison with those of men are not only a barrier; they are an injustice. The committee reported that 84 per cent of elite female athletes in the UK felt that sportswomen were not paid enough and that, between September 2022 and 2023, there was 28 times as much coverage of men’s football as there was of women’s football and 26 times as much coverage of men’s rugby as there was of women’s rugby.

In tackling those barriers, I support the committee’s call on the Government to explore the creation of an independent women’s sports trust for Scotland to support growth in women’s sport, including funding and media exposure.

It is important to note, as has been mentioned, that the report highlighted that many disabled, LGBT and ethnic minority women face intersecting barriers to participation. We know that role models are important in showing young women that anyone can get involved in sports and compete at the highest level. That is perfectly illustrated by the gymnast Simone Biles, who said:

“Growing up, I didn’t see very many black gymnasts, so whenever I did, I felt ... inspired”.

She said:

“I remember watching Gabby Douglas win the 2012 Olympics and I was like, ‘if she can do it, I can do it.’”

It is therefore welcome to hear about the success of the Welsh Labour Government’s “Anti-racist Wales Action Plan” in encouraging participation in sport by women and girls from minority ethnic backgrounds. The Scottish Government should explore the possibility of a similar initiative.

I want to touch on the power of social media. Unfortunately, the committee heard evidence that there has been an increase in misogynistic behaviour towards women. That needs to be tackled. We need to look at regulations following the UK Online Safety Act 2023, while recognising that it can amplify women’s voices.

It is vital that we understand the barriers to participation in sport for women and girls. The report highlights many of them. We now need action from the Scottish Government and others to break them down.