I recognise the point that the member is raising. It is a vexing issue that has been around for a long time, and we see it many parts of the country. I am determined that we will work together to try to unlock and free up the school estate and make sure that those assets become part of the community, in order to encourage the participation of the whole community. We need to be doing that, particularly in these financially constrained times.

The work that we are doing with active Scotland will provide more children with more opportunities to take part in sport before, during and after school. It takes an inclusive approach, with a particular focus on poverty, additional support needs and care-experienced young people. During the 2022-23 academic year, more than 124,000 girls made more than 2 million visits to active schools sessions, making up 46 per cent of the participants.

The “Fit for Girls” programme, which was delivered in partnership between sportscotland and the Youth Sport Trust, provides support to local authorities, governing bodies and other national partners that have identified a need to improve the provision for girls and young women and are committed to empowering girls as part of that process. There is also the incredible partnership between Scottish Sport Futures and the Sweaty Betty Foundation, which aims to reduce as many barriers to participation as possible, as well as encouraging important conversations about breast health, periods, hormonal changes and other issues that affect girls and young women.

However, we know that, before adolescence, many girls have already decided that they do not belong in sport. Earlier this year, Women in Sport published research that highlighted that the message that girls as young as five hear and see daily undermines self-confidence and makes them feel that sport is not for them.

Providing positive experiences that develop physical confidence and competence from the earliest age is key. Our active play development programme targets areas of disadvantage and will support more children from more deprived backgrounds to develop the skills and confidence required to enjoy being more physically active.

Progress in relation to other inequalities remains a concern, and it is therefore vital that we understand and address the intersectionality of additional barriers to participation. Disabled people, those from ethnic minority communities and those living in more deprived communities all have lower levels of participation.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to provision, and those who deliver locally are best placed to identify the needs of their communities. This week is Scottish disability sport week 2023, which is led by Scottish Disability Sport, and today’s theme focuses on overcoming barriers to participation. It is the first year of the campaign, which is a nationwide celebration of disability sport and a chance to inspire and support disabled people throughout Scotland to get active.

We are working closely with sportscotland and partners to ensure that we embed a culture of inclusion across sport. In October this year, we celebrated Scottish women and girls in sport week, our annual campaign that is hugely important in increasing the visibility and participation of women and girls in sport and physical activity, as well as highlighting the many health benefits that it can bring to their lives. The theme for the week was celebrating inclusion, and it was encouraging to see the positive stories shared during the week and the buzz right across the sector.

I was pleased to see that there was support from the leadership and relevant spokespeople of all five parties in Holyrood. Many MSPs supported the motion lodged by the convener of the cross-party group on sport, Liz Smith, in recognition of the week, and all five parties were represented in its signatories. There is genuine consensus on the importance of access to sport and physical activity for women and girls, in recognition of the benefits that it brings, and there is significant desire to collaboratively reduce barriers to access.

Early data from the evaluation of that week showed that there were more than 38 million campaign impressions on Twitter alone, demonstrating the campaign’s powerful reach to engage partners across the sector.

Sport and physical activity bring a great deal to our communities. I feel strongly that they have the power to lead the way on the many challenges that wider society faces. Leadership and visibility are vital. We are working with the Scottish Sports Association to support its on board for sport programme, which focuses on improving the diversity and skills bases of the boards of Scottish governing bodies of sport. The young ambassador programme created by sportscotland has been successful in attracting large numbers of young women into leadership roles in sport and physical activity. They are role models for and leaders of other young people. The young ambassadors can have an absolutely pivotal role in their schools and wider communities.