In recent years there has been a significant growth in participation in tennis in Scotland, with more than 270,000 children playing at least once a year, a 29 per cent increase in children playing weekly and record levels of club membership. It is also welcome that half of all schools in Scotland are registered to deliver the Lawn Tennis Association youth schools programme, which is a free offer with resources to deliver tennis in a school setting.

As Sir Andy Murray, one of Scotland’s greatest ever athletes, comes towards the end of his career, how will the Scottish Government work with both Tennis Scotland and the Lawn Tennis Association to capitalise on his success and ensure that every primary-school age child in Scotland has the opportunity to pick up a racket and try tennis?

I associate myself very much with the sentiments behind Mr Bibby’s question. As a consequence of his incredibly successful career, Sir Andy Murray has given exceptional and demonstrable leadership in encouragement of participation in sport. He has been a great ambassador for Scotland and for tennis and sport.

The answer to the question lies in some of the points that Mr Bibby has put to me—it will be through partnership that we make the greatest success. We are already working with Tennis Scotland, the Lawn Tennis Association and sportscotland to support delivery of tennis activity around the country. There is a £15 million transforming Scottish indoor tennis fund, which is a capital investment programme that has been brought together by that partnership to enable greater use of tennis facilities and to encourage greater participation in tennis.

I assure Mr Bibby of the Government’s willing engagement to work with partners to deliver that increased participation.