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At tonight's Policy and Resources Committee of the City Council the council agreed to a range of cuts to the Fairer Scotland Fund. One of the schemes which lost all its funding is the Passport to Swimming scheme. There will now be no subsidised swimming provision in the city. I think that this is a great shame. I will be looking for ways for the Council to deliver free or subsidised swimming for young people in the future. The SNP Group now in Administration in the city used to believe in this as well. Free access to council swimming pools for young people was an unequivocal commitment in the SNP Manifesto in 2007.
Labour sports spokesperson in Holyrood Frank McAveety has also commented on this:
LABOUR: SWIMMING PLEDGE DITCHED IN SPORT MINISTER’S BACKYARD
School children in Dundee will no longer be able to get access to discounted swimming sessions after it emerged that the SNP-run local authority in the city is planning to ditch the scheme.
Councillors will vote tonight on plans to cut all of the funding for Passport to Swimming for young people in Community Regeneration Areas.
Scottish Labour’s Sport spokesman Frank McAveety said:
"It is disappointing that Dundee Council has decided to ditch this scheme and the fact that this is happening in Shona Robison's backyard should be an embarrassment for the Sports Minister.
"Before they came to power, the SNP promised to increase children's participation in sport through free access to swimming and two hours of PE a week at school, but they have yet to take these pledges seriously.
"We are only a few years away from hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but the Scottish Government is sending out the message that sport isn't that important in Scotland. It is really important that we encourage young people to adopt healthier lifestyles and swimming is a great activity.
"It is shocking that only two Scottish councils provide school children with free year-round access to council swimming pools. The Sport Minister has to get her act together and sort this out."
END
NOTES
SNP Manifesto 2007
"More opportunities for youngsters to be fit and active with 2 hours PE per week for every pupil, a moratorium on the sale of playing fields and free access to council swimming pools." (P 10)
"Children will be given free, year-round access to council swimming pools. (P 41)
Provision of free swimming
Labour researchers contacted all 32 Scottish councils. They found:
Only two, Labour-run Glasgow and Inverclyde, provide free year round access to council swimming pools for children under 16.
Edinburgh City Council provides free access to children under five and up to S1. East Renfrewshire and Fife provide free access during the school holidays.
Dumfries and Galloway used to provide free access, but this has since been cut by the new Conservative-Lib Dem coalition. 25 councils other councils also charge children for access to council swimming pools.
Labour sports spokesperson in Holyrood Frank McAveety has also commented on this:
LABOUR: SWIMMING PLEDGE DITCHED IN SPORT MINISTER’S BACKYARD
School children in Dundee will no longer be able to get access to discounted swimming sessions after it emerged that the SNP-run local authority in the city is planning to ditch the scheme.
Councillors will vote tonight on plans to cut all of the funding for Passport to Swimming for young people in Community Regeneration Areas.
Scottish Labour’s Sport spokesman Frank McAveety said:
"It is disappointing that Dundee Council has decided to ditch this scheme and the fact that this is happening in Shona Robison's backyard should be an embarrassment for the Sports Minister.
"Before they came to power, the SNP promised to increase children's participation in sport through free access to swimming and two hours of PE a week at school, but they have yet to take these pledges seriously.
"We are only a few years away from hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but the Scottish Government is sending out the message that sport isn't that important in Scotland. It is really important that we encourage young people to adopt healthier lifestyles and swimming is a great activity.
"It is shocking that only two Scottish councils provide school children with free year-round access to council swimming pools. The Sport Minister has to get her act together and sort this out."
END
NOTES
SNP Manifesto 2007
"More opportunities for youngsters to be fit and active with 2 hours PE per week for every pupil, a moratorium on the sale of playing fields and free access to council swimming pools." (P 10)
"Children will be given free, year-round access to council swimming pools. (P 41)
Provision of free swimming
Labour researchers contacted all 32 Scottish councils. They found:
Only two, Labour-run Glasgow and Inverclyde, provide free year round access to council swimming pools for children under 16.
Edinburgh City Council provides free access to children under five and up to S1. East Renfrewshire and Fife provide free access during the school holidays.
Dumfries and Galloway used to provide free access, but this has since been cut by the new Conservative-Lib Dem coalition. 25 councils other councils also charge children for access to council swimming pools.
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