Scottish children will receive an hour of physical activity a day, and will be entitled to two weeks of outdoor activity, under Liberal Democrat manifesto policies for young people.

Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen outlined the plans to invest £271m in youth facilities, which will see 1,000 extra sports coaches hired. The party’s policies will also see young people given cheaper access to council sports and leisure facilities, and will see a major investment in new activities in the evening and at weekends.

Stephen said: “Political parties should focus on Scotland’s future. Investing in young people is the most important part of Scotland’s future and that is why it is at the heart of the Liberal Democrat programme for government.

“It frustrates me when I walk past a school in the evening and see the gates locked and all the lights turned out. It gets worse when I turn the corner and see a group of young people bored and with nothing to do. No wonder too many children fail to achieve their potential.

“We will put major investment in new activities for young people in the evening and at weekends. This will support innovative activities such as midnight football, basketball leagues and youth cafes – all of which have been shown to be very popular with young people, and cut antisocial behaviour.

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