Sportscotland is to merge with the Scottish Institute of Sport (SIS), to create a new national organisation that will ensure a seamless pathway from grassroots to elite performance level, the Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell has announced.
He said the new organisation would be leaner and more efficient, removing the "layers of bureaucracy" of the previous structure, while making sure the interests of sport remain paramount.
He added that the body will retain the name sportscotland - a strong recognised brand within the market place - and will be responsible for overseeing the development of sport at all levels, providing both Government and Lottery funding. It will continue to deliver expert advice and provide support services to sport, from the new organisation's HQ will move to Glasgow.
The Government proposes creating create four de-centralised delivery hubs, which will provide expertise and advice to local authorities and Scottish governing bodies of sport, in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen.
Staff from the former Scottish Institute of Sport will continue to be given the lead role in delivering high performance sport and will remain in Stirling.
A new single board will be established from the existing sportscotland and SIS boards. In line with Scottish Government policy, there will be no compulsory reduncancies as a result of the reorganisation.
Maxwell said: “Scottish sport needs a single, streamlined national body, which recognises that mass participation and elite performance are part of the same spectrum.
“I want to simplify the sporting landscape and ensure this new organisation delivers for sport in a more effective and efficient manner, which will benefit the whole of Scotland.
“Merging sportscotland and the Scottish Institute of Sport will remove the unnecessary layers of bureaucracy that currently exist.
“The feedback from the review of sportscotland indicated that the majority want to retain a national agency for sport, but all agreed that there is a pressing need to simplify the current sporting landscape.
“We had no intention of simply riding roughshod over expert opinion: we've listened and responded accordingly.”
Labour’s Sports spokesperson Frank McAveety MSP called the move an “embarrassing climb-down”.
He said “While welcoming the decision by ministers to reverse their party manifesto promise, it’s a decision that should never have had to be made.
“The original SNP promise to abolish sportscotland was short-sighted, given the obvious knock-on health benefits that come from sports related activity and the crucial co-ordinating role sportscotland plays."
“The fact that it has taken eight months for the SNP to realise their commitment to scrap sportscotland was wrongheaded, speaks volumes about their vision for the future of Scottish sport.”
Liz Smith MSP, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Children, Schools & Skills, challenged Maxwell to explain how the new structure of sportscotland is expected to deliver increased participation.
Speaking after the Minister’s statement, she said: “I listened very carefully to what the Minister said, but I am at a loss to understand exactly why he is so adamant that the new structure he has announced today will deliver better results when it comes to improving participation in grassroot sports especially amongst the younger generation.”
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