(S4O-03434) Commonwealth Games 2018

Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP): 4. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the assertion in the International Business Times about an independent Scotland’s participation in the 2018 Commonwealth games. (S4O-03434)

The Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners’ Rights (Shona Robison): Scotland is already a member of the Commonwealth through the United Kingdom and so already meets the essential requirements. Following a vote for independence, the Scottish Government will initiate steps to ensure Scotland’s distinct membership as swiftly as possible.

Scotland is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth games, and I look forward to seeing Scotland compete at the Gold Coast games in 2018 and at every future games.

Stewart Stevenson: I hope to join the successful team in competing in 2018. More realistically, does the cabinet secretary think that we have laid the foundations for an even bigger success in 2018—using the powers of independence, of course?

Shona Robison: We already have a fantastic world-class sporting system through the sportscotland Institute of Sport, which oversaw £50 million of investment in sporting performance in the previous funding period.

That investment led to a fantastic performance—53 medals, including 19 gold medals—at the Glasgow Commonwealth games. That will be a tough target to exceed at the Gold Coast games in 2018, but through support for our elite athletes, which will of course continue post independence, we will ensure that they continue to excel on the world sporting stage.