For immediate release:

FIRST MINISTER BACKS CALLS TO REVERSE COUNCIL LET INCREASE

The First Minister has added his calls for South Lanarkshire Council to scrap “damaging” increases for the cost of local youth sports and dancing clubs hiring council lets.

Up until now, children’s teams enjoyed a discount of 75 per cent for pitch lets – that will now become 50 per cent. Many clubs are now reporting the cost of hiring pitches, halls or swimming pools will increase by up to 114%.

Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey has been calling for the leader of South Lanarkshire Council, Joe Fagan, to scrap the hike.

She raised the issue with Humza Yousaf at First Minister’s questions last week.

In response, the First Minister said:

“While it is clearly for local administrations to determine their own priorities, I am, like Clare Haughey, frankly appalled at the actions of the Labour-led authority in South Lanarkshire.

“I saw a protest taking place by young people who were suggesting that it is time for Joe Fagan, the leader of South Lanarkshire Council, to go. I have to say that I think that those young people have, frankly, very good judgment indeed.

“While families are facing on-going eye-watering hikes in food and energy bills and are having to cut back on other expenditure, this is not the right time to ramp up these charges and potentially deny children and young people in constituencies such as Rutherglen the chance to take part in sport.

“I can only hope that the council sees sense and turns the temporary reprieve into a permanent one.”

ENDS