Minister defends sports merger

The sports minister says the merger will cost less than previous plans

Plans to merge Scotland's two main sporting quangos will cost less than plans put forward by the previous executive, a minister has claimed.

Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell told a Holyrood committee his plan to bring together sportscotland and the Scottish Institute of Sport would cost £7.9m.

He said this would be partially offset by an estimated £4m from the sale of sportscotland's Edinburgh headquarters.

Previous Labour/Lib Dem plans would have cost £15m, Mr Maxwell said.

At the time of last May's election, the SNP had pledged to scrap sportscotland but eventually decided to merge it with the Institute of Sport.

The shake-up of the two organisations was announced earlier this month.

It led to the departure of the chairs of the two bodies, the institute's Dougie Donnelly and sportscotland's Julia Bracewell.

Detailing the financial costs, Mr Maxwell told the committee that the previous Labour-Liberal Democrat proposals to move sportscotland from Edinburgh to Glasgow would have cost £15m.

He said his new plans would cost £7.9m.

"In addition, we have promised sportscotland that in agreement with the cabinet secretary for finance, the receipts from the sale of the building, £4m to £6m, will be retained by sportscotland to invest in sport," he said.

"The overall cost therefore will come down to about £3m."

Bosses sacked

Mr Maxwell also told how Mr Donnelly and Ms Bracewell learnt of their fate, and rejected suggestions from opposition MSPs that he was exaggerating the benefits from the merger as a face-saving exercise after an SNP u-turn.

Commenting on his departure, Dougie Donnelly said: "This is not about sport, it's about politics."

But the minister insisted the change was well thought-out and would bring significant benefits.

Mr Donnelly's and Ms Bracewell's post are to disappear and they will be replaced by a single new chairperson.

The minister has been accused of sacking both in two-minute phone call but he insisted this was not the case.