Just under pound;4m extra over three years will be spent on promoting the active primary schools scheme and the secondary sports co-ordinators, who will have two days a week to expand activities and link with clubs. A combination of sports lottery cash and Sportscotland mainstream money will fund the expansion.

Alastair Dempster, Sportscotland chairman, said: “Given growing concerns about the state of children’s health, it is vital tht children have access to regular sport and physical education. The increased Government funds, coupled with the extra pound;500,000 per annum from the lottery fund, will allow us to speed up our work, especially in primary schools.”

Mr Raeburn said: “It’s good to see increasing investment but the sadness is that there is no broad vision for school sport. We have, for example, to be concerned about what emerges from the McCrone report. Sports co-ordinators depend on volunteers to run activities.” Federation leaders shortly are to meet Jack McConnell, the new Education Minister, to press their point.

Leader, page 16