Glasgow 2014: Soldiers to help with Games security
(about 7 hours later)
Members of the Scottish parliament will debate the legacy of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games later.
Members of the armed forces will be drafted in to help with security at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Costs for the 2014 Games have been estimated at £500m.
Scottish Sports Minister Shona Robison made the announcement during a debate on the legacy of the games at Holyrood.
MSPs are to consider the potential return on the expenditure in terms of business, regeneration projects and the promotion of active lifestyles.
She said security would be provided by a mix of police, military and private sector personnel.
The Glasgow venues have been built to allow their use by local people after the Games, and much of the spending has been in the east of the city.
A Scottish government spokesman said the measure had been planned and there was no similarity with the emergency use of soldiers at the London Olympics.
The MSPs will look at whether funding should be directed at grass-roots sport.
Ms Robison told MSPs: "I am pleased to announce that yesterday I had confirmation from the home secretary that Police Scotland's request for assistance from our shared armed forces had been supported in full.
Prof Leigh Robinson, a specialist in sports management at Stirling University, said: "I think the easiest way and the least costly way of increasing access to facilities is to open up the schools stock.
"It has been agreed with the UK government that costs of this resource will not be passed on to Police Scotland.
"They already exist and they would make an immediate difference to a number of communities, particularly those more isolated communities in Scotland."
"I have written to the home secretary thanking her for her support and requesting that consideration now be given to the Royal Regiment of Scotland helping to fulfil that military role."
Grass roots
The Scottish government argues that it is already investing money in encouraging participation at a local level.
Sports minister Shona Robison said: "It's a challenge but we've been working on it right from the start and we've been doing it really through the grass roots.
"Sport Scotland have been investing in our clubs to help them grow capacity so that young people who want to try a sport have got the opportunities to do so.
"We've been tackling PE in schools. All of that is about making it easier for people to be more active more often."
The Glasgow Commonwealth Games legacy debate starts at 2.30pm and can be watched live, or later on demand, at BBC Scotland's Democracy Live website.
