Brian Taylor's blog

Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell told MSPs that plans to move the agency's headquarters to Glasgow would go ahead.

He also said there would be a merger with the Institute of Sport, which deals with elite athletes.

Mr Maxwell said the move would cut unnecessary red tape. Labour said the government had been dragged "kicking and screaming" into the decision.

He told the Scottish Parliament that the new organisation, to be established as soon as possible and without compulsory job cuts, would retain the name "sportscotland" and develop sport from grassroots to elite level.

It is regrettable we have had many months of uncertainty in sports policy Jamie McGrigor Tory sports spokesman

"This government is committed to ensuring the organisation which will deliver sport in Scotland will be leaner and more efficient, removing the layers of bureaucracy of the previous structure," said the minister.

"Scottish sport needs a single, streamlined national body, which recognises that mass participation and elite performance are part of the same spectrum."

Julia Bracewell, chair of sportscotland, said: "We are delighted that the minister has listened to the arguments and recognised the importance of our role moving forwards.

"With regard to relocation we note the decision to move the HQ as soon as possible to Glasgow.

"We will be working with ministers to ensure that the cost of this decentralisation is not borne by Scottish sport."

The new set-up will see four regional operations, in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen, while the Scottish Institute of Sport will maintain its base in Stirling.

The agency will also play a role in showcasing Scottish talent around the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

'U-turn'

Labour sports spokesman Frank McAveety accused the government of creating eight months of "indecision, avoidance and uncertainty", adding: "We could have spent that time ensuring we worked with our sports agency to deliver the next decade of sport for Scotland."

His Tory opposite number, Jamie McGrigor, said sportscotland's abolition was opposed across the whole sporting community.

"It is regrettable we have had many months of uncertainty in sports policy when we should have been focusing on the real priority of encouraging more participation," he said.

Ross Finnie, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, claimed there was no evidence to support Mr Maxwell's claim that the move was a "radical overhaul".

He added: "Ministers have been forced to reconsider their commitment to abolish Sportscotland and perform an embarrassing U-turn."

The new agency will also continue to provide government and lottery funding, while the three national sporting centres, at Inverclyde, Cumbrae and Glenmore Lodge, will continue to operate as a trust.