The Forum of RenewableEnergy Development in Scotland (FREDS) established a Renewable Heat Sub Group inNovember 2006, to make recommendations to government on the key components of aRenewable Heat Strategy. Good progress has been made. The group has met on fouroccasions and will publish its report early in the new year. This will inform thegovernment’s approach to renewable heat.

The Glasgow 2014 CommonwealthGames offer an unrivalled opportunity to inspire a new generation to take up sportand to be physically active. Within 100 days of the announcement of the decisionto host the games in Glasgow, we will publish for consultation an initial plan ofhow to capture these benefits.

It is for Orkney Councilto decide levels of investment in sport in Orkney. In accordance with the Concordat agreed between the ScottishGovernment and COSLA on 14 November 2007, we have no plans to ring-fenceany funding to local government for this purpose.

Officials are in discussionswith sportscotland about funding priorities for sport for the period to 2011. Ithas been an extremely tight spending round but we have secured additional fundingfor sport. Orkney can be considered for additional funding in accordance with existingschemes and procedures and will continue to benefit from our funding of activeschools.

The Scottish Governmenthas expressed its full support for the EU’s renewable energy target and will ensurethat Scotland makes a significant contribution towards achievingit.

For example, we haveannounced our target to generate 50% of Scotland’s electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020 and are currently workingwith stakeholders towards a strategy for the promotion of renewable heat.

We are monitoringthe impact of recent awards and funding and assessing the demand and need forfurther support, taking into account other support mechanisms which are or willbe available. Decisions about further grant funding will be taken in the lightof this over the coming months.

The ScottishGovernment understands that provision of educational materials and reliableinformation is particularly important for people with long-term conditions, andfor their families and carers. Developing a co-ordinated approach to theavailability of such materials will be an important aspect of the long-termconditions action plan which we are developing in partnership with the LongTerm Conditions Alliance Scotland.

This issue willbe looked at in the context of the long-term conditions action plan which weare developing in partnership with the Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland.

More generally,we are currently implementing the December 2006 recommendations from theCommunity-led Supporting and Developing Healthy Communities Task Group. Thiswill deliver a range of measures designed to improve access for community-ledand voluntary bodies to skills and advice to enable them to improve delivery ofservices, to demonstrate effectiveness in improving health and to work betterwith funders in meeting the needs of the communities served. The work will alsoprovide advice and support to funders to enable them to work better with threesector service providers. This work has commenced with local discussionsbringing funders and service providers together with tailored support. Thesupport provided will not include additional funding for front-line activitiesfrom central government.

Grants areavailable under Section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 to voluntary organisations which operateon a Scotland-wide basis and which are engaged in health initiatives thatcomplement those required by statute.

The majority ofcare for people with long-term conditions is provided through primary careteams, with access to specialist care when needed. NHS boards and their communityhealth partnerships (CHP) are responsible for providing services for theirresident populations according to need. CHPs are expected to complete the long-termconditions toolkit issued in February 2007 in order to ensure that servicesprovided for people with long-term conditions are integrated, both withinhealth and with social care, responsive and of high quality.

There is also aclear role for the voluntary sector in providing information and support,whether for specific long-term conditions or more generally through the LongTerm Conditions Alliance in Scotland.

Our approach tothe management of long-term conditions will be set out in our Action Planfor Health and Wellbeing, following the consultation on Better Health,Better Care.

We are alsoworking in partnership with the Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland on along-term conditions action plan which will set out our approach to themanagement of long-term conditions, with a particular emphasis onself-management.

It is a statutoryresponsibility of local authorities to provide adequate sporting facilities intheir area, maintaining existing facilities and building new facilities asdictated by the needs of the community.

The ScottishGovernment would like as many teams as possible to base a training camp in Scotland prior to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. We will buildon work already being done to ensure as many Scottish facilities as possibleare used as training camps in the lead up to the London 2012 Games.