Chamber and committees

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 plan to place thisoverview on the Scottish Government website within the next two months.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Furtherinformation on how we intend to ensure that all parts of Scotland benefit from the Commonwealth Games will bepublished for consultation within the first 100 days of winning the bid.

The Scottish Governmenthas a very clear commitment to ensuring that the whole of Scotland benefits from the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

We will work withrelevant agencies and local authorities to ensure that, Scottish businesses arewell-placed to bid for contracts arising from the games, that visitors to the gamesare encouraged to travel to other parts of the country, and that youngsterseverywhere are inspired to take up sport.

Furtherinformation on how we intend to deliver a lasting legacy from the 2014Commonwealth Games will be published for consultation within the first 100 daysof winning the bid.