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It is estimated that the cost of the development, implementation and marketing of the Home Insulation Scheme by the managing agent for the scheme, which will cover at least 90,000 households in its first phase, will be approximately £5.5 million. The Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is expected to attract investment in energy efficiency measures by energy companies under their Carbon Emissions Reduction Target obligations. Other funding from HIS will be used to provide additional energy efficiency measures in the selected areas and to cover scheme evaluation. Funding may also be used to cover additional costs in rural and island areas and staffing costs. The breakdown of spend will depend on the uptake of measures under the scheme and final arrangements in respect of procurement.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21691 on 27 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The package presents a holistic approach to tackling fuel poverty by providing a range of people with a range of services at each stage including: income maximisation, energy efficiency advice and social tariff checks at stages 1 and 2, standard insulation measures at stage 3, and enhanced measures to improve the energy efficiency of the home at stage 4.

Stage 4 is designed to provide bespoke assistance to meet the individual household''s needs, and therefore a wide range of measures is considered which includes internal and external wall insulation, central heating and air source heat pumps. Draught proofing, tank and pipe lagging, loft and cavity insulation will always be provided where technically feasible; other measures will depend on impact on energy efficiency of the home, technical feasibility and individual preferences.

The range of measures available at stage 4 are outlined in the Home Energy Assistance Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2009 available here:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2009/ssi_20090048_en_1.

Energy companies are expected to contribute to the Home Insulation Scheme through activity under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target. The estimated cost of this activity will be included within the match funding sought for the scheme.

No targets for waiting times have been set. The Energy Assistance Package is a collaborative approach to tackling fuel poverty, and a range of partners with differing delivery timescales provide advice and intervention at each of the four stages. It is a demand-led programme and as such waiting times are dependent upon the number of applicants, available resources (including installer capacity) and the individual circumstances of each installation which may include technical issues such as the suitability of the fuel supply or the need for a building warrant, or personal issues such as agreeing a convenient installation date with the applicant. Delivery partners are working hard to keep waiting times to a minimum at each stage of the package.

I refer the member to the answers to question S3W-25585 on 27 July 2009 and question S3W-21691 on 27 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25584 on 27 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25589 on 27 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25589 on 27 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Local authorities have responsibility for the planning, development and delivery of carers'' respite services in their areas. In doing so, they are able to take account of the Guidance on Short Breaks (Respite) issued jointly by the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) in November 2008.

The commitment in the Concordat to make progress towards an additional 10,000 respite weeks by 2011 is Scotland-wide and no quotas have been set for individual local authorities. Information for 2008-09 is currently being audited and will be published for each local authority on the Audit Scotland Performance Information website. Moreover, CoSLA has asked local authorities for local targets for respite weeks in 2009-10 and in 2010-11.

Self-directed support (direct payments) statistics are collected from local authorities and published annually by the Scottish Government. Some information is collected on the type of self-directed support (direct payment) package including carers'' respite. In 2008, there were 434 packages of respite compared with 389 in 2007.

The Short Breaks Task Group and Carers'' Strategy Steering Group are taking forward consideration of issues around short breaks/respite for inclusion in The Carers'' Strategy for Scotland to be published in 2010.