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By continuing to ensure that the Government Economic Strategy and the pursuit of increased sustainable economic growth remains at the heart of our approach to international engagement and the prioritisation of our overseas activities. We will continue to work collaboratively with our key Scottish stakeholders to build on the progress we have already achieved with our country plans in areas ranging from business and trade to culture and education.

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking research on the nature of community radio in Scotland. This will be published by the end of the year and the research will inform development of plans, including any associated budget allocations and targets, to encourage the expansion of a Scottish community radio sector.

The formal Glasgow 2014 cultural programme will be delivered by Glasgow Life on behalf of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee. In 2009, the Scottish Government mandated the Scottish Arts Council, now Creative Scotland, to take a national leadership role for culture and co-ordinate a national culture programme and accompanying legacy that reaches across Scotland as part of the Games. In terms of a national programme of activity, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs recently announced our overarching ambition and vision for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Year of Creative Scotland with a view to further details of the plan and the programme being made available in November. Further details can be found here http://www.creativescotland.com/from-2012-to-2014.

Expressive Arts is one of eight core curriculum areas within Curriculum for Excellence – these areas underpin all learning and teaching, with the Expressive Arts experiences and outcomes enabling all young people to develop skills and abilities in the areas of art and design, dance, drama as well as music. Through music, learners have opportunities to be creative, whether this be through using their voice or a musical instrument to perform and create music as part of their learning.

The Scottish Government recognises the value of the expressive arts and is committed to the actions detailed in its Education and the Arts, Culture and Creativity Action Plan, launched in September 2010.

Get Scotland Dancing is a Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy policy. The Scottish Government, together with its partner organisations, will continue to work to create a suite of opportunities for people across Scotland to improve their health and wellbeing through dance, help to support Scotland’s vibrant dance sector and promote Scotland on the international stage. I launched the policy at a rehearsal of the mass choreographed dance routine which was performed at the Delhi handover in October 2010. Dance was the major focus of the Games for Scotland events in all of Scotland’s local authorities to mark the moment when Glasgow became the host city for the 20th Commonwealth Games and will continue to play a high profile role in forthcoming Games for Scotland events. Further details will be provided in the autumn.

I refer the member to the question S4W-01538. 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/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

We have no plans to introduce such a fund at this time. The Scottish Government has provided £1 million over the two years from 2009 to fund a programme supporting creative entrepreneurs across Scotland and recipients have included many Scottish arts graduates.

Museums Galleries Scotland are leading the work to develop a consultation paper on a national strategy. The consultation paper is planned for launch in September.

Through the Youth Music Initiative (YMI), which offers young people opportunities to get involved in music projects, we have committed a further £10 million in this financial year (2011-12). YMI is delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by Creative Scotland in partnership with local authorities who then deliver projects and initiatives to meet local needs.

The Scottish Government is currently considering a range of options for an investors’ night. Details of the event will be announced once these plans have been fully developed. We anticipate an announcement in the autumn of this year.