Chamber and committees

As I confirmed in my statement on 2 February, the Scottish Government used the time since receiving the response to consider the complex legal and policy questions the Commission’s response raises. The response was received during preparations for the live Gourock to Dunoon tender exercise. The pre-qualification assessment had concluded and Transport Scotland was in the process of informing the participants. It was therefore necessary to give careful consideration to the full legal and policy implications for the tendering process and the current contract before making the statement to Parliament and sharing the response.

I held a very constructive meeting with David Stewart MSP and representatives of the RMT on 7 February to discuss the policy review. Further engagement has been agreed as a result of the meeting.

I am committed to keeping Argyll Ferries fully informed of the purpose and progress of the review, and on-going engagement with the trade unions involved.

Contractual terms and conditions of employment are a matter for Argyll Ferries as the employer. I do not foresee the need for any changes to the current terms and conditions of employment during the review or as a consequence of any extension period being agreed.

Discussions on the contract extension have commenced with Argyll Ferries to ensure the extension is in place prior to the current contract expiring at the end of June 2017. Extension of the contract is a matter for negotiation between the Scottish Government and the operator of the public service contract.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) is responsible for the operation of the Student Placement System alongside local authorities and universities. I understand from the GTCS that in academic year 2015-16 all students studying courses of Initial Teacher Education were provided with teaching placements and received their full entitlement as part of their degree. I understand this has also been achieved for the current academic year.

While the Scottish Government has no active role in allocating students to placements in schools, we have requested that the GTCS, the Association of Directors of Education (ADES) and the universities jointly review the system and take action to help improve the process at a national level.

Any passenger service would have to operate on a commercially viable basis and this would be a matter for any prospective ferry operator to consider.

While Scottish Government encourages ferry operators to keep the option of introducing a passenger service under review, including DFDS, there are no firm commitments regarding a service at the present time.

Ensuring high quality bridge and road links to the port could be beneficial in encouraging prospective hauliers and exporters to choose the Port of Rosyth to transport their goods.

There are currently no passenger ferry services operating from Rosyth. Whilst the opening of the Queensferry Crossing will improve access to the port as a whole, it is unlikely to be the determining factor in assessing the commercial viability of a new passenger service from the port.

The Scottish Government recognises the need to ensure good transport links with ports. The opening of the Queensferry Crossing later this year will help improve access to the port.

There is an existing private rail link in Rosyth and it would be for Forth Ports and Babcock to consider the commercial viability of operating rail services to the port.

The Scottish Government is required by statute to consult on the terms of the local government settlement before it can be approved by the Scottish Parliament. To allow councils sufficient time to complete their budgetary process it is necessary to carry out the local government settlement consultation process ahead of the final stages of the Scottish Budget Bill. This is normal practice and a feature of local government finance settlements over a number of years.

Any local authority not wishing to accept the 2017-18 local government funding package on offer was required to write to the Scottish Government by 20 January 2017. No such letters were received.

The decisions by endocrinologists on whether or not to prescribe a particular therapeutic is entirely a matter for that clinician, based on an assessment they have made of the patient’s condition and the benefits and expected outcomes of prescribing a particular drug for that patient.

It should be highlighted that there is currently insufficient clinical evidence of the clinical and cost effectiveness to support the use of liothyronine (either alone or in combination) for the treatment of hypothyroidism. Thyroxine replacement therapy is essential in the treatment of hypothyroidism, with this usually being prescribed as levothyroxine.

Local formulary decisions are a matter for NHS boards in accordance with local and national priorities. Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to prescribe a particular therapeutic is entirely a matter for the prescribing clinician, based on an assessment they have made of the patient’s condition and the benefits and expected outcomes of prescribing a particular drug for that patient.

Levothyroxine (T4) is the usual first choice form of thyroxine to use for patients with hypothyroidism. The advantage of T4 is that it is well tolerated by most patients, available in multiple licensed forms and provides a stable level of thyroxine. It is recognised that a small proportion of patients do not tolerate T4 and Liothyronine (T3) use is available as an option, and where the clinician is satisfied that this is the safest and most clinically effective treatment option for the individual patient concerned.