Chamber and committees

I have not had any recent discussions with the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) regarding the maritime skills base.

However, the Scottish Government enjoys strong relationships with the UKCES and seeks to influence development of Scottish qualifications through regular contact with the two commissioners based in Scotland. We also hope to benefit from the closer relationship and greater understanding that the UKCES Chief Executive Michael Davies has developed with Scottish industry and skills contacts through his role with the independent commission for developing Scotland's young workforce.

Seafarers can access a range of training opportunities delivered by our national skills body, Skills Development Scotland, which committed to deliver a minimum of 46,500 training places in 2012-13.

Through the Energy Skills Challenge Fund, Orkney College delivered a full range of maritime safety training to 164 individuals.

A modern apprenticeship framework for maritime occupations was developed last year, and approved by the modern apprenticeship group in November 2012. As at 31 March 2013 there were two apprentices following this framework.

In Scotland, all apprentices must be employed, linking apprenticeships to real and sustainable jobs. As such, the programme is demand led and is therefore reliant upon employers offering apprenticeships in their sector.

With regard to employment opportunities, no data is held centrally. However, the Scottish Government provides funding to support young people into employment through a range of employer recruitment incentives.

The information on seafarers trained and sponsored by CalMac Ferries Limited is as follows:

*The cadet sponsorship programme ordinarily takes each cadet three years to complete. Consequently of the 40 cadets in training at any one time there are cadets completing their training after three years, there are also cadets midway through their training and a third group starting their training.

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN ANSWER

15 July 2013

Index Heading: Transport Scotland

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14388 by Keith Brown on 8 May 2013, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the training of (a) rating and (b) officer seafarers as a result of Serco NorthLink’s election to the tonnage tax scheme.

(S4W-15849)

Keith Brown:I refer the member to the answer to questions S4W-15721 and S4W-15725 on 28 June 2013. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is the independent regulator and registrar of Scottish Charities.

The role of OSCR is to:

Determine whether bodies are charities

Keep a public register of charities

Encourage, facilitate and monitor compliance by charities with the provisions of The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005

Identify and investigate apparent misconduct in the administration of charities and to take remedial or protective action in relation to such misconduct

Give information or advice, or to make proposals, to Scottish Ministers on matters relating to OSCR’s functions

OSCR is a Non-Ministerial Department; is part of the Scottish Administration; and is accountable to the Scottish Parliament. The OSCR Board is recruited through the public appointments process and is appointed by Scottish Ministers.

OSCR’s funding is approved by the Scottish Parliament annually as part of the Budget (Scotland) Act.

The reimbursement arrangements for all drugs prescribed and dispensed by NHS Scotland are kept under constant review. With reference to liothyronine, the reimbursement price is based on that set by the single company manufacturing the product.

The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy wholesalers and pharmacists in order to minimise the impact of any supply chain problems on both patients and the NHS. In addition, officials are in regular contact with the Department of Health to consider any UK-wide implications.

The Department of Health has been in contact with the manufacturer of liothyronine (T3), Amdipharm Mercury Company Ltd, to discuss action the company may take to avoid future shortages.

It is a matter for individual pharmaceutical companies to decide whether they wish to apply for a marketing authorisation to allow them to market a particular product.

The Department of Health (DH) has responsibility for UK medicines shortages and act on behalf of all the UK Health Departments in these matters.

DH has advised that the company responsible for the manufacture and distribution of liothyronine (T3), Amdipharm Mercury Company Ltd, experienced problems obtaining the active substance and, as a consequence, went out of stock. I understand that new stock is now available.

The Department of Health (DH) has responsibility for UK medicines shortages and acts on behalf of all the UK Health Departments in these matters.

DH and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have worked very closely with the company responsible for the manufacture and distribution of liothyronine, Amdipharm Mercury Company Ltd, to help ensure that supply returned to normal as quickly as possible and I understand that new stock is now available.

I also understand that while the UK licensed product was in short supply, unlicensed alternatives were imported from abroad for use on an individual patient basis. The MHRA issued advice to healthcare professionals on 21 May 2013 to explain the situation and to provide clinical advice on the use of imported alternatives.