Chamber and committees

The reduction in funding for initial teacher education in 2010-11 will be £12 million.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31921 on 3 March 2010. 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-31924 on 3 March 2010. 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-31925 on 3 March 2010. 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 Scottish Funding Council does not require institutions to allocate funding internally using the same formula as the council has used to determine their grants for teaching. This is a matter for institutions to decide in light of their particular circumstances and priorities. As autonomous bodies, higher education institutions, are responsible for managing their own funding in light of these individual priorities.

The reduction in initial teacher training places in 2010-11 can be found at table 3 of the Scottish Funding Council''s Circular dated 8 February which announced intake targets for the controlled subjects in higher education institutions for academic year 2010-11. The letter can be accessed using the following hyperlink:

http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/CircularsSFC0510/sfc0510.pdf.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31925 on 3 March 2010. 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 Scottish Government carries out an annual teacher workforce planning exercise each autumn that underpins advice to the Scottish Funding Council on intakes to initial teacher education courses. Decisions relating to 2011-12 will made after that exercise.

Licensing of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA has advised that low dose naltrexone (LDN) is not licensed for use in the UK for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Before a medicine can receive a marketing authorisation (licence) in the UK, the manufacturer must submit supporting data to the MHRA or the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) demonstrating that the quality, safety and efficacy of the product are satisfactory for its intended use. The decision to seek a marketing authorisation is a commercial decision for the manufacturer.

However, there is provision in both UK and European legislation which allow doctors, on their own direct personal responsibility, to prescribe a medicinal product specially prepared and for administration to a particular patient to meet a special clinical need. It is possible for a pharmaceutical company to produce LDN formulations to supply pharmacists, at the request of a doctor, for use by an individual on a named patient basis. This would be a matter for the individual patient and their doctor to discuss and consider whether the use of LDN is appropriate for their particular clinical need.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31365 on 24 February 2010. 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.