An alert system has been set up in case a no-deal Brexit causes shortages in medicine supply, Constitution Secretary Michael Russell has said.

Talks with Scottish health boards are ongoing to make sure they are prepared for any disruption, he added.

Mr Russell also said it was "inconceivable" the SNP would vote for any Bexit deal in the House of Commons, despite saying the UK Government should come to an arrangement with the EU for the future beyond the transition period.

EU-UK Brexit trade talks resume in ‘final throw of dice’

Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson wears boxing gloves emblazoned with "Get Brexit Done" as he poses for a photograph at Jimmy Egan's Boxing Academy in Manchester. Picture: Frank Augstein/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland on Monday, the Constitution Secretary said the Scottish Government was discussing its no-deal planning for a third time.

He said: "We have put in place something called medicine supply alert notices, which will flag up if there are any shortages coming down the track, and we'll be able to address those.

"We're working with the health boards and others on resilience and indeed there is another event this week."

Mr Russell said he would outline further issues of Brexit preparedness in a statement to Holyrood on Tuesday.

The UK Government was only looking for a "low-deal" outcome from the ongoing talks, he said, which would lead to disruption on January 1.

He continued: "Having said that, and I am certainly no fan of Brexit at all, it is better to have some sort of arrangement than no sort of arrangement."

Saying the SNP would not vote for a deal if the Prime Minister brought it to the House of Commons, Mr Russell added: "It would be extraordinary if we were voting to give away all the rights that we have.”.

Scottish alert system set up for no-deal Brexit

Comments