A lowering of the hour requirements for co-pilots is not necessarily the same thing as lowering standards; 1000 hours gained as an instructor in the US has questionable relevance to the rôle of a North Sea P2.
Why not a return to the airline-style system of yesteryear? Take a bloke straight out of Oxford/Cabair, with 100 hours helo time and a fresh CPL; stick him in the left seat and off ye go.
Tis the favoured way among European airlines: mould the new in their own image, afore they pick up/develop wicked ways.
Amen