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Although we carried out a consultation on this issue in autumn 2021, we acknowledged the strong reaction from the fishing industry around this change of policy in January 2022 and engaged further with them and other stakeholders to refine the policy. We have worked at pace to develop revised closure areas which minimise disruption to fishers (through a reduction in size of the overall closure areas) while increasing protection for cod in the areas where they are spawning.

A seasonal spawning closure in the Firth of Clyde has been in place for over 20 years to provide an area to protect cod during their spawning season (14 February – 30 April). Since its introduction in 2001, the closure has included exemptions to allow Nephrops trawlers, creels and scallop dredgers to continue to fish in the area, due to the low numbers of cod they catch. However, despite the ongoing seasonal closure, the stock has shown little sign of recovery. The Scottish Government has therefore decided to introduce a revised and more targeted closure. The overall size of the closure compared to previous years has been reduced by 28%, while providing increased protection to spawning cod by prohibiting all fishing activity in the closed areas for 11 weeks from 14 th February in both 2022 and 2023.

This decision is underpinned by analysis of sediment distribution in the Clyde, as well as by scientific research which suggests that any fishing activity within 10m of the seabed (which would include trawling, dredging and creeling) has the potential to impact on cod spawning activity. Given the vulnerability of cod to any disturbance during the spawning season, we believe that it is appropriate not to continue the exemptions in order to provide a higher chance of stock recovery and contribute to a more sustainable fishery in the West of Scotland in the medium-longer term. We will be increasing monitoring in the area during the period of the closure. We will also arrange a review meeting with stakeholders at the end of the closure to assess its effectiveness and practicality.

The area of the revised closure is based on sediment distribution in the Firth of Clyde, with greater protection for those sediment types known to be favoured by spawning cod. Full details and coordinates are available at: and

The non-continuation of the exemptions is based on scientific evidence that, while spawning, cod are extremely vulnerable to disturbance . They are focussed on mating, and the males are unwilling to leave their hard-won leks, so both sexes are less likely to try and evade oncoming fishing gear which means that mating adults are at risk of being caught. In addition, physical disturbance within the relevant areas of the Firth of Clyde during the mating period will disrupt the mating activity and potentially destroy the lek areas, and cod so disturbed may not return (and therefore may not spawn that year). Removal of all fishing activity in the closure areas should significantly mitigate this risk. If the stronger males are caught or disrupted leaving the weaker males, those males that remain may not be able to attract females. Moreover, stressed males are less likely to initiate mating. Noise may also disrupt mating, with females potentially unable to hear mating calls (Slabbekoorn et al 2010).

The information requested is not held centrally. However, patients are asked to contact their local Health Board single point of contact telephone number if they believe they are eligible for treatment. The phone lines are open seven days a week, including public holidays. Further information is available on .

Some COVID-19 positive individuals who meet the eligibility criteria will decide not to receive antiviral treatments, or may be unable to, for example due to other medications they are taking.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06307 on 28 February 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

People with certain neuromuscular conditions, such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis, are eligible for antiviral medication The eligibility criteria for direct access to new COVID-19 treatments were developed by an independent expert working group commissioned by the UK Department of Health and Social Care and is based on detailed clinical evidence. The criteria are set out in a . The policy targets those higher risk individuals who have the potential to both be least likely to generate a material immune response to vaccines and be at highest risk of disease progression, hospitalisation and death.

Further information is available on .

In addition to the direct access arrangements described above for the most vulnerable, coronavirus oral antiviral treatments are being evaluated through a UK-wide study called PANORAMIC, run by the University of Oxford. Full details about the eligibility criteria for the study can be found at:

The outcomes from the study will enable the NHS to fully understand how best to make use of these treatments in the future.

The Service commissioned an independent Demand and Capacity Review in 2017. Funding has since been approved on a phased basis, with the third phase of the review scheduled to be concluded and changes implemented by November 2022.

The Scottish Ambulance Service continues to provide data each year to Operational Research in Health (ORH) to continually update the model. This enables resourcing requirements to be modelled each year to take account of changes in the data and wider health and social care system, therefore the most recent modelling includes the impact of COVID 19.

The Demand and Capacity programme and core principals have been designed and delivered in partnership with unions - with representatives of GMB, Unite the Union and Unison all being members of the steering group which meets monthly.

A staff engagement and consultation process, also agreed in partnership with Unions at the outset, is being conducted in all regions.

SAS continue to hold regular discussions with staff side representatives, including weekly meetings with the Project Team on this review.

Since agreement of phased funding, SAS have been actively recruiting staff at pace and increasing vehicles on the ground on a transition basis into priority locations across the country. Seven additional satellite stations have already been established, with a further three still to be established, enabling resources to be spread across busy urban areas to better match patient demand.

Alongside this, the service having been working in partnership to design new rosters. SAS are expecting new rosters to be implemented in April 2022 for the majority of locations across the East and North Regions. The West Region full implementation is expected to be concluded by the end of July.

Recruitment for phase 3 of the review has commenced and will enable SAS to increase their establishment by a further 162 staff as well as further increase our station locations and vehicles on the ground.