THE bold promises made by the Tories and the UK Government about the Brexit Deal have come crashing down as the reality hits home and Scottish shellfish exporters face bankruptcy as red tape and delays mean that produce cannot be sold.

With the Tories now saying that "significant additional disruption" is expected at the border in the coming weeks, the UK Government needs to show our businesses the support they need.

I am very aware that many of you are having to support school pupils learning from home and that is not always going to be easy.

The Scottish Government also recognises that and a new package of £45million has been announced that will help local authorities to provide support to schools and families as they deal with the challenges of remote learning during lockdown.

Mr Swinney has also asked HM Inspectors of Education to start a national review of the quality and effectiveness of remote learning across the country with the first report to published on January 22.

In terms of Covid, it has been a real good news-bad news week.

The bad news, of course, is that there has been a further tightening of the lockdown with new measures coming into force to suppress the spread of the virus. The good news, on the other hand, is that the vaccine programme is now well under way.

Here, in Forth Valley, we have already vaccinated more than 90 per cent of care home residents and more than half of front-line health and social care workers. The vaccination of those aged over 80 has begun and is gathering speed.

It is expected that first doses for the over-80s will be completed by February 5, and everyone aged over 70 will have been offered vaccination by mid-February. It is the aim of the Scottish Government to have vaccinated everyone over 65 and those with extreme clinical vulnerability by the end of February.

In Forth Valley, 22 GP Surgeries have signed up to deliver the vaccine to the over 80s group and those patients will be contacted by their practice directly. Forth Valley NHS will be in touch with the remaining over 80s in due course advising them when and where their vaccine will be administered.

While the news on the vaccines in encouraging and Scotland continues to have lower levels of infection than other parts of the UK, there is something very simple that we can all do to support the campaign against Covid – stick to the rules and stay at home as much as possible.

It's great news that two organisations in Clackmannanshire are to benefit from the Scottish Government's Community Climate Asset Fund which aims to help tackle climate change and deliver Scotland's green recovery from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface will receive over £26,000 for electric bikes and charging points to help the people of Alloa and wider Clackmannanshire to reduce local carbon emissions as part of their active sustainable travel hub and Tillicoultry Baptist Church will receive nearly £14,500 for secondary glazing to help reduce local carbon emissions by making the church space more energy efficient. Well done to both for their successful applications.