WHILE my Midlothian constituents and I will be remaining in Level 2, I was very pleased to see my East Lothian constituents progress to Level 1 last week.

I hope you enjoy the further easing of restrictions and look forward to us all entering Level 0 in the future.

However, Covid-19 remains a dangerous virus and I would encourage people to continue to be cautious and follow government guidelines.

Please take precautions and stay safe while the vaccine rollout continues.

One activity I have really missed this year across the whole constituency has been the gala days and, particularly, Musselburgh Festival.

These events are great fun and an opportunity to meet people you often only meet at these festivities.

They help build and cement a sense of community.

I hope that in 2022 we will see the return of the fun.

This week is Carers Week and I am proud to show my support for Scotland’s carers.

During the pandemic we all came to better understand the key role our carers played in helping us through the crisis.

This week is an opportunity to reflect on the contribution they make to the wellbeing of our society, both during the pandemic and beyond.

Later this month we have the next meeting of our environmental group ERIG (Esk River Improvement Group).

Through this group we are playing a part in raising the standards of water quality and management along the length of the Esk River to Musselburgh.

With all key players participating, we have an opportunity to make a real difference.

I would encourage members of the public who are interested to request a copy of the minutes by contacting the group at Colin.Beattie.msp@parliament.scot

In parliament, we are slowly getting back into the routine following the elections.

We are hoping to find out which parliamentary committees we have been allocated very soon and I am looking forward to working with my designated committee.

In the meantime – keep safe and keep well.