Trevor Clarke
South Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“For recruitment to the current Youth Assembly and on the basis of research on the youth demographic in Northern Ireland, a minimum of 10 young people with disabilities were sought in order to be representative of the data. Of the 90 young people appointed to the Youth Assembly, 18 have a disability.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Youth Assembly regularly uses social media to promote its work, and, when preparing for a new mandate, targeted multimedia recruitment campaigns are used to engage young people and encourage participation.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission also has an apprenticeship and placement framework that provides the opportunity for people with a disability to avail themselves of short-term supported placements.”
“In 2025, 770 tours were delivered and the number of events hosted in Parliament Buildings almost doubled to 583. <BR /> <BR />Our Education Service promotes its programmes to schools and colleges through an annual September mail-out, outlining provision for the relevant Key Stages, including a focus on inclusive engagement for children wi…”
“Mr Speaker, I may require an extra minute to answer the question. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Member for her question. The Assembly Commission's school work experience programme is facilitated through a partnership between our internal education services team and an organisation called Futures For All, a social mobility charity.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I may need an extra minute to answer the question, and I thank the Member for it. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly Commission's public engagement strategy 2025-27 aims to increase awareness, improve understanding and enable participation in the work of the Assembly.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,151 lines we hold for Trevor Clarke, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 10 of 24.
“Minister, as described today, there is lots of money floating around. The Department of Justice may have fared well with its propositions, but how does that fit with last week's statement from the Chief Constable that the PSNI will suspend recruitment? What considerations did your Department and, indeed, the DOJ give to financing the PSNI appropriately so that it can continue recruitment and fulfil the requirement in 'New Decade, New Approach' (NDNA) for additional officers?”
“What does she say to the working poor, who will not qualify for the payment? They find it as difficult to manage as those who rely on benefits.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I am sure that you will appreciate that many of the people who have applied are very needy. Whilst it is mild this week, we are in the winter period, and many of those people expect that money soon. What does the Minister have to say about the difficulties that people are having in accessing the Bryson scheme?”
“He told me that he was travelling behind the van on the day, before it was blown up. That man has never been interviewed by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET). Maybe now, the police and security forces will want to make contact with that man, who worked for the same firm but was never spoken to by the HET. That is a shame, but its timing was stark following what Rev McCrea said yesterday and the lack of interest by the BBC, the HET and others. Maybe it is time now, after 30 years, that they got their act together and brought some form of justice to us and the rest of the families.”
“<BR /> <BR />Yesterday's gathering struck me more than most, and Mr Allister slightly touched on this in what he said about inquiries. I do not expect the Reverend William McCrea's contribution yesterday to get coverage today. There was particular media interest yesterday, but, other than a passing headline, the media have never been interested in the events at Teebane. As Mr Allister said, there have been no ombudsman inquiries, but nor have there been any fancy reports commissioned by the BBC or any other media outlets about what happened that day. <BR /> <BR />We have garnered a friendship and a bond from those gatherings, and indeed many of us went to a religious service last night. Before I went to that service, I was glad to have an opportunity to speak to one man whom I had never spoken to before.”
“Many Members will not remember where they were 30 years ago, but I remember clearly, this day 30 years ago, getting a phone call to bring my wife to my mother-in-law. I remember the visit from the police about 10.20 pm with the news that many of us did not want: my brother-in-law, along with seven colleagues, had been brutally murdered and six others seriously injured. For 30 years, we have gathered at the same spot, albeit we did not gather last year because of COVID. We have gathered there with family, friends and members of the wider community who have expressed an interest over the years. We have been strongly supported by Rev McCrea and Rev Ivor Smith. To this day, the contractor of the time, Cedric Blackburn from Karl Construction, supports the families every year with dignity.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. I acknowledge the work that many GPs are doing to deliver the programme. I am sure, however, that the Minister is aware of the disparity across GP services. We have heard about people queuing in car parks to get their vaccination, with some of them getting it through the car window. There seems to be a common theme that many of those people are not allowed into GP practices. Is your Department doing anything about that in order to bring some sort of consistency to how that service is delivered? Given that those people are among the most vulnerable in society, I am sure that you will agree that it is not acceptable for people to stand in long queues outside buildings waiting to get in for their vaccination.”
“How do you, Minister, square the circle in relation to the commitments that your party and others signed up to in NDNA, one of the premises that brought us back here? This Budget will fall short of fulfilling the complement of 7,500 police officers.”
“Before I ask my question, I will put it on record that I am a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate that there are difficulties in setting a Budget, given the financial constraints on the Executive and their commitment to supporting Health. There is a welcome line in the statement in relation to confidence and supply and a financial package whereby we get additional funding. However, having read the statement, my concern is that there is no additional support to fulfil one of those commitments in relation to the PSNI complement of 7,500. The PSNI is currently aiming for a complement of 7,100 but, by any indication that we have had from the Policing Board, this Budget will reduce that figure.”
“I am happy to take that back to the Commission for consideration.”
“I heard what the Member said, and if he listened to my answer, he would know that I pointed out that the grounds belong to the Department of Finance. However, like the Member from East Belfast, his comments are on record, and I believe that the Commission should reflect on them.”
“The Commission has gone some way towards trying to address those things and is bringing forward some plans so that it is balanced. As for the political argument, as I said in my previous answer, I am here to represent the Commission's views and not my own.”
“The Member will understand that I am here to reflect the corporate position of the Assembly Commission rather than my own views or those of my party. The Commission has to deal with the reality that there are different views in it on those matters, just as there are in the wider Assembly. That said, the Member has put her comments on record, and, hopefully, the Commission as a whole will reflect on them.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The Assembly Commission has had no discussions about making representations to the Minister of Finance about planting trees as part of The Queen's Green Canopy project for the Queen's platinum jubilee. As the Member set out in her question, decisions about the Stormont estate are for the Minister of Finance. The Assembly Commission has no role in those decisions, so it would be unusual for the Assembly Commission to make representations on an issue that it has no responsibility for. I am sure that the Member will seek to raise those matters directly with the Department of Finance.”
“It would be reasonable for the Assembly Commission to consider that question at some of its future meetings. I will take it back.”
“I thank the Member for participating from her home network. There are a number of listed questions from Members on the Wi-Fi network that my Assembly Commission colleague is due to answer. It would be appropriate to address that supplementary question at that point.”
“The IS Office team constantly monitors that email account during working hours and responds to enquiries as quickly as possible. The current arrangements are working well, but the IS Office will keep them under review.”
“<BR /> <BR />In response to the increased demands on the Assembly’s IT network, the Assembly Commission has provided additional capacity for secure remote connections and supported the use of a range of videoconferencing tools, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom and StarLeaf. In recognising and responding to deficiencies in the Parliament Buildings Wi-Fi service, the Assembly Commission has provided all Members with webcams in their offices, and the Commission is undertaking a review of the Wi-Fi network. <BR /> <BR />The pandemic has also caused a significant surge in user support requirements, and the IS Office has worked hard to address those needs on a timely basis. Assembly users are asked to submit enquiries to the IT service desk via email.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges to the Assembly Commission and has impacted on our ability to deliver and support Assembly business in a rapidly changing public health environment. The past 18 months have been extremely challenging for the Assembly’s Information Systems (IS) Office team. During that time, the IS Office has had to review how a range of services could be delivered during the pandemic and implement innovative changes to successfully facilitate the work of the Assembly. It has enabled all Members and staff to work remotely from home and other locations.”
“As indicated, the Commission considered this at length and made a commitment to consider it at the start of the next mandate, in view of the volume of business that is currently before it.”
“The Member will be aware that provision already exists in the determination to provide for replacement cover for a Member's employee who is off work due to maternity. In reviewing the determination at the start of the next mandate, the Commission will consider providing Members with additional support staff costs for the recruitment of an extra member of staff to cover constituency duties while a Member is on parental leave.”
“Additional support could be made available to assist with constituency work through an increase to the staffing costs that are made available to a Member. Any such change to facilitate paid support for Members on parental leave could be made by the Assembly Commission through the publication of a revised determination. <BR /> <BR />At the Commission meeting on 8 July 2021, members agreed that the draft provisions to be included in a new determination should be prepared for agreement prior to the end of the current mandate but that any new determination would be published only alongside the progress of the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill in the next mandate. The Assembly Commission therefore intends to return to the matter in the next mandate.”
“For instance, any proposal to allow a replacement Member to be put in place to cover for a period of parental leave would require a change to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which is outside the remit of the Assembly Commission; nor can the Assembly Commission introduce any aspect of financial support that would be paid to a Member as a result of parental leave, as the Commission plays no role in determining the salaries or pensions that are paid to Members. <BR /> <BR />When a Member is absent as a result of parental leave, however, the Assembly Commission has the ability to provide additional support for carrying out the constituency work that the Member would otherwise have undertaken.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, I may need additional time for the answer. <BR /> <BR />The fact that the Assembly is increasingly made up of Members from a diverse range of backgrounds that reflect our wider society is entirely a good thing, and the Assembly Commission is very supportive of finding ways to support Members who have young families. Many of the obvious ways in which Members might be supported on the issue of parental leave are not within the responsibilities of the Commission.”
“I accept the Member's point about Craigavon, but the legislation is uniform in the way that it is framed. What happens in Craigavon will be different from what happens at Antrim. Antrim Area Hospital is right on the edge of the M2. Given its convenience for the M2, the consequence there will be entirely different from the consequence at Craigavon. Does the Member accept that there is disparity from site to site?”
“We have the greatest respect for the staff and think that something should be done for them, but we need to be very careful about how we take this forward.”
“Without teasing out all of those consequences between now and the Bill's next stage, we run the risk of bringing in very bad legislation, because it is ill-thought-out legislation. Indeed, take the Chairperson's point: infrastructure comes at a cost, but who will pay for it? <BR /> <BR />It is also interesting to note that the Bill sponsor's party leader in the House was the Minister of Health, but she never thought of bringing forward such a proposal in her time. Maybe, when the current Minister of Health speaks, he can indicate whether the suggestion of removing hospital car parking charges was brought to the Executive previously. I look forward to his contribution. <BR /> <BR />As I said, we support the Bill's principle, and we will certainly not stand in the way of its going to the next stage.”
“Those who were late, rushing in at the last minute for an appointment, could not get those car parking spaces. <BR /> <BR />Whatever is done on this and whatever the Committee agrees and brings back to the Assembly, I have the greatest respect and sympathy for the staff. It would be easier for the Committee, as it takes forward its deliberations, to provide free car parking for staff, but I do not know, and I stand to be convinced, how we can have an entirely free system. As a regular user of hospital services, I baulk at the thought of going in to see a consultant and paying £1·00 when I come out. However, I pay it, because I know that I can park conveniently to the hospital, I can get in and out, and it costs £1 or £1·50. <BR /> <BR />We have to be very careful of the consequences of these decisions.”
“However, I enjoyed Mr Chambers's contribution, and, as he said, we have to look at all the consequences. Ms Bradshaw made the same points. What are the consequences? Where does the money come from? How do we fund it, and what do we end up with afterwards? Those issues greatly concern me. <BR /> <BR />I have the greatest respect for the staff, and I do not believe that they should ever have had to pay. However, if you make the car park free for staff, there is another consequence. Will the public car park and the staff car park be free? There was a time in Antrim when many staff parked in the front car park and the back car park was left unused, narrowing the window of opportunity for people who had only a limited time to see their loved ones. That was at a time when you could visit people in hospital.”
“I understood the intervention differently from the way in which it is now being explained. <BR /> <BR />As a representative of the Antrim area, I remember when hospital car parking charges came in. At the time, I thought that excuses — I described them as such — were being made for the introduction of charges. It was said that people were using hospital car parks as long-stay car parks in order to commute to work or for any number of reasons. However, I have to say that, when charges came in, we went from having to park almost at the roundabout near the hospital to parking in the car park. The car parking charges met their intended purpose: they helped those going to the hospital to help their loved ones. <BR /> <BR />I have the greatest sympathy for the staff. I do not believe that they should ever have to pay.”
“One could be forgiven for suggesting that we are a few months away from an election and that this is a popular thing to do at this time.”
“When it is this late in the debate, it is hard to say something that other Members have not said. I support my colleagues' contributions, which indicate that our party supports the principles of the Bill. However, we have reservations. <BR /> <BR />Hospital car parking charges have been in existence for a long number of years now, and I was concerned when they were introduced. However, the Chair of the Committee responded to Mr Chambers by saying, basically, to disregard the consequences and let someone else pick up the bill. Mr Chambers was teasing out some of the issues, which is what Members are supposed to do. It was disappointing to hear him closed down by the suggestion that the House should decide what it will do and someone else will foot the bill. That is reckless.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. On the point about what Nichola Mallon did, did she continue to allow free transport? What did the Minister do about a better timetable for staff to permit them to use the car parks? Surely that would have been the better form of action, as opposed to encouraging people back to their cars. The Member previously made a point about public transport; surely Minister Mallon could have put on a better timetable for staff to suit them and, indeed, members of the public.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, I visited an establishment in Ballyclare in my constituency just over a week ago. It can accommodate seven patients, yet five of its beds are vacant. I was told that the reason why those beds are vacant is because people are blocking hospital beds and there is nothing in place to allow five patients to leave hospital and go to that one facility alone. Will you, Minister, take a serious look at what can be done in the short term to try to expedite the opportunities for those people to get out of hospital? That would allow those who are waiting to leave hospital to do so and the capacity to remain in hospitals to treat seriously ill patients.”
“My constituency colleague now seems to be coming onside for the incinerator plant, which I welcome, on the Hightown road. Given that there is a need for coordination of planning, surely part of that would be to prevent the continuation of landfill sites, the approval of landfill sites and the potential of landfill sites.”
“Minister, in your statement, you talked about:”
“Minister, in one of your comments, you said that you saw this coming. I think that we all saw it coming. I know of an infant who a GP refused to see on three occasions over six weeks. The parents took that child to A&E, and the A&E doctor was appalled that the GP had refused to see the child. How many examples are there where GPs refused to see children or tried to diagnose them over the phone, and parents decided to take their children to A&E, where A&E doctors told them that the GP should have seen them in the first instance?”
“My question follows on nicely from the Minister's response. I note that the Minister did not touch on the comments from one of the Policing Board members — one of the people whom she appointed — who referred to the RUC as a sectarian force. That Member talks about 50:50 recruitment at every opportunity; however, none of the individuals from the nationalist side seems to go out and openly encourage nationalists to join the police. Does the Minister think that that Member's comments about the RUC, which is now obviously the PSNI, were helpful or built confidence in the unionist community?”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. She cited many reasons for why she thinks that there may have been an impact on driver numbers. Those same impacts are being suffered in the rest of the UK, however, where mitigations and relaxations of tests have been considered. Why does the Minister refuse to bring in the same relaxations for the testing regime in Northern Ireland?”
“The Minister will accept that the organisation that runs PIP has come under much public criticism about the timings and, indeed, how it has treated some people. She referred to the 13 weeks in her statistics. Although my question did not refer to appeals, the Minister will probably know from her briefing that appeals run into many months. Given that many of those people are in a vulnerable state and depend on that income, what is the Minister doing to try to address that and reduce the time that those people have to wait to get their payments?”
“There are probably more Policing Board members here than anything else. That is just the nature of where we are. He said that he believed that officers were treated fairly. In the main, it is probably reasonable to assume that. Of course, when you have the federation itself making representations to the contrary, the doubt, suspicion and suggestion is that it may be otherwise. I probably agree with John in that most officers whom I have spoken to believe that they have been fairly treated. However, if the Police Federation believes that officers have been unfairly treated, there is an issue. For that reason — even for that reason alone — the Minister should allow —”
“Members on these Benches have always supported the police having everything at their disposal to carry out their job in a safe and fair manner. However, Mrs Kelly omitted to say that the ombudsman did not rule on that. The difficulties with the office were identified when Mr Nesbitt raised the question on that particular issue last Thursday. Of course, on the cases that she referred to, the ombudsman had the pleasure, or otherwise, of seeing the footage because that person had been in custody previously. There are many occasions, of course, when police come into contact with individuals whom they will never meet. Therefore, there are issues with how the ombudsman does her job. This would have shone a light on that. <BR /> <BR />John Blair also indicated that he, amongst others, was a member of the Policing Board.”
“The ombudsman could not even give the Member an answer to that last Thursday, but Mrs Kelly wanted to put words in the ombudsman's mouth, because what she did not say today was that the ombudsman was not suggesting the removal of spit and bite guards, so Mrs Kelly went short of that. She talked about the bits that she wanted to talk about because it suited a particular narrative.”
“<BR /> <BR />Lots of statistics were referred to today, and Mrs Kelly mentioned some. Indeed, there must be a sharing of statistics amongst most Alliance Members, because they talked about the life and times survey. I am not sure that many members of the public will lift the life and times survey to see the findings of that particular document, but, at the Policing Board last week, I referred to people coming to my office — I am sure that they come to other Members' offices as well — and referring to the interaction that they have had with the ombudsman's office, and it is not always very glowing. Some people are very disappointed with how their issues have been handled and the conclusions of the ombudsman's office. <BR /> <BR />Mr Nesbitt raised the issue today about spit and bite guards, as did Mrs Kelly.”
“<BR /> <BR />Reference was also made to the Police Federation. It was an attack, I believe, from a member of the Policing Board on the Police Federation, which is a federation that is there to defend its members. He referred in his comments to the federation and to retired officers, but surely the whole purpose of the ombudsman is to bring fairness and impartiality. It seems that some Members do not want that fairness or impartiality. Indeed, from Mr Kelly's comments today, that was fairly obvious. <BR /> <BR />Dolores Kelly said that she regrets that we are covering old ground. I am not sure how we are covering old ground by simply saying that we want a review of the ombudsman's office to make sure that it continues to operate fairly and impartially and continues to give everyone a fair hearing.”
“There was a theme from some Members on the opposite Benches that suggested that it was an attack on the ombudsman's office. It is nothing of the sort. If any sort of report or investigation is done, it may be helpful to the office. It may highlight some issues that came up previously in the 2011 report. The Minister quite rightly said that there was a review of that in 2013. CJINI did another review and was satisfied that those things were taken on board. So it has happened before. <BR /> <BR />Then there is the old adage that Gerry likes to put out about the RUC and collusion. I am not sure why he has to centre that one out on every occasion. Many Members of his own party will know all about collusion with state forces, maybe not on this side of the border but across the border, but dare we ever say that?”
“My colleague who opened the debate asked for it to be far-reaching. I do not see anything wrong with being far-reaching and looking into what the ombudsman's office has done, whether it has been done correctly or incorrectly, or whether it is procedurally fair. Are Members suggesting that, if there was an investigation and something was found to be unfair, the office should continue to do things the way that it has always done them? This is not about challenging the impartiality of the office. This is about making sure that the office is fair to everyone, regardless of their colour, creed, religious background or otherwise, and that, whether it be retired officers or members of the public, they get a fair representation from the office. <BR /> <BR />Gerry Kelly was very quick to oppose the motion.”
“It seems to be the case that, because the DUP is asking for it, Members will not allow it. That is what it seems like. It is like most debates in this House now. If the DUP wants it, no one else wants it. I assume that Mr Allister in the corner will probably join us today, but it is them versus us —”
“Surely that suggests that they have some reservations about the office, but it seems strange that they do not want to join us today in calling for a review. Indeed, a review may find some things that may be useful to them in those investigations.”
“Some Members wanted to use the debate to reference some other cases. Indeed, they were critical of the length of time taken to investigate and the findings of some of the previous reports.”