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.”
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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 16 of 24.
“I thank all Members who have taken part in the debate. I listened carefully to what the Minister said. I am sorry: I should have begun by welcoming her to the debate and wishing her well for her term of office. <BR /> <BR />I listened carefully to her words on the review. The review team suggested that concentration on central registers and stuff like that would divert resources from front-line enforcement. However, that suggests to me that there might be less need for enforcement if animals were not placed in the wrong properties in the first instance. Therefore, it may not be a necessity to have so many people in the front-line team. <BR /> <BR />I am trying not to hang on the Minister's words, but she said that sentences in some cases could be reviewed.”
“I thank the Member for giving way on that particular point. Does he agree that what made it worse was the sentences that were handed down by the judiciary in that case? You rightly describe it as one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, but the way in which the judges dealt with it and the lenient sentences handed down were nearly more shameful than the crime itself.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. Recently, Minister, I was approached about assets by someone involved with the Sea Cadets in Ballymena. We saw on television recently that, across the water, some boats had been confiscated, and he made a case for them. What more could you do, Minister, to distribute this information to community groups, which have a valuable role to play, to make sure that they know that they can avail themselves of some of the assets that have been received by the Department?”
“I appreciate that the Member is coming to the end of his time. It is easy for us all to say that things need to be done, but we need to be clear about what those things are.”
“I appreciate that the Member obviously supports the thrust of the motion. However, given his latter comments, he will also appreciate that some of those agencies already hold personal information. Doug Beattie talked about repeat offenders: how can we tackle repeat offenders unless those who carry out the licensing function have that information and know that people have been banned from keeping animals?”
“It has been a very painful weekend for the families of those involved. My heartfelt apologies go to those families. I thought about them over the weekend. As the previous Member has said, similar events have happened, albeit not in the same numbers, on our shores here in Northern Ireland. It was not right here, it has never been right and it has proven never to be right. There is nothing we can do, in terms of words of comfort we can give to the families of those people who were brutally murdered at the weekend, other than give them prayerful support. I suggest that Members keep them, and their families, in their prayers over the coming days and weeks ahead.”
“I have no issue with the motion as worded. I took encouragement from the Minister's statement to the House yesterday. I took encouragement from her suggestion that there was a decrease in waiting times from December to March. I wish the Minister well, but I cannot offer her any advice. As the Member who spoke previously said, there have been various reports, but, as I said earlier, people caused previous Ministers problems with the outcomes of those reports and are suggesting different ways of doing things. <BR /> <BR />I wish the Minister well on this. It needs to be tackled, but it is not just something for the Minister but something for all the parties to get together on, in order to depoliticise the matter of health and address the particular issue.”
“That says to me that some of those people should not have been there in the first instance.”
“I have been in an A&E department when there has been a crisis. When staff come out and tell folk, "We're under severe pressure tonight. Can you go away and come back tomorrow?", I am amazed at the number of people who can step up and walk out of A&E.”
“It is unfair, however, to assume that the Northern Trust is not recruiting, given that it went out to competition and people did not apply. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, I have needed the health service a considerable number of times over the past number of years. Among the things that I have seen are difficulties with GP appointments and with Dalriada D-Doc sending people to A&E. All those things add more pressure on the health service. We all have a responsibility to bear, not just as politicians but as members of the public, in how we access the health service and whether we are doing so in the correct manner. Do we need to use these people on every occasion? We have an excellent pharmacy in my village of Randalstown, and it can treat people with minor ailments. We are all familiar with A&E departments.”
“This will come about only if we are all brave when courageous decisions have to be made. We have to support the Minister in those decisions, should that be through Transforming Your Care or other things that have been mooted in the reports. <BR /> <BR />Whilst we have to be critical of the health service, we have to commend those who work in it in challenging and difficult times. Some Members have mentioned getting more staff. I would have been critical about getting more staff until I met the chief executive of the Northern Trust recently, who said that the trust had had recruitment campaigns for more staff but people did not apply. Maybe that means that the chief executive or the trust have to look at different ways to recruit individuals.”
“It is valid to say that the reports have been completed and things have to be done. It is worth noting that, every time a report comes out, some political parties come at it from an angle of opposing aspects of it. It was encouraging to hear the Member who has just spoken say that it is a case of reform and that we need to reform these things. However, people need to realise that, when we reform things, it brings about change and some of the changes are things that most Members have opposed when Ministers have tried to bring about change. <BR /> <BR />I do not underestimate the importance of what Ms Dobson said. I fully support and recognise what she said: as stated in the motion, something is required. There is a bit of blue-sky thinking, and we have to tackle this. I do not envy the Minister her task in relation to this.”
“At the outset, I apologise for the Committee Chairperson, who has hopefully left the Building by this stage. She is sick this afternoon. She was down to speak. Hopefully, she does not need an appointment with a GP or a hospital. However, she is sick, and I report her apology. <BR /> <BR />I do not want to underestimate the motion in the name of Jo-Anne Dobson. It is crucial, and, as the Member who has just spoken said, it has been a topical issue for many of us on the doors and, even before we got to the doors, in our constituency offices. As was said yesterday, we should not politicise the issue because it affects everyone in the community, regardless of community background or where you come from. <BR /> <BR />The Member who has just spoken referred to the challenges in those reports.”
“Like others, I thank the Minister for her statement. It is timely given that many of us hear about waiting times. I also believe, as others do, that the issue should not be politicised. The Minister's statement said that the direction from December to March was that the times reduced. Can she identify any one thing that contributed to that? I welcome anything that decreases the number of people on waiting lists.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to close by again thanking the Minister for bringing this forward and thanking Members for their patience in allowing accelerated passage so that we could get this in before the end of the mandate.”
“These last few weeks have shown that work can be done in this place. There has been a huge amount of delivery, albeit it was late in the term. We have put our shoulders to the wheel and pushed, and we have got there. Given that the A6 comes through part of my constituency, this land acquisition legislation typifies for me what we can do to change the lives of some people. As I said, whilst they are giving up land, they will get an additional payment, and that should remove part of the burden on them. <BR /> <BR />I think that, when the will is there, we can work together for the betterment of everyone. This is not an orange or green issue. It is not about community background, where someone goes on a Sunday or their place of worship. It is about everyday things that are valuable to people.”
“It is an opportunity that has been missed in the past and, on reflection, it is disappointing that we were not here sooner. I can only say, however, that, if it were not for this Minister in her term in office, the people along the A6 and, indeed, the A5 would continue to be disadvantaged. So I put on record my thanks to the current Minister. I wish her well in the forthcoming Assembly elections. I wish her the best, and I hope the she comes back to continue the work that she has been doing. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, if you will allow me, I also want to pay tribute to you for the fairness that you have shown to many of us in the Chamber in your time. I wish you well in your retirement; indeed, I wish all those who are retiring at this time well. I also wish those standing for election well.”
“I do not really have much to add to what the Minister said. I know that a lot of people today have reflected on the contributions that have been made in the Assembly during this mandate, and I want to put on record my thanks to the Minister. I have spoken to many people who are going to lose land as a result of the A6, and whilst it is seen as progress for many, some see it disadvantaging their farm practice. However, the people along the A6 whom I have spoken to welcome the fact that the Minister has moved to bring us into line with the rest of the UK by giving them the advantage of that additional 10%. The Minister talked today about providing a more favourable position, and I think that an additional 10% for those losing land is a favourable position.”
“I think that anyone who is listening to this today will say that, if we go ahead and do something before the Bill gets its Royal Assent, we could look foolish. We have heard an indication from the party opposite that it was not using a blocking mechanism. I can only take it at its word and that this will be dealt at the start of the next mandate. Not everyone signed up to the Fresh Start Agreement of course, but we signed up to the Fresh Start Agreement, which allows for official opposition. This mechanism, adjusting the Standing Orders, allows that to go ahead. For that reason, we will be supporting the motions on the amendments.”
“As I said, Jim was supposed to be the champion of opposition since he started. I am quite happy to repeat that. It took John McCallister, and I thank John McCallister for the work that he has done. John McCallister has a Bill, which this party supported and was pleased to support. There was a danger that, if we could not get the revision of Standing Orders, we could go into a new mandate without an official opposition. We are in the position where, at the start of the mandate, we will have it. <BR /> <BR />It has already been said by the Chairperson of the Committee that there is an opportunity in the next mandate. It will be the first piece of business for whoever takes that Committee to look at the Standing Orders in relation to John McCallister's Bill. When John was summing up today, he said that he hopes to get Royal Assent next week.”
“When it was debated, I voted in support of John McCallister's Bill. All of our party went through John's Lobby at that time and voted for all aspects of it. Jim is asking who was going to block it. It certainly was not anyone on these Benches, but the reality is that there was a possibility that that could have happened. Who in this Chamber does not want opposition? Is Jim Allister sitting here tonight and saying that he does not want opposition? Does he want to miss this opportunity at the start of the next mandate, where we would have an official opposition? The answer is no. None of the rest of us want to do that, but Jim has wanted official opposition since he started and now —”
“You have talked nonsense. You come in and continue to talk nonsense. The reality is that a cross-community vote is required to get this Standing Order through.”
“I am not giving way because I have listened enough to you, Jim.”
“I will summarise where some of the Members were tonight, starting with Mr Maginness. The biggest contention in all of these changes was the proposal to insert new Standing Order 45A. There was a theme between him, Danny Kennedy, Jim Allister and John McCallister. I will take Jim's contribution first. Jim made a point — and I did change my opinion on this, and I did so because I listened to some of the officials who actually understand the process. It was clear to me that, whilst some of these four gentlemen want to see opposition, there was an opportunity that could have been missed in this mandate. If there had been a reason to block — Jim is nodding his head —”
“<BR /> <BR />Members will be aware that, when amendments to Standing Orders are agreed in plenary, they become effective immediately. The updated version of Standing Orders is published on the Assembly website immediately, and, a couple of weeks later, Members will receive the revised printed inserts for inserting into their copy of Standing Orders. With Easter recess and dissolution almost upon us — as some Members indicated, tomorrow is the last sitting — it is proposed that the revised printed inserts be sent to Members at the start of the new mandate, while Members who are new to the Assembly will receive a complete set of Standing Orders.”
“I reiterate that the amendment to Standing Orders does not preclude changes from being brought forward to implement the provisions of the Bill in the new mandate, and we fully expect that the next Committee on Procedures — whoever that may be — will examine the full impact of the Bill as a matter of priority at the start of the next mandate. In fact, that issue is highlighted in the Committee's legacy report. <BR /> <BR />With regard to the other amendments relating to the Fresh Start Agreement, the Chairperson clearly explained the reasons for them, so I do not propose to comment any further on those. The amendments relating to Standing Orders 69 and 81 are straightforward and will bring Standing Orders into line with the Assembly's new code of conduct.”
“I welcome the opportunity to conclude today's debate on the motions to amend Standing Orders. I thank the Committee Chairperson for opening the debate and all Members who contributed. <BR /> <BR />Proposed new Standing Order 45A will make provision for an official opposition. As we heard, there are differing views on how we arrived at that point. The Chairperson explained very clearly the rationale for the Committee's decision, highlighting the significant risks if the opposition Bill aspects were included.”
“That is why we put a caveat in the report — this is important — that those individuals who decide to launch a petition and who want to shape some of the ideas that we might discuss here must also be on the electoral roll. Sometimes, the biggest champions among the general public are those who do not have a voice because they do not vote. It is important therefore that they be on the electoral register before they can set up a petition. <BR /> <BR />I am conscious that we are running out of time, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, so, in closing, I want to say that the key recommendation in the report is that the existing public petitions process should be enhanced by the introduction of an e-petitions facility. I commend the report to the House.”
“I can only go on what is in the report as it is today. I am sure that, at some stage in the next mandate, if someone wants to review it, there will be an opportunity to do so. <BR /> <BR />The low threshold is one of the dangers. The other danger that was discussed — some of us got our way on it, thankfully — was that people wanted the public petitions process open to other jurisdictions outside Northern Ireland. It was important that, if we are talking about Northern Ireland and what affects the people of Northern Ireland, it should be open only to those who have an input, and people outside this jurisdiction should not enjoy that.”
“I take Chris's point about having a mechanism to drive petitions, but we could see ourselves working to an agenda of petitions rather than on the legislative business that we should be doing. That does not mean that we should not take on board what others have to say, but I am concerned that a trigger at 100 signatures is quite a low figure, given that the trigger in other legislatures is much higher.”
“My colleague George Robinson also talked about the positive steps forward, and Chris Lyttle went into an awful lot of depth on the history of petitions. <BR /> <BR />I will now make a couple of remarks of my own. There was talk today about the threshold, and I have to say that I am a wee bit concerned about that. I will support the report, because it has gone through the Committee and has enjoyed support. Sometimes, however, we can build up expectations for individuals, and a threshold of 100 is, to my mind, still considerably low. Given some of the public campaigns that have been launched in my time in the Assembly, a threshold of 100 signatures to trigger a petition is quite a low figure.”
“An important aspect of the proposed process is that e-petitions would not require sponsorship by any political party. <BR /> <BR />We heard from various Members in the debate, each of whom in turn welcomed the process, albeit perhaps from different slants, and spoke about the dynamics that it will bring about. Alban Maginness said that it was good to allow people to have access. He talked about the steps forward made through the process. We can all agree that we are trying to make the process more transparent. <BR /> <BR />We also heard from Kieran McCarthy, who has left the Chamber. Perhaps he is away to open Exploris, I do not know. It is still open to debate as to whether his petition concerning Exploris had a good outcome or otherwise.”
“I welcome the opportunity to conclude on today's debate on the Committee report on the review of public petition procedures. I thank the Committee Chairperson for his opening remarks and thank all the other Members who have contributed. <BR /> <BR />As the Chairperson has said, the purpose of the review was to examine the effectiveness of the current procedures and to establish whether they could be improved in any way. Whilst the review has established that the public petition process appears to be fit for purpose, it is clear that the process could be enhanced by the inclusion of an e-petitions facility.”
“The A5 scheme was started, albeit it was stopped again, and people could have been disadvantaged. In my constituency, the intention is to start the A6 scheme, so I welcome the Minister's movement to try to get the legislation through before the end of the mandate so that the people of my constituency and, indeed, those near the A5 and anywhere else in Northern Ireland are not disadvantaged. <BR /> <BR />I am still concerned, however, that this has been about for some time and that it has taken this Minister to introduce it at a late stage to try to get it rushed through so that people near both the A5 and A6, or near any land in the future, are not disadvantaged. I support the Bill.”
“Although accepting the concerns that people whose land and property has already been acquired might be disadvantaged, the Committee felt that retrospective payments cannot be made. <BR /> <BR />I have outlined the issues raised and discussed by the Committee for Regional Development, as well as the information and assurance provided by the Minister and her officials. I thank them for their cooperation with the Committee prior to the introduction of the Bill, and I speak on behalf of the Committee in supporting the Second Stage of the Land Acquisition and Compensation (Amendment) Bill. <BR /> <BR />I will now make a few remarks in a personal capacity. I welcome the legislation. There are still concerns in the back of my mind about what happened in the past and about why the previous Ministers did not bring this forward much sooner.”
“<BR /> <BR />In dealing with the concerns and issues raised in Committee, I shall not rehearse comments about why the Bill was not brought forward earlier. That it was not seriously concerns me, and it concerned other members of the Committee when it was discussed. <BR /> <BR />The A5 and A6 road schemes have been mentioned a number of times today. Those two major schemes will affect many people. The Committee welcomes the assurance from the Minister that, provided the Bill passes its Final Stage before the end of the mandate, those affected by the two schemes will be properly compensated at the higher rate. The date from which people will be affected by the acquisitions was discussed in detail during the Committee meetings.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important that the increases be put in place for the benefit of those who will lose land or property as a result of any scheme, and it is worth emphasising that those increases apply not just to the farming community affected by the major schemes that we are talking about today — the A5 and A6 schemes — but to homeowners and business owners who find themselves affected. Indeed, it may apply to other road schemes in the future. It is also important to point out that the Bill not only addresses acquisitions by DRD, although it would acquire more than others, but applies to acquisitions by other Departments. It is important to create an even playing field for those who lose their land or property, irrespective of which Department acquires it from them.”
“The Committee welcomes the increase in the basic loss compensation, which is a capital payment paid to the owner of the land or property for its acquisition. The occupier's loss is also an important element, in that it compensates an occupier of more than one year, irrespective of whether that occupier is an owner or a tenant. The Committee accepted without concern the removal of the farm loss payments, as that applies only to a farmer losing an entire farm. The farmer will be compensated under both the basic loss payment and the occupier's loss payment, so it is unnecessary to retain that payment.”
“The Minister also indicated to the Committee that she had met land agents in December 2015, where it became clear that the A5 and A6 road schemes would progress quite quickly. At the time, they indicated their support for the proposals but highlighted the point that compensation is a significant concern for them, as is the need for landowners to be treated fairly. That support, particularly from the Ulster Farmers' Union, indicates that the proposals are sensible and to the benefit of the landowners who will be affected. <BR /> <BR />As we have heard, the Bill aims to make three changes: an additional enhancement of up to 7·5% to compensate for basic loss; an additional enhancement of up to 2·5% to compensate for occupier's loss; and the removal of the farm loss payments.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate in my capacity as Chairperson of the Committee for Regional Development. As was noted during the earlier debate on the accelerated passage motion, the Committee for Regional Development received briefings from departmental officials and the Minister at its meetings on 3 and 16 February respectively. The Committee heard the very compelling grounds for departing from normal procedure and proceeding with the Bill by accelerated passage. <BR /> <BR />In considering the Bill, the Committee noted the public consultation on the proposals undertaken by the Minister. As we have heard, two responses were received to the Department's consultation. One was from UKIP and the other was from the Ulster Farmers' Union, and both were in support of the intended changes.”
“Because it has been known about for some time, we are puzzled as to why it is coming here only now. We are perplexed that the previous Minister, the one before him or, in fact, the Department of the Environment, which had responsibility for this issue when the anomaly arose, did not take the appropriate action to bring forward the Bill much earlier. We accept the view expressed by officials that there had to be negotiations across Departments when the issue arose four years ago, but we fail to see how those negotiations could have taken so long. <BR /> <BR />There is no disagreement from the Committee about the need for accelerated passage in this case. The Committee supports the accelerated passage of the Bill.”
“The people impacted by those schemes need to be properly compensated for their loss, but any delay to the Bill's passage means that they will lose out on that extra 10%. So, it is very important that it proceeds. <BR /> <BR />My last point also relates to timing. The Bill was not just dreamt up by the current Minister, and the anomaly between the situation here and that in England and Wales has not just happened. The Committee was informed that changes were made in England and Wales as far back as 2005, so I can only assume that the anomaly has existed since then. The matter, as the officials told the Committee, was under consideration about four years ago, and the proposal for DRD to look into the development of legislation was before the Executive about two years ago. It even got into an Executive paper around the summer of 2015.”
“She also discussed the implications of the Bill not going through the Assembly in this mandate. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is extremely important in that it addresses an anomaly that exists whereby people whose land is compulsorily acquired in Northern Ireland get approximately 10% less than they would if they lived in England or Wales. That is something that needs to be addressed, and this Bill does that, so it has been welcomed by me and by the Committee. <BR /> <BR />The need for the Bill to be in place as soon as possible cannot be overemphasised. As we heard from the Minister, the Fresh Start Agreement saw the Executive confirm their intentions to pursue the A5 and A6 road schemes.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate as the Chairperson of the Committee for Regional Development. <BR /> <BR />As the motion is on accelerated passage only, I shall be brief on the Committee’s thoughts on the need for accelerated passage, and I will perhaps go into more detail in the Second Stage debate on the Committee’s views and concerns on the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Departmental officials briefed the Committee for Regional Development on the Bill at its meeting on 3 February. That pre-legislative briefing was extremely useful in making it clear in our minds what the Bill intends to do. On 16 February, the Minister attended the Committee meeting and discussed the reason for her seeking that the Bill proceeds by accelerated passage.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. I want to focus primarily on Carl Frampton, given that he had the victory on Saturday night. In one of his speeches since then, he has said that he would love to have a fight in Windsor Park in Belfast. Given that there was a sell-out match in Manchester and we have the champion from North Belfast, which, indeed, is your constituency, what will you and your Department do, Minister, to support his ambition to have that fight in Northern Ireland at Windsor Park so that people in Northern Ireland can enjoy it here rather than having to travel elsewhere?”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. I was not aware of the issue until it was raised, and I am glad that my colleague from North Antrim has raised the issue of pigeon clubs; I did not understand the value of it. However, Minister, in your answer, you did not allude to what your Department will do to recognise it as a sport, a step that could open more avenues for the clubs. Will you outline what your Department will do to help recognise pigeon racing as a sport?”
“I appreciate that the Minister took up position with road maintenance at a low under the previous Minister, but has she been able to generate additional funds from her budget as we come to the end of this financial year to put towards road maintenance?”
“I thank the First Minister for her answer. I am sure that the First Minister will use the opportunity in America to demonstrate, through the lower corporation tax and other incentives, that Northern Ireland is the best place in Europe for investors to come to.”
“I thank the Minister for her answers. I welcome the article in 'Farming Life' at the weekend that referred to enhanced compensation for those losing their land to vesting. I welcome that announcement, but why was this or something like it not announced or done sooner in this mandate?”
“I welcome the opportunity for officials to come to the Committee this week to get into more detail on it. I am sure it is not everything that we would want, but there is enough in it for us to get going and to bring certainty to some of those employed in that sector. I certainly will be voting in favour of the Budget.”