Alan Chambers
North Down · Ulster Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />A relatively recent piece of important character that was added to the village some years ago was the addition of a number of trees along Main Street.”
“It is my pleasure and privilege to present a petition signed by more than 1,500 people calling on the Department for Infrastructure to drop plans to chop down a number of mature street trees in Main Street, Groomsport. <BR /> <BR />Groomsport is a beautiful village with a strong community spirit.”
“Indeed, in the past week, it has been adjudged to be the best-kept town on the island of Ireland. It has many outstanding characteristics, including three lovely beaches with clean and pollution-free bathing water; a well-sheltered harbour that is reputed to have been first constructed by the Vikings; a modern children's playground; and t…”
“Minister, I sent a question for written answer in May 2025. You told me that your officials had identified a problem on the A48 in November 2024 and that a works order had been issued.”
“The Department's approach to the problem, however, has been to fire up the chainsaws. That is a shameful and unacceptably lazy plan. There are many engineering solutions that do not involve such crude environmental vandalism. Government policy, rather than to chop down healthy mature specimens, is to encourage more tree planting.”
“For many, the ability to start or grow a family is a major priority; for others, it is not a priority at all. When fertility problems stand in the way of that dream, the emotional toll can be immense. There has already been reference to the commitment in NDNA, which was one reason why my party very much welcomed that agreement.”
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“Minister, thank you for that answer. Does the Minister anticipate the data being used to develop a universal approach across all schools to tackling bullying, or does he believe that a tailored solution in individual schools is the best way forward?”
“<BR /> <BR />In coming to its conclusion, the Committee was mindful of the wider public expenditure position but also of the need, now more than ever, for a well-resourced and fully functioning Assembly, as set out in its letter to the Minister of Finance. The Commission has a resource DEL budget of £58·4 million and a capital DEL budget of £3·2 million, and the Committee looks forward to working with it for the rest of the mandate.”
“Members heard that other planned capital works are needed to address underinvestment in the fabric of the Building in previous years and viewed them as being necessary to face the challenge of a fully functioning Assembly. Works include the continuing enhancements to the Senate Chamber, the Long Gallery and the Blue Flax and visitors' restaurants. The Committee welcomes those projects and looks forward to seeing them being progressed as quickly as possible. The Committee was given further information from the Commission on the ongoing issues in relation to the remedial work that was required for the roof of Parliament Buildings. Members will be aware that that issue is now in litigation, and the Committee will seek updates about the potential impact on future budgets in due course.”
“However, certain issues were explored in more detail, such as the cost of enhanced scrutiny, including the introduction of the new Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee; Members' security, both personal and in constituency offices; the ongoing corporate systems review project; new software for drafting Bills; and the ongoing potential financial impact of roof repairs to Parliament Buildings. <BR /> <BR />The increase in resource DEL was, as predicted, mainly due to MLA constituency costs and party allowances. It also included an increase for secretariat staff salaries to reflect pay progression and ongoing recruitment. The increase in capital DEL was partly attributed to the replacement of the specialised legislative drafting software, as well as the replacement project for the IT support network.”
“As Members will be aware, the Commission has a legal requirement to meet all costs associated with Members, including salaries, allowances, expenses, Members' staffing costs and pension contributions. Those budget elements are determination-driven and are not under the Commission's control. Officials advised the Committee that the Commission intends to bring forward new legislation to establish an independent remuneration board to determine Members' salaries to replace the former IFRP. Members should note that the budget for 2024-25 does not estimate the impact of future determinations once the board is established. <BR /> <BR />During the March evidence session with Commission officials, Committee members covered all aspects of the indicative budget for 2024-25.”
“Before I give some detail on the Committee's limited scrutiny of the Commission's budget, I want to outline the background to the Committee's approach. The Committee followed the approach of the predecessor Audit Committee. To reflect the constitutional independence of the Assembly from the Executive, a methodology was introduced in 2016 similar to that adopted by the Audit Committee in agreeing the Main Estimates for the Audit Office and the Public Services Ombudsman. The intention is that that additional Committee function will be codified before the end of the current mandate. <BR /> <BR />The Committee commenced its scrutiny of the Commission's indicative budget at its first meeting of the mandate on 6 March 2024. Obviously, that was not an ideal way to start the Committee's work, but the timescales for this year's Budget are tight.”
“Normally, the Audit Committee produces a full report outlining its deliberations on the draft budgets for the Assembly Commission, Audit Office and Public Services Ombudsman, but because of the tight time frame for the 2024-25 Budget process, the Committee reported by way of a letter that was sent to the Minister of Finance. It is that letter that is referenced in the motion.”
“My colleague the Chair of the Health Committee suggested that junior doctors may not get all that they are asking for and that forward commitments may satisfy them, but I ask the Minister to tell me how he can give commitments to anyone in the absence of multi-year Budgets.”
“<BR /> <BR />A major pay increase would have unintended but major knock-on implications across the health service and the wider public sector. The reality is that there is no bottomless pit of money. Ironically, the other Executive parties that recently agreed the 2024-25 Budget seem to believe that Health has already got enough, but it does not. By his own admission, the Minister has not even got enough resource cash to keep funding existing cancer and time-critical treatments, yet, on top of joining every other populist call for funding, the proposers of the motion suggest that he somehow magics up the extra cash.”
“Junior doctors are by no means the only group of public-sector workers who have seen a degrading of their real pay terms from 2008; in fact, I struggle to think of any such group that has not. That is what a decade of austerity at a national level does, and it has been made worse by a regular absence of political and budgetary certainty in Northern Ireland. Do those who demand full pay restoration for junior doctors also want to see pay restored to our police officers or teachers? More importantly in the context of today's debate, are they asking for a greater pay award to be allocated to our junior doctors than to their health colleagues? The last thing that the House should be doing is promoting disunity between, for instance, our Agenda for Change staff and junior doctors.”
“That is exactly what happened last year, but I welcome the fact that, following the restoration of the Executive, the Minister of Health moved almost immediately to give a commitment that last year's recommendations from the pay review bodies would be delivered. The implementation of the DDRB recommendations for 2023-24 gave junior doctors an average pay uplift of 9·1% and over 10% for first-year doctors, which compared very favourably with the average 2023-24 CPI inflation rate of 6%. <BR /> <BR />I note, however, that the BMA junior doctors committee is sticking firmly with the call for full pay restoration. While that is absolutely understandable as a broader objective, we, as MLAs, need to be alert to what it means.”
“First, I pay tribute to all our junior doctors. It has been said many times that they are an integral part of our workforce. While that is true, we must not for one moment underestimate the sheer contribution they make to the health and welfare of patients. It is a simple fact that many of our local hospital services would not be able to function without them. That is why I fully acknowledge that they are a really important part of the workforce and that we need to do all that we can to support and encourage them in their role. Pay and broader terms and conditions are, inevitably, a really important part of that. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, during periods of political stalemate, our junior doctors, just like our Agenda for Change staff and all our other HSC staff, lose out on timely decisions on pay.”
“I welcome the fact that the Minister was in London in person yesterday for the publication of the inquiry report. I suspect that that was appreciated by the local individuals and families affected. It is a scandal that should never have happened, and the tone and content of the report rightly highlighted the multiple failings. Will the Minister join me in, once again, calling on anyone who feels that they may have been impacted to come forward and speak to health professionals? They suffered a great wrong, and it is only right that they should receive the compensation that they are entitled to.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. I find it, frankly, shocking that, despite all the commitments that were made before and after the restoration of the Assembly and the Executive, when push came to shove, not a penny extra was allocated to target waiting lists. Will the Minister provide a snapshot of the numbers that could have been achievable had his bid been fully allocated?”
“On that point, I will follow the advice of the local Departmental Solicitor's Office (DSO), the UK Government's legal teams and the UK Government, all of which are clear that this provides for an age restriction, not a ban. I can understand why the tobacco and vaping industries have a vested interest in trying to spin that line. Ultimately, it should come as a surprise to no one that the Bill will be challenged in whatever way possible. Despite that, the Bill is the right thing to do, and today's LCM is the right thing to do. I therefore fully support today's motion and again pay tribute to all the departmental staff and organisations that have been so critical in getting us to this point.”
“The timing of the restoration of the institutions in early February was apt, as it came just in time for the Minister and his officials to move swiftly to work with the UK Government to secure Northern Ireland's inclusion in the Bill. I congratulate the Minister and his team on achieving that. Today's LCM is a key stage in the process. From the previous public consultation, it is clear that what the UK Bill and today's LCM will do has strong public support here; in fact, it is even greater than the UK average. <BR /> <BR />In addition, it is clear that the proposals have clear public health and clinician support. I am, however, aware of some dispute about how the Bill sits alongside the Windsor framework.”
“Whilst I acknowledge the initiatives and measures already in place, as well as applauding the huge beneficial work being achieved by our smoking cessation teams, it is clear, regrettably, that children and young people continue to start smoking. It has been more widely accepted over recent years, and I heard our local Chief Medical Officer recently state that tobacco is the only consumer product that kills up to two thirds of its users. <BR /> <BR />We need to do something different, and, this time, we need to be even more ambitious. That is why I welcome the UK Government's consultation on a smoke-free generation and their decision to include Northern Ireland in that.”
“I and my party very much welcome today's LCM. As has been said, tobacco is the largest cause of cancer in Northern Ireland and accounts for over 2,000 deaths locally every year. It is a fact that nothing would have a bigger impact on reducing the number of preventable deaths across the United Kingdom than ending smoking. It is also a huge contributing factor to the persistently high levels of health inequality in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The vast majority of people who smoke become addicted to smoking as a child. Therefore, it is clear that, if we as a society are to truly tackle the problem, we need to focus most efforts on limiting the number of young people taking up smoking in the first place.”
“Additional funding has been reported, with a speculative figure of £100 million mentioned. Given the financial pressure on your Department with the Casement Park project, is the additional funding for football achievable?”
“I have a photograph of one of the tractors jammed against a vehicle, with nobody able to go anywhere. <BR /> <BR />Next weekend, when the job is scheduled to be completed, is a bank holiday weekend. I wonder whether lessons will be learned. This weekend, the public were saying things such as, "This is shambolic", and, "This is a joke". However, they do not point the finger at the Minister or his Department. This institution gets the blame for that type of shambolic lack of planning.”
“The Minister gave some scant information on how his Department would meet the challenge of the traffic disruption. <BR /> <BR />On the weekend that the Department chose, what was happening in Bangor? The UK Pipe Band Championships was taking place, which brought large crowds into Bangor, and there were road diversions to accommodate it. There was also a junior Orange parade in Donaghadee on the same day. I witnessed that at least one of the roads in the vicinity of the roundabout did not even have a sign up to say that the road ahead was closed, and it was full of jammed traffic, including a Translink bus. I do not know how the bus driver eventually got out of that. Traffic was being diverted up a narrow country road, where heavy-duty agricultural vehicles were bringing in the silage. They were competing with long tailbacks.”
“The other answer was to my question about what arrangements were in place to deal with the traffic disruption over the weekend, and I was rather shocked to get the reply:”
“In early March, the Minister for Infrastructure announced a £460,000 resurfacing project for Groomsport roundabout in Bangor. It was obviously an end-of-year budget-spending exercise, because nobody had asked for that work to be done. It was advertised as being due to start on 19 February and to last for six weeks. <BR /> <BR />Eight weeks later, I asked the Minister, through a question for written answer, when the job was going to be complete. He replied that it was substantially complete on 19 April: that was eight weeks after the start of the work. I asked the Minister a further question about when it was actually going to be finished and resurfaced. I got two answers on the same day. One told me that it would not be complete until 26 May, which is some 13 weeks from the start of the job.”
“<BR /> <BR />In supporting the motion, I recognise that my party will be acknowledging achievements that Minister Swann has already made and that it will seek uplifts in the health budget to fully fund any of the motion's outstanding aspirations.”
“Whilst that might be an inconvenient fact for the proposers of the motion, it is an increase of 86% since 2015-16. Of course, several other points were raised in the motion that are equally distorted. <BR /> <BR />The largest elephant in the room, however, has to be what the motion calls for and how that compares with the decision that was made on the Budget barely a few weeks ago. The Minister and his officials have been clear with the Health Committee over recent weeks and months that further MDT roll-out is their top priority and that, when it comes to transformation, some additional investment is needed in staff and buildings. Just over two years ago, the Minister announced the next planned expansion for the three proposed GP federations for the MDT programme in north Belfast, south-west Fermanagh and Omagh, and east Antrim.”
“That is absolutely right, but those Members show no regard for their party's culpability in the matter. Theirs is the party that held the Health portfolio for five years from 2011 until 2016, when, instead of investing in staff training places, it implemented swingeing cuts. It is a fact that the root cause of the problems in the health service can be traced back to decisions that were made a decade ago. <BR /> <BR />Ideally, I would not be standing here today making such points, but, ultimately we should not allow MLAs from whatever party to try to present an alternative version of the truth. I see no reference in the motion to the fact that, a number of years ago, Robin Swann decided to proceed at risk, in the context of no budgetary cover, to increase the number of local GP training places to 121.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before the latest collapse of the Executive in late 2022, seeking to improve access and remove the unnecessary bureaucratic burden on GP practices was being given significant focus. Unfortunately, as with so many other services, patients really lost out during the subsequent political and budgetary impasse. Nevertheless, it is probably fair to say that there is now greater cross-party recognition of the contribution made by the various staff who work across primary care. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, the rhetoric of supporting and investing in primary care was not always demonstrated previously. For instance, the proposers of the motion rightly talk about GP training places, believing that:”
“<BR /> <BR />It is fair to describe primary care as the cornerstone of our health service, especially given that 90% of all contacts with the health system locally take place at that level. There is no doubt that it is the most cost-effective means of delivering high-quality care while being the one that is most valued by the patient. It also remains the most accessible element of the health service, with many patients remaining under the care of GPs and other general practice staff whom they have come to know over many years. Of course, there are undoubted challenges with GP access. While it is a mixed bag, with some patients seeing little, if any, diminution of access, there is no denying that, for too many others, it is becoming increasingly difficult even to get through to practices to make an appointment.”
“Every opportunity to talk about the challenges facing our health service is welcome, even if, occasionally, as today, a number of the points raised are out of date. I do not make that comment to point-score, but it is a fact that the motion and some of what it refers to may be coming a month too late. The recent agreement on the general medical services (GMS) contract and, especially, the announcements on interim payments for GP indemnity have been warmly welcomed by many of the GPs to whom I have spoken over recent weeks. Similarly, the direction of travel of shifting some services back into primary care rather than out of it, such as the recent announcement on vasectomy services, has reinforced confidence and has served as a useful illustration of what can be done with the right mindset.”
“I am disappointed to hear about the ongoing delay, Minister. This has, as you said, been on the agenda and an Executive priority since 2002. Given that the York Street interchange stalemate has cost the Northern Ireland economy about £1 billion a year, what assurance can the Minister give that he will prioritise that project?”
“I thank the Minister for such a detailed report. In responding, I declare my membership of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. I welcome the positive update on the continuing cooperation between law enforcement agencies in both jurisdictions. <BR /> <BR />We have heard much recently about the murderous ramming of PSNI vehicles by lawbreakers trying to avoid capture. Was any indication given of a similar trend of such attacks on an Garda Síochána vehicles?”
“In conclusion, I place on record my admiration and appreciation of everyone involved in providing us with healthcare in the current difficult circumstances.”
“The fact that it was undertaken during the absence of an Executive and functioning Assembly also meant that there was zero political oversight. It was signed off by a senior civil servant and not by a Minister. <BR /> <BR />Given the passage of time and the well-documented budgetary constraints, I suspect that the Minister has little or no scope to turn back the clock. What he can, perhaps, do is to encourage the trust to expedite the operation of the promised urgent care centre. He could also ask the trust to deliver on the promises of improved public transport connectivity. <BR /> <BR />The situation is a perfect illustration of why it is so important to have an Executive and Assembly in place to provide the political and democratic oversight that, sadly, does not exist when the political institutions are down.”
“I was not convinced that the closures were made for the right reasons or in the best interests of the North Down public. For my party, service transformation should not be viewed as some sort of catch-all phrase or used as a cloak of convenience. For us, it is about ensuring that patients receive the best care in the best environment and within the best time frame possible. Yet, in this instance, the permanent transfer of the minor injury service to the Ulster Hospital appeared to be driven as much by challenges in recruitment as any other broader strategic decision to co-locate the service. In particular, I was concerned that moving such an important service to the Ulster Hospital site, with all its known issues of congestion, was perhaps going to make the situation even more difficult for local patients and staff, and so it has proved.”
“One of the selling points of transferring the minor injury unit to the Ulster Hospital site was the promise of a consultant-led urgent care centre that would work alongside the A&E department. Where is that urgent care centre? The forecast date for its opening continues to be pushed further down the road. Would it not have made more sense to have postponed the closure of the minor injury units until the urgent care centre was ready to operate? In my view, that did not fit with the trust's immediate need to relocate the staff to the Ulster Hospital site. <BR /> <BR />I and my party have never been opposed to the reconfiguration of the health system, but it needs to be evidence-driven and clearly in the interests of patients.”
“We were told that at least three of those nurses were about to retire and that replacements were almost impossible to find. They also stated that they needed more of those nurses in the Ulster Hospital. It was clear from those remarks that the closures were playing no part in transformation, as I understand it, and instead were being used as an opportunity to solve staffing issues at the Ulster Hospital. <BR /> <BR />The second point that the cheerleaders for the closures ignored was a comment by the Health Minister in a previous policy document in which he stated clearly that the creation of an urgent care centre should not mean the closure of a minor injury unit.”
“<BR /> <BR />Those of us who, as public representatives, argued against the trust's proposals were accused of hypocrisy in that we openly supported the transformation of our health and social care systems as laid out in a series of road maps in the Bengoa report but became parish-pump politicians when local closures were proposed. There are two elements of the project that blow out of the water the distractions used by the political closure cheerleaders, who seriously misread the local public mood on the closures. <BR /> <BR />First, on more than one occasion, representatives of the trust pointed out that they had serious staffing issues coming down the line. There was a shortage of the highly qualified nursing practitioners who ran the minor injury unit.”
“The minor injury unit in Bangor Community Hospital was closed during the COVID pandemic as it was considered that the nursing staff would be better deployed at pressurised inpatient hospitals. The closure was sold as being temporary, and, given the logical reasons offered by the trust, no one raised any serious objections at that point. However, when the trust announced that it would not be reopening the Bangor minor injury unit and would also be closing the unit in Newtownards, it was a different story. There was considerable public concern about that announcement, and the trust commenced a public consultation on its proposals. Many members of the public had little confidence in that process.”
“Whilst I look forward to hearing what progress has been made and what progress is yet to be made to autism services, we as MLAs must be mindful of our upcoming decision on the position that we want to place our broader health service in.”
“There was much to welcome in the interim autism strategy and, more recently, the subsequent five-year strategy, but I think that we can all agree that there is more to be done. Unfortunately, however, we must recognise that, if autism services and other health services more generally are to be prioritised, it will take a degree of political prioritising. The Budget outcome last week does not provide that; in fact, I am saddened to say that, in reality, unless the House intervenes, the broader pressures on our health service are likely to get worse rather than better. That is a hugely disappointing position to be in.”
“From an educational perspective, as well as from the perspective of employment and other critical life stages, it is important that there is a cross-departmental approach that supports people with the condition. <BR /> <BR />The passage and publication of the 2022 Autism Act helpfully focused minds further on the issue. Through my colleague Mrs Cameron's actions in particular, there is now greater emphasis on better training for public bodies, and more expansive information is being shared. Importantly, it put in motion other tangible actions that are now in place. <BR /> <BR />The Department of Health will already have been well aware of the challenges facing autism services, and neither it nor the Minister has ever tried to shy away from that.”
“Receiving a timely diagnosis can, for instance, enable parents to better understand their child and ensure that they have access to crucial help and support. That is especially important in an educational context. Whilst it is a slightly mixed bag across the trusts, the one thing that, I am sure, we can all agree on is the fact that far too many people have been waiting too long. Too many people are waiting far too long for that important initial diagnosis, and, in turn, that robs them of the critical opportunity for early intervention. <BR /> <BR />I am sure that, as MLAs, we have all been contacted at one stage or another by a parent who is desperately waiting for their young person to be given the support that they need. The nature of autism means that it is much more than just a health issue.”
“As we learn more about the condition and as more and more people are given a diagnosis, it should strengthen our need to tackle the stigma that sometimes still exists around the condition. <BR /> <BR />As with so many other parts of the health service, however, there are delays and challenges with the current level of support available for people with autism. As awareness of the condition has increased, so has the number of referrals. In part, that rising demand for autism services has, unfortunately, resulted in some of the excessive delays that local families have been experiencing. Of course, as in many aspects of the health service, it is recognised that intervention is far more cost-effective and, even more importantly, has proven to be far more beneficial for young people.”
“I welcome the focus that today's motion will bring to a really important issue. Autism is a lifelong condition that affects people in different ways. Thankfully, however, over recent years, huge progress has been made across our society in improving what support is available, as well as in gaining a far greater awareness of the condition. I suspect that there is no one in the House who, when they look back, does not believe that there is now a much better understanding of the needs of autistic people, their families and their carers. Unfortunately, despite all that progress and better understanding, we need to be mindful that, as a society, we have some way to go.”
“Minister, in your statement, you said that you have consulted the PSNI and that it has confirmed that it will continue to apply the mitigations that are currently in place for customers who cannot secure an MOT appointment before their current certificate expires. Can you confirm that motorists from Northern Ireland who take their vehicle over to GB without a current MOT certificate and are subject to a documents check by a police force in GB will potentially be subject to prosecution?”
“Will the Minister explain how the impacts of the various departmental bids were taken into account? In particular, does she accept that, if relative risks for each were actually measured and fairly assessed, it is quite likely that different decisions would have been reached?”
“In the meantime, I fully encourage anyone considering putting their name forward to be a foster carer to come forward and speak to any of the trusts or other bodies that stand ready to support them in whatever way they can.”
“<BR /> <BR />As I mentioned in the earlier debate on addiction and drug misuse, Ministers will shortly come together to try to agree broad Budget allocations for the rest of this year. If we, as parties, want to see important investments being made, such as the overdue uplift in foster care allowances, it is important that the Department of Health is awarded the finances necessary to deliver that. Nevertheless, whatever the outcome of the upcoming budgetary discussions, it is essential that foster carers receive support wherever and however they require it, for without them there would be many thousands of young people, both now and in the future, who would be much poorer off.”
“I know that local foster carers very much welcomed the direct support that the Minister was able to provide when he was last in post. However, they, like so many other people, have suffered as a result of the political and budgetary uncertainty over the past two years. Indeed, last year, as the cost-of-living crisis gripped so many homes and families, it was disappointing that only a limited increase in the foster care allowance could be provided. I appreciate that the Department of Health's hands were tied, especially in the context of such a dire budgetary position, but, ultimately, we, as MLAs, need to see such outcomes as a direct consequence of the failure of politics in this place.”
“My party colleague Robbie Butler has been very open in speaking of the joy, as well as that of his wife, that fostering children over the past 18 years has brought them. That joy will be replicated in many homes right across Northern Ireland. However, we also need to be honest and realise that fostering is not always easy. Although it can be highly rewarding, it can be highly challenging. It is also a significant commitment for any person or couple to undertake. That is why it is imperative that we, as an Assembly and Executive, do all that we can to support them. <BR /> <BR />The issue of foster care allowances has, rightly, been raised today. It is deeply regrettable that there is not an equal level of support right across the UK. Foster carers matter as much in Northern Ireland as they do in Wales, England and Scotland.”