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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“Some carers offer short-term single placements, perhaps in times of crisis or to provide some relief for other carers, while others are, effectively, full-time foster carers, with multiple young people, perhaps with various levels of need. Overall, regardless of whom or how many they care for, fostering offers our carers an incredible opportunity to make a lasting impact on so many of our young people. The love, support and stability that foster carers can provide to just one child has the power to transform many lives for the better. I commend each and every one of them. <BR /> <BR />Of course, it is not just rewarding for the young people. Over the years, I have spoken with many foster carers where their own delight and happiness with what they do is evident to see.”
“I very much welcome the chance to speak on the topic of foster carers today. Foster carers are an incredibly important cohort of incredibly selfless and generous people in our society. Locally, foster carers provide truly invaluable support to so many children and young people right across Northern Ireland. Most importantly, they provide those young people with a stable and loving home in times of need. <BR /> <BR />There is no such thing as a typical foster carer. They can be young or old, they can be raising a family of their own at the same time, their children may have already flown the nest, or, as is increasingly the case, they may not have had any children at all. Whatever the circumstances, for so long as a child is placed with them, they immediately become part of that family.”
“Whilst my amendment removes the call for the service to be located in Belfast, that does not necessarily mean that it will not be; it will be located wherever it has the greatest impact and benefit. <BR /> <BR />I am happy to move today's amendment. Again, I thank the sponsors of this important motion. I end my remarks by offering my heartfelt sympathy to every family that has lost a loved one in such difficult circumstances.”
“While I largely cannot fault any of the substantive motion, I had some concern about the reference to locating a new residential rehabilitation service in Belfast. Whilst I absolutely understand that there have been some particularly compelling calls for such a service in Belfast, there are calls for the service to be located somewhere else in Northern Ireland that are, perhaps, equally persuasive. I think in particular of the services that are on offer in the Northlands centre in Londonderry as an example. Of course, it is essential that the location of any new service is evidence-led and decided only after full and detailed consideration. That is why the tier 4 review that is under way is so important.”
“Whilst we can certainly never put a price on a life, we need to remember that sufficient upfront investment in substance use and mental health services can often save much more in the longer term. As Ministers meet in the coming days and weeks to thrash out the 2024-25 Budget, I hope that the real implications of the future viability of the various hugely important health strategies and plans remain to the fore of their minds. <BR /> <BR />Moving to the other key part of my amendment, I fully agree that it is important that we examine and enhance our existing inpatient treatment services. I hope that the review that is under way sets a clear and evidence-driven direction of travel.”
“Particularly relevant to today's debate is the work on substance use services, which I was pleased to see moved to the next step earlier this year and which I look forward to hearing more about, not only later in the debate but in the weeks and months ahead. <BR /> <BR />That brings me to my amendment. Ultimately, whilst I suspect there is likely broad political unanimity on implementing the various plans relevant to the debate, we need to realise that, if we wish to see the full potential of the improvements and transformations on offer, it will cost money. The Executive must decide collectively whether the strategies that the previous Executive signed up to are still a priority and are still to be taken forward and funded as such.”
“Thankfully, thinking back to the strategy's launch in 2021, I recall that it had Executive-wide support, and I suspect that it retains broad cross-party support to this day. Of course, whilst the substance use strategy is a very important document, it sits alongside other equally important pieces of work, such as the 10-year mental health strategy and Making Life Better, Northern Ireland's overarching framework for public health. <BR /> <BR />Nevertheless, whilst it is all fine and well to have well-intended strategies, as the Minister has often said, the true value of such documents and plans can be truly realised only through delivery and implementation. In that regard, I am glad that there appears to have been some good progress already.”
“There is, unfortunately, a particularly deep-rooted and interlinking connection between homelessness and drug misuse. However, overall, there are no specific causes, and thus addiction and, tragically, drug-related deaths can visit any home across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I am sure that the Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery substance use strategy will be referenced regularly during the debate, and so it should be. It goes without saying that we should all have a close interest and desire to see that strategy implemented. It is important to note that many of the underlying causes and harms arising from substance use cannot be tackled by one Minister or one Department.”
“That presents an even greater need for us, as MLAs, and all Ministers and stakeholders to ensure that we, collectively, do all we can to highlight and tackle the problem. <BR /> <BR />Of course, the dilemma with addiction and drug-related deaths is that the problem can be so large and multifaceted that it requires an all-encompassing response. No single reason or automatic change in circumstances leads to such challenges in one's life. Addiction and drug misuse is a society-wide problem, but some contributory factors are more common than others. Poverty and deprivation are certainly two, but there are many others such as mental health, family and personal circumstances and, even, more deep-rooted inequalities such as educational attainment and housing standards.”
“Thank you. Mr Deputy Speaker. I commend the proposer of the motion for bringing forward such an important topic for discussion. <BR /> <BR />Alcohol and drug abuse can ruin families and sadly cost lives. I offer my deepest sympathies to all families who have sadly lost loved ones in such difficult circumstances. I cannot start to imagine the helplessness and grief experienced by families as they watch a close loved one succumb to the dreadful illness of uncontrolled addiction. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately there is not a town, village or, indeed, corner of any of our constituencies that has escaped unscathed the ravages of drug abuse and addiction. As the motion rightly highlights, drug-related deaths are significantly more common in the areas of highest deprivation.”
“What are the Minister's solutions and what action is he going to take to improve the water quality of Ballyholme bay?”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. It is disappointing to hear of the small number of prosecutions and detections over a 10-year period, because it is widely recognised that that river makes a huge contribution to the ongoing failure of water quality in Ballyholme bay. I know that, in the recent past, the Minister, in his role as an MLA, has lobbied for solutions and action to improve it.”
“The Ulster Unionist Party supports police officers and all front-line workers being fully protected by the law as they go about serving us in stressful situations, and we certainly condemn all attacks on those public servants.”
“I certainly encourage the Minister of Justice to review sentencing guidelines and make the sentencing for this heinous and life-threatening crime fit the crime. It is a crime for which police officers are not equipped to defend themselves in the way that they can when other methods of violence are inflicted on them. If policing is to be truly normalised, it must become obvious to those who have ill intent towards police officers that a slap on the wrist will not be the price that they will pay. While we try to normalise policing, it is vital that we continue to offer the proper protection that officers need in each circumstance.”
“The reality is that a car in the wrong hands is a dangerous weapon that can easily cause death and life-changing injuries. Sentences must reflect that reality.”
“I declare an interest as a pending member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. The use of vehicles, usually stolen or unregistered, to ram police vehicles to escape arrest, is a relatively new phenomenon in Northern Ireland. It appears to be a difficult criminal tactic to deal with in rural locations, especially those close to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is disturbing and totally unacceptable that 77 officers were injured in such incidents in 2023. It can only be a matter of time until we are dealing with a fatality, someone receiving serious and life-changing injuries, or even multiple such outcomes as a result of a single ramming incident. <BR /> <BR />The problem is that such crimes are sometimes downgraded to mere motoring offences.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I will say that my colleague Mrs Dodds may wish to reflect on the possibility that the two-year suspension of the House, when there was no Minister in place, may well have contributed in some way to the delay.”
“Whilst the removal of all charges will be deferred under the new Bill, importantly, staff car parking permits will be provided free of charge across the two years for eligible staff. The Minister also referred to the budgetary implications of the scheme, and the two-year delay will also allow some time for the development of a sustainable funding plan. That, hopefully, may not require the full two years to implement universally. <BR /> <BR />Whilst there is disappointment at the delay, we can all agree — I am sure that Mr McGrath will also agree — that it is much better to have a system that works without any unintended consequences. The Ulster Unionist Party welcomes and fully supports the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />The scheme was introduced some years ago in Scotland and Wales, and an official at the Committee briefing last week said that, in conversation, colleagues in Scotland had said that they were reasonably happy with the way in which the system was working and that they had overcome many of the initial teething problems. However, it should be noted that some of the hospitals in Scotland and Wales have been deploying the system for over 12 years. <BR /> <BR />No legislation, no matter how well meaning, should act as a barrier to people receiving emergency access to hospitals when they need it. I applaud the Minister, however, for using what levers he had.”
“The Minister's decision to seek a deferral of the existing legislation for up to two years is sensible and pragmatic. His decision will avoid the cliff edge scenario where, one day, parking is controlled and, the next day, it is a literal free-for-all, with all the associated chaos and disruption that would be quickly witnessed in several of our main hospital car parks. <BR /> <BR />Whilst I appreciate that some people will be genuinely disappointed at the temporary delay, we need to consider the alternative, which is staff being unable to park their car anywhere; patients missing appointments; and, perhaps most worrying of all, some of our hospital sites becoming so congested that key vehicle routes, especially blue-light routes, become blocked, which could mean life or death for a patient in an ambulance.”
“The issue has been discussed at length by the current and the previous Health Committee. Indeed, I recall many lengthy discussions in the previous mandate during which, although the broader good intent of the Act was noted, some genuine warnings and concerns were raised about what would happen if the necessary steps and measures, such as number plate recognition equipment, were not in place. I am sure that all in the House agree that a free-for-all, open-to-abuse system was never an option. <BR /> <BR />As we know, due to various key reasons, including the threat of legal action, which has only just been removed, even if we were all in agreement, the current infrastructure simply is not there to roll out the previous legislation as intended by 12 May this year. As such, the Bill is necessary, although it may be difficult.”
“Today's report from the Royal College of Paediatrics has reiterated the awful figures that many of us have known for some time. We are a fortnight into the financial year, and, still with little budgetary clarity on the horizon, can the Minister provide an update on the challenges that his Department and the trusts find themselves facing when trying to tackle the problem of our waiting lists with, effectively, one hand tied behind their back?”
“Will the Minister confirm whether she has had discussions with the Justice Minister about moving away from the use of the term "paramilitaries" and to focus instead on calling them what they are, which is drug dealers, child abusers and organised crime gangs?”
“I certainly welcome the statement today. Does the Minister agree that it points up the advantage of having a devolved legislature in this place that can act quickly and decisively in the interests of the people who we represent? That is demonstrated by the statement and was also demonstrated by how the Finance Minister dealt with the rates issue. Can the Minister confirm that the proposed legislation will enable the affected residents to reopen the legal system that was involved earlier?”
“I thank the Minister. The Fiscal Council and the Fiscal Commission conducted detailed analysis and presented several outcomes. Has the Minister discarded those? If so, what does she plan to do to cover the growing fiscal gap?”
“I appreciate that the Department has a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of the site workers, but it also has a responsibility to convey to the public and local residents in a timely and professional manner its intention to close roads and to use bespoke signage that is more informative and relevant to the local situation. Ironically, another major road closure is in place at that location this morning. Again, that was unannounced. Regrettably, it seems that lessons are never learned.”
“It was said that lane closures would be needed and that road closures would be required when resurfacing was being carried out. There was an undertaking that notice of the road closures would be published nearer the time. The busy Groomsport Road into Bangor was closed for a full week during working hours, and the Bangor Road into Groomsport was also closed for a full week, all before any resurfacing work had commenced. Neither of those closures was advertised. Translink services through Groomsport had to be diverted, with residents left standing at bus stops waiting for public transport that was not going to appear. <BR /> <BR />Some of the signage was misleading and, at one location, presented a major road safety hazard. Any common-sense representations made to the contractors fell on deaf ears.”
“When further broken down into two or three council areas within a region, the final amount available may not have represented a huge amount for repairs, but it was, nonetheless, welcome. <BR /> <BR />Four days later, on 16 February, the Minister announced a major project of kerb replacement and resurfacing at the Groomsport roundabout, which is situated at the eastern end of the Bangor ring road. That single project was costed at £460,000. When a question for written answer was submitted to enquire how many representations by elected representatives or members of the public had been made for that work to be prioritised, the Department responded that it does not retain records of such requests. My suspicion is that there were no such requests to record. <BR /> <BR />That project was scheduled to last for six weeks.”
“My statement is in regard to an issue that most of us in the Chamber, as elected representatives, have had to deal with at some time, namely road maintenance projects that require road closures. Some road closures will be for a short period and will only be in place during working hours, whereas others can involve longer-term 24/7 closures. Either can have a devastating impact on local businesses and cause inconvenience to local residents. They can have implications for public transport services and also have the potential to cause delays in the movement of emergency vehicles. <BR /> <BR />On 12 February, the Minister for Infrastructure announced that he was releasing £1 million of funding to tackle the growing scourge of potholes on our roads. That was to be divided equally between the four regional section offices.”
“Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I appreciate that you understand the disappointment that the parents, pupils and staff feel that funding for a new build was withdrawn at such an advanced stage of the planned project. Given that this is a hugely inadequate and aged campus that does not meet those people's current or future needs, can the Minister offer any hope, bearing in mind the budgetary pressures on his Department, for a timely and positive outcome?”
“Thank you, Minister. Given the renewed cooperation on east-west issues, is the Minister confident that Northern Ireland's economy will benefit from those opportunities for dialogue regarding east-west and North/South trade?”
“By that point, there will hopefully have been enough progress and advancements in the research and technology behind the vaccines to allow them to be packaged and distributed like many other existing injections. In the meantime, however, the amendment regulations and the extension are necessary, particularly for the booster programme that is due to commence next month. <BR /> <BR />On a personal level, I look forward to being able to continue to receive vaccine boosters, and I confirm that the Ulster Unionist Party fully supports this extension.”
“Although progress is being made all the time, the vaccines that we use for the COVID-19 programme, which are procured on a UK-wide basis for the four nations, are still only available in a physical manner that requires these extensions to be in place. <BR /> <BR />Of course, today's debate is only happening because there was no functioning Assembly until last month. The United Kingdom Government at Westminster laid a statutory instrument in January, but that applied only to Great Britain. The passing of the amendment regulations will see the equivalent flexibilities being extended to here for a similar time frame, which is up to 1 April 2026.”
“The amendment regulations being considered may seem fairly technical, but, in reality, they are critical to the ongoing delivery of the vaccination programme here. That is largely due to the circumstances and physical characteristics of the vaccines that we still use across Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Unlike other vaccines, COVID vaccines are not currently available in prefilled syringes; they are only available in multi-dose vials and are still mainly distributed in a frozen state throughout the supply chain. Because of that, they require further physical effort and intervention at the point of administration to the patient. That is what makes them so different to many other vaccines and why the flexibilities being discussed need to be extended.”
“I welcome the Minister's comments. Have any time limits been incorporated into the contract with the developer to ensure that the project's various stages are completed on time?”
“If an emergency were to occur and the legislation that we are looking at were not in place, how big a distraction would the need to prepare legislation during such an emergency be for your Department and your officials?”
“Ideally, the new public health Bill would have already been introduced and scrutinised long before now, but, unfortunately, that has not been possible following the latest two-year collapse of the Assembly. To those who speak most loudly against today's extension order, I simply ask them what their alternative is. Do they want to see people in Northern Ireland potentially left behind their peers across the rest of the UK, or, if they believe that other solutions should have been found, do some not see the contradiction in supporting the collapse of the very political institutions that would have been able to deliver them?”
“Whilst England, Scotland and Wales could all move at pace, if needs be, if today's extension order is not granted, we could not. Indeed, in recent months, the main talking point has been the sea border that makes the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland more difficult. The argument has been that it makes us different from the rest of the United Kingdom. If the extension is not granted, we will have created a health sea border in that our preparedness for a potential COVID outbreak will be different from that in the rest of the UK. I wonder if some see the irony in that position. <BR /> <BR />From the briefings to the Committee, it has been clear that some of our public health legislation is in major need of updating and amending. Thankfully, a public consultation on the changes is about to launch.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. This is chapter 2. <BR /> <BR />The pandemic changed lots of things. It changed the way in which many people worked and how businesses traded. It is almost four years since we were told to stay at home to save lives. As a society, we were asked to do things that, only weeks before, would have been considered totally unimaginable. I never again want to experience a period such as that. Thanks to the brilliant work of our scientists and medical experts, the pandemic has been well and truly in retreat for some time. However, we must maintain a level of preparedness and resilience to protect our citizens should circumstances change. <BR /> <BR />That brings me back to an earlier point. In Northern Ireland, we find ourselves at a legislative disadvantage.”
“Is the Minister aware of or has she received expressions of concern from business and community leaders who are calling for higher numbers of police officers on the ground? Does she share those concerns, and will she support all efforts to increase police numbers?”
“What plans does the Minister have to deal with any concerns that she may have about prison numbers outstripping the capacity of the prison estate?”
“<BR /> <BR />Others will argue that there is no sign of a new COVID variant on the horizon. The Building that we stand in today has fire extinguishers dotted throughout its corridors and rooms. Why are they in place? The answer is simple: they are there to help fight and contain the, hopefully unlikely, outbreak of a small fire that might grow into something more serious. Equally, we have defibrillators dotted around the Building: why are they there? They are there to provide urgent medical intervention in the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest. It is all about being prepared for events that, we all hope, are unlikely to occur, but, if they do, we have the means to hand to respond.”
“Whilst we are right to be sensible and have the ability to respond to all eventualities, what is not helpful are high tales and misinformation as to what decisions, such as those being taken today, do or do not mean. <BR /> <BR />Whilst I know that some people like to portray themselves in a certain fashion or speak into an echo chamber, ultimately, as legislators, we need to be mature in our deliberations and reasonable in our public commentary. Sweeping statements and exaggerated claims may generate some Facebook likes and social media retweets, but they do little to contribute to what should be a serious topic. I appreciate that some will argue that legislation can be introduced quickly if ever needed, but surely due diligence would dictate that it is better to have it in place, ready to be utilised if and when required.”
“The officer who was reported in Hansard as saying that there was no variant of the virus on the horizon was giving an honest answer to a fair question, but he is not the Chief Medical Officer, nor is he the Chief Scientific Adviser. Those are the people from whom I would tend to take advice. <BR /> <BR />I sincerely hope that none of these Department of Health extension orders ever needs to be utilised, but if they are, we need to be clear about the process that will be undertaken. Despite what a small cohort of Members in the House may believe or, at least, try to make others believe, absolutely no restrictions could be introduced without them first being discussed and agreed in the full Executive. The extension orders are merely enabling powers that could permit decisions to be taken at future meetings.”
“Indeed, the public inquiry is rightly examining the overall UK response to the pandemic, and I can only imagine that it would take a dim view were we to deliberately leave ourselves legislatively exposed at this point. <BR /> <BR />The Health Committee has received verbal and written briefings over recent weeks. It is clear that it is the view of the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser that the extension orders are necessary and prudent. Whilst MLAs are right to push and probe, many of us took a united position throughout the pandemic that we would respect the integrity of that expert advice. <BR /> <BR />Mrs Dodds quoted from Hansard the briefing that we received from Department of Health officials.”
“<BR /> <BR />Although, thankfully, the risks most associated with the previous pandemic remain low, equally, we have a responsibility to maintain a level of preparedness and resilience in order to protect our citizens should a significant variant emerge.”
“As many Members who served in the previous Assembly can confirm, there is often a sense of déjà vu when such extension orders are discussed. Although it seems rather odd to discuss extension orders not long before they expire, that is the rigid legal and legislative cycle in which we find ourselves. As the Minister set out, we in Northern Ireland have a legislative deficit when it comes to the adaptability of our current public health legislation. Other nations can respond at pace if need be, but it is a simple matter of fact that, without these extension orders, Northern Ireland could not do so.”
“I commend the Minister for his prompt response and for bringing forward his thoughts on legislation. I acknowledge that he says that there is no perfect solution, but the legislation talks about measures that will be taken when the dogs are in a public setting. We have to acknowledge that the death in Essex was in a living room. Has the Minister given any consideration to how he might protect the families of the owners of such dogs in the home?”
“The Health Minister has already said that he has instructed his officials to deliver the DDRB recommendations. For junior doctors, that means an average pay increase of over 9%, with first-year doctors receiving a consolidated increase that is closer to 11%. Although I know that some are sticking by their ask of 35%, we just need to be realistic. There is not an unlimited pool of money, and all Ministers have had to live within the funding realities of what has been made available. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that political uncertainty has had a damaging impact on our public services, but, instead of further action, now is the time to try to repair the immeasurable damage that uncertainty —”
“In particular, following my focus on health, I appeal to our junior doctors to think again about their actions later this week.”