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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Every one of 1,411 lines we hold for Alan Chambers, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 22 of 29.
“The Minister has alluded to the fact that, under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, if someone is "unfit to discharge his functions" as a member of the board, she has the power to remove them. Given his tweet, and the earlier well-publicised use of bolt cutters to remove a legally placed wheel clamp from his vehicle, in what way does the Minister think that Mr Kelly might be fit to continue as a board member?”
“Thank you, Minister. I welcome the fact that the Criminal Justice Inspection (CJI) will now conduct a review of care and supervision units. It is a shame, however, that it took an article in 'The Detail' to begin such a review. Can the Minister tell us why the number of prisoners held in care and supervision units has increased from 585 in 2015 to 755 in 2019?”
“— and, indeed, at the start of every shift. Does the Minister have any views on the practical benefits of such a regime?”
“A few weeks ago, the Health Committee received some evidence on nursing homes from a senior official from the Royal College of Nursing. She was asked for her opinion on moving staff testing from two weeks to a one-week regime. She made the point that it would increase the bureaucratic burden on nursing homes and nurses. Also, there was the problem of nurses having to travel in their own time to get the testing done. She finished by questioning how beneficial the move would be, and she thought that it was not achievable. This morning, we read a headline story in one of the newspapers that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who serves in another House, was calling for testing to be done on a daily basis for staff —”
“Minister, one of the benefits of being part of the United Kingdom is that the four nations have shared resources throughout the pandemic. Whilst I very much welcome today's clarity from the Minister, which again emphasises the need for accuracy in public reporting at this time, will the Minister contact the Department of Health and Social Care in England if, in the days and weeks ahead, he believes that he will require even greater quantities of vaccine to fully meet the needs of Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Does the Minister agree that the decision taken by the Executive last week has the unfortunate potential to breed public complacency and to undermine confidence in the public, medical and scientific messaging that is coming from the Executive?”
“Will the Minister detail what measures he has taken to shore up and support domiciliary care providers during the pandemic?”
“OK. Thank you very much, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker.”
“The sector is now heading into a crisis. I have to acknowledge that there are lots of manufacturing companies all over the country that are doing really well and providing good employment. However, manufacturing is in a little bit of a crisis. Simon also said:”
“Maybe he was implying that our motion suggested that, but that was certainly not the case. My party wanted to increase the manufacturing sector's contribution to the economy. My party feels that, if the strategy had been put in place at that time, we may not have avoided some of the job losses but we would have been better placed to confront the job losses and do something about it. Simon said:”
“Engineering skills were traditionally passed on over generations, and all that has gone. Shipyard workers and other manufacturing workers may not have been well educated, but they could solve any engineering problem that was put in front of them. <BR /> <BR />Was an opportunity lost in June 2016 when Sinn Féin and the DUP voted down a proposed manufacturing strategy, preferring to bury it in an all-embracing economy strategy? Where is that strategy today? I have looked at the transcript of that debate, and Simon Hamilton said:”
“In 2019, 1,790 jobs were lost in the manufacturing sector, which represented 59% of all job losses in Northern Ireland in that year. Wrightbus was a jewel in our manufacturing crown, and that lost 1,200 employees in 2019. It is easy to dismiss all those figures as mere statistics, but what are the stories behind the statistics? They are breadwinners. They are providing for families. They are paying off mortgages. They are providing a quality of life for their family. They have lost that, and who suffers? It is not only the breadwinner in the family but the small corner shop, the bakeries and — dare I say it?— even the pubs suffer on payday when jobs are lost. <BR /> <BR />More importantly, it is also about the loss of skills, which we cannot afford to lose, but we do. When those places close, the skills go with them.”
“I also remember watching thousands of men on cycles coming up the street where I lived, every night, as they came home from work at the shipyard. That was them coming home only to one part of Belfast; that must have been replicated throughout Belfast. Those big hitters spawned a number of smaller manufacturing units that supplied the big boys with components. Some of them were based in barns and were in tin huts up back alleyways, but they were feeding off the big manufacturing companies and were providing employment. Maybe that was for small numbers of people, but, nonetheless, it was employment. <BR /> <BR />In 2015, there were over 85,000 direct jobs in the manufacturing sector, 10% of Northern Ireland's total employment at that point.”
“It feels a bit like Groundhog Day. My mind goes back to 6 June 2016, which was quite a historic day in that the first formal opposition motion was brought to this Chamber since 1972. It was supported by Mr Allister, the SDLP, Alliance and the Ulster Unionist Party. It was also the first motion brought in during that mandate. It called on the then Minister for the Economy, Simon Hamilton, to commission a manufacturing strategy. <BR /> <BR />The economy of Northern Ireland — indeed, as I have to reference, that of Belfast, as well — really was built on heavy manufacturing. As a proud son of east Belfast, I remember places like the ropeworks, Shorts, Sirocco Works, the Tab factory, Mackie's, Harland and Wolff and many manufacturers of linen products.”
“I will finish now, Mr Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />I go back to underfunding. Let us stop talking about building bridges that would cost millions of pounds. Let us start focusing on making the National Health Service the best that we can make it. The people who work in it are the best, and they need the best facilities that we can give them.”
“No. He goes into the hospital. There, he may have a patient who is waiting to have a hip replacement the next morning, but he will send that patient home to make the bed available for the patient who cannot breathe because of the virus. Those are tough, tough decisions but, unfortunately, they are having to be made.”
“It is shocking, but put yourself in the place of a clinician standing at the hospital door. He does not have a bed available in his hospital, and somebody presents at the front door of the hospital who cannot draw a breath because of the virus. The person is dying with the virus. What does the clinician do? Does he say, "I am sorry, we do not have any beds. Just go home"?”
“That underfunding has not just occurred over the last two, three or four years; the underfunding has gone on for decades. The pandemic has been a wake-up call. It has shown us how close our National Health Service is to disaster. We know that the waiting lists for different treatments, even before the virus, were the longest in the United Kingdom. The pandemic did not cause the waiting lists. Whom do we blame for the underfunding of our National Health Service? We do not have to look any further than the House to see where the decisions were made or not made that, perhaps, would have put the National Health Service in a better place than it is in now. I know that talking about people who are waiting for treatments such as cancer treatment and hip operations is a sensitive subject.”
“There is evidence that it has helped to save lives. If we look at the figures in Strabane and Londonderry, we realise that it works. Jonathan also said that he worried about the economy, jobs and mental health: he omitted to say that — I am sure that it was just a slip of the tongue — he worried about the health of every citizen in Northern Ireland. I worry about the health of every citizen. I know that Robin Swann worries about the health of every citizen, and that is quite correct because that is his job as Minister of Health, just as the Economy Minister, the Finance Minister and the Infrastructure Minister have their jobs to do. Robin Swann is focused on one thing: protecting the health of every citizen in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Pat rightly talked about underfunding.”
“However, do the Members who have been criticising the test, trace and isolate system, face coverings and all the other aspects of what the Executive are trying to do and have said that we need to do better realise that they are criticising their own Executive Ministers? The lockdown and all that goes with it is a policy endorsed by the entire Executive. All the regulations being discussed today are collectively supported by every member of the Executive. <BR /> <BR />Today, I have heard a Minister and a Member say that we have to learn to live with the virus. When they say that, do they mean that we have to start learning to die with the virus? That is an important point. Jonathan mentioned the fact that the virus kills and the lockdown kills, but we have to acknowledge that lockdown saves lives.”
“No, I do not accept that. The experts whom we employ are the people whom we need to listen to. Is the Member advocating that I heed the hundreds of emails sent to me by crackpots telling me that this is some sort of fascist takeover of Northern Ireland? I do not think so. The advice that I want to listen to is the cool professional advice of our Chief Medical Officer and our Chief Scientific Adviser. If the House has no confidence in the officials, there must be a method to change their employment situation. <BR /> <BR />The other experts who appear to like the sound of their own broadcast voices should step back, as their input is not helpful. Today, Members could have indulged in a bit of finger-pointing, but they have been controlled.”
“My party has full confidence in those two gentlemen and their teams as they advise the Minister of Health and the Executive on the best way forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />Mr Aiken reminded us that all decisions around lockdowns and regulations are collective decisions of the Executive, on which the five main parties in the House are represented. The regulations made are not Robin Swann's regulations, as some people who should know better try to portray it; indeed, last week at the Health Committee, one of the two officials who were referred to and who were there to answer questions was representing the Finance Department. <BR /> <BR />The virus will not be defeated by petty party politicking nor by the input of armchair experts, even those who have the benefit of letters after their name. The experts who really matter are our Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser.”
“All that said, I go back to what the Minister is on record as saying: he will not hesitate to call in military assistance should the need arise. I will fully support him if that becomes necessary. <BR /> <BR />The other issue that worries me and should worry the House is the undermining of the public health messaging in relation to this dreadful virus. Elected Members, some who serve in another House and should know better, have been guilty of this. There have been examples even today of remarks that are not helpful. No matter what experts who seem to enjoy taking part in local radio programmes think, their input is not helpful. One wonders what their motivation is. The mental health champion has cautioned against highlighting the impact of the lockdowns on mental health. We need to respect that advice from the mental health champion.”
“The Minister of Health informed the House many weeks ago that he would not hesitate to seek additional help wherever he could source it, as and when required. What the army does well is providing engineering and logistical support. To date, we have not required such help other than provision by the military of temporary mortuary accommodation at Kinnegar camp in Holywood during the first surge that, thankfully, did not need to be utilised. On offering medical backup, it is a fact that around 75% of army medical reservists are already involved in the battle against the virus in their day jobs in the NHS. On the army assisting in the track-and-trace and testing process, I imagine that, given the number of people out of work at present due to the virus, there should be an adequate pool of civilian workers to do that work.”
“If ever there was an occasion when it is almost impossible to please all the people all the time, it is right now. The decision-making task is not made easier by Ministers being lobbied through the media when they have not even sat down to consider what should have been a confidential document. If a Minister went straight to the media with a departmental report before submitting it to the Executive, there would rightly be outrage. Why would anyone else involved in the Executive think that it is clever to take it on themselves to pass someone else's report on to the media? <BR /> <BR />Reference has been made today by a Member to calling in the army to assist in our fight against COVID; indeed, the Minister was asked about that subject by that Member at the Health Committee last week. It is a fair question.”
“Thank you for the intervention. Maybe that is the role of the World Health Organization; perhaps it has let us down in not sharing what it knows about how Asian countries have dealt with viruses. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Mr Steve Aiken spoke about leaks emanating from within the Executive. Whether it is political gamesmanship or someone's attempt to ingratiate themselves with members of the media, the people who are doing it are not serving the public interest and should reflect on how it will compromise confidence and trust in the Executive. Reports presented and debates held should remain confidential in the first instance. I genuinely do not envy the Executive their decision-making at present. I am sure that they are having a difficult time today, trying to come to some conclusions.”
“I do not like the situation, but I would not wish that any demand from me or my party to deliberately delay the implementation of any regulations would result in any further loss of life. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps, when we overcome the many challenges that the virus has thrown at us and maybe even new challenges, given the news coming out of Denmark, we can reflect on how we reacted and what lessons we can learn that might assist those who come behind us in dealing with future pandemics. Pat told us — I cannot argue with the figures — about how well a number of Asian countries have dealt with the virus. We have to acknowledge that they have the benefit of having dealt with SARS and many other deadly viruses and have learned their lessons from those. That is why they have managed the virus better than other countries have.”
“Members have spoken about the unsatisfactory method by which regulations such as these are being brought through the Committee and the Assembly; indeed, we are discussing legislation that has been operating since 16 October and is due to run out at midnight this Thursday. Having expressed dissatisfaction at that situation, we must acknowledge that this is a pandemic that is being grappled with by democratic government forums in many countries across the globe. It is an emergency and thus requires emergency and agile approaches to making rules and creating guidance designed to save lives. Delaying to meet normal bureaucratic standards could cause more lives to be lost.”
“I thank the Minister for her response. I think that if a survey were done of motorists and road users, commercial and private, they would probably identify the York Street junction as the busiest junction in Northern Ireland. It causes delay to hauliers, and standing traffic causes a lot of pollution in the area. I know that the planning process for the interchange has been completed. However, the Minister has paused development, and she referred to that in her answer to the previous question. Can she suggest a timescale for when that link between the M1, M2 and my North Down constituency will be built?”
“Will the Minister update the House on cancer screening programmes?”
“We must get back to collective responsibility, and we must provide the leadership that people deserve. <BR /> <BR />I conclude by giving a message to the people who are filling my inbox with emails telling me that this is all a hoax: will you please stop writing to me?”
“I take an opposite view. People like Mr McGrath, who demand this evidence, are playing right into the hands of those who were in the grounds of Stormont on Sunday. They are planting a seed in their mind that this is not what it seems and that more evidence is needed. So, yes, why do you not seek more evidence? I do not particularly buy that. <BR /> <BR />The hospitality sector is certainly hurting, but can we afford to give it an exception during the next four weeks? I noticed at the weekend that the streets in Bangor — there is a thriving evening economy in Bangor — were empty. I am sure that other Members saw that in their towns and villages. There were no taxis or cars on the road; the place was like a ghost town on Saturday night. Surely that is what the circuit breaker is all about.”
“However, how many in the House have clean hands in relation to supporting and remaining on the health message? Point-scoring is running wild. Foolish comments and actions are alive and well, but the biggest attitude at play is, surely, hypocrisy. <BR /> <BR />We hear a lot — we have heard it tonight — of people asking, "Where is the evidence?". The evidence is the 89 nursing homes, which we have heard about tonight, that are suffering a COVID outbreak. It is the 29 people lying in ICU and fighting for their life. It is the hundreds of patients in COVID wards who may take a long time to recover from the effects of the virus. It is the deaths that have left families and lives devastated. What more evidence do we need?”
“I had not intended to speak in this debate. The corporate message has been undermined by those in this House who should really know better. The most recent example was the words of an Executive Minister distancing himself from the collective and unanimous decision taken by the Executive just days before and supported by him. He was wrong to speak as he did, and I really do not know what his motivation was for doing so. <BR /> <BR />Regrettably, his remarks were compounded by bringing religion into the equation. The religion of a patient who is lying in a COVID ward certainly does not matter to me. Thankfully, it most certainly does not matter to the nurses and doctors who are wrapped in PPE and doing their best to save the life of that patient.”
“Like so many other regions, were it not for our membership of the United Kingdom, we simply could not have responded in the manner that we have. To those who criticised the British Government for some of their policies — I am not a frequent cheerleader for them — I say, "Be grateful", even begrudgingly, for the assistance that they have given us to date and which will, no doubt, be added to in the weeks and months ahead. Had the British Treasury not been in such a generous mode, the job of the Finance Minister would have been significantly more difficult than it has been to date. I wish the Minister well in his endeavours.”
“However, a lot of the negative issues that have arisen in our health service during the pandemic are exacerbated by previous years of serious underfunding. When we finally defeat this dreadful virus — we will — we must be prepared to make available the budget necessary to tackle unacceptable waiting lists, which have been lengthened by the pandemic. When this crisis is over, we cannot return to how we approached health in the past. We must also make provision for a fast COVID vaccination programme for when a vaccine is found. That will come with a huge cost. <BR /> <BR />This year, Northern Ireland will receive billions in direct financial assistance through, for example, the job retention scheme, as well as Barnett consequentials.”
“I am disappointed that this remains largely unresolved. Someone needs to address the situation urgently. <BR /> <BR />This new four-week circuit breaker has reopened wounds. Taxi drivers and the hairdressers who rent a chair in a salon make up only a very small section of a self-employed community that feels left behind and, indeed, even abandoned. On their behalf, I appeal for someone to grasp the nettle and, finally, sort that out. Local government will also require intervention, and I hope that that will be forthcoming. <BR /> <BR />In relation to the logistic and financial demands inflicted on our National Health Service, I recognise that money has been found to try to deliver a service that saves lives.”
“Other Members spoke about the strain on small businesses. We see and hear about their situation daily. Their problems are a stark reality. I commend the Minister and the Executive for, earlier this year, quickly coming up with schemes designed to get money out to businesses. Using the rates database as the pointer to facilitate prompt payments helped to reduce the associated administration. The money made available was very welcome, and it was paid into bank accounts as quickly as possible. Local errors and omissions were, once identified, fixed in a timely and sensitive manner. That said, a large number of people in my constituency fell through the cracks due to the delivery mechanisms. I tried to reassure those who approached me about their dilemma that their situation would be recognised and rectified.”
“However, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that, when it comes to setting a Budget, this year is like no other we have ever faced.”
“I welcome the motion. It is detailed and timely. However, I concur with some Members that the work of the Departments would be less constrained if we could move away from the single-year model of Budget-setting.”
“It would be great if it could happen, and I would fully support such an achievement, but, regrettably, I think that it may be an unrealistic aspiration. I also note the Sinn Féin call for even more funding from the British Government to take forward the New Decade, New Approach priorities. I am sure that they recognise that it is useful to have a generous family member to turn to in times of financial stress and strain. <BR /> <BR />I conclude by thanking all those who serve in the PSNI for their dedicated service. I place it on record that, when I ask for police assistance and a police officer comes to my home or to my business, I am not really interested in what school they went to.”
“<BR /> <BR />Given that around 300 officers retire or leave the Police Service annually, that number has to be recruited just to stand still. It will take a huge push to not only continue to replace these officers, but to build towards the 7,500 figure. Does the police college have the capacity to deliver these figures? I am confident that many in our communities would be happy to help make their areas safer by serving in a PSNI Reserve service. Eight hundred new full-time officers will very quickly be absorbed across Northern Ireland, but a substantial Reserve service would provide more visibility. <BR /> <BR />Turning to the Sinn Féin amendment, I doubt, given the challenges, that it is possible to bring the figure up to 7,500 by the end of this mandate. I recognise that this is also an aspiration in the original motion.”
“The reason that is given by police sources is that part-time officers would need to be trained and equipped to the same standard as full-time officers. I do not accept this excuse for ignoring this aspect of Patten's recommendations. The small number of Reserve officers who are employed by the PSNI are long-serving and quite experienced officers, and yet their monthly hours of deployment are rationed. It smacks of a resistance to the employment of part-time officers. I am disappointed that the motion makes no mention of the establishment of a part-time Reserve complement, but I accept that Mr Clarke and Mr Givan referred to it. However, it is missing from the motion and I would have liked to see it in there.”
“In 2001, Chris Patten was charged with the responsibility for making recommendations on the numbers that he reckoned that the PSNI would require to offer a service in a peaceful environment. At the time, the population of Northern Ireland was around 1·69 million; 20 years later, it stands at around 1·91 million. Do the Patten figures need to be readjusted to reflect that increase in the population? I think that my colleague Mr Nesbitt perhaps clarified that by stating that the figure of 7,500 was the starting point. <BR /> <BR />The motion calls for 7,500 officers, but it makes no mention of the 2,500 part-time officers that were proposed by Patten. This seems to have become some sort of elephant in the room.”
“The wide range of people who served with me included teachers, pharmacists, nurses, clergymen, butchers and bakers but, regrettably, I do not recall a candlestick maker in my group. Every evening of the week, up to 40 part-time officers gathered to be detailed on a local area to patrol. Estates and outlying villages witnessed the presence of a team of uniformed officers with local knowledge who were patrolling their area and who were engaging positively with the young people of the area. The reassurance that that offered local communities is hard to quantify, but it was certainly welcome. Regrettably, that visibility on the ground is largely missing now. <BR /> <BR />At that time, the RUC could call on a complement of around 13,000 officers.”
“I thank the Members who tabled the motion for bringing this important issue before the House. I have no problem in fully supporting the motion insofar as it goes. I feel that some important issues have been missed in its crafting, and I will come back to that point. The key question is whether the Justice Minister has made a bid for funding to deliver the commitment in New Decade, New Approach or has plans to do so. Perhaps she will share with the House how she sees that important commitment being delivered and the timescale that she envisages for it. <BR /> <BR />For a number of years in the 1970s and 1980s, I had the privilege of serving my community as a part-time member of the RUC Reserve in my area.”
“Does the Minister agree that, if we were to go down the road of herd immunity, we would, effectively, sacrifice the weakest and most vulnerable to the virus?”
“I understand that, during the past weekend, around 140 people were admitted to hospital. Using that doubling rate, will the Minister tell us what he expects the rate of admissions to hospitals to be this weekend?”
“<BR /> <BR />I have also heard people put forward the argument of herd immunity. They say, "Well, sure, if everybody catches it, we will be fine". I would ask the same people who are making those arguments this: what is your evidence that, if someone catches it, as they recover, they will become immune, will not suffer a recurrence of it or, indeed, will not subsequently pass it on to others? Evidence from those people would be useful as well. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister confirm that every minute of every day is vital as we fight against the virus? Will he also confirm that delay in taking decisive action could cause more misery and death? <BR /> <BR />The Minister spoke about the doubling time for COVID hospital admissions. Will he elaborate on that?”