I may act on Union Flag in future: Attwood

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Jim Allister asked him “what steps he proposes to take to encourage councils, which fail to fly the Union flag, to review this policy in deference to the cultural affinity of the Unionist minority within their council area and to diminish their sense of exclusion.”

Mr Attwood replied: “Councils are independent of central government and are accountable to their local electorate and ratepayers.

“Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides that all public authorities, including district councils, in carrying out their functions in Northern Ireland, shall have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between certain specified individuals and groups, and have desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion and religious group.”

Mr Attwood said all Councils are directly answerable to the Equality Commission in respect of their Section 75 Duties.

He also said that in the wake of the Belfast Agreement various political and cultural identities need to be respected and that this means Northern Ireland will look and feel differently than may have been the case previously.

“If this is the approach adopted issues of flags, emblems and symbols can be addressed - in the absence of this, it becomes very difficult,” he said.

“If the right approach is deployed, it can mean that political and cultural affiliation can be addressed in an agreed balanced even generous way, not out of deference but out of respect.

“As I have said previously, if I believe that as Local Government Minister that I should act to move the situation forward, I will consider doing so,” he concluded.