AQW 11698/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 14/05/2012
Answered On Date: 17/09/2012
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister, in light of the misuse of flags, what plans the Executive has to introduce legislation to regulate the flying of flags on public property.

Answer:

The display of flags and emblems is a matter for continued consideration by the Cross-Party Working Group on Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. Discussions at the Cross-Party Working Group continue to be held on a confidential basis and any future action on flags and emblems will be dependent on the outcome of the group’s consideration.

However, in parallel, the Flags Protocol Working Group continues to develop recommendations for a flags framework. The Working Group was reconvened in December 2011 at our request and that of the cross party working group on CSI. The Working Group has now met on three occasions. A draft discussion paper has been produced to inform the ongoing considerations of the Working Group before recommendations on a revised framework are brought forward.

Following agreement of a revised framework it is the intention that this document would form one aspect of the monitoring and implementation arrangements of the CSI Strategy.