To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) any evidence base for her Department’s position that, removing unauthorised flags may cause community tensions; (ii) the number of (a) complaints; and (b) requests, her Department has received for the removal of flags in South Belfast, in the last 12 months; and (iii) any actions that were taken in response.

When a complaint is received about unauthorised attachments to my Department’s equipment, my Officials will ask for advice from PSNI and other partner agencies, who may have contacts in local communities, to determine if removal action is likely to increase community tensions.

A total of 36 requests were received for the removal of flags in South Belfast in the last 12 months. Of the 36 requests, in 27 cases, PSNI advised that removal was likely to increase community tensions. In the remaining 9 cases, they did not give an opinion.