To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister, pursuant to AQW 19631/17-22, for (i) a copy of the minutes of the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture & Tradition working group meetings; (ii) a full list of the members of the FICT working group; and (iii) a list of the recommendations from the FCIT report that the FICT working group are progressing.

(i) Junior Ministers met with the joint chairs of the FICT Commission on 20 October 2020, and met with officials on 19 January 2021 to consider next steps, including the formation of a FICT working group to progress issues in relation to the report. Copies of the minutes of the FICT Working Group meetings are provided below:

Note of the Meeting of the FICT Working Group

Thursday 15 April 2021, 10am

Attendees:

JM Kearney

JM Lyons

Diary Secretaries

JM SPADs

Chris Stewart (TEO)

Richard Cushnie (TEO)

TEO Officials

Introductions

Chris Stewart welcomed members to the meeting.

Current position

Chris Stewart updated the group on the current position of work relating to progressing the FICT Report. Work is ongoing on a series of papers for submission to a future meeting of the Executive, as outlined in the paper approved by the Executive on 25 March. Engagement with Departments to inform this process is ongoing.

Minutes of the last Meeting, Draft Terms of Reference (ToR).

The minutes of the meeting of the FICT Working Group on 18 March and the draft ToR of the FICT working group were both agreed.

The proposed way forward

The group discussed next steps. It was agreed:

Once initial engagement with Departments has been completed an updated Recommendations Analyses will be made available to the Working Group for comment.

A meeting between Junior Ministers and the Joint Chairs of the FICT Commission is to be scheduled as soon as diaries permit.

Note of the meeting of the FICT Working Group 18 March 2021, 2pm, via zoom

Attendees:JM KearneyJM LyonsDiary SecretariesJM SPADsChris Stewart (TEO)Richard Cushnie (TEO)TEO Officials

Note of the meeting

Chris Stewart welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the FICT Working Group.

The Working Group discussed a number of issues in relation to a proposed way forward in relation to the FICT Report, and issues regarding its handling, including publication.

It was agreed TEO Officials would draft a paper outlining a proposed way forward in relation to these matters for approval at the Executive meeting on 25 March 2021.

(ii) The membership of the FICT Working Group when it last met on 15 April 2021 was:

JM Declan Kearney

JM Gordon Lyons

JM SPADs

Chris Stewart (TEO)

Richard Cushnie (TEO)

TEO Officials

(iii) Decisions on the publication of the FICT report, including details of progressing the recommendations in the action plan, will be matters for all Executive Ministers working together. The FICT Working Group is advancing the cross-departmental engagement to take this forward.