The parades committee of the Northern Ireland Forum is to write to the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, expressing concern at the Northern Secretary's refusal to meet it.
The meeting was requested to discuss the forum's parades report, which was published last month and took a year to complete. Mr Cedric Wilson of the UK Unionist Party yesterday expressed amazement that Dr Mo Mowlam had met residents' groups but not elected representatives.
Mr Nigel Dodds of the DUP said it was a very bad sign that the British government was treating the forum in such an offhand manner when it was addressing one of the most important issues facing the North.