The Northern Ireland Secretary also retained the final say on the flying of the flag and other symbols. The SDLP gave a warm welcome to Patten. While Sinn Fein initially criticised it for failing to recommend the disbanding of the RUC, they came round to its proposals. But both parties heavily criticised the legislation. The SDLP said that there were 44 changes between its provisions and Patten.
Nationalist politicians regard the reforms as a vital part of securing an equal stake in society.
Many nationalists believe that the RUC has played a controversial role which has manifested itself in, at the very least, disriminatory policing tactics. In interviews since the publication of the report, Chris Patten has stressed that the recommendations came with the backing of all members of the commission team, and that they all believed that implementation in full was vital to ensuring cross-community support. As the Bill progressed through Parliament, further criticism began to emerge. But days before the legislation reached the end of its passage in November, his former colleague, Professor Clifford Shearing went further. He said that the focus of the government bill was the police rather than policing.