Alex Attwood MLA took up his post as Minister of the Environment in May 2011 having been first elected as an MLA for West Belfast in 1998 and on three occasions since.

He was Minister for Social Development in the last Northern Ireland Executive and a Belfast City Councillor 1985-2005.

A native of Belfast, he graduated from Queen’s University in 1987 and worked as a solicitor before becoming a full-time politician.

A member of Belfast City Council between 1985 – 2005, he led the negotiations for the first Nationalist Mayor of the City and was involved in various all-party negotiations, including the Good Friday Agreement.

Minister Attwood was the SDLP spokesman on policing from 1997 to 2007.