Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, said:
As Secretary of State, my focus has always been on delivering for the people of Northern Ireland, who expect and deserve locally elected decision-makers to address the issues that matter to them.
To that end, for a number of months the UK Government has been working to address the DUPs concerns on the Windsor Framework.
I continue to engage with the DUP and, as I have said before, these discussions are making progress but I am not going to provide a running commentary.
Alongside those negotiations, I am now convening the Northern Ireland party leaders here today at Hillsborough Castle to talk about ensuring financial stability and sustainability for Northern Ireland.
I want to agree the basis upon which the Northern Ireland Executive can return on a stable financial footing.
I also want to ensure that public services are able to meet the needs of the people of Northern Ireland.
The UK Government is willing to help, but all these issues can best be addressed by the return of locally accountable institutions built on secure foundations.
And I hope our work together over the next few da