Stormont stalemate: Heaton-Harris says government could help with finances
The government wants to ensure public services "are able to meet the needs of people of Northern Ireland", the NI Secretary has said.
Chris Heaton-Harris addressed the media before hosting all-party talks at Hillsborough Castle on Monday.
He said the discussions were about "ensuring financial stability and sustainability" for Northern Ireland.
However, he stressed that locally elected politicians should be the ones making the decisions.
"I want to agree the basis upon which the Northern Ireland Executive can return on a stable financial footing," he said.
"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."
