MPs debate election bill

Stormont Assembly was dissolved for the elections

Legislation to postpone elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly is being debated in Parliament on Monday.

Last week, the UK prime minister said the elections, which were scheduled to take place on 29 May, could not go ahead because the IRA had given a "point-blank" refusal to answer his questions on its future intentions.

Northern Ireland's devolved administration was suspended on 14 October 2002, amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering in the Stormont government.

The planned legislation makes no reference to any new date but says a future date will be set by the Northern Ireland secretary.

The draft bill gives the secretary of state the power to name a new date by using a parliamentary order, rather than the longer process of bringing new legislation to parliament.

It also deals with the salary levels of assembly members.

Compensation

Although it does not specify what their pay will be while the power-sharing executive is suspended, it says they will be continue to be treated as assembly members until the next elections are held.

On Friday, it emerged that government compensation for calling off the election could amount to up to £4m.

Meanwhile, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson has said the government may have difficulties with the bill when it reaches the House of Lords.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Robinson said the governments' majority in the House of Commons did not guarantee the bill would be passed.

"They don't have the massive majority in the House of Lords and they need the House of Lords to be on message as well," he said.

"I think there will be many from the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats who feel it is quite atrocious the way the secretary of state and the government has been treating Northern Ireland and in particular the democratic process."