The bill to suspend the power-sharing assembly in Northern Ireland and reimpose direct rule from Westminster is moving to to the House of Lords after being approved by the Commons.

Only a handful of MPs voted against the legislation. The Bill is set to become law on Friday and the devolved administration could be suspended by the weekend.

The legislation cleared all its House of Commons hurdles on Tuesday night after a seven-hour debate.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has issued a stark warning that he is ready to walk away from the peace process if there is a return to direct rule.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster, he said he would review his position as Sinn Fein leader if the assembly was suspended at the weekend.

He said: "I don't intend to spend the rest of my life trying to shore up a process that is in perpetual crisis."

The Northern Ireland bill is now expected to complete its passage through the Lords on Thursday and become law on Friday.

MPs, who voted by a majority of more than 300 to approve the bill, were told by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson that the Good Friday Agreement was the nearest thing to a "perfect settlement", but that reimposing direct rule from London might be the only way to save it.

He said there was no alternative "to creating this pause in order to give us time, to give us breathing space so that we can work hard.... to resurrect that which we hold so dear".

Mr Mandelson said the Good Friday Agreement was in danger of unravelling over the paramilitary arms decommissioning crisis, and that the onus was on the republican movement to deliver disarmament.

"If violence is a thing of the past, why cannot the weapons of violence be put permanently beyond use?" he said.

Chance for peace

Earlier, at a Westminster press conference, and flanked by Sinn Fein's two assembly ministers, Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun, Mr Adams said there was still a chance to "avert disaster".

He said the agreement was "the only show in town" and that republicans were doing everything possible to deliver IRA decommissioning.

But he said: "There is still not enough trust to allow any of the military forces to move to the point where they can deal with the arms issue in an acceptable way."

Mr Adams said that the republican movement accepted its obligations to persuade the IRA to disarm - but it could only take place as part of the wider settlement.

'Fear for consequences'

He said a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday had been "focused, serious and useful" and he "applauded and commended the government's role".

A suspension of the assembly is designed to prevent the first minister and leader of the Ulster Unionists, David Trimble, from resigning.

Mr Trimble pledged to his party last year that he would quit if the IRA had not started decommissioning its arsenal by the end of January, saying that there cannot be an "armed peace".

Mr Mandelson said he feared for the consequences for Northern Ireland if Mr Trimble were to resign.

For their part, Sinn Fein say the IRA never gave a commitment to decommissioning and that the assembly has given republicans, nationalists and unionists the chance to build their first ever working relationship.

If the legislation clears the Lords, Mr Mandelson will be able to suspend the assembly before Saturday's crucial meeting of the ruling council of the Ulster Unionist Party.