UK plans legislation to allow N.Ireland to keep delivering public services -minister

The British government will bring forward legislation to allow Northern Ireland, whose devolved assembly has not sat for 19 months, to continue delivering public services as London plans more talks to help break the deadlock in the province.

"The legislation I intend to introduce ... will also include provisions to give greater clarity and certainty to enable NI departments to continue to take decisions in Northern Ireland in the public interest and to ensure the continued delivery of public services," Northern Ireland minister Karen Bradley told lawmakers. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Stephen Addison)