// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
NI secretary to hold Stormont talks over budget deadlock
It will be Sir Chris Bryant's first visit to Stormont as secretary of state
The Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant will hold talks with Northern Ireland's political parties later on Monday in a bid to break the deadlock on the budget.
The executive has said it cannot agree a budget for this financial year without additional support from the Westminster government.
Following the passing of a deadline in August, Stormont officials were given legal powers to spend up to 95% of last year's funding in the absence of ministers agreeing the budget.
Last week, the Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to get the Stormont government functioning properly with a budget, but it is unclear how much money London could provide.
Sir Chris will hold talks with the executive on that issue, as well as seeking their views on potential reform of the institutions, when he makes his first visit to Stormont later.
He is expected to hold talks with the executive before meeting party leaders and holding one-to-one bilaterals with the five largest parties.
Alliance and the SDLP have long called for the power-sharing institutions to be reformed to prevent them from collapsing again.
In June, Sinn Féin - the largest party at Stormont - published its own proposals urging similar measures to be introduced.
It called for the removal of what it called a "veto" on executive formation - namely the nominations of parties to the roles of first and deputy first minister.