Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has set out plans to legislate for key public appointments if the Northern Ireland Executive is not restored by the autumn.

The minister has instructed officials to work on legislation allowing UK government ministers to make appointments to the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission (NIJAC), the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland.

The Policing Board has not been properly constituted since the 2017 Assembly election, as it has not had the political members it requires.

NIJAC has fallen to a “very low membership”, particularly in its legal and judicial representation, affecting its capacity to operate.

The Probation Board’s entire membership will expire in November unless new appointments are made.

Commenting today, Ms Bradley (pictured) said: “The UK government’s priority is to restore the devolved institutions at Stormont.

“In the meantime, I have been clear that I will continue to take any urgent and necessary action to protect good governance and the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland.

“I hope that an accommodation can be reached and an Executive formed so that Northern Ireland Ministers can make these important appointments in the autumn. If not, I am prepared to bring forward legislation to enable these appointments to be made to ensure that these bodies can continue their vital work.”