Talks between Northern Ireland health unions and Chris Heaton-Harris end without resolution

Chris Heaton-Harris had emphasised ahead of the meeting that he does not have the powers to "step in" to intervene in a pay dispute raised by healthcare workers. It comes after health staff in the rest of the UK received pay offers in response to inflation, but without Stormont functioning to agree a budget, the same could not be done in Northern Ireland.

Strike action was taken last week over the issue, but demonstrations planned for Monday were called off after talks were set up in Belfast with Mr Heaton-Harris. The meeting, which was attended by representatives from Nipsa, Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, ended on Wednesday evening without a statement being issued.

Union representatives told the BBC as they left the talks that there had been "a full and frank exchange of views" and said a further in-person meeting had been agreed. Ahead of the meeting, Mr Heaton-Harris said that he hoped to gain "a better understanding" of the issues at play as he had no legal powers to "step in".

When asked what powers he had, he said: "Pretty much none I'm afraid because those powers sit with the permanent secretaries. "I don't have any legal power with which to step in, but I'm keen to listen to the health unions and talk with them.

"I have got a decent track record of working with unions in the past, I believe they offer value to society and so I want to work with the health unions," he told BBC Radio Ulster.

Asked why he's meeting them if he has no power to help, he said:

"They've asked for it, so I'm very happy to have it."

Asked if he can offer any solutions:

"Realistically in a meeting when the budget is being set, no."

Asked what is likely to come out of the meeting, he said:

"Better understanding, I guess, of that."