Pressure is building at Westminster about the timing of any Sinn Féin ardfheis on policing as MPs and peers process emergency legislation paving the way for the restoration of devolved government at Stormont.
In the Commons last night, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain maintained that the timing of any ardfheis or conference to resolve Sinn Féin's future attitude to the PSNI remained a matter for that party.
However, he agreed with his Conservative shadow David Lidington that it was "absolutely crucial" that such a conference be held and that Sinn Féin make clear its acceptance of the legislation - including the proposed pledge of ministerial office - ahead of the March 26th date for the appointment of a new powersharing Executive.
Both men were speaking during the second reading of the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Bill, which goes to the House of Lords later today.
The Northern Ireland Office later declined to say that Sinn Féin's decision on policing would in effect have to be taken by the end of January, in advance of the February trigger for March elections intended to provide endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement by the Northern Ireland electorate.
However, official sources indicated that Mr Hain broadly shared Mr Lidington's view that the upcoming electoral process would "start to impose its own pressures on the timetable" for a resolution of the policing issue.
The issue was thrown into sharp focus after Mr Hain warned the Northern Ireland parties: "If at any stage between now and March 26th we run out of track then devolution becomes dissolution."
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson pressed Mr Hain as to when precisely he might "run out of track" on the failure of Sinn Féin to call an ardfheis.
Mr Hain said it was "crucial" Sinn Féin called such a conference and he expected it to do so.
Mr Lidington said there surely "must by the calling of the election be some certainty" about Sinn Féin's intention, while DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson told him "there must be a point where it becomes ludicrous to ask people to accept Sinn Féin's bona fides" if they refused to come to a decision between the St Andrews negotiations and March 26th.
Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon said that, given the declared Sinn Féin and DUP positions, the reality was that Northern Ireland was being asked "to elect a deadlocked Assembly".
Mr Hain insisted this need not be the case, while stressing that this coming Friday (November 24th) was important, with DUP and Sinn Féin required to "indicate who the first and deputy first ministers will be" come March 26th.