Around 160,000 people struggling to pay energy bills could be left in the cold this winter if the Northern Ireland Executive fails to pass urgent relief measures, the Social Development minister has warned.

Margaret Ritchie said the stand-off between Sinn Fein and the DUP threatens to postpone payments under her department’s fuel poverty scheme.

Vulnerable households would get £200 off their heating costs under the initiative.

The SDLP minister told her Stormont scrutiny committee that she had been unable to set up the scheme because the Executive has gone into cold storage.

The power sharing cabinet has not met for four months amid a stand-off between the two main parties on a range of issues.

The minister has attempted to trigger an ‘urgent procedure’ mechanism to proceed without full Executive backing.

However, she informed committee members that almost two months since she wrote to First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness requesting the emergency measure she has not received a response.

If and when the payment scheme is given the green light the minister said she hopes to fast track it through the Assembly using accelerating passage to ensure money can be paid out in January. “The important thing is that it (her paper on the scheme) is either cleared by urgent procedure or an Executive meeting takes place,” she said.

“Then following that, if that happens, there is a need for accelerated passage for the legislation to enable certain payments and certain measures to take place.

“The important political point in all this and the important point to impact on the wider community is the need for an Executive meeting to clear all of this to enable people to live comfortably and at ease and in a certain degree of warmth and comfort this winter.”

However, Sinn Fein committee member Fra McCann indicted his party would be standing by its position.

“If the SDLP want to move ahead in discounting with the principles of the St Andrews Agreement that’s their responsibility,” he said.

Meanwhile, after the meeting the minister travelled to Co Armagh to unveil a £1 million funding boost for development projects in Craigavon and Portadown.

The initiatives are aimed at providing employment opportunities in Brownlow and North West Portadown by facilitating small business enterprises.

During the visit, Ms Ritchie officially reopened the Mayfair Business Centre, which was upgraded at a cost of £267,000.

“I am delighted to have been involved in this project,” said the minister.