Prime Minister Gordon Brown will today attempt to maintain momentum to secure the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont in the next few months.

As hopes for a handover of the |responsibilities from Westminster by Christmas fade, the PM is flying into Belfast for the first time in more than six months to meet the party leaders in a bid to resolve the last phase of devolution.

It will also include the fourth meeting between Mr Brown and the First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in four weeks, after all of which progress has been reported and a “narrowing” of the issues.

But with relations worsening between Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness, the DUP leader yesterday called on Sinn Fein to ‘come clean' on whether it will collapse the Assembly and Executive by walking away if a deal is not completed soon.

And Northern Ireland Office Ministers fear if efforts to achieve a deal slip into the New Year the issue will become embroiled in the General Election and will prove impossible to finalise before the next Assembly and local council elections in May 2011.

The NIO also made clear, however, it has not signed up to the transfer taking place by the end of this year.

Policing and security Minister Paul Goggins said: “Christmas is Martin's timetable. I think what we recognise is that the process of devolution, once it has been agreed, would take two or three months to do the legislation and all the setting up.

“(So) if we did have a General Election coming in the first part of next year it will have to happen soon. If it did slip now and was lost in a general election campaign then it would take time to regather momentum, |because you would be within months of elections to the Assembly and the new council elections.”

Mr Goggins also said the government wanted to ensure the transfer is done right. “If this has taken longer than any of us might have thought, it's been important to stick with it and do it properly and make sure that when it does happen it happens with real confidence on all sides,” he said.

“This means that we as a government can feel confident in handing over the powers and local politicians can feel confident they have got the capacity and resources to deliver. And I think we have got there — almost.”

Yet the DUP response to Mr Brown this afternoon will be: “We want this to happen as soon as possible. But we want to get it right.”

After the talks in New York between Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness with Mr Brown, the government believed overall resolution would only require another one or two meetings.

A resumption had been expected during last weeks’ Labour Conference, but the DUP instead held three party officer meetings and sent the government an eight-page document believed to include a list of capital projects for which funding has to be sorted out, including the new police college, the prisons estate and the issue of military sites being “gifted” to the Executive.

Mr Brown will also first meet the new PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott this morning, who Mr Robinson said would have to be satisfied he has sufficient resources for policing, having shown that financially “there is no fat left, he is down to the sinew”.

The First Minister also insisted that to set a date for the transfer would be to walk into a trap by the government. “Give a date and they only have to stretch things out to that date and you won't have the money necessary,” he said. After senior party sources said it would prefer to negotiate separately with the PM, Mr Robinson said: “I would like to see it before Christmas but it will be decided when the conditions are right.”

Junior Minister Gerry Kelly said the DUP could have all the solo meetings they wanted but in the end the two parties, and others, would have to agree. A joint DUP and Sinn Fein vote, however, would be enough to put an agreement and the already-underway legislation through the Assembly.

Transferring the powers was “not an optional extra,” Mr Kelly added. “It was a key element of the St Andrews Agreement and the DUP signed up for a process to deliver it last year. Peter Robinson needs to stick to that deal.”

Mr Robinson has also made clear, however, he intends to seek assurances from the Conservatives they will honour the terms of the financial package underpinning the police, courts and prison service if they form the next government.

Mr Cameron said: “We all want to see devolution of law and justice as part of the devolution process. Generally speaking, commitments that are made we will try and agree to, but I can't give a blank cheque.”

Finance issues to be resolved first

Before the legislative bills which will implement the transfer of policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland can be complete, the financial bills must be agreed.

Issues which remain outstanding — and their estimated costs — include:

Police pensions — £100m

Equal pay backdated — £50m

Hearing loss compensation — £380m

Legal aid provision — £50m

Other pressures — £35m

The list does not include capital projects, which also remain to be dealt with.