1.   That would give the British and Irish governments time to change their laws to permit the transfer of power by the middle of March.

2.   The government is timing the increase to coincide with a planned increase in the national minimum wage.

3.   Delaying such the change gave the companies and the governments time to come up with a better solution, she said.

4.   In the past, the Chinese government has timed prisoner releases to smooth relations ahead of visits by major Western leaders.

5.   The session will resume Tuesday morning to give the British and Irish governments time to settle the dispute and allow discussions to be held on substantive issues.