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New Secretary of State Owen Paterson is to meet with the leaders of Northern Ireland's main parties later.They are expected to press Mr Paterson for assurances about the continued funding of public services in NI.
Other issues likely to be discussed include the relationship between the NIO and the justice department, as well as the Bloody Sunday report.
Mr Paterson is also expected to be briefed by PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott on Friday.
The 53-year-old is the first Conservative secretary of state since 1997, when Sir Patrick Mayhew held office in John Major's administration.
The Cambridge graduate was appointed shadow Northern Ireland secretary in July 2007.
Mr Paterson has been a frequent visitor to Northern Ireland since then and has built up a network of contacts with political parties, business organisations and community groups.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.