Scotland's hosting of the British-Irish Council (BIC) yesterday helped eased the paralysis which has gripped Stormont politics over the summer.

Scotland's hosting of the British-Irish Council (BIC) yesterday helped eased the paralysis which has gripped Stormont politics over the summer.

The Northern Ireland Executive has not met for three months because of an impasse over the devolution of policing and justice functions, as specified in the St Andrew's Agreement of two years ago.

There had been speculation that Democratic Unionist First Minister Peter Robinson and his Sinn Fein deputy Martin McGuinness might not travel to yesterday's summit at Hopetoun House, South Queensferry.

But the two men arrived in the same car, appeared to be on good terms, and said after the summit that two crucial meetings should proceed next week to put devolved government back on track.

First Minister Alex Salmond hosted the 11th plenary of the BIC, which brings together the UK and Irish Governments, the Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast administrations, and those of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The only previous summit in Scotland, at New Lanark, occurred when Stormont was suspended.

The talks yesterday covered three topics - demographics and migration; energy, in particular an improved transmission system to cash in on the renewables boom; and the current financial turmoil.

On the last, Mr Salmond said: "We were incredibly fortunate to have the Taoiseach hot-foot back from New York to brief us." Brian Cowen had missed part of the meeting because his flight back from the UN had been delayed.

Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan said the issue of migration was bound up with the economy and it was vital to get accurate figures.

The main focus, however, was on the Stormont politicians and what signals their involvement would send out about the prospects for next week. The executive is due to meet for the first time since June, followed a day later by a north-south summit involving Ministers from Dublin.

Mr Robinson said: "I hope we will have two meetings next week, it's important that we do. I think it will be very hard to explain to people in Northern Ireland that Northern Ireland politicians can sit around a table in Edinburgh but they couldn't sit around one in Belfast. So let's move ahead get everything in place and get down to work."

Mr McGuiness spoke to reporters separately but insisted he had a good relationship with Mr Robinson and shared common goals. Asked about the prospects for the north-south meeting, he said: "I don't see any reason why it can't go ahead. Given that today's event went ahead, we can reasonably expect that the north-south ministerial council will take place next week."