Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has appeared to rule out calling an early election for the Stormont Assembly.
The next poll is scheduled for 5 May.
Sinn Féin had called for an early election following the resignation of Paul Givan as first minister last week, which also forced deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill from the joint office.
Mr Lewis said "it is right" that the election takes place on 5 May.
Speaking to the BBC, he said it was close to the start of the formal election period already.
"The Assembly under the new rules can continue to function, it's right we allow MLAs time and space to pass legislation, I'll be working to support the parties to do that and then we can have an election on 5 May," he said.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Conor Burns said Mr Givan's resignation "will not fundamentally alter" the UK's negotiations with the EU over the Brexit protocol.
The Northern Ireland Office minister also repeated the government's call for the DUP to reinstate a first minister following the removal of Mr Givan over what the DUP regards as a lack of progress in negotiations to tackle issues with the protocol.
"I have to say very candidly that the government is clear on our intentions with the (European) commission on the protocol and the withdrawal of the first minister will not fundamentally alter the Government's determination to carry on engaging with the commission to find resolution, to find solutions to the situation in Northern Ireland, recognising the uniqueness of the position of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom single market but also buttressing against the single market of the European Union in the form of the Irish Republic," Mr Burns told the Northern Ireland Affairs committee.
"From a UK government point of view, in terms of protocol conversations, the plan is clear and the plan is continuing to be played out led by the Foreign Secretary [Liz Truss]."
Mr Burns said the British government "profoundly regrets" the withdrawal of the first minister and have "urged the DUP to get the first minister back in".
He said "we've been here before", but added there is a fundamental difference to the position now as ministers are still in place and the Assembly is still sitting.
"We have not actually witnessed a collapse of the institutions in the way they had before," he said, adding he noted a "degree of positioning" ahead of the Assembly elections.
He said he believed there would be a "very different reaction" from parties if they were two or more years away from the next election.
