The DUP has given a cautious welcome to the St Andrews agreement without backing it.

Rev Ian Paisley's party is holding back support because of Sinn Fein's refusal to publicly back the police service.

But its response was being seen as providing just enough movement for the Ulster peace process to remain on track.

A meeting of the unionist party's ruling executive in Castlereagh passed a resolution neither explicitly backing nor rejecting the timetable set down by the British and Irish governments at talks in Scotland last month.

Friday was the first deadline set down in the agreement, by which all parties had to accept its plans for restoring a power-sharing executive at the Stormont assembly by next spring.

And while the DUP has claimed it wants to do so, it said in a statement that the republican stance had "clear adverse implications for the timetable laid out in the St Andrews Agreement".

On Monday Sinn Fein's national executive also gave its qualified support to the agreement, without providing the public endorsement of the Police Service of Northern Ireland demanded by the DUP.

Sinn Fein has said it will not convene a special conference on policing until they have been given a date for the transfer of justice and policing powers from Westminster to a future Stormont department, while the DUP wants an up front endorsement.

The DUP said in response: "As Sinn Fein is not yet ready to take the decisive step forward on policing, the DUP will not be required to commit to any aspect of power sharing in advance."

It said it recognised that other aspects of the British and Irish governments' proposals for achieving devolution "required more work".

"The party will continue with the work in progress to ensure upfront delivery by government and republicans," the statement said.

"The party officers will pursue all the remaining issues and report back before the central executive committee, which is the only body that can take a binding decision, considers the matter."

Response

Northern Ireland secretary Hain said he was confident that power-sharing would be restored.

"The twin pillars of St Andrews remain in place. On the one hand everybody needs to sign up to policing and the rule of law, on the other hand everybody needs to share power," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

"I am clear that the parties' response today, whatever the detailed reservations they have about some of the issues we still need to resolve, put them on that track and I am confident that we can get devolved government up and running."

And in a joint statement the British and Irish governments said they would press on with the St Andrews plans.

"When we concluded our talks at St Andrews in October we asked the parties to reflect on the agreement, to consult with their membership on the proposed way forward and to confirm their acceptance by 10 November," they said.

"These consultations are now complete and the governments have been in contact with the parties. We are satisfied from these contacts that the St Andrews Agreement, implemented in good faith, represents the basis for a political settlement.

"That settlement must rest on the two foundations of support for power-sharing and the political institutions and support for policing and the rule of law. Securing these objectives remains the priority of the two governments and of everyone in Northern Ireland.

"We will now proceed to ensure full implementation of the St Andrews Agreement and the British government will bring forward legislation to give effect to the Agreement.

"There is much to be done and there is a responsibility on all to play their part. We will work actively with the parties to complete this task and clear the way for a new era for the people of Northern Ireland."