NI Protocol: Use of Article 16 ruled out before Christmas by UK minister

It is the provision which allows parts of the protocol to be unilaterally suspended if they are causing serious difficulties.

The government's official line is that Article 16 remains an option, but there is no timetable for using it.

However, Ms Trevelyan said: "I don't think anyone's calling Article 16 before Christmas, absolutely not."

Ms Trevelyan, who is international trade secretary, added that Brexit Minister Lord Frost and his team "will plod on doing the work that negotiators do".

She said she was "profoundly confident" in Lord Frost's ability to "find a steady way through".

The protocol is the deal between the EU and UK which was agreed as a way to avoid a hardening of the Irish land border.

It leaves Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods, meaning goods can flow freely with the Republic of Ireland.

However, goods arriving into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are now subject to checks and controls - amounting to a so-called Irish Sea border.

The EU has acknowledged it is causing difficulties to some businesses and needs to be improved.

However, the UK is seeking more fundamental changes, including removing the European Court of Justice (ECJ) from an oversight role.

Technical talks are continuing this week and Lord Frost will meet his EU counterpart Maroš Šefčovič on Friday.

After last week's round of talks, Lord Frost said some progress had been made but "significant gaps remain".