To ask the Minister for the Economy to outline any assessment that has been made of the impact of rising fuel prices on regional economic performance.

Rising fuel prices affect both households and businesses and, in turn, the wider economy.

In the North, those impacts can be particularly significant given our reliance on road transport, home heating oil and diesel vehicles, with many people depending on their cars for work and everyday activities and diesel prices having risen more sharply than petrol prices.

My Department keeps a close eye on economic conditions. While it is not possible to isolate precisely the impact of fuel costs from other factors affecting the economy, higher fuel prices increase costs for businesses and place additional pressure on household budgets.

Despite those challenges, the latest NISRA growth figures show that the North's economy has continued to outperform Britain over the past year, demonstrating the resilience of our businesses and workforce.

My Department will continue to monitor these impacts closely.