To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what assessment he has made of the impact of the increase in (i) fuel costs; and (ii) fuel duty, on the departmental budget and the realisation of efficiency targets; and what action he has taken to mitigate against these increased costs.

No direct assessment has been made of the impact of fuel costs or fuel duty, although this will be kept under review as part of the Department's ongoing financial management regime. My Department is seeking to make sure that it continues to use energy efficiently in line with broader Northern Ireland Civil Service policy.

The educational institutions for which my Department has responsibility are either incorporated bodies or autonomous organisations. As such they are responsible for managing all aspects of their business, including energy usage, within the resources made available to them by the Department and any additional income they may earn directly from other sources. They are expected to operate in a manner which is both sustainable and energy efficient and I have no plans to provide additional resources at this time.