Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question is a good question. There is no doubt about it that they may be concerned with what has been heard, but it is not the department's intention or policy to downgrade anything that is being used. Perhaps more in line with the policy would be to try to install programs, equipment, personnel and services that are needed in a community wherever resources and the need warrant them.

I think that the definition of a modern facility would reflect, I guess, the needs coupled with the ability to provide a service in that area, of that nature. There was some mention a while ago about having an operating theatre, but if you have an operating theatre and you only use the operating theatre once every two or three months, the people who do the operations do not get the type of practice and amount of work that keeps them in good shape, so to speak. It is like anything else. If you do not keep continuously at it, you are not going to be up to standard. So I think what we are looking at is balancing the need of an area with the ability to provide services at a reasonable cost and having reasonable access to the type of specialty services that we can provide.

On the other hand, we also have to balance that with alternates as well. If a service is not available there, there is some program in place that makes that kind of service accessible to the public. That will reflect the up-to-date, modern type of facility. It will utilize whatever technology is available within reasonable costs and need for that area.