If there have been no changes to the policies, then I am a little confused as to why people who qualify are not getting any assistance. I understand the financial implications, but there are some capable and qualified students. Why are they not getting assistance to continue and finish their degrees?

Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take the question as notice. As I mentioned before, we are not providing financial assistance to those who are qualified because we have no money, but I would like to get back to the Member with a clearer answer, so I will take the question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you. If the question is taken as notice, there is not any need for an explanation after the fact as to why. Oral questions. Mr. Pudluk.

Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Speaker, the two remaining members of the Weber-Malakhov expedition turned back some 20 kilometres short of the North Pole last week, to walk back to Ward Hunt Island. Mr. Speaker, I know the Member is concerned about the costs of the earlier search for the third member of the expedition who walked back earlier, and I can inform the Member that the organizers of the expedition in Ottawa have been informed by the RCMP, following the expenses incurred earlier, that the expedition members were on their own from then on as far as support from the RCMP was concerned; so they went further with the knowledge and the clear understanding that the RCMP will not be responsible for any further costs associated with any rescue mission that may be necessary. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Government Leader with respect to the several vacancies for the deputy ministers in the government here in headquarters. Several positions have been vacant for a few months. Could the Government Leader inform the House when she intends to fill some of these vacancies? Thank you.

Ms. Cournoyea.

Mr. Speaker, in the very near future we will be considering that. We have gone through the process to inform and work with the working group on implementation of some of the consolidations. It will be very soon, this summer, probably before August. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Koe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question regarding the Great Slave Fishermen's Association. Recently the Great Slave Lake fishermen met with the Government Leader and the Minister of Economic Development. Can the Minister of Economic Development advise us what the government is doing to assist the fishermen in resolving their concerns regarding the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation?

Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a division among the commercial fishermen on Great Slave Lake, and it centres around mostly the size of the operation between the "A" licences and the "B" licences. The department did a study last year, Mr. Speaker, and the breakeven point for some of those B fishermen would have been around $1.20 a pound. FFMC over the last few years have not been paying, or the fishermen have not been receiving, more than 50 or 55 cents a pound. It is a question of logistics. Simply, a B fisherman with a skidoo and a sleigh cannot haul enough fish off that lake to make a living. The B fishermen account for less than 10 per cent of the quota on Great Slave Lake. So there are some A fishermen who are making money and a lot of B fishermen who are not making a lot of money. They can lose up to $4000 in a winter.

Mr. Speaker, there has been discussion between the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Renewable Resources that these people who are not catching a lot of fish and are doing it in some ways in a traditional style should be moved over to Renewable Resources, and that discussion is still continuing.

We realize that we have a problem. Part of it can be addressed by some of us moving over to Renewable Resources. Part of it can be addressed if we are able to find markets for those fish that are presently culled or not purchased by FFMC - and there is a considerable amount of waste in that regard. So we are investigating that one. What we would like to see to end the problems is that the two groups of fishermen get together; that is, the fishermen's federation and the other group, and resolve their differences. That would be the best thing, in my opinion.

Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister doing anything to try to get these two groups together to meet?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Stoodley, with the fishermen's federation, has advised me that he is prepared to get his board of directors together to meet with Mr. Ross and his group. Mr. Ross is somewhat hesitant, but I will be talking to him again, and hopefully a meeting can be arranged in the next 30 days.

Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister responsible for Safety and Public Services. At a recent constituency meeting there was a concern expressed with respect to the lack of electrical inspectors to inspect construction areas. I recognize the problem of lack of electrical inspectors; however, I support the process they use in respect to inspecting. Since restraint is tight, would the Minister consider a contract process and concept with respect to recruiting electrical inspectors so a community does not have to wait for four months before an inspector goes into a community to inspect construction sites?

Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate that the Member understands that with financial restraint it is not always possible to hire more people, and I would like to thank her for the suggestion that electrical inspection services could be provided through contract. It is not something that has been considered up to this point, but I do appreciate the suggestion and I will look into it and see what might be possible to speed up the timing for needed electrical inspections through that method.

Oral questions. Item 6, written questions. Mr. Nerysoo.