Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned that the honourable Member would suggest that there is a predetermined agenda for this health study. I know that residents of the area fear that this review is a justification for closing the hospital. I want to assure the honourable Member that is not in the terms of reference, nor have any conclusions been reached by myself or health officials about what should happen with health services in that region.

Mr. Speaker, the Member asked me to state clearly what the intentions are of the department with respect to the hospital. It is precisely the purpose of this study to gather the necessary data to examine how the hospital is being used, how services are being delivered, what services are being met and what needs are not being met.

Once we have that information, Mr. Speaker, with the full participation of the M.L.A. and community leaders, once we have a profile of the health needs of the region then we will be in a position to do a logical response to that information and I do not know what that response is going to be, Mr. Speaker. I have no idea what it will lead to. I think we have to take one step at a time, get the information, make it as comprehensive as possible, ensure people have ownership of that process, feel that it is legitimate, that the department has an open inquiring mind about the matter and once we have all that information then we will make these kinds of critical decisions.

I am certainly not prepared to make commitments of any kind in the absence of that information having been gathered and assessed. It is premature now to say what the end result is going to be. Why would we do a plan if we already knew what the end result was going to be? Thank you.