The question has been taken as notice. I'd like to welcome in the gallery, Mr. Charlie Furlong, President of the Metis Local of Aklavik and the Director of the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

---Applause

I have next, Mr. Whitford.

Minister Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, let me say that the Workers' Compensation board of directors, and its appeal committee, under the chairmanship of Mr. Bourque, is fully aware of the frustration of injured workers whose claims are before the appeals board. But, I think we have to put it in perspective.

Last year, the WCB took care of 3,758 claims. I stated in the House the other day that, while it is unfortunate that it does take a lengthy period -- as Mr. Whitford has said -- to deal with these issues, we have currently 44 outstanding appeals. I think there are three pending. I want to assure the honourable Member that we are equally as concerned about the appeals process as those who are appealing.

I said the other day that Mr. Bourque has made a commitment to sit for the next six months on a continuous basis, in a serious and genuine effort to clear up these appeals. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Whitford.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, I said earlier this week in the House that the Workers' Compensation Board, its staff, the chairman of the committee and committee members are fully aware and are as equally disappointed as I am that we haven't been able to move the appeals process forward as quickly as we should have.

I concur with the honourable Member that it is -- if I may use the word -- ridiculous that the appeal process has taken as long as some of them have. But I do want to say that the appeal process is a long, drawn-out affair where we have to consider all the facts and give the person who is appealing the benefit of the doubt, to the best of our ability.

It is not a simple exercise where you sit down one day, debate the issue, look at the evidence and make the decision. It is a long, drawn-out process. Every effort has been made by the board. It has recognized that this is one of the areas where we have not done as well as we should have. Every effort is being made by the board to priorize and give the fiscal resources necessary -- because this costs money -- to resolve this issue.

I'm confident that, under the stewardship of the chairman, he has the commitment, the moral fortitude and the ability, to move as quickly as possible to try to resolve the 44 appeals that are before us and the three that are pending. Hopefully, within the next six months, we will be able to bring the ones outstanding to a conclusion. We all recognize the frustration, if you're an injured worker, of having to wait for a long period of time to have some sort of decision made.

It is certainly not the intention of myself, as Minister, or the appeals chairman to prolong the debate or prolong the issue. I'm optimistic that six months from now we will be in a position where there will be fewer appeals and a more expedient way of dealing with them. Thank you.

The allotted time for oral questions has lapsed. Item 6, written questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a written question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Firstly, is there a cost-sharing agreement now in place for the vocational rehabilitation for disabled persons' program? What funds are currently available? How have these funds been spent in the current and previous fiscal years? And, how may disabled persons in communities in need of assistance apply for this under this program? Thank you.

Item 6, written questions. This concludes item 6. We will now take a short break.

---SHORT BREAK

This House will now come back to order. Item 7, returns to written questions. Point of order, Mr. Lewis.

Point Of Order

I seek unanimous consent to return to question period, Mr. Speaker.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to oral questions. Are there any nays? There are no nays. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had intended earlier on to ask the Minister of Health -- since we were on a roll on health issues and Mr. Whitford had asked about teeth -- about eyes. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

---Laughter

My question to the Minister of Health is this, Mr. Speaker, is he aware that within the next few months the Department of Health will issue contracts to companies to provide eye glasses to people qualified under insured health services and to bill these costs directly to the Department of Health?

Thank you. Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, I am aware that, shortly, we will be offering contracts to people in the Northwest Territories to bid on, yes.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Much like the teeth industry, the eye industry has qualified people. Ophthalmologists, I believe, do eye surgery, optometrists do work connected with testing of eyes and so on, and opticians do the job of putting glasses together. My question to the Minister is this, is there a provision in this contract with various optical companies that there be qualified opticians on the staff to provide that service?

Thank you. Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the past we have not made any allowances for opticians to perform those duties. That will be taken into consideration in the next issuing of contracts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. When this contract issue is resolved, will the Minister make it quite clear in the request for proposals that the companies bidding for these contracts will have to have a professionally-trained optician on staff?