The question is not the Minister's opinion, it is whether or not it is government policy. Minister Mike.

Mr. Speaker, at the present time, Social Services does not have any policy relating to Mr. Lewis' question. However, if he is asking for my personal opinion, I think it is a moral issue and it is a health issue. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am rising on behalf of the Ordinary Members' Caucus to thank the Government Leader for the report on ministerial travel which was circulated to Members through our chairperson Friday. I will table it at the appropriate time. However, Mr. Speaker, Members noted that despite the request made through our chairperson that all ministerial travel be reported on, the travel report did not contain any information about home travel.

Mr. Speaker, my question to the Government Leader is, since home travel is paid for out of the executive budget and since it comes under the category of the Ministers' offices, I wonder if the Government Leader would agree that a full report of ministerial travel should include home travel as well as duty travel?

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, home travel is not considered ministerial travel. It is a budget that is allocated to individuals who take a Cabinet post. There is an allocation of funds. It has not been considered as ministerial travel. Members of Cabinet are allowed to spend a certain amount, equivalent to 32 trips a year on scheduled rates. It is not considered as ministerial travel. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Premier not agree that the money comes from the ministerial budget and is part of the budget of the Department of the Executive and, therefore, can be seen as ministerial travel?

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the home travel budget for individual Members of Cabinet is not ministerial travel. It is a benefit and an allocation of funds to go home a certain number of times a year. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Premier is aware of the ordinary Members' interest in finding out what Ministers have been doing and where they have been going. In the interest of improving accountability and communication, and since this travel takes place while Ministers are employed as Ministers from their budgets that are spent under the authority of the Premier, could I have the commitment of the Government Leader that whether the travel is considered duty travel, ministerial travel or home travel, in the interest of reporting fully on the activities of her Ministers for the purpose of accountability of the Ordinary Members' Committee, could I have the undertaking that we will also get a report on Ministers' home travel, so we can know where they have been and where they have been going at all times? Thank you.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I don't know where this is leading us to. When I was requested for Ministers' travel, my understanding was that you wanted to know what we were doing as Ministers, which trips we took in the line of duty. I know it was circulated. I intend to table it today. Home travel was not included. Home travel is for that specific purpose only. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I know it was not intended to be tabled because we haven't got the information. Since this is part of a Minister's performance and part of a Minister's activity, in order to get the full picture of what Ministers are doing and where they are, would the Premier agree that the full report would include both duty travel and home travel and will she commit to providing us with the records -- which I know exist -- of home travel to complete the picture for ordinary Members? Thank you.

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, it was not my understanding that home travel was part of an individual's performance. It is a benefit that allows an individual Cabinet Minister to go home and visit his/her constituency to be able to keep in contact with where they live. It is not part of the performance. It was never intended to be. It is a benefit that was given to Cabinet Ministers. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, last spring during session, I had asked the Minister to undertake a study to determine whether or not the western Arctic leadership program in Fort Smith was deemed to be justified for the amount of funds expended by this government. He was going

to do a study and provide the Members with the results of this study. Has this study been completed? Thank you.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The review of that particular program is near completion, and the final report should be made available to me by the end of December.

Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has indicated he won't get the study until the end of December. We won't be into session until the middle of February when we do the operation and maintenance budget. In the event that the report deems the funds not to be justified -- but I believe the funds are justified for such an expenditure -- would the Minister make a commitment to provide me with a copy of that particular report once it is completed? Thank you.