Thank you. Total contributions, $220,000. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Total activity, $375,000. Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Alcohol, Drugs And Community Mental Health

Thank you. We will move on to page 13-11 of the capital estimates for 1994-95. Details of capital, alcohol, drugs and community mental health, building works, headquarters, total region, $176,000. Mr. Koe.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the concerns that can be heard across the North is that there are no facilities in the Northwest Territories that provide treatment for young people or teenagers. There is no place where they can currently go, other than just outside of Edmonton, or to Winnipeg to get alcohol and drug treatment. Is the department doing anything to utilize some of these facilities that are currently in the north to try to provide this type of service for young people with addictions?

Thank you. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I agree with the Member that we should be utilizing more of our facilities in the territories, rather than sending people out of the territories. However, we have to keep in mind that it depends on the individual assessments of their treatment needs. If we do not have that expertise in the territories, that is when they are usually sent out of the territories.

Thank you. Total region, Mr. Koe.

I believe the facility we use is Whitespruce in Saskatchewan. I think some of our young people go, but it is

a very costly venture to send these children out. I encourage the department to quickly look at this aspect. They should be providing facilities in the north to look after our own people.

Thank you, Mr. Koe. I believe that was general comments, if Madam Minister wishes to respond.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the Member for his suggestion. We will look into it. Thank you.

Thank you. Buildings and works, total region, $176,000. Agreed? Mr. Gargan.

This is on page 13-11, correct? Mr. Chairman, there is one thing I would like to get clarified in regard to the Rankin Inlet treatment centre. Mrs. Marie-Jewell indicated that unless we have the combination of two facilities in one, then it would not be cost effective and we would have a white elephant. By virtue of combining a health centre with a treatment centre, are we also looking at changing the classification of alcohol as a disease? We don't classify it now as a disease, so it is not really the responsibility of Health, it is your department's responsibility. Can we get that clarified? I do not know if it is best to have a combination of both in one building. I have a concern. You are looking at a whole different principle of treatment than if you are treating on a crisis kind of situation. They are both classified as treatment, but one of them is not classified as a disease. What are your feelings on that? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Before I ask the Honourable Minister to respond to Mr. Gargan, I believe Mr. Gargan is referring to the Keewatin facility. Could I have the agreement of the committee that we approve the headquarters for buildings and works, total region, $176,000?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Thank you. Keewatin, total region, $35,000. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As far as I know, the intent was not to reclassify the treatment site with alcohol and drug programs. The Standing Committee on Finance made the recommendations to the government that the treatment centres and health facilities be combined in the future. It was in light of the fact that our government was in restraint and that it would be more cost-effective to have the facilities built in the same place. The intent of that was never to reclassify whether alcohol is a disease. It was purely on the cost saving basis that the recommendations went forward. That is my understanding of it.

Under this direction that the department is going you are looking at that approach. The amalgamation is taking place anyway, so Health and Social Services are going to be together. Their budget will be combined. Am I correct?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If Health and Social Services are amalgamated, the budgets that exist now would appear under alcohol and drug programs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And not as the Rankin Inlet health centre and treatment centre heading?