Minister Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In some communities there is a counsellor in the school. I think the service is provided, but I don't know what it's like in other communities where there is no student counsellor in place for young pregnant women. I will have to take his question as notice. Thank you.

The question has been taken as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize the Minister responsible for aboriginal languages is the Premier. Since the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment has been answering questions, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, in reviewing unedited Hansard of last week and yesterday, I'm under the impression, along with the other Members, that after the Secretary of State announcement of ten per cent cuts, the department or the government went back to negotiating and was able to negotiate four per cent for French and ten per cent for aboriginal languages. I wonder if the Minister is prepared to inform this House of this agreement. Thank you.

Madam Premier, are you taking the question?

Mr. Speaker, I will look at the unedited Hansard and I will propose to have that question answered tomorrow, so it's taken as notice. Thank you.

The question has been taken as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. In view of the lack of formal financial institutions in most of our communities, and in some cases some entire regions, such as Kitikmeot, I'd like to ask the Minister what the status is of the government's proposal call for banking services to the Northwest Territories and to the government.

Minister Pollard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The closing date for the proposals was Friday, December 3. We had issued six sets of documents to six financial institutions. Analysis of those documents will start this week. On Thursday, just before noon, I'll be meeting with the deputy minister of Finance, who will give me an initial read of the proposals that we've received. An analysis of those proposals will take, I judge, until the end of December, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Ng.

I ask the Minister, what criteria will be used for evaluating these proposals?

Mr. Pollard.

Mr. Speaker, it's been some 20 years that we've been dealing with the same bank. Obviously, a lot of issues have changed with regard to banking technology, methods of banking and now we're looking at, in the future, some different kinds of technologies with which people across Canada will bank. We will be taking into consideration the technology, the value for the dollars expended, the kinds of services offered by a financial institution, not only to the Government of the Northwest Territories but to other places in the Northwest Territories. As I said when we first put the proposal call out, some weight will be given to looking at the problem of provision of financial services to the areas in the Northwest Territories that are not provided with financial service by the banks, at the present time. As I've said in interviews, Mr. Speaker, it may not be the kind of banking that we're looking at now, where there are tellers, a building and a counter, where you go in and deal across the counter. We've asked the banks to look down the road to the next set of technology. We're at money machines right now but there may be other things out there that will enable people to bank in the Northwest Territories and have access to those financial aids that financial institutions provide.

Those are some of the criteria that we'll be looking at, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The Minister's very familiar with the Canada/Northwest Territories cooperation agreement on aboriginal languages and French, 1984-91 and 1991-94, because he, in fact, negotiated the very first agreement. Would the Minister confirm that in both of these agreements there is a provision that inter-project transfers may be made in any particular year by the Northwest Territories, provided that these transfers do not increase or decrease, in total, an amount exceeding 25 per cent of the original amount proposed for the project? Would he confirm that that is in both agreements?

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the latest language agreement allows for 25 per cent between activities. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the event that the Government of the Northwest Territories wants to transfer money between projects under this agreement, there is a requirement that written authorization must be provided by the federal government before that can happen. Would the Minister indicate whether such authorization has ever been given to this government for such a transfer to be made beyond the 25 per cent?

Madam Premier.

Mr. Speaker, I will have to take that question as notice.

The question has been taken as notice. Item 5, oral questions. Mr. Antoine.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to be saying this sincerely. Mr. Speaker, in Fort Simpson there is an organization that works with young people who trap out on the land. There is an area of land that they do their trapping on. Last June 15, 1993, there were new regulations issued by the Department of Renewable Resources. When people from that area do their trapping they don't catch enough moose or caribou. I think they were over-hunted. How does the Department of Renewable Resources watch the sport hunters in that area? How do they regulate how much game that they hunt in that area? I'm posing this question to the Minister of Renewable Resources. Thank you.