Madam Speaker, yes I do.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister has confirmed he supports the victims' services programs, but will he also advise whether he is committed to ensuring the existing programs are funded throughout this current year?

Madam Speaker, we have tried in the last few years to increase the funding available to these groups. We've gone with some substantial increases in the last couple of years to supporting these groups, in addition to the money that has been coming in from the federal government. We have made a commitment, this year, to trying to increase the level of funding we had given them in the beginning of the year. If there was any lapse in funding internally in the department, we were going to try to provide some funding. We haven't identified any to date. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my understanding is that the budget figure shown in our budget books for this year is the same as what it was last year. Yet in light of that, I understand that the Canadian Mental Health Association, who runs the program in Yellowknife, was told they had to apply for only the first six months of funding this year and that the funding will end in November.

On application to the department, they've been told there is very little chance they will be able to find enough money to carry on with the funding program. My question to the Minister is he says there have been some increases, but where has it gone? Obviously, there isn't enough money for the programs to continue. The CMHA has been told in Yellowknife that the program is out of funding as of November.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Since 1991, there has been quite a substantial increase in funding; growing from about $14,000 total a year to these groups, to now in excess of $150,000. The funding has stayed the same in the last couple of years. The difficulty is trying to get the federal government to be clear about how they're going to continue funding this government in housing and in the base funding we get every year. The funding to these groups has stayed the same in the last couple of years.

What we indicated at the beginning of the year is, by letter, telling them the funding is going to stay the same as last year, but that they should look at the end of November to making a proposal to the department. And if we found any money internally, we would do everything we can to fund them. The funding that started at the beginning of the year is the same as last year's. It's intended to carry them through the entire year. As we indicated in November, they should consider providing proposals to us and we had hoped to be clear by now, whether or not there would be savings in any of the programs. So far, we have not identified any. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Supplementary. The Minister has confirmed that the amount of funding was to be the same this year as last year. My understanding is the amount that has been forwarded to groups this year...For instance, CMHA last year got $50,000; this year they only got $39,000. They have been told there is not much chance they're going to get the further $16,000 to bring them up to whatever...The numbers may not be accurate, Madam Speaker, but the point is they've been told they will not be getting as much as they did last year.

Since the Minister had said the funding has stayed the same, can he advise me why it is that the programs are not getting the same amount of funding they did last year?

Madam Speaker, there is going to be an attempt on my part to find some money because I think the groups were under the impression that they can -- and they have, in fact, I think budgeted for eight months, the allocation they got for 12 months last year. I think we've made a mistake in the administration of the program. I will do what I can to find some money to offset the difficulties these groups have encountered. I think this is a result of poor communication on our part.