Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have one more question and then will give other Members an opportunity to address the Minister as well. In his opening comments, he talked about delivering the Canada-NWT Infrastructure Program. He said that the infrastructure program will provide jobs in all of our communities. I have already brought forward this matter and haven't received a response. There are two particular communities in my constituency -- and I don't know about other Members -- that haven't qualified under this program because they are unorganized communities, particularly the community of Umingmaktok.

I would like to ask the Minister if he is willing to consider providing some kind of allocation to these unorganized communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The program was based on an arrangement with Canada to involve already-incorporated communities or recognized communities. I do want to say to the honourable Member that I believe we have the ability to manoeuvre within the allocation so we can respond to the requests of communities who are not on the list. We need to work with each MLA so that we can identify those communities.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm curious about the department's plans for meeting the requirements for college residences. I know there was a private consultant contracted to do a study on residence requirements throughout the Northwest Territories which, I take it, would lead to a plan within the department. Could I ask for the status of that study and the government's response to it? Thank you.

Thank you. I do have a response to that, if I could just go get it. It should be on my desk.

I apologize, Mr. Chairman. The study on college residence requirements by Avery, Cooper is complete. The study is now in the hands of the department for review, so we can develop a financing strategy to meet the identified needs. The strategy still needs to deal with the fiscal capacity and the desired public and private mix of investment to meet the needs that have been identified.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think this approach makes sense. I would like to ask the Minister, are you presenting in the capital estimates here, expenditures for residence facilities even in advance of the development of a comprehensive plan? Thank you.

Thank you. Not in terms of the report that was recently completed, Mr. Chairman. That will hopefully be part of the ongoing plans for the future.

Mr. Chairman, maybe I should wait for the detail, I don't want to get too far into this area, but I had heard that there had been approval given to renovate Akaitcho Hall for the purpose of accommodating college students. I want to make it clear that I think that may well be a worthwhile expenditure of money. Is that true, Mr. Chairman? And, if so, how does that fit in with the comprehensive plan we were discussing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Minister Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The discussions that have been going on so far are basically to address the campus needs, not necessarily the residence needs. In other words, the program staff and the group that is here delivering administration.

So, do I understand that what the Minister is saying is that if there are renovations under way at Akaitcho Hall, they are to provide classroom facilities and not student residence accommodation?

At this time, that is correct.

If I may, Mr. Chairman, I would also like to express a concern about the recent call for proposals, which I referred to in my reply to the budget address, for future directions of existing student residences in Iqaluit, Inuvik and Rankin Inlet. Forgive me if I should be saving this for the more detailed part of the budget, but I would like to ask the Minister a general question.

Is the department moving towards closing those three residences? I ask that because the terms of reference of the recently-issued consultant's study seems very clear on providing options for a phase-out plan for residences, staff lay-offs and exploration of optional uses for those facilities being recommended for phase-out. Is it the department's intention to get out of the business of accommodating high school students in those three regional residences? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, the direction that we have been taking, as all Members recognize, is our intention to get out of those residences if high school programming is available in the communities. That is the direction that the communities are going. What we do want to identify, first of all, if there is a requirement for us to get out of it. Secondly, what are the alternative needs?

As Mr. Patterson pointed out, I was in Iqaluit with him when we visited the residence in that community, so I understand some of the concerns. I believe that those kinds of interventions can be part of the review and the studies that are being conducted right now.