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I do want to say this, even in his absence, Mr. Chairman...

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...that I think Mr. Morin knows that we have had some concerns with regard to the delivery of capital projects. We do intend to meet. I believe that there's an assignment by Cabinet of three Ministers to get together to try to resolve the issue of capital construction, and the assignment was to Mr. Todd, Mr. Morin and myself to see if we could rectify some of the concerns that Members have raised, and, of course, each Minister has raised in this House. So we have been instructed to resolve this particular matter. I have written to my colleagues on this issue, and as soon as we conclude the budget session, I hope that we can at least get together for a day to have some general discussions as to where we go on this particular issue. So your comments, along with the comments of other Members, have been heeded, and I think that, hopefully, we can resolve some of the differences.

Yes, I am pleased with that response, Mr. Chairman, and I hope that the situation will improve. I guess I would just like to ask the Minister generally, for some years, you have handed over responsibility for capital to the Yellowknife school boards. I know that they have some of their own ratepayers money in it, and so maybe that's an incentive to get better value, but is the general impression of the department that the school boards in Yellowknife are getting good value for their money in the schools that are constructed here? My impression, and it's a lay impression, is that the school boards are getting excellent value for their money and perhaps even getting better value for their money than if the project had layers and layers of DPWS monitoring involved in such projects.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do want to say that the indications from the school boards...The separate school board, in particular, who are building their high school, have indicated they have received excellent value for the resources that we provided them. In fact, they have been able to provide additional resources themselves to expand the school. I think what we're going to get is good value for the dollars that we're spending here.

I just want to advise the honourable Member that part of the discussions I hope to have over the next year during our debate on the Education Act, is the concept of allowing the boards to assume more responsibility for capital. But it requires direction and consensus on the part of my Cabinet colleagues and I think consensus in the House, because I think the more we wish to extend the authority of the boards, whether it be Arctic College or the divisional boards of education, I think that's part of the discussion. Even at the present time, we can extend on the authority, but it needs a policy change and I hope my colleagues will consider it.

Thank you. There has been some discussion on the impacts of grade extensions in communities, and the concern on residences and existing residences, and obviously in some places there may be a perceived need for other kinds of residences.

The one issue that keeps coming to my mind is with the grade extensions. I know the intent is to offer a full range of academic programming, but I think reality is we may be offering...Rather than an individual coming out with a grade 12 in academic studies, they may come out with a grade 12 general diploma. There are some students who may want to pursue the academic courses and go on to greater things.

I'm just wonder how in these evaluations -- I assume you're evaluating the programs, it says they expand -- we're looking after those students who wish to pursue the academic course of studies and go on to university to become doctors and lawyers, or is it a concern?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The whole matter of course delivery is really a matter that should be part of the board's plan for the delivery of high school programs in communities. They are, in many respects, the agents that are now responsible for actual program delivery. So what needs to be done is a discussion with the community and with the students who are affected to see what, in terms of programs, they require. Nothing that we've told any of the boards so far restricted their ability to deliver programming.

The other component that is important in this is the method of delivery of programs, because I think we have vehicles to use that we should be using much better: computer telecommunications, video, television, which can be used in the extension program. I think that as we get on with some of the work, we'll be able to better deliver those programs. But it is normally the case of the board.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. With the grade extensions, obviously there's need to evaluate the existing facilities in the communities, in most cases, because you're adding more students, more grades. There may be a need to expand a school or at least renovate the school to fit in these high school students. I assume, if the school is going to offer the full range of academic courses, that there's a need for science labs and some other special types of classrooms. My concern here is who is responsible for that aspect of evaluating what's there and what's needed as we move in grades 10, 11 and 12...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I could hear them, though. I appreciate your intervention.

Mr. Chairman, generally speaking, the board, the CEC and the department try to get together to evaluate what it is in terms of the need. If there's a requirement for renovations to accommodate the need, then that is part of the program planning.

The other component is if there's an expansion to, for instance, 11 and 12 with no space, then obviously there has to be a decision made by the region to determine whether we have the resources to add the expansion to the schools. There are generally four components that are important in planning. One is a science component, business, computer, arts and the career technology program.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. In terms of ongoing...I know I'm asking some questions relating to O and M, but it's relevant to the line of questioning here. Once you have a school, then there's a requirement to maintain that school. So I assume somebody must have a set of standards. Whose responsibility is it then to maintain the building or the facility to the standards and criteria that...I assume there's a manual that this government has. Whose responsibility is it to do that?

Mr. Chairman, unless there's a program change, I believe the Department of Public Works and Services are the maintainers of our educational facilities.

Is there money allocated from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment's budget to Public Works? I know it all ends up in the same pot, but do you have a set budget and then contract Public Works to do that service?

I don't know the specific detail to that. If I could ask the deputy minister to explain the intricacies of that particular relationship.