Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Minister of Health, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, on the issue of tuberculosis in Rae, the Mackenzie regional health staff are now insisting that all prescribed medicine be taken under observation for six to nine months. The whole population of the area is targeted for tuberculosis screening. As well, there are some issues in terms of the social conditions of these communities in trying to identify these areas which can be corrected. They are creating a presence and spreading of tuberculosis. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Zoe.

Thank you. Minister of Health, Madam Premier.

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

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Natilikmiot, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, as a result of the issues in the Kitikmeot region, both myself and the honourable Minister responsible for Housing have met along with our officials to see what could be done in the short term and in the long term in addressing the issue of the facility at Gjoa Haven, as well as Cambridge Bay and Coppermine. We're trying to find out just how we can accomplish that. There will also be a meeting with the community of Gjoa Haven to further identify just exactly what the needs are in terms of the kind of housing requirements that community has. So once we've addressed that, we'll try to make every effort to have a positive response to the needs, particularly in Gjoa Haven, then addressing Coppermine and Cambridge subsequently. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, supplementary to the same Minister. Is the honourable Minister aware of the fact that the community wants an elders' facility rather than home care? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Madam Premier.

Madam Speaker, I'm well aware. The message has become loud and clear that the community is very much wanting to have a facility built in Gjoa Haven. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Finance about O and M budget preparation for the 1995-96 O and M budget. Madam Speaker, I've heard -- and this may not be reliable, but -- that the Minister of Finance and his officials have taken the approach with departments of asking departments to identify across-the-board restraint measures for the 1995-96 budgets of their departments now under preparation. I would like to ask the Minister if this across-the-board cut approach is indeed being taken by the Minister in preparing the O and M budget for 1995-96. Thank you.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, across-the-board cuts sort of indicate 10 per cent or five per cent right off the top. That wasn't the approach that FMB decided to take. The Financial Management Board decided to form envelope committees where Ministers and deputy ministers were meeting together. They made up different envelopes. There were three envelope committees, and each department was looked at and presentations were made with regard to areas that could be cut back, areas that could not be touched, et cetera. So each of the budgets were combed in that fashion, and reports were made to the FMB and FMB took those particular reports and recommendations into consideration. The Financial Management Board then met in camera and discussed all the recommendations that were made and, eventually, last week a budget was arrived at, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So, do I take it from the response of the Minister, Madam Speaker, that the across-the-board cuts departmentally that have been employed in the past to achieve financial restraint, that method will not be followed in the budget development process for 1995-96, and, instead, there's a more selective approach being taken for financial restraint? Is that how the new process is working, Madam Speaker? Thank you.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Madam Speaker, each envelope committee knew that they had to arrive at a particular percentage, but when it came down to department by department, the Member is correct; there was much more selective...It was done on the basis of an impact that a certain adjustment in budgets would make in a particular area. So it wasn't just a blanket across-the-board shotgun type of approach; it was done in a selective manner, Madam Speaker. Thank you.