Mr. Speaker, I have a return to an oral question asked by Mrs. Marie-Jewell on March 3rd regarding assistance for disabled adults living outside institutions.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services has a number of programs in place that can assist disabled adults who choose to live in their own homes. There are coordinated home care programs in six communities across the NWT, and our budget for 1995-96 has proposed to enhance theses services by the addition of community-based respite and home care programs in four more communities.

Mr. Speaker, disabled adults can also take advantage of medical and hospital care, medical travel, non-insured health benefits for First Nations and Inuit people and social assistance special needs benefits. The social assistance program also provides $125 per month to any disabled adult who is eligible for social assistance and unable to pursue employment.

There is no specific program that provides a disability pension to disabled residents; however, my colleague, the Honourable Richard Nerysoo, is consulting with people across the Northwest Territories through the Minister's forum on income support reform. These consultations will include discussions about the income needs of the disabled. As you know, Mr. Speaker, it will be very important for us to redesign our income support system over the next year, in preparation for the block funding of social assistance by the federal government starting in 1996 and 1997, and, as part of this reform, the income support needs of all residents will be considered.