Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think the honourable Member has highlighted the whole reason why we had to go to pilot initiatives initially, because we needed to find out those kinds of concerns and problems that the students would encounter. I want to confirm that there is a need for us to address those personal needs of the students and ensure that there's consistency in program service delivery, whether it's our department or whether it's Health and Social Services in conjunction with our department, or whether or not we work collectively with the boards and Nunavut Arctic College, as well. I think there has to be that cooperation. So, I have to agree with the honourable Member.

Hopefully, as a result of the comments that have been made and some of the concerns that will be raised, we can design our program to respond to those concerns that the honourable Member has raised.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Mr. Patterson.

(Microphone turned off)...Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister -- I guess it's a few days until April 1st -- are your officials going to start delivering welfare on April 1st? The money is being transferred, I understand, for social assistance. Is this department now going to deliver welfare or, if not, when? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Chairman, if I could ask Mr. Gerein to give you the detail because there are still some things that will be cooperatively delivered and he can give you the detail as the process goes on.

Thanks very much. Mr. Gerein.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have split the actual transfer of program delivery into a couple of phases. We're initially going to be taking over the program management and accountability at the headquarters and regional levels effective April 1st. However, at the community level we will maintain the current delivery systems and individuals who are there in order that we have no reduction in client service for this coming year.

What we will be doing concurrently is running, I believe, 10 or 11 pilot projects in communities where we look at different delivery agents actually providing social assistance as income support, freeing up the social workers in those particular communities to address individual and family social counselling and other needs. So we're trying to look at a number of different models in 11 or 12 communities in terms of how we deliver social services better. And in those communities where we don't have these models, the social workers will continue to deliver social assistance but, in this case, be supported by the department staff at the regional and headquarters levels. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Gerein. Mr. Patterson.

Just one final question, Mr. Chairman, and it doesn't have to be answered right away. I was intrigued by the Minister's explanation of why the department says the environmental technology program at Nunatta Campus was allocated $340,000 in funding to the college but I'm told that they spent much less than that. I guess that has prompted me to ask the Minister whether he can provide a breakdown. I know on page 15-20 we have $28 million, and the $12 million for Nunavut is divided into five categories. Would the Minister be willing to give more detail on how this is broken down, particularly the funding for base operations and programs? I would be very interested in getting that information because I would like to know why some programs seem to be getting less money from the college than is allocated for those programs by the department.

Perhaps these figures would help us determine how the college sets its own priorities and hold them accountable if they're not meeting the priorities of this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the concern the honourable Member raises is the very reason we wanted to establish an allocation system so we can ensure there is some accountability, including the tasks identified in our department, so there is accounting for priorities being set and so it is also responding to the general direction we want it to go as a department. Some priorities have to be established.

Now, what I will do is include all of those components, including a breakdown of programs and services being delivered by Nunavut Arctic College and the investments being made, as part of the information that I will write him.

Thank you, Mr. Nerysoo. Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Is there anyone else who would like to

make comments on culture and careers, on page 15-13, total O and M, $70.930 million? Are we concluded that item?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Education Development

Page 15-14, education development. Total O and M, $146.909 million. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Nerysoo.

First of all with forced growth, there is an increase of $281,000. There is an increase in the formula to address the high incidence matter of $930,000. Generally speaking, that's based, I believe, on a formula basis. I would like to ask Mr. Gerein to respond specifically on the matter of the formula.

Mr. Gerein.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is based on a formula which we can provide to the Member. What it does is basically adjusts the number of units for special needs assistance -- we still call it that in our own formula -- and we're changing it from 5.5 person years to 6.75 person years per 1,000 students, which results in the increases. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Gerein. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Gerein.

Mr. Chairman, it's applied uniformly to all the boards. There are no caps. I believe this year we also made some minor adjustments for what we refer to as magnet communities, those communities which have added facilities, medical and otherwise, and stand to attract students with special needs to them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Gerein. Mr. Dent.