Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is a response here. The Standing Committee on Finance met today to consider this supplementary appropriation.

Committee Members expressed a number of concerns related to the items included in this bill.

While many of the specific concerns raised will be addressed later in this House, I will point out some of the more important issues identified by committee Members.

Members of the standing committee feel that the government's budget estimates should reflect the government's best estimates of the amount to be spent in a given area. Too often, however, lower figures are listed in the estimates and the department later comes back with a request for more funds. Many of the items in this supplementary appropriation fall into this category. For example, the standing committee has repeatedly expressed concern that amounts budgeted in the areas of health and social services are often unrealistically low and are later the subject of repeated requests for supplementary funding.

Moreover, many of the items listed here were the subject of a special warrant approved on January 11, 1995. This is of special concern to the standing committee Members. At that time, the standing committee was considering the 1995/96 main estimates and was hearing from the departments in the social envelope, including Health and Social Services. The standing committee was not given details of this supplementary funding at that time. As a result, many of the standing committees comments and recommendations in the report on the review of the 1995/96 main estimates were based on incomplete information.

Some of the requests for funding here created a significant difference in actual anticipated funding for 1994/95 and the amount estimated for 1995/96. The standing committee finds this unacceptable and will be working with the Minister of Finance to ensure such problems will not arise in the future.

Mr. Chairman, the standing committee is concerned at this reflection of poor budgeting and planning practices from the government. We will have a number of questions on specific issues as we discuss this matter here in the House. Mahsi, Mr. Chairman.