Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have three returns to Oral questions asked by Mr. Krutko.
On October 4: with respect to the status of negotiations with the Tl'oondih Healing Society. The total cost of southern referrals to addictions treatment facilities in the 1995/96 fiscal year was $879,046. However, referrals to southern Canadian addictions treatment centres are not a regular practice, and only occur when appropriate northern programs are not available.
Non-medical southern referrals have been dramatically reduced. We are currently making changes to the medical referral system, including a policy change which will restrict southern travel to those cases that cannot be accommodated in northern facilities.