Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have not had any requests from the Kitikmeot Health Board at this stage to look at expanding the facilities, so I can say no, at this time, I am unaware of any plans to facilitate any expansion, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Given the statistics that I provided to the Minister, will the Honourable Minister seriously look at the possibility of expanding the Kitikmeot Boarding Home? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recognize it is a heavily utilized facility; however, I would have to wait and see exactly what kind of statistics are confirmed and whether or not the people of Kitikmeot, through their health board, request any expansion. But, at the same time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise the Honourable Member that we are in limited financial means and it would have to be fully justified as a long- term cost effective way of dealing with our health issues before we finalize any plans to expand these facilities. Mr. Speaker, thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same Honourable Minister. The statistic I provided to the Honourable Minister is we have about 85 per cent average usage of the government boarding home. We have about 20 per cent non-Kitikmeot patients staying at the Kitikmeot Boarding Home. Over and above that, some patients from Kitikmeot are referred to the Rainbow Valley Boarding Home. I thank the Rainbow Valley Boarding Home for providing the services. Mr. Speaker, will the Honourable Minister now communicate with the Kitikmeot Health Board? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have no hesitancy in contacting the Kitikmeot Health Board to try to discuss with them the options and see if there are any problems and try to work out a solution that would be acceptable to

everybody.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Health a question. I would like to know if the Baffin Regional Hospital will be finished on the date it was supposed to be?

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I cannot give a date on when I would expect the health facility in Iqaluit, or in Inuvik for that matter, to be completed. I mean, it will depend largely upon finalizing the financing agreement with the federal government and secondly, and more importantly, finding the financial means within our government to proceed with these major capital projects, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

I would like to ask another question to the Minister of Health. Can the Minister table an agreement that was signed to build the hospital in Inuvik and Baffin Regional Hospital?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would say that I will check to see if we could do that and if that were the case, I would. Otherwise I would be willing to let the Honourable Member see what agreement is in place, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Picco had stated earlier that $8 million had been set aside for the hospital in the Inuvik and Baffin Region. I would like to have this reviewed. Can you state exactly where this money will be used, particularly to the construction of those hospitals. Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated before, there have been pre-payments from the federal government that have been paid to the Government of the Northwest Territories. The funds have been put into the General Consolidated Revenue Fund of this government and consumed in addressing the program needs of this government. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Again just to remind the Members, when you are addressing the Ministers you can use the term the Honourable Minister but not the Right Honourable, which is only a title referred to when you address the Prime Minister, or former Prime Ministers for that matter. Mr. Ng, Minister of Health and Social Services.