Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, on the Human Resources Development Canada notice to apprentices in their income support document. The changes to the apprenticeship program will be effective April 1, 1996. The program will be available to those apprentices who are eligible for UI. If their UI claim starts on or after training start date, the normal UI two-week waiting period will apply. The basic training allowances to offset the waiting period will no longer apply.
Mr. Speaker, if an apprentice submits a record of employment or an application which is incorrectly filed, the first unemployment insurance cheque will not arrive until seven or eight weeks after the training date starts. Apprentices are expected to save enough money to meet their financial commitments for at least four weeks or two months after the commencement of the course because there may be some delays in payment.
Mr. Speaker, I have also been informed that as of January 1997, there will not be any more allowances for the apprentices. Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if this is in fact true.