Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, under support and health services administration, I would like to bring up several different areas. I will begin with the Med-Emerg contract and role study, which follows on the policy and planning and evaluation section of the page we are on. Maybe the Minister could just update me and the House. I want to know specifically, on the Med-Emerg contract, is it specifically centring on the health care in the Nunavut region and the Inuvik region of the Northwest Territories, or is it for encompassing the total Northwest Territories?

Thank you, the honourable Minister for Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member is incorrect. Med-Emerg is not doing any role studies for any of the capital facilities in Iqaluit or in Inuvik. What they are doing, as I have indicated before, is doing some strategic planning work, reviewing the programs within Health and Social Services with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. They are soliciting input right now throughout the territories, to try to identify where some of the problems may be in the Health and Social Services delivery throughout the Territories. They are

going to make recommendations to the Department of Health and Social Services on what they see as the plan of reform, which we will look at and see whether or not it is viable to proceed with accelerating some of the reforms that may be recommended, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I love being corrected when I am wrong, but I do not like being corrected when I did not mention, to begin with, any capital projects. I never did say capital projects, I am sure the Hansard will back me up on that statement. After saying that, Mr. Chairman, the Minister mentioned the delivery problems, the scope and reform of the same. When we talk about program delivery, what specifically is Med-Emerg looking at? Are they looking at the facilities that are in place, delivery of those? Are they talking about community-based services through nursing stations or health centres? Are we talking about delivery or scope from the administrative end of things? Exactly what is Med-Emerg looking at?

Thank you. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as I indicated, they are reviewing and analyzing information on all our current programs and services that are provided through the Department of Health and Social Services. They are doing this through research of reports and documentation that we have provided to them, through individual and group interviews throughout the territories, and analyzing the information they receive. They are also analyzing the reform initiatives that we have already started to undertake before they became involved in this strategic planning exercise. The alcohol and drug reforms, the long-term care reform, the facilities reviews and those human resource reviews, those types of things that the department already had under way, Mr. Chairman. They are going to recommend some strategic goals and priorities and program standards to us, and identify any areas where we could have some potential savings. I would recognize a lot of Members have spoken about support for this initiative. I know there is a large interest out there. There was a written question by Mr. Henry to provide the terms of reference and the scope of the whole project, and we were trying to get that together before today but I did not realize we would get into the details so quickly on the department. So I will provide copies of the terms of reference for all Members as soon as we can before tomorrow. Thank you.

Thank you. We are reviewing the main estimates of the Health and Social Services activity. In this case it is the support and health services administration. Mr. Picco. Thank you.

Under health services administration, Mr. Chairman, it provides the health insurance services, which also includes the supplementary health benefits, non-insured health benefits, out-of-territories hospitals, the physicians inside the Northwest Territories, the physicians outside the Northwest Territories, and medical travel. In addition, services are provided to native residents under contract with Health Canada. There has been some concern and controversy in our region of the Northwest Territories, and that specifically being Nunavut, on the non-insured health benefits. Can the Minister update us at this time, what is happening with the non-insured health benefits and maybe alleviate some of the concerns that have been brought forward?

Thank you, honourable Member. The honourable Minister for Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the non-insured health benefits is a federal program providing additional services for aboriginal people. We, the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Health and Social Services contract out the delivery of those services on behalf of the Medical Services branch of Health Canada. Our term of the contract expires March 31, 1997. Medical Services branch had been in discussion with some of the aboriginal groups about the possibility of the aboriginal groups taking on the contract for delivery of these services directly. Our position was that there would be no problem with that. We were supportive of that.

The one cautionary advice that we gave, was the fact that there was a ceiling on the amount of the dollars that are available under the program. There was an administration requirement for reporting expenditures under the program to Medical Services branch. Where there were some economies with the GNWT having two individuals that administer the entire non-insured health benefits for all aboriginal people throughout the Northwest Territories, there were individual aboriginal organizations trying to take it on on a regional basis.

I understand the Baffin at one time was looking at it. It is my understanding they are not as active on this now, but the Keewatin Inuit Association was the most proactive recently. They have had some meetings with myself and their MLAs in trying to further this pilot project in trying to assume the responsibilities for delivery of the contract. We are supportive of that. It is our understanding that the federal Medical Services branch may be reconsidering their position right now, on whether or not to go ahead with any pilot project or turning it over directly to the aboriginal groups, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. The details of work performed on behalf of other parties is on page 6-27 and subsequently 6-28. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It also falls under support and health services administration. If you look at the fourth paragraph on page 6-13 you will see the quote as I read it out. Population health and board development provides direction and professional consulting services, and also monitors boards of management for compliance to acts, policies and standards. I wonder, on the compliance to acts, policies and standards, does this mean the policies and standards of both the territorial and federal governments?

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, it is primarily for territorial policies and legislation, although there is some involvement on the federal level because of the non-insured health benefits program. Thank you.

Thank you. Support and health services administration. You have a final question at this point, Mr. Picco.

Am I up to my maximum questions now? Am I up to five? Thank you, Mr. Ningark. I do have several more questions, but maybe I can return. My final question on this area of policies and standards, does that include the contracts and tenders or RFPs issued by health boards, so that they would have to follow the policies and standards as outlined on their support and health services, administration 6-13?

Thank you. I have Mr. Rabesca, Mr. Erasmus and Mr. Henry. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, it would depend on the circumstance. This would be more in line with medical requirements, health care requirements. If there were specific things, for example medevac contracts, then that would be determined through the policy requirements through our finance and administration division, supported by Public Works and Services, that does those types of contracts, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. For the record, we are on page 6-13, support and health services administration. We have Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Referring to the Minister's opening remarks, regarding his comment on the medical travel. " The department withdrew portions of funding for non-medical escorts." I was wondering what he was referring to. Is he implying that the medical escorts funds are cut?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the honourable Member is correct. Through some of the funds that we will be disbursing directly to the boards, some of the non-medical escort funding will be reduced. As many Members know, a lot of the compassionary travel was reduced last year. There is a need to take another look at some of the other non-medical escort travel. If I can use for an example, sometimes you have somebody come down that needs an escort. They come down with the escort and it ends up being an extended stay, and the escort gets tired and wants to go back to their home community. They send down somebody else to accompany that individual. Those types of situations have to be tightened up, with an understanding that if you come down, you would have to stay for the duration. If somebody chose to go home, there would not be another escort sent down. For example, sometimes an individual coming out of day surgery, because they might have been under anaesthetic, the doctor would recommend they have an escort. We would look at possibly eliminating that and having somebody, not necessarily come to escort them, but to see them through that time period until they are able to travel back to their community, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. Total operations and maintenance. We have Mr. Erasmus. Thank you.