Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under interpreter/translator under Language Bureau, the Minister, in his opening comments, made the remark that the department will complete a reorganization of the Language Bureau with three administrative and support positions being eliminated. In the comments we just heard, that some layoff notices have come out, approximately, Mr. Picco said, 12 to 14. Can the Minister confirm or give us information that would clear this up? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the department has issued no layoff notices within the Language Bureau. However, this budget does include a reduction in funding to the Language Bureau, which will result in a three PY reduction. That was intended to be throughout the Bureau and was not specific to any location. I believe that the Member from Iqaluit was referring to a reorganization which was not a budgetary exercise. There were no savings intended through that reorganization. The reorganization would have meant that we would layoff 18 people in the Language Bureau across the Northwest Territories and taken the funds from that layoff and distributed the portion that is needed to departments for interpreter/translator services. The remainder would provide funding to language communities, so they could do their own developmental and promotion work in the Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We did, as a committee, make a motion. However, it related to what you just spoke about, the reorganization of coming back and looking at it from an east to west issue. Hopefully, that will be taken into consideration when you start looking at the reorganization. I would like to know from the Minister, from a western perspective, how is the language interpreter/translation done? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as I said in my opening comments, I am prepared to look at the recommendations of the standing committee. I will respond to them after examining whether or not we can achieve what we were trying to achieve economically and functionally and still live up to that recommendation. I reiterate, there have been no layoff notices issued in the Language Bureau with respect to either reorganization or the three PY reduction, which is part of this budget. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. With that, we will take a ten minute break. Agreed?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am not sure if I can answer the question because each department may be purchasing services in the private market. I can advise the Member that the restructuring we were looking at would have seen most of the layoffs in the west. In terms of how much is currently being purchased on the private market, I cannot say.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister give us a fairly accurate number of how much would be private sector versus GNWT staff for translating in the west?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I said, I do not have any way to research that question because each department is probably purchasing services outside of the Language Bureau. In fact, I know the Department of Education, Culture and Employment occasionally purchases services from the private sector. Each department would have to be questioned as to how much they are purchasing outside the Language Bureau. We do not have any way of knowing what another department might be doing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister Dent. Operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am not sure where Mr. Picco got his information from, but there have been no layoff notices issued. The employees have been advised of the proposal which, under reorganization, would see a number of layoffs. They have been advised that no decision has been made on the whole restructuring and, as I said, there is a three PY reduction as part of the budget, but there has been no indication that was going to mean layoffs in Iqaluit. Those are three positions that would have to be reduced within the Language Bureau if the Language Bureau, in its same format and doing the same sorts of functions that it is right now, would somehow have to reduce by three PYs in order to live within the amount of dollars that we have in the 1997-98 budget in comparison to what was in 1996-97.

In terms of what the Language Bureau does, it is also responsible for language promotion, for some limited support of language development and for developing of certification programs. Those would probably be the major functions other than interpreting and translating. As I said, Mr. Chairman, the consultation process that was undertaken over the past couple of years, starting with recommendations from the previous Language Commissioner, led us to believe that language development, language promotion and ensuring the vibrancy of languages would be better left in the hands of the language communities. Here I am using community, not meaning a municipality, but as a group of people who speak the language as a first language. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister Dent. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Minister.