Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if, for example, I am in Iqaluit and go to the pharmacy to get a prescription written by the doctor, if it is no longer under the NIHB and the doctor was not aware of that, when I go to the pharmacy, I have to pay for that drug. As an example, if hydroxyl is available under the NIHB, that would be paid for. Mr. Speaker, my question is, there is approximately 640 over-the-counter prescription drugs that are no longer under the NIHB, has that list been sent to our medical practitioners here in the Northwest Territories so they know what drugs are under the NIHB?

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not have the answer with me as well. I can find out and advise the Member accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is strange, Mr. Speaker, that we do not know which drugs are available and which ones are under the NIHB. I would follow up then with the Minister and ask him a supplemental question. I would request that his other commitment just now that it comes back so I can make reference to it. Has the GNWT tried to communicate with the public on the changes if there is any implication to them on the drugs that have been taken out of the NIHB? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I heard two questions. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no we have not. As I indicated at the start, quite frankly, this is a federal Medical Services Branch, Health and Welfare Canada program that they provide to aboriginal peoples across the country. We administer the payment aspect on behalf of Health and Welfare Canada. We are not privy to making the decisions of what is or is not covered. That is totally at the discretion of the medical services branch. They directly consult with the aboriginal organizations as to the impacts and which services are provided and which services and coverage are or are not to be provided. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

The Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate what my honourable colleague is saying and I did look into this matter when he had, rightly so, been investigating it for his constituent. There are rules and procedures that the WCB board of directors have put in place and there are some conditions set for lump sum payments. I think the only thing I could say to my honourable colleague is, it is a quasi-independent judicial board, with limited ministerial involvement. I think I would be prepared to sit down with the new chair of the board, Ms. Joanne Deneron, and see if they would be prepared to once again take a look at the policy they have in place for lump sum payments and see if there is some way in which they could not only consider this particular instance, but others. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I would be only too happy to have a discussion with the new chair, Ms. Joanne Deneron, of the Workers' Compensation Board with respect to the comments raised by my honourable colleague in relationship to the concerns his constituent has. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd.

As I always do, Mr. Speaker, when I am asked important questions and I am unable, which is not that often in this House by my honourable colleagues, I will move expeditiously to deal with the issue and report back to my colleague, as I frequently do, some time earlier in the morning, later on next week. I would not want to imply that I am going to be able to give him necessarily the answer he wants. What I have said is, I will discuss the matter with the chair of the board, and ultimately, really, the board makes the decision on what the rules and regulations and policies are in the manner related to cash payouts on pensions. I will bring forward, as quickly as possible, the concerns raised by my colleague that I raised actually, many years ago when I was sitting on the Workers' Compensation Board. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. The Minister might be aware of it. Do you wish to respond? The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.