Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would first like to compliment the Member today on his choice of tie; it is very striking. In answer to the question, the departments were given five criteria under which to develop their interim appropriations. They were asked to:

• • identify the amount of compensation benefits for staff for the four-month period;
• • provide the portion of grants and contributions that must be paid during the four-month period;
• • identify any existing contractual commitments or contracts that must be initiated during the four-month period;
• • provide the full amount of any contracts that must be committed at the beginning of the year; and
• • with regard to capital requirements, to include projects of an urgent nature, projects that were begun in the previous fiscal year, or projects where the commitment must be made because of shipping deadlines or other circumstances.

Those were the terms which were given to each of the departments in preparing their interim appropriations. The question, in terms of "stand-pat" budgets, they were not told in any way to come up with "stand-pat" budgets. They have been advised that we have a schedule during which we will be developing our main estimates. It is the main estimates procedure where any new initiatives will be identified, and reductions and inefficiencies will be identified, finally.

Now, in doing that, we have asked them to indicate to us what they need during this four-month period in order to be able to function. Mr. Speaker, those were generally the guidelines that have been given to the departments. So far, I have not let a goal into the net. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.