Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have asked the department to develop criteria for the continuation of health and social services boards. But also, this is an area which the Cabinet is wanting to look at because the criteria is very key to regional issues in anticipation of things such as aboriginal self-government and land claims. This is a broader government issue. Cabinet will also be visiting this subject in our upcoming planning sessions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Did I hear correctly? That the Minister has her officials working on a plan for the continuation of regional health boards? If that is the case, what has she instructed her officials to do with the South Slave? And is that not counter-productive, if at the same time all the signals are pointing away from the regional health boards? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I did indicate that I have asked the department to develop criteria for the establishment and continuation of health and social services boards. I did not say regional boards. However, we have such a mix and such an assortment of boards at this time, I think it is important to establish criteria and come up with ways of operating boards that are as efficient as can be.

We have everything from regional boards and community service boards to boards as small as the one in Lutsel K'e, for example, which is an entire health board that serves less than 500 people. Due to the myriad of board make-ups and sizes we have right now, I think it is important that we look at this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has indicated that we have a myriad of boards and structures. She has instructed her officials to look at how we are going to keep this myriad of boards and structures going. It causes me some concern.

Can the Minister indicate if she has had any discussions with her social envelope colleagues in education and housing at how they might best integrate some of the common services that serve common clients and take a page from what seems to be working quite successfully with the Dogrib people? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the concept of community service boards is not a new one. It is something that has been talked about in the past. However, you hear good things about them and there does also appear to be a downside in terms of focusing on certain areas.

These are all things that need to be looked at. We will not be making any decisions or any rationales on this without certainly consulting the Members and standing committees. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to remind the Minister of her commitment to answering questions and not giving a response that totally ignores the question. The question was, have you had any discussions with your colleagues, from education and housing, about how you might best integrate services in areas of governments when there are common clients, in communities where it makes sense? It is a very simple question, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I would just remind the honourable Members that they should address the chair and not each other. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this has been discussed amongst the Ministers as the Member indicates, informally, but no official communication has taken place on this. It has not been on an agenda as a specific item.

-- Interjection

I am not listening to comments from across the House. I believe that this was discussed in Caucus when we had our retreat in Fort Providence. Of course, we are always looking for better ways of delivering programs and services to the people of the North. We will continue to discuss this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my Member's statement, we have heard of the disproportionate number of smokers in the Northwest Territories. That is one of the largest areas of cost drivers we find when it comes to acute and primary care programs. We know that smoking related diseases and conditions are placing a severe strain on the limited resources that the Department of Health and Social Services can bear.

Can the Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services inform this Assembly if there are any programs that deal with prevention in the area of smoking? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is right. The cost of tobacco to our budget, on an annual basis in the Northwest Territories, is about $31 million annually. This is a very significant amount of money.

The department is strongly committed to addressing this public health issue. The Department of Health and Social Services and boards have all endorsed this priority under the health promotional strategy framework. In particular, the need to focus on the high rates of tobacco addiction amongst young people in the Northwest Territories.

We are actively providing support to an interdepartmental working group that is drafting the Territorial Tobacco Strategy and work plan, addressing healthy public policy legislation, public education, communication enforcement and research. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware, from my previous role in the 13th Assembly, that there is work ongoing. The Minister is informing us that in fact the work has not been concluded. They are still working on a plan. Can the Minister confirm that they are still in the process of working out a plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is right. This is an initiative that was undertaken under the previous direction of my predecessor, Mr. Floyd Roland. Mr. Speaker, the Territorial Tobacco Strategy was completed and a draft has been circulated to Government of the Northwest Territories departments. The comments on the draft are expected to be returned to the department by March 31, 2000. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that this plan, when it does come out and is launched, is going to be more than what we see from time to time with some posters and pamphlets. Hopefully, it will be focused on the young people, as the Minister said.

I would like to know what is spent in the area of prevention when it comes to smoking? Thank you.