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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes. It would not be that difficult to look at the funding, which now goes to service the people of the Dogrib region with respect to medical services and travel. Those numbers would be fairly easy to pull out and compare with what it would be if those services were resident in the community. We could undertake to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also stated that we have to take into consideration the costing of a model that would come into effect here. Yes, grandfathering was considered for those students who are in the system now, trying to complete their graduation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just for clarity's sake, could the Minister advise me whether or not the intent was to ensure that an existing student would at least get the same benefits they were receiving under the old program in the new program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Minister Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have to state again that it was pointed out that we have to take into consideration the costing of the model to do any grandfathering. I believe that was stated by me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the Minister did not advise the committee at the time that costing was going to be a problem. We had asked how much it was going to cost to extend the program and provide the improvements. I believe we were assured by the Minister that they would take a look at grandfathering. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister make revisions to the program, ensuring that students who were in the system this past semester can continue to receive grants or remissible loans for which they qualified under the old program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have taken a look at the grandfathering of those who are out of the system now and those who are in the system to carry on for a longer period of time. It looked like it was going to be very expensive to do that. I am trying to get more definitive figures on this. I do not have an answer on that until I get those definitive figures. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Final supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister is answering a question about transition to a new program. In other words, adding extra semesters for students who have had some assistance already. I am talking about students who were in the system, told last fall they would qualify for four more semesters of assistance, and now are being told they do not qualify for that assistance because the program has been changed.

Will the Minister take a look at the program and make revisions to the program to allow students who were in the system to receive at least the grants they were entitled to under the old system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the system that was devised was if students had used up half of their entitlement, they would be entitled to another half. That was the system that has been incorporated into the new system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on the same line of questioning, because I do not think we are getting the answer we are looking for. I think the Minister is talking about transition from the old program to the new program. We are asking about grandfathering. I believe the cases Mr. Dent is referring to are cases of students who were told last year they would be eligible for funding because they were in fact residents of the Northwest Territories.

Now, the stipulation has been made that residency alone is not good enough. You need to have gone to school here. If your parents lived here but chose to send you to boarding school, you used to be eligible for funding. You are not anymore. The students last year who were told they would have funding are now out in the cold.

Can the Minister tell us if he will revise that, make the changes and look after these students? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I cannot make a commitment here to change the program. I will have a look at it. Thank you.