Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question was more geared towards any funding over and above student financial assistance. I understand that there were dollars put in place at one time for students in the Teacher Education Program, to offer that extra incentive. I was wondering if that would be something that this department would look at in order to attract students to take university courses in the area of oil and gas.

I do not believe we offer such extra funding anymore, Mr. Chairman, if it was offered at one time. I do not believe there is any such extra funding now.

I will take that as he is not looking at offering incentive grants over and above Student Financial Assistance.

One final concern I have is in the area of training and earmarking certain sectors. I will use diamonds as an example. Most of the courses were held in Yellowknife. Many of the people who live in the community did not take full advantage. I think we had maybe two or three people from the Deh Cho take these courses. I do not really have a problem with the courses being held in Yellowknife. As it is, it is right in the area where the activity is taking place.

However, when it comes to oil and gas, I would like to see some of these courses housed in the communities themselves. I am hoping that they will be community-based and more accessible to the people in the communities. You have to realize that a lot of these people are unemployed and, at this point, do not have the ability to travel and live in other communities. Is the focus going to be in the area where the activities are taking place, such as the Beaufort Delta and the Deh Cho?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is no doubt that there will be courses offered at campuses, but many of them will be community-based. We are trying to develop relationships with industry itself, to work with industry and to provide the training in communities, close to the areas where the actual activity will be. I will give an example. Going back to Diavik, they are working in Fort Rae with individuals and training in Fort Rae. I believe that as we develop our relationships with resource companies, this will be their preference as well. Certainly that is our preference, to ensure that we do it within the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We intend to work cooperatively with all groups, including industry and aboriginal organizations, in this. At this point, without being specific, I cannot say how we will involve both industry and aboriginal groups.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my question is around the area of literacy. I know we asked a few questions on it earlier and I was basically directed to raise my question in the context of advanced education and career development. What I would like to know from the Minister, has the department established any goals that they are trying to strive for with regard to what the literacy rate should be, say in the year 2003 or 2005?

In some cases, the information we have from 1996 or 1997, we are talking about 40 percent in some communities. Are there any goals in place for the department to strive for so they can have some real results? So we know that this government has a game plan, knows where they are going, and exactly what we are doing as a government to bring down the large percentage of illiterate people, especially in the small communities, so that they can take advantage of these developments? What is the department doing? Does it have a game plan on how we are going to get there?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think we mentioned before that we have an under-educated population and a need for literacy and basic education upgrading. The programs that we have available are delivered through the college system and through the NGOs and community organizations. We have not specifically addressed a percentage change, if that is what the Member is asking for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Does the government have any specific set goals that we are trying to meet? Do we have goals in place that this department is striving for? So we can say in a specific year, this is the intent of the government, that we will try to totally wipe out illiteracy in the Northwest Territories, or totally wipe out poverty, or totally wipe out the problems that we have instead of just reacting to them year after year through a budgetary process? Does this government have any such goals in place for any of that?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are working on a directive for adult literacy and basic education. We are working on a strategic plan. I think that is important for us to put into place, but we need to get the directive finished first, and then work on the strategic plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reason I raise this is because from looking at the budget, when you talk about adult basic education, literacy, they have $257,000 in the budget for that particular item. It has come down from 1998-99.

I feel that in order to deal with the problem we have and in order for us as a government to give people the tools they need to be very productive in their lives and to get somewhere in their lives...we know the facts. People do not have a high education. The percentages are there. The people who do have grade 12 or go on to university, their chances of getting a job are that much greater.

Yet in order for us to get out of that rut, we have to do more to increase those percentages, especially in our smaller communities where the problems seem to be. I would like to ask the Minister, are there any plans in place to increase the amount of money for adult basic education and literacy?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we do have a proposal for Community Skills For Work to add $650,000 to this particular budget. Thank you.