Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If someone from my community was apprehended and put into care, the health board would have to contact the headquarters. The headquarters would have to do that? Thank you.

Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the board had to put a child in southern placement, they would expend the money and then they would recover it directly from the department. Thank you.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The children in care, you said that the southern placements was $2 million-and some. There is $6 million leftover. That stays at headquarters. That is the information I have been told. Is that correct? What are the figures? Thank you.

Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, the information is exactly the opposite. The $6.4 million does go to the boards. The $2.29 million comes from headquarters. Thank you.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now I am really confused. Thank you.

Madam Minister, do you want to clarify?

That the Member is confused?

-- Laughter

-- Interjection

Mr. Chairman, does the Member understand now?

Mr. Roland, does that clarify your confusion?

Mr. Chairman, what I saw in the Beaufort/Delta when I was once at a Hunters' and Trappers' Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development workshop and a fellow said, "Mr. Chairman, I have three questions. Do you have the answers?" I can leave it at that. I understood that if we go back to the answer initially when I asked the question, $2 million-and some was southern placements and the rest was held at headquarters. Then your latest answer is a reversal of that, so in fact, $6 million goes to boards. It is a reversal of what your first answer was. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Roland, you asked three questions, you answered three questions. You are doing pretty good. Madam Minister.

It is difficult to believe that I could have made such a mistake, but if the Member would provide it to me in Hansard, I will recant. Thank you.

We are on page 6-25, children's programs, grants and contributions, contributions, total contributions, $7,105,000.

Thank you. Page 6-27, community health programs, operations expense, total operations expense, $21,859,000. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have been biding my time, quietly waiting for the right opportunity to ask a question on a single issue. It applies not only to this department but to some extent virtually every other department in the government, where departments have contracts or agreements with non-profit or non-government organizations, to look seriously at multi-year funding for the contracting of services and the provisions that these organizations provide. We have had a lot of discussion on this, Mr. Chairman, the value of these organizations to service delivery is not an issue.

What is at issue is the sustainability and the confidence that these organizations have in going about their service and their business. As a number of them are volunteer organizations, the effort that both they and government staff go through on a yearly basis to set up contracts, to audit, to monitor, to keep these organizations going is not worth it on an annual basis. Multi-year support is something we have talked about on numerous occasions.

What I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Chairman, is where in the department's program, and I am sorry. I am at a bit of a disadvantage, as I was not at this committee, but where in this department is some demonstration that we are looking seriously and moving some multi-year funding as a way of helping the sustainability and the confidence of non-government organizations? Thank you.

Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I understand the point the Member is making. What we can say is that we can enter into multi-year agreements, but we can only do annual funding. We can only commit the funding one year at a time. I totally agree with the Member that it is difficult for NGOs and organizations to get on with their business when they constantly have the issue of whether they will be funded again hanging over their head. We can enter into multi-year agreements. Thank you.

Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good answer. I guess I am looking for some demonstration that this department is ready to take that very sound position and make it real. Can we look forward in the upcoming business plan to see some demonstration that this department is going to start doing that with the NGOs it is involved in? Thank you.

Madam Minister.