Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is, if the review is going on, have there been any results reached in any area? One of the areas that is important is the trucking industry as far as being able to respond to accidents on the highway. I was wondering if she could report on anything that has been done with the trucking industry as to information being established.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for Health, Madam Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to redirect Mr. Delorey's question to the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. The honourable Minister responsible for MACA, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today the information I have is that the municipalities operate, some have those services in their communities, but they are on a responsive basis. For instance, if there is an accident they would be responding. Although just to make the Member aware, the RCMP is the primary contact, and it not only involves our department but also Health and Social Services and the regional health board. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we drive from High Level north into Alberta, the signs show up very quickly about 911 and a response on the highways. I was wondering if anyone had looked into what it would cost to extend the 911 into the Territories or, if not, throughout the Territories? Could it be extended to cover a certain portion of our highways? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for MACA, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is sort of a new issue with us, so we will definitely take that and discuss it with our department. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. That was not taken as notice, so final supplementary, if you wish. No supplementary. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is for the Minister responsible for RWED, Mr. Handley, and it relates to the Non-Renewable Resource Strategy. Before Christmas, and also before the last part of our election, our Premier came before this House and gleefully announced that we were going to get a couple of million dollars towards some bridge building in the Sahtu, and that we were to consider this as a down payment on our Non-Renewable Resource Strategy. Mr. Speaker, to me that means that there would be regular incremental payments subsequent to that, and I am wondering if the Minister can tell us how that is coming.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for RWED, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we did receive roughly $3.7 million from the federal government through DIAND for bridge construction all along the Mackenzie winter road. Since that time we have had a meeting. Mr. Kakfwi and myself met with Minister Nault. We have had several discussions with him. The Premier has had a meeting with the Prime Minister. I am meeting with the Minister of Finance on, I believe, March 4th, so we are continuing negotiations.

The approach from the federal government to date has been that they would not be writing us a cheque for the whole amount that we have asked for under the Non-Renewable Resource Strategy, but they would be looking favourably at various priorities that we negotiate with them.

Our priorities tend to be pretty much in all of the areas, largely on people and infrastructure, and we will continue to work with the federal Ministers to ensure that we get more than that first down payment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will acknowledge that the Premier and Mr. Handley have before told us that we would not be receiving one lump sum cheque, and I can appreciate that. This concept of a down payment on our Non-Renewable Resource Strategy - is that the Premier's take on the matter, or is that Mr. Nault's? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for RWED, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the question is essentially asking me to give my opinion on this, so I will ask for some direction.

I have to take that question as notice because I do not know if I can answer that. You asked for my opinion on Mr. Kakfwi's view, whether it is his opinion or Mr. Nault's opinion. I will take it as notice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today goes to the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding the situation at Stanton Regional Hospital.

Mr. Speaker, many of the Yellowknife Members have been approached by our citizens over the last few months, who are concerned about what is going on, in terms of the amalgamation idea of a surgical unit with pediatrics and the general happenings with the hospital.

I was wondering if the Minister could, just for the benefit of those people and the people out there, update us on what is happening exactly with this unit? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just by way of a little background in response to Ms. Lee's question, in the fall of 2000, Stanton Regional Hospital Health Board developed plans to amalgamate surgery and pediatric units. The planned amalgamation of the units ceased due to concerns from staff and clients.

After the deferral of the amalgamation, Stanton took steps to reopen the surgery unit. A major requirement, in order to do that, was to hire nursing staff.

It is my understanding that if sufficient staff can be hired, the surgical unit will reopen March 5th, 2001. If sufficient staff cannot be hired to have both units, pediatrics and surgery, opened, the most likely option is that Stanton will open the surgical unit and care for the pediatric patients on that unit and, if necessary, also use half of the old pediatrics unit. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of questions on this in this House and the Members were assured that the plan to amalgamate the units were scraped and that they were making all of their efforts to keep the units open. However, the lack of development in hiring in that unit has made some people to doubt that idea, or perhaps think that the plan was going to go ahead anyways.

I have had people coming and saying, "I do not think that they are ever going to reopen it and they are almost purposely not hiring." Could the Minister advise this House as to what efforts are being made to staff the unit with nurses and so on? Could the Minister do that, please?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.