Mr. Speaker, in the financial reporting for the departments, operations expenses are separated into control objects that include compensation and benefits, grants and contributions, other expenses and amortization. As was the case in the Report on the Review of the 2000-2003 Business Plans and the 2000-2001 Main Estimates, the committee notes the lack of justification supplied for the control object "other expenses".

The committee is of the opinion that the "other expenses" should be subdivided and more detail supplied. For the 2001-2002 Main Estimates, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has identified $31.3 million and the Department of Health and Social Services has allocated $29.2 million for the control object "other expenses". These amounts are more than the total budgets requested by some departments.

The committee repeats the recommendation made in its Report on the Review of the 2000-2003 Business Plans and the 2000-2001 Main Estimates.