Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As Mr. Cuff looks at all these issues, I do not have the terms of reference with me, but can the Minister refresh my memory, is that kind of systems review underway as well, or is it more of a governance people-oriented review? Thank you.

Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, two of the items in the terms of reference are to establish an approved accountability framework that clearly defines roles, responsibilities and authorities, and to recommend an appropriate financing framework for the health and social services system as well. Thank you.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A final question on the critical retention issue has to do with their affirmative action statistics, which are broken out but do not provide the information for nurses, social workers and such. However, it is indicated that they will be provided in the near future. Could the Minister indicate if she could quantify that date? What does that mean "in the near future?" Could she make any kind of a more formal, specific commitment? Thank you.

Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, that information has been requested from the boards and as soon as we receive that, we will provide it to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. We are under directorate, corporate services. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On this area and specific to the information provided in the budget and also in the business plan some time ago under health promotion, there is a reference in the business plan, Mr. Chairman, to priority areas identified, four of them: active living, healthy pregnancies, tobacco harm reduction and cessation and injury prevention. I agree with these as good areas to bring to the fore.

The plan goes on further to say that active living, tobacco and injury prevention have partnerships with other GNWT departments and are territorial in nature. I am wondering if the Minister could advise what other departments are seen to be partners in these initiatives? Thank you.

Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are a variety of partnerships and cooperation going on with respect to a number of these. I will try and go through them.

With the active living promotion, the department is working with Health Canada's health programs and promotions branch and Municipal and Community Affairs to fund and support two primary prevention projects. The projects will be developed and delivered by the NWT Parks and Recreation Association and the Northern Nutritionists Association. The other partner with the active living is Education, Culture and Employment and the boards as well.

On healthy pregnancies, we are partnering with the boards, NWT Baby Friendly Implementation Committee, Status of Women Council, NWT Native Women's Association, Maternal Caring Prenatal Committee, provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Nunavut and Yukon Territories.

On the tobacco harm and reduction and cessation, we are partnering with the boards, Canadian Public Health Association, NWT-Nunavut Chapter; Health Canada, health promotion and programs branch; Interdepartmental Tobacco Working Group, which is Health and Social Services; MACA; Finance; Workers' Compensation Board; Education, Culture and Employment; NGOs, example Tobacco Action Yellowknife; Department of Transportation; Liquor Licensing Board. Those are the partners.

On the injury prevention, we are partnering again with the boards, an interdepartmental injury prevention committee which is made up of Health and Social Services, MACA, Transportation, Housing Corporation, RWED, ECE. Other agencies may also join, the Workers' Compensation Board and the office of the chief coroner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a very extensive list and it is good to see the number of organizations involved. The business plan indicates that partnerships do exist. The money that is proposed here, $916,000 under health promotion, is the department pooling these resources with those of other departments, or is $916,000 the extent of the funds and everybody is working from this? How much more in terms of resources is potentially being put into these promotional areas? Thank you.

The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, there is federal funding as well which does go into these programs, and it comes to a total of $2.7 million. Thank you.

Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have heard, in fact, just yesterday we had a briefing with the NWT Literacy Council and heard about the value of their participation as a non-government and volunteer organization in this. Could the Minister give us some sense of the extent to which NGOs and volunteer organizations are contributors to these strategies and to their implementation? Thank you.

Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, Mr. Chairman, NGOs are very significant contributors in these areas. They not only help us with the strategizing and the laying out of the plan, but also in many cases in implementing it as well. We cannot stress enough about the value added by these organizations' input into these areas. Thank you.

Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One more question, and it is one that I think the Minister has heard from me in the past, and that is the extent of support that we give to NGOs, especially in the areas of commitments and contracts, or MOUs that are multi-year in nature. Can the department advise on any progress that it is making to really involve them on a longer term basis? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.