Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a very good question. There is no doubt that there are stresses in the classroom and it is beyond one of the areas that we are solving and attempting to solve.

First of all, on the size of the classrooms and the student needs, we are putting several million more per year into that area to bring down the PTR and to provide student support.

As well, in the area of concern that there is effective behaviour within classrooms, we are addressing that as we speak. We have had several of our teachers in Vancouver to look at the possibility of how to address this. Apparently, British Columbia has a developing program that may assist us in that area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to hear that, Mr. Speaker. I was wondering if those initiatives are going to be addressing parents and the issue of putting the onus back on the parents and the kids themselves for their responsibility in gaining their education? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no doubt that through our student needs survey that was completed, one of the areas identified was the need for better attendance of students, especially in the more senior years, and support from the community and support from the home. Our efforts through the funding process of the student needs survey, we have a committee called SPAR that allocates funding for the student needs survey. We intend to address that issue through that process. It is a critical issue, as the Member has said. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not want to see the day where it goes back to yardsticks and strapping, but will some of these initiatives give teachers a little bit more authority for discipline in the classroom to better educate the kids? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is one of the reasons why we are interested to see what has been done in other jurisdictions. For example, I did reference the British Columbia example, where they are working on an effective behaviour support system for teachers and how to approach discipline issues in classrooms, be supportive of parents and so forth. It is an area we are starting to develop to look at. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was just wondering if the Minister could inform this House if he has any statistics on the number of our teachers who are on stress leave right now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have those statistics with me, but I will get them for the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. Questions orales. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

My question is for the Minister of Health. Earlier this week, I raised the request from Fort Providence for a community services board. We heard in this House, in committee and in the media, about the study being done by George Cuff. I would like to ask the Minister if she would confirm whether or not the terms of reference for that study includes the examination of the viability of community-based boards in some of the larger communities, or does it limit itself to examination of the existing system of regional boards? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Madam Groenewegen.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. It does not limit itself to the existing board structures. We are looking at different alternatives to what we may have now, if it is deemed to be more effective. The consultants are seeking input from people who would be knowledgeable and have ideas and suggestions about this.

The opportunity to meet with the consultant has been made available to Members. Certainly I would encourage Members who may have ideas about things like community services boards to share those ideas with the consultants when they have their interviews with them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you. Would the Minister of Health indicate if there would be a willingness to begin talks with the community of Fort Providence in order to establish a community services board in that community?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that it would be prudent to wait until we have the recommendations of the review back prior to commencing consultation on specific models. However, we could arrange for people in the community to feed their input into the review that is ongoing now. That could be accomplished, but as far as the government getting involved in pursuing those kinds of models before we have the results of the overall review, I just think the time would be better afterwards. Certainly we would like feedback and input from everyone possible and their ideas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been a concern raised by Members of this House and in the communities that the study may be setting the stage for re-centralization. If that should happen, there is a real fear that we would be encountering difficulties and we would not see a further devolution of services to community services boards.

However, it is apparent that we will not be looking at any new initiatives until the study is concluded. I would like to ask the Minister if she could give an indication of when could we expect the results of this study. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Madam Groenewegen.