Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in the report from the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, we noted that the Standing Committee on Social Programs had recommended to our committee that the task "other expenses" be given more attention in budgets. I would just like to point out that here on page 9-11, we have other expenses totalling $25,792,000. That one item is more than the budget of FMBS, I believe, yet we are not given any details at all about how that is being spent. I think the public should have some understanding of how the money is being spent.

For instance, the grants and contributions above that, $34.2 million, that is broken out on page 9-13. The public can see how that money is being spent. However, in our budget books, there is absolutely no explanation for what is included in other expenses. I would like to ask the Minister if he could provide a breakdown at this time of what is included in other expenses, so the public has some understanding of just what this nearly $25.8 million dollars is for?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we gave the details to the standing committee after they raised this concern with us. Any requests to include it in the budget would have to be addressed to the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Chairman, who prepares the budget. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The information that is provided to committees by the government is information that is provided in confidence. I am not at liberty to table the information that has been provided by the Minister to the committee to explain what this $25 million is. I think the public has a right to know. I am asking the Minister right now, will he publicly tell us what is included in this $25,792,000?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think this is a question that does have to be answered by the Minister of Finance because it becomes a question of their part. I have no particular problems with it, but the Department of Finance and the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board would have to answer the question as to how much detail we provide with particular budgets that are released publicly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Dent.

Mr. Chairman, this is a public document. These are public dollars. Surely the public has a right to know how we are spending them. The Minister surely cannot tell me that there would be any restriction on his telling us what is included in other expenses.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not have a problem with providing the information. I can do so here. The point I am making is that with respect to the make-up of our financial budget books and what is contained in those particular books, that is a decision to be made by the Financial Management Board. As a department, we merely supply information as requested. If the Member wishes, I can provide some detail to this particular area of expenditure. We are certainly not here to hide that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe I heard the Minister offer now to give us a breakdown of what is in the other expenses category on page 9-11. I have my pen poised to write down as quickly as he can get the information out.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will highlight some of the larger areas, and we are more than willing to provide Members with details of the smaller areas as well, so that they can discuss it or ask questions in that particular area if they so wish. I will just refer to some of the larger items that make up this large sum of money.

In the area of apprenticeships, apprenticeship training, on-the-job subsidy contracts, we provide $1,081,000; the youth at work program, the summer employment program, $1 million; the seniors' supplementary benefit is $1,953,000; income assistance benefits, $13,310,000; remissions and write-off of loan recipients, student financial assistance, $2,761,000. The rest of the figures are below $1 million, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just for the record, and this may not be directed only to this Minister but maybe to the Minister of Finance also, the Members would obviously have some surprise that a $13 million item in the budget does not even rate a line on its own. I would expect that we should have breakdowns for budget items in our budget books for those items that are at least in the $500,000 range and perhaps as low as $250,000.

I would encourage the Financial Management Board to consider making the budget books more friendly to the public, so they can have a better understanding of what it is that we are talking about. This is an awful lot of money, $25,792,000, and it has a lot of programs locked into it. The public has no way of knowing what is in there without the sort of question that I have just asked. I hope we will see some changes in the future to make these books a lot more friendly, Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister of Finance is here and I am sure he has made note of the comments. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Mr. Ootes.