Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no question that we should develop our own resources. We have unique situations, isolated communities and small populations in communities, and our needs are sometimes beyond the school. There is a need for a community approach here and overall, an all-departmental approach as the Premier had spoken before. Yes, we will look towards resourcing our own approaches to all of this as we develop our social agenda, Mr. Speaker, to the best of our abilities and resources. Thank you.

Merci, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment regarding the student support needs assessment, to follow up on my Member's statement today about the issue of FAS/FAE.

The Minister indicated in his statement today that the focus in the school system is to support teachers in meeting the diverse needs of children, including those who may be affected by FAS/FAE, and the recently completed student support needs assessment will be used to guide the work of the department.

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my statement, I have found no reference at all to FAS/FAE in this document. I recognize it focuses on behaviour, some of which may be exhibited by children of FAS/FAE. I would like to ask the Minister if he could speak to the issue of why it was not identified as it was in his statement in this document as a special need and one that requires support. Thank you.

Mr. Miltenberger, that question is a bit broad. The Chair recognizes it as a very broad question. Could you be more specific? To speak on it is not quite a question. Give him a question.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain why FAS/FAE is not specifically mentioned in this student support needs assessment? We identify other problems, disabilities like hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, but FAS/FAE is not mentioned in this document. It is a guide for teachers in the classroom, but there seems to be an omission. Could the Minister explain why it is not in this document?

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The document indicated the process that was used as well as the findings that were developed by the individuals who did the survey. The clinical diagnosis revealed very small numbers of individuals with FAS/FAE. That can be interpreted, and I am sure all Members would interpret that, as well as the public, but we had to live with the clinical diagnosis figures, Mr. Speaker. We are preparing a response to the report. We also have a technical report, Mr. Speaker, that is returned to all of the regional districts that formulated part of this to allow the districts to compare the data to their particular reports, and then to have an ability to readdress some of the situations, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in this House today, we have heard an extensive list of statistics, 25 percent of women drink when they are pregnant, the range of children who may have FAS/FAE. The Minister himself has acknowledged that, as have most of his colleagues. The question I have to the Minister is when do they intend to specifically address the issue of FAS when they look at student support needs assessment and the special needs issue? It is important in the school for children.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an urgent matter. As the Premier stated, we are looking at a social action plan. The Members have asked if we could bring something forward for the next session. In relationship to all of that and the work we are doing, I think that over the next several months we can look to identifying areas of approach and clarify the approaches to all of this in all likelihood over the coming months. We want to try and see whether we can develop something in that timeframe so that through the summer, we can look to enhancing our services to schools with resource materials by the fall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, am I to understand from the Minister that he is committing, as part of the strategy to be brought forward, to address strategies for FAS in the schools in that strategy as part of the overall government plan the Premier spoke to? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ensure that we have accessed all of the potential information, all of the potential resource materials that can be provided. I guess in that sense, I am speaking in terms of trying to inject some sort of approach with the social action plan that we want to develop, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister's reply was carefully ambiguous. Until we clearly speak to the issue of FAS in the schools, it is going to be very difficult to identify the resources that we need to support and to provide the proper programming. FAS needs are not the same as just your average behavioural problems because of say a broken home or whatever. Can the Minister confirm that they will come forward with some specific plans in the school to support children with FAS and FAE? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, we want to develop and gather as much information in this area as we can and to also access resource materials and then to discuss the approaches to how to tackle issues of FAS/FAE on an overall basis as well as into specific areas. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to my Member's statement, I think we have to seriously look at the progress of FAS programs in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister inform the House of how many people in the Northwest Territories, especially in the Beaufort Delta region, are affected by FAS/FAE?

For clarification of the chair, Mr. Krutko, could you tell me which Minister you are directing this to?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.