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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is going to be yet another black mark against the Cuff report before it even sees the light of day. The committees are not even going to be looking at this. The MLAs probably will not even have a chance to look at this, and the Minister wants to jam through some plan before she has even received any feedback. It is beyond belief that the Minister would do that. Let me ask the Minister again, surely to goodness having waited this long, we should be given enough chance to look at this -- the Members of this Legislative Assembly, the people of the Northwest Territories, the very many NGOs and groups that have waited to see what is going to come out of this. I would ask the Minister again, will she be reasonable and give the people of the Northwest Territories enough time to look at this? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the report will come for everyone on June 25th. As I said, we will receive responses and input into the recommendations that will be in the report. We would like to be able to table a response to the report during the fall session. The Member is suggesting that we should move this work back and delay this. What we could do is consider the volume of responses that we get after the report is tabled and hear from people who feel they may want to make a response but have not had time. Right now, our plan and our time line is try to have a response developed in preparation for the fall session. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the majority of the people are not going to be aware of this or even around to reply for wide feedback, it is clear that there is going to be a low volume. Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that it seems to be that the department has its own agenda. They already know what they want to do with this report. They are ignoring the public feedback and feedback from this Legislature. It is so unfortunate and unacceptable that I do not really have a question. I just want to put that issue on record.

Mr. Miltenberger, it is your final supplementary and you should ask a question. There is no question there. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have already indicated, there have been 350 individuals interviewed in preparation for this report. Also, we have asked the consultants who are working on the Cuff review to consider the other significant consultation that took place with the public such, as the Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services and other previous reports that were done. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. I should just remind Members that questions should be to the point, particularly the supplementary ones, and I am sure the answers as well could be to the point by the honourable Minister asked. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning I raised the issue of community fire protection plans in the North. I would like to ask a question of the Minister of RWED. I would like to ask what his department is doing to develop community fire protection plans and protect the communities from forest fires.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a regular basis, RWED does assessments of sites and structures and so on around all of the communities. They are doing that again this year, updating information. That should be completed by the end of the summer. We have also set aside a $300,000 budget to implement community forest fire protection and hazard abatement plans, so that funding is there. To date, no communities have formally asked for assistance. Our department is also available to help communities if they ask for assistance. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has indicated that no communities have asked for assistance. This program that is in place to develop a community fire protection plan, how many communities have accessed funding through this program to develop proper fire protection and fire guards? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before, no communities have put in an application for fire protection plans this year. I am not sure how many have done it in the past years, but there are some that are ongoing that were in last year and continue on. For this year, we have not received any new applications yet. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister, how long will it be before we see proper fire protection plans for all of the communities in the North? What is the time frame he is looking at? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the question is one that we would have to ask each community. It is up to each community as to whether or not they want to have a fire protection plan in place for their community, whether there will be a fire guard around their community or some other arrangement they may wish to make.

I would hope that we move quickly to protect all of our communities in the forested areas. As I say, our department is there. We are ready to cooperate and hopefully work with communities that are asking for plans to be developed. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the development of these fire protection plans, I would like to ask if the Minister, when he said the department is there to develop and assist in all areas, does his department also provide the funding to develop the terms of reference?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I think within reason, our department would make money available, but if the communities are going to get into a long consultation process, then there may be limits on what we would be prepared to do. Some of it does rest as a community responsibility. I would like to say that we want to cooperate. It is in our interest to have the fire protection plans in place. I think we are there to help put the plan together. We would probably assist to some degree with consultation, but it would depend on how extensive it is. It would have to be negotiated in each case. Thank you.