Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, and I quote from unedited Hansard, in response to questions asked by my colleague, Mr. McLeod, Minister Antoine said: "We are looking at combining the NWT Development Corporation with the Business Credit Corporation and looking at the development of new legislation and also it would incorporate the Business Loan Fund and Community Futures..." My question is for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. I think we are all aware that there has been an amalgamated working group working on this very subject for some time. I would like to know if there is a report that was produced by this group that could be tabled in this House. Thank you.

Minister of RWED, Mr. Antoine.

The question is being taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity yesterday to have some discussion with Members of the Legislature informally when this issue was first raised and I had committed to the MLAs at that time that I would have a discussion with my fellow Ministers and following that, give them some indication as to what we would be prepared to do. We started that first step of the process today. So we will be sharing whatever decision we make in the next few days. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The suggestion was made in good faith yesterday by Members of the Legislature, so I had agreed at that time to share that with the appropriate Ministers. I have done that. We will respect the Ministers' right to contemplate the suggestion. I am sure at the appropriate time, they will indicate to me whether they are in agreement with that suggestion and come forward with the appropriate initiative. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since the question was recently brought up, we have established three types of merit awards in recognition of firefighters and community fire departments. We have an individual merit award for each region and then overall a territorial award, then we have a community fire department merit award and a length of service award. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for his answer. I would like him to expand a little bit more though, Mr. Speaker, if he would, on the type of awards that are being presented. Are these actual service medals and I refer to the length of service medals. What type of awards are we presenting? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is proceeding with the production of special service pins to recognize two and five-year terms. Years of service medallions will recognize services of 10, 15 and 20 or more years of service. Further to that, Mr. Speaker, we have taken the whole question back to the NWT fire departments and the fire marshal to see if we can't improve on the type of awards, in particular the pins, in recognition of length of service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly when we are going to recognize our volunteer firefighters, surely we can do it in the form of a service medal that they can wear proudly and wear in conjunction with other service medals. There is a pretty standard form of medal that different groups receive for incremental years of service. I would hope that this department would look at medals and not pins for this. Certainly it can't be a money issue. Will the Minister commit to making these service medals and not pins? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, although I would probably prefer to commit to the Member that we could create medals rather than pins, I have to take into consideration the fact that we now put the question to the fire chiefs and the fire department, as well as the fire marshal, and I hate to jump the gun before we get recommendations back from them. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.