Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Delorey on February 18, 2003, regarding the GNWT's share of medical travel co-payments.

During the 2001-2002 fiscal year, the department spent a total of $8,964,218 on medical travel.

In addition, a total of $1,635,050 was spent in medical travel co-payments. This included: $1,265,697 from federal non-insured health benefits; $186,068 from NWT extended health benefits; $22,008 from NWT Metis health benefits; $20,781 from indigent health benefits; and, $140,496 in payments made by individuals, many of whom would have been reimbursed by their employers or insurance companies.

In addition to these amounts under the medical travel assistance program, the Government of the Northwest Territories pays the total cost of medical travel for its employees, including those in casual employment. As reported in the 2001 public services annual report, this represented an expenditure of $1.93 million for the 2001 calendar year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.