Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, section 9 of the Legal Services Act requires the Legal Services Board to prepare an annual report each year, which is then to be laid before the Legislative Assembly at the earliest opportunity. My question to the Minister of Justice, Mr. Speaker, is can the Minister tell us when he expects to be tabling the Legal Services Board's next annual report, along with the other seven tardy annual reports? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have just received the annual reports for the Legal Services Board for the years 1996 to 2002. It is my intention to table those reports within the next few days. I am hoping that I will very soon have the 2003 report and my intention is to table that as soon as possible after I receive that. If not during this session, then certainly in the session in May-June. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A lot of research went into reading this and it has caused our office quite a bit of concern. My question to the Minister would be, has he indicated to the board that he expects them to comply with their obligations under this act, including the requirement to submit an annual report each year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm advised that the department and my predecessors repeatedly advised the board of their requirement to complete their annual reports. As I said, this has been done for 1996 through 2002 and I now have them and am preparing to table them.

Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister advise us what his responsibility is for ensuring that the Legal Services Board complies with their statutory obligations, including their requirement to submit annual reports? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member has already quoted section 9 of the Legal Services Act, which is the first part that indicates the requirement for the annual reports. The Financial Administration Act also states that every public agency shall for each financial year prepare and submit to the appropriate Minister an annual report of that public agency. So my responsibility is to remind the board to prepare its annual reports, then to table them once I have them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, the last annual report for the Legal Services Board I haven't been able to find since the year 1995-1996. Can the Minister explain why there hasn't been an annual report tabled in the Legislative Assembly for the last seven years? Further, how could that ministry allow the board to act without following through on their obligated requirement? Thank you.

Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't answer why the situation developed with previous Ministers. It was before my time. I can assure the Members of this House that it will not be allowed to continue and that, in fact, you will be seeing the reports as you should. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point the only organization we assist with funding is the NWT Society for Persons with Disabilities. We have the one in Yellowknife. There's also one in Fort Smith. They get by basically on their own as volunteer groups. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister, what kind of support does the GNWT provide to the Yellowknife Association for Community Living? It's an organization that's been around for a while. I'm not sure where they get their funding, but does the GNWT provide any resources, financial or otherwise? Thank you.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We work with the Yellowknife association in a number of areas. We're looking at some projects they have on the books. We are spending most of our time, as I indicated, with the NWT society for those with disabilities and looking at the disability framework. We, as well, try to work with communities like Fort Smith where the society for the disabled there worked very hard with the community and they got funding to look at barrier-free access to buildings and making all the sidewalks compatible so people could cross with walkers and wheelchairs and those types of things. There are a number of ways that we work to assist, but we have a very limited budget in this area. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.