Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you. Could the Minister indicate when we might know this, or are we to expect that we're going to know something concrete after the meetings that Ms. Praamsma is in? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we're hoping to have this concluded by the end of March. The money is supposed to flow in 2005-06. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I was hoping that we would have news on that before we leave this House, but from the sounds of the Minister, it doesn't look like this is possible. We're going to be in a situation where we'll be approving the budget for the Department of Health and Social Services with quite a significant question mark on the details of the funding that we're getting from the federal government. That will have quite an impact on financial status of the budget. So is the Minister certain that there's no way we're going to hear about the confirmation on this until the end of March? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'd be more than happy to keep the Members apprised of the pace of the negotiations and if there is any breakthrough or any resolution, I would be sure to share that and if there's any substantive move over the course of this week, I'd be happy to share that, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So are we to understand that all of these details are actually being negotiated, that $150 million we got or any of the extra funding that we received for health last fall, all of the details of how it's spent and what we can use are being negotiated by all of the provincial and territorial Ministers? Is that what's happening? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the negotiations are to get agreement among the three territories and the federal government on the parameters that the money would be spent in the different areas, so that they provide enough comfort to the three jurisdictions, enough flexibility to the three territories and enough accountability to the federal government that there's an agreement, and that is often a difficult process. We're looking for as much flexibility as we can, as I indicated to the members of Social Programs when I met with them with their proposed areas and projects that we'd like to allocate some of the money on. We're going to have to make sure we have the latitude to do that and if we just accept, I suppose, what the federal government chose to tell us how they wanted the money spent, it might move faster. But we've learned, through hard experience, that we have to be very diligent in putting forward our own case so that we do have the flexibility. We don't want to be obstructionists, but that's what we're trying to do. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to remain optimistic that we can hear the details of this before we break from this session. I'd like to move on to the issues of the facilities review that the Minister has spoken about a lot in this House, because yesterday in the House there were some questions I asked about the possibility for a walk-in health clinic in Yellowknife and he indicated that this is something that could be included in the proposal that he's taking to Cabinet that is a result of the review of the facilities over the last months. I've also heard the Minister speaking about the study that he has hired to do the long-term care facilities all across the Territories. So are we talking about more than one study, or is this all part of one same work? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we have one document coming forward that will deal with health centres and hospitals and it will deal with the acute care side, it will deal with the long-term care side, as well as we will be speaking to the issue of the cognitively impaired and dementia. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you. All these are completed and they are going to the Cabinet for discussion in the next couple of weeks. Are we to expect to get information on that and have an opportunity and be debriefed and discussed on that? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Yes, Madam Chair. We've spent about nine months working with the authorities and the department to do the document. It's been through the final review at that level and, as I indicated in the House and as the Member said, we intend to take it to Cabinet and then once that step is completed, the next step will be to come to committee and give them an opportunity and to have feedback and give us their thoughts as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If this package that's going to Cabinet is going to be approved and there are decision items on there, are those reflected in the budget that we're considering here? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this document lays out a time frame taking us as far forward as 2020, and there are about 42 recommendations that are being made and some are immediate, some will take more time. So it's a fairly comprehensive document with the timelines and action items. So there's nothing specific reflected in this budget for anything at this point. Thank you.