Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this is an area where there is a way to offset, as the Member said, reliance on the more expensive facilities. We've added some resources, in terms of positions. We're trying to improve the training and we're looking to work with, of course, the federal government, using some of the health care money coming to be able to improve these services. The long-term care projections, as well, are predicated on the assumption that we're going to be able to have better housing and better home support for individuals in their homes to be able to stay in their homes longer.

We're also working on things like non-medical respite. We have a pilot project that has just been concluded to, once again, provide assistance for people that previously wasn't there because there was only medical respite; recognizing that we have a vested interest in working with families to help them look after their loved ones in their homes as much as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Braden.

Thank you. Another area that I wanted to explore -- and did so a couple of days ago in question period -- was on the information recently circulated on sexually-transmitted infections. From my perspective, a shortcoming in this area, Mr. Chairman, is that a fair amount of effort has gone into working with other groups in the Northwest Territories -- some of the NGOs and certainly with staff and medical practitioners -- through the report, Sexually-Transmitted Infections, A Strategic Directions Document, and a lot of good work and actions and options were outlined, but no real targets or measurable objectives or deliverables were outlined, so far. So in this area of community health programs, I'm wondering if the Minister could revisit that area and give us some idea of whether or when we can expect some more detail on this plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there is the main document; this was for the public. There is another more comprehensive document that was done. As well, there was a draft work plan done with a schedule and some specific goals and costs attached to it. The big issue was, of course, that they didn't have the funds to proceed at this time. So now we're trying to find a way to, in fact, move on this and find some of the funding to make it a reality. It's information that we could share with the committee.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is it information that can be shared not only with the committee, but with the broad community? This is where I applaud the department, Mr. Chairman, in moving information like this out into the public realm. But I'd really like to see us expanding this information reach, if you will, and get it into the hands of the people who will have responsibility and could help make a difference on the spread of STDs. I'm talking about the public health nurses, teachers, people with any frontline connection with those at risk. So can that detail be circulated on an as-wide-as-possible basis? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we have a number of initiatives, as the Member is aware, where we've proposed some expenditures of federal money yet to come, but we've been careful, before we go off into the public, to make sure that we have the funds in hand and that it's clear and we have agreement to do that. This is one of these cases. I indicated, for example, that we're proposing there be $1 million put towards prevention activities for youth. That's one area where we could possibly divert... well, not divert, but use some of those funds; it would be a perfect fit.

But we don't have those funds available to do that yet. We have a work plan, we have the basic document, and we have the groundwork ready. So we'd like to be able to make sure that the funds are nailed down and we can put out a list across the board of all the things that the money is going to be put towards and we've talked about as potential at this point. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One other general area, and I appreciate the information on the STI issue. Like in a lot of other areas, I hope we're going to see these federal dollars come through and our ability to spend them that way. Again, taking a note out of the business plan, Mr. Chairman, in community health programs there was a bit of information in there that indicated that we have something like 80 wellness contribution agreements with communities and NGOs; 80 different agreements.

The cost to administer and monitor and report, of course, is part of the business that we're in. I guess this number struck me as being quite cumbersome and I'm wondering whether the department has looked at this. Is there cause, is there good reason to have so many different kinds of agreements out there, or is my perspective maybe off base? Can you help me out there? Have we got too many deals for our own good, if you will? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Member is correct, but we're dealing with First Nations and Inuit wellness programs through Health and Social Services, as well as other programs funded by the Northern Secretariat plus the amount we put in. The combined total is $12.7 million. Of that, $8 million goes towards things like Brighter Futures, Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program, Tobacco Control Strategy, work on FASD, and the aboriginal diabetes initiative, for example.

The Northern Secretariat of Health Canada funds Aboriginal Head Start, AIDS Community Action Program, and the Hep C Canada Diabetes Strategy. Then we, in turn, have our own funding for the Healthy Children's Initiative, which is a joint fund between Education and Health, as well as the health promotion fund and our contribution is $2 million. Of the combined $12 million pot, some of it is time-specific like the aboriginal diabetes initiative, which is one that we're hoping won't be continued. So there are two parts of it: the federal government, plus ours, plus all the communities. So it is a lot of administration. Thank you.

Page 6-39, community health programs, grants and contributions, contributions. It continues on to page 6-40, community health programs, grants and contributions and is continued again on page 6-41, community health programs, grants and contributions, $47.476 million.

Page 6-42, community health programs, active positions. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. An aspect of this which is reflected in a number of other parts of it here goes to the geography, Mr. Chairman. On this page entitled community health programs, active positions, it goes on to list, by various regions and headquarters, where we have staff. There are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven different regions outlined in here, Mr. Chairman. Most of them are very obvious.

The ones we are quite familiar with are the Beaufort-Delta, Sahtu, Deh Cho, and Fort Smith. Now, here are the two that I wanted to ask about. They're defined in this document, Mr. Chairman, as Tlicho and North Slave and on my map those are the same regions. That is, essentially, the Dogrib regions and Yellowknife. So I wanted to ask the Minister which communities specifically are being referenced in the North Slave region and in the Tlicho region. Could I get some definition there? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Tlicho comprises Wha Ti, Gameti, Rae-Edzo and Wekweti. The North Slave comprises the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, as well as we have services out of Stanton.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Braden.

Okay. Alright. So then North Slave, Mr. Chairman, is really exclusively the city of Yellowknife, if you will, and the FMB. Okay. I guess for ease and accuracy here I'm wondering whether or not we need a

name change of the North Slave, which for folks like me and maybe for a lot of others really encompasses quite a large area, but in reality it's the city and the neighbouring communities of Ndilo and Detah. As I say, for accuracy and clarity going forward, would the department reconsider changing the name? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Minister.