Madam Chair, it is the same item. Residential care children southern placement is the majority of this increase.

Madam Chair, I think I’m looking at the line entry of $21,682 which is a decrease from last year. Can I get clarification from the Minister as to why there is a decrease?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. I think he meant $21 million. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It is a decrease on the revised, because of the system that we are currently discussing. Last year we had the mains and then we went to a supp and it increased. Now we are back to comparing main to

main. It looks like it’s a decrease, but it is actually a slight increase from the mains of last year, but a decrease on the revised mains.

I do apologize. I said thousand and it should have been millions, which makes my question that much more relevant. I didn’t quite understand that response, but I will look back at Hansard to try to decipher that number.

With prevention and promotion being one of the flagships of this department and the flagships of Cabinet, I can attest that it is also the agreement of Regular Members. Prevention and promotion needs to be looked at. It is disheartening to see that we typically have been spending $6.2 million-plus in this category and now we see a decrease in this fiscal budget, thereby going against the grain, so to speak, in terms of the message that we are trying to portray to the people of the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister and the department indicate why we are seeing a decrease in an area which is clearly wanted and needed, and we are going backwards in times rather than forwards in times? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, it’s a sunsetting of a strategic initiative. I believe it was the family violence and also the transfer of the Homeless Fund to the NWT Housing Corporation from the Department of Health and Social Services. However, we do have some federal funding. I can have the deputy minister provide detail on the federal funding.

Thank you, Ms. DeLancey. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks to the deputy minister for that response. Can the department indicate what our budget last year was in prevention and promotion services in the Department of Health and what it is this year? I’m looking for a percentage of what we spent in our budget in the area of prevention and promotion in the 2011-2012 area and what is that new budget or percent in this year’s budget. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m going to have the deputy minister try to respond to that. We may not have the information here.

Thanks, Mr. Beaulieu. Ms. DeLancey.

Thank you, Ms. DeLancey. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you. I do appreciate the fact that if we can get that information to the Social Programs committee, that would be definitely advisable.

With that in mind, my next question in relationship to that question is how does the Northwest Territories fit vis-à-vis our northern counterparts, vis-à-vis the other provinces across Canada in terms of the percentage of their budgets in the area of prevention and promotion in health, and also could that information be broken down and provided to the committee? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Beaulieu.

My understanding is that we are fairly average with that. There are a couple of jurisdictions across the country that have agreed to increase the percentage of their budget towards prevention and promotion and we are trying to do the same as well.

Thank you. I do appreciate the Minister striving towards improving that number, but

I believe my question is: Would these numbers in terms of last year to this year in comparison tools to all our territories as well as provinces, could that be made available to the Social Programs committee for evaluation? Thank you.

Yes, we can make that available to Social Programs for evaluation.

Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Next on the list I have Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple things. I, too, felt concerned about the decrease in prevention promotion, but I’m glad to hear you’re looking at creating some kind of agreement with the wellness funding of $1,200. That was very good to see.

In terms of adult continuing care, I see that the numbers actually dropped about $300,000, and with the increase in senior population and limited spaces in long-term care facilities, what does the department have in place to address the growing population of our seniors, as well as lack of space that’s provided? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Beaulieu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have the deputy minister respond to that.