Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yeah, I appreciate that. I would just like to know -- get a better sense of how this is impacting foster care and children in care in the Northwest Territories. So one of them is is the Minister going to provide kind of a written response to committee? Or if she could just explain how and when we'll get the information back to us. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to the Minister of Finance.

Sure, thank you, Mr. Chair. There's obviously been a number of items where I've offered to return back to committee. Some will certainly take longer than others. Others I expect we can get back fairly quickly. It's been my practice, if possible, that given that they would be responses here on the floor that we would make it -- you know, we'll give it as a document or a letter that can be tabled in the House so that it could form part of the public record. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Range Lake.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I mean, I do feel for the Minister because she's not responsible for Health and Social Services so perhaps when these substantiations are coming forward, Members are going to -- are bound to have more program-specific questions, that the responsible departments can provide a bit more detail to the Minister at the table. So they can answer these questions directly before we vote on the financial item. That's just a general comment. Nothing further. Thank you.

Thank you. Continuing on. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, Department of Health and Social Services, health and social services programs, not previously authorized $25,525,000. Does committee agree?

We're going to take a short break, and we'll be back shortly. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Order. We're going to continue now. We're going to resume. Anyway, I'm going to read out Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures) -- order.

Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, Department of Health and Social Services, long term and continuing care services, not previously authorized $5,666,000. Is there any questions? None. Does committee agree?

Thank you. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, Department of Health and Social Services, out of the territory services, not previously authorized $16,085,000. Is there any questions? I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is about the adult out-of-territory supportive living services. I was wondering if the Minister could speak to whether or not that is due to increased users I suppose, or is it because of increased cost to the government from the services rendered? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Go to Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So it is -- it is as a result of an increased overall number of days in the facilities. And so in that sense, the amount of use that is being seen that's driving up an anticipated extra expense here. Thank you.

Great Slave.

I'm sorry to ask the Minister this; I can probably look it up quickly as well. But could she please tell me how much prior to the sup in 2023-2024 we have spent on facility-based addictions treatment on top of this $1.843 million?

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So let me start by saying there's actually a projected shortfall of $2.843 million. Some of it is -- can otherwise be funded internally. The actuals are for -- it's for, rather, yes, the total expenses are estimated at around 4.9 or just over $4.9 million.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member of Great Slave.

Okay, thank you. I was going to back up here. I'm going to go back and read out that previous Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, Department of Health and Social Services, long term and continuing care services, not previously authorized $5,660,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you. Any further comments? Continuing on.

Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2023-2024, Department of Health and Social Services, out-of-territory services, not previously authorized $16,085,000. Does committee agree? Sorry, is there questions? Oh sorry, I'm going to go to the Member again from Great Slave. YK North, I'm sorry.

Thanks. So we're still on out-of-territory services, right? Okay.

On the adult out-of-territory supportive living services, can the Minister give us any insights on how much expenses have increased over the past seven, eight years, or so over time in this area?

Thank you. I'm going to go to Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So looking at actuals over the last several years, if you go back to sort of 2016-2017, they were just under -- or just around $19.5 million, and it varies over time year by year - 21.5, 24, 26. Hitting up in the last couple of years after COVID, it significantly increased, 2022-2023, there were $35.2 million. 2023-2024, we're now projecting to get up to $42.3 million as an estimate at this point but obviously we're getting fairly close to the end of the fiscal year. In terms of, you know, if -- well, actually I'll stop there and let the Member ask her own questions. Thank you.