Thank you for that information on extraordinary enrolment. I would like to see if the department is pursuing, though, something which can accommodate the normal to and fro, the normal turn-over that our school systems seem to be experiencing. We are not just talking about, say five or ten percent of the school population changing in the course of the year, but as much as a third. I think the administrative burden this places on some of our boards is extraordinary in itself. Is the department able to look at that? Thank you.

Thank you. Further to that, yesterday morning, Mr. Chairman, I spent three delightful hours, probably three of the best hours I have spent on the job so far, with the N'Dilo Community School here on a kind of job shadowing invitation. I learned that in this tiny school, their student allotment at the end of September was funded for 17 students that were enrolled. Today, Mr. Chairman, they have 26 students in their school. Their own enrolment is growing. These are students who have come into the N'Dilo school, Mr. Chairman, from other jurisdictions in the Northwest Territories.

I know this is also a situation in the Yellowknife school system here, which we are advised their student population remains relatively stable. However, over the course of the year, the population can turn over by as much as a third. There is an administrative burden, plus that of new students coming into the school. My question, Mr. Chairman, is what measures is the department taking to assist school divisions in adjusting for changes in school population beyond that September 30th deadline? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to hear that in this area the department is holding the line. More of a comment, Mr. Chairman. In a discussion with an organization here in Yellowknife, the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre has experienced a fairly dramatic erosion over the years in the kind of support the government has been able to put into it. This has especially affected their ability to serve as a territory-wide cultural institution. They have done an amazing job of striking up partnerships.

I would reflect on what the Minister was just saying. We have partnerships with the business community, the private sector and with volunteers. So if our government is pursuing a similar kind of approach with Ottawa, I look forward to the news that we are not only maintaining the status quo, but hopefully we can turn this around because there has been severe erosion of the contributions that these kind of programs make.

I would like to ask a more education oriented question, Mr. Chairman. This focuses on per student funding commitments. My understanding is that funding to schools is based on a per student allocation that is struck at the end of September, based on enrolment at the end of September. Maybe I will stop there and ask for confirmation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to look at the cultural side of things and, without a lot of specific information here, is the department anticipating that it will be having a status quo approach to funding programs such as the Northwest Territories Arts Council, northern performers, cultural organizations, community broadcasting grants? Are we looking at the same or similar level of spending forecasted for the coming year? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the Minister turning to the culture and language side of the portfolio. Looking at the information that was provided to the committee and trying to relate it to what was forecast for spending in the current fiscal year of 1999-2000, I am wondering if the Minister could help. Is the kind of spending that would perhaps be normally considered culture and language and performance oriented included under Museums and Heritage? Is that the dollar? What are we looking at for that dollar amount?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Will these continuing rounds of studies then result in a document or a proposal that would come before this government, or before Northerners, with clear recommendations on where the next priorities will be for new road construction? Can the Minister give us a sense of just what these studies will produce for us, and help us make the next decision?

Thank you. Then it is continuing work on new highway initiatives from the highway strategy, without some sense from industry or this government as to where our priorities are. I am wondering if the Minister could say what further work or plans will be advanced by these additional studies. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask the Minister for a bit of clarification on an item that is on page 205 on the notes that we were given about the regional distribution of funds. Under headquarters, there is a line that says new road planning studies, preliminary planning target for the year, $335,000 and $235,000 for the interim period. Does this refer to studies for new or future roads? Or is this new studies on existing roads? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge a visitor to the gallery, the executive director of the NWT Seniors' Society, Ms. Barb Hood.