Official Languages committee  Court challenges concerning equality rights receive $1.575 million, out of a total of $2.1 million for all court challenges.

Official Languages committee  That is correct.

Official Languages committee  The ways in which funding is distributed among the various types of cases eligible for funding are set out in the Contribution Agreement. There are different funding categories available. All are set out in detail, and the exact figures are complied with. You will see that if you

Official Languages committee  If you look at the contribution agreement, under section... Please give me a moment.

Official Languages committee  That's correct.

Official Languages committee  It's under section 3.2(d).

Official Languages committee  I could read you section 3, which is entitled "Maximum amount per area of funding", in its entirety. The total amount is provided under section 3.5, and stands at $2.85 million a year. The amounts that can be spent under the program are set out in detail, to the nearest $100. The

Official Languages committee  Currently, administrative costs amount to $750,000 per year. Details of this are outlined regularly in our annual report.

Official Languages committee  I do not have the exact figures for both aspects with me. I know that the Commissioner of Official Languages did a study. He certainly identified 38 pending cases. In answer to the previous question regarding the importance of the two aspects, let me say that equality rights cas

Official Languages committee  I will answer very quickly. Very simply, the funding criteria or eligibility criteria are contained in the Contribution Agreement. They have remained unchanged since 1994.

Official Languages committee  They have never been changed; the criteria are still the same. The program is aimed at members of groups that have historically been disadvantaged and members of minority official language groups. There has been no change in the criteria since the beginning.

Official Languages committee  Yes, of course. Since 1994, our annual report simply gives the figures in detail: the number of applications received, the number funded as well as the number rejected. There have certainly been applications rejected, either because they did not fall within the mandate of the Cou

Official Languages committee  There are two groups.

Official Languages committee  I included in your information kit an organizational chart that gives details on the two decision-making committees: the equality rights committee and the language rights committee. The two committees include experts on equality rights and language rights, respectively. The names

Official Languages committee  The two decision-making committees apply the funding criteria contained in the Contribution Agreement signed with the Department of Canadian Heritage.