Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for the question.
First, can I just apologize for not being there in person with my colleagues? Unfortunately, I'm recovering from a cold, so an in-person attendance wasn't possible today.
In terms of the question, I very much appreciate the concerns that have been raised. Certainly those are things that we have been focused on as we've been developing the supplier diversity program. Specifically, we have been engaging in consultations with the different under-represented communities in relation to their concerns and the things that would be a priority for them to see in our program. In fact, I as well have heard the same concerns that the member has indicated here.
As was indicated in the opening remarks, certainly it is our intention with the program to create opportunities for under-represented groups to increase their participation as well as to socio-economic benefits to those under-represented communities, and quite frankly, to remove or lighten barriers in procurement that we are aware exist.
We've discussed a little bit, as well, the social procurement policy and the importance of—