Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Minister, to you and your colleagues for being here.
Minister, I have two questions. One is in the forestry area and the other is in nuclear.
The estimates indicate that in the earth science and forestry area there is a 27% increase in the budget. You yourself referred to the mountain pine beetle, to which $200 million has been allocated. I think the committee would be interested in knowing, because of the raging decimation of forests and the migration of the mountain pine beetle as it's impacting on the west, what amount of that is being put into research and, in terms of growing the limits of forest utilization that you have stated is a key goal, what is happening with respect to that whole issue around the mountain pine beetle.
Secondly, the estimates include $10.7 million that has been added to the $78 million for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. I think the public generally is seeing some trends, especially in Ontario, with respect to nuclear energy and replacing the existing coal-fired plants with additional nuclear generation. Does this 14% increase indicate a policy direction with respect to a higher consideration for nuclear power within the general energy framework that your ministry is looking at?
Those are my two questions, one on the mountain pine beetle and the other on nuclear.