Thank you, Madam Chair.
On the industrial research assistance program, there are two things I would emphasize. One is that the program provides contributions to organizations in cases where those organizations can provide a demonstrable value to the clientele of IRAP. There are instances where colleges, polytechnics and organizations that have a lot of applied research orientation are getting support. Further, we have a program that provides active referrals to technology access centres across the country to ensure that the small businesses we work with get the best help, particularly in the system that's been built.
Quite frankly, there are a number of institutions that do exactly what the member referred to. These are also institutions at the community level that do local economic development and, often, orient their programs to meet the needs of local business. We're very pleased to fund and support this system through our IRAP network, which is across the country. It's not only in the cities. We can meet needs that are very diverse, from province to province or region to region.