Mr. Speaker, before I respond to the question may I thank the hon. member for her consistent endorsement and championship of the problems and rights of children.
In response to her question, the integration of the program in one department is allowing us to maximize the efficiency and to improve our client services in a number of ways: first, by processing the child tax benefit applications at one stage instead of as was formerly the case; second, by eliminating the duplication of databases and the weekly transfers of information that previously took place between two departments; third, by simply reducing program costs and finally, by providing clients with a single point of contact.