Mr. Speaker, in the changes to the unemployment insurance bill introduced last year in Bill C-17 we introduced a special measure that provided a two tier benefit support so that we would provide a higher level of benefits for individuals of very low income who have dependent children so they would be able to receive 60 per cent of a replaceable income compared with 55 per cent, the national standard.
Since that time close to 200,000 Canadian families have been able to take benefit from that second tier of benefits, which means they have been able to add close to $1,000 of income to their family resources during the year.
That indicates we took into account, in making changes to the unemployment insurance program, that there is a special need, especially for those families which have children. I can assure the hon. member that as we begin to look at a broader reform of unemployment insurance the same principle of targeting our help to those most in need will continue to be our basic philosophy.