Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the hon. member. As he knows, having transferred his question for debate, he now will not get an answer except what I tell him tonight and I do not have an answer for him tonight. He can put his question on the Order Paper again, perhaps in a slightly modified form, and maybe he will get an answer in due course.
I want to recall what happened. The question was put on the Order Paper on April 26, 1994. Officials in the Privy Council Office dispatched the usual inquiries to the appropriate government departments and were advised that four departments or four agencies of the government would be able to provide a satisfactory response to the question.
When the response was received in July, after the House had adjourned for the summer, I had an opportunity to review the response. I take some personal responsibility for this. I concluded that the response was unsatisfactory because only four agencies had been canvassed when in fact the question was not specific as to which agencies might have dispensed the money. In fact it was a question directed to all government departments. Accordingly I asked that all government departments be contacted to ensure that a full answer was given to the hon. member, that the answer be accurate in all respects and to provide an answer in respect of all government grants to businesses.
My request resulted in the answer being sent back to the appropriate government department. The government department in question has not produced an answer to date, despite many memorandums, despite many requests.
I can only say that this particular department is one which in my experience, and that of other members of the House, is slow in responding to this kind of request from the House and from its committees. I am sorry that is the case, but there is nothing further I am able to do at this time except to assure the hon. member that if he puts a question on the Order Paper along similar lines I will personally speak to the minister of the department and urge that speed follow in the preparation of the answer to his question.