Mr. Chairman, first let me say retroactively to the previous questioner and in the first instance to this hon. member that we are in a formal way being introduced as minister and critics in our first exchange. I appreciate that and I should have said earlier. I am glad to have the opportunity to work with them in the advancement of the public interest.
On the point that the hon. member has just raised, the cost of using external agencies versus the cost of running a program like this in the more conventional, internal style, is a subject matter that I am carefully examining. I want to look at some statistics and see some alternative models in terms of program administration. My initial impression is that it may well be cheaper and more cost effective to administer a program of this kind in the more conventional fashion rather than contracting out.
I do not have hard information yet that would lead me to a definitive conclusion but I share the sense of the question and it is an issue I intend to pursue.