Mr. Chair, as of March 2002, the latest date figures were reported by the administrator, approximately $220 million had been paid to claimants in benefits. As I have indicated, the settlement agreement is administered at arm's length from government by an independent court appointed administrator responsible for deciding claims.
As of June 2002, approximately $900 million was left in the fund but this is not a surplus. The funds belong to the beneficiaries of the trust. One of the things people have to understand is that payments out of the fund may continue up to 70 years. This is a progressive illness and people may, not in all cases, get progressively worse in terms of being sicker. Payments can continue in relation to the health of an individual claimant and those payments could continue for some significant time.
Therefore, as of March 2002, which I believe are the latest reported number from the administrator, $220 million has been paid out to the claimants. The first actuarial report on the sufficiency of the fund was assessed by the courts in June 2002, and I think everything was found to be in order.