Government Operations committee  We require departments to provide us with some indication of their spending pattern under the program, but the window of opportunity for the allocations to those programs closes at the end of June. That's the way it works.

Government Operations committee  I think you're talking about post-secondary education and the knowledge infrastructure program, which is a Budget Implementation Act--

Government Operations committee  Oh, you mean federal infrastructure. Yes, in this case, for federal infrastructure and the public works program, that would be eligible, I believe.

Government Operations committee  I think you're absolutely right. This is a much broader picture than simply the $3 billion vote. I couldn't agree more. Indeed, we have Budget Implementation Act measures that total $10 billion, other tax measures, the money that's in the central vote, and additional funding to be provided in the supplementary estimates A, so we have several sources of funds here.

Government Operations committee  --that the Secretary of the Treasury Board mentioned when he was here.

Government Operations committee  I don't think I was saying exactly that. What I meant was that when we table main estimates, which we have to table by March 1, and we have a budget that is tabled, in this case, in late January, there's not enough time to reflect the budget items in the main estimates. This is a problem that occurs every year.

Government Operations committee  First of all, this amount actually is in main estimates. The $3 billion central vote was in interim supply. It is actually in the main estimates as a fund to be allocated. Now, it's not allocated directly to projects; it's allocated to programs, to initiatives that are in the budget.

Government Operations committee  No, that's correct. These funds are allocated to the initiatives that are in the budget, those initiatives that are typically not in the Budget Implementation Act but that require funding. The funds are not allocated directly to projects. Projects come under the terms and conditions of the programs that departments are delivering.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have some remarks, and I was concentrating in my opening remarks on Treasury Board vote 35, but more generally, you may have questions that go beyond that. Good morning everyone. I would like to thank the honourable members of the committee for the opportunity to speak with you about the new central vote introduced in the main estimates for 2009-2010, Treasury Board Vote 35.

Government Operations committee  Yes, I do. Is that for 2008, or do you want to go back to 2007?

Government Operations committee  Yes, the savings identified in this last round, the 2008 round, were $349 million for 2009-10 and $449 million for 2010-11, rising to $586 million for 2011-12. Of course, as I mentioned before, there are reinvestments, which offset those reallocations.

Government Operations committee  I'm sorry, I don't have those figures.

Government Operations committee  Ultimately, it's a cabinet decision.

Government Operations committee  First of all, it is the scale of the departments. Indeed, when you say CIDA, you're really talking about the international assistance envelope, which is $3 billion.

Government Operations committee  And any savings or reallocations found there were simply recycled within the international assistance envelope, so there's no net savings in terms of aid. We recycled from one purpose to another within the international assistance envelope. Indeed, it's the same, to a degree, with DFAIT.