Justice committee  No. We'll get back to you.

Justice committee  It is not meant as a direct response to the report that Mr. Oppal just released in British Columbia. At a more general level, it is intended to address the matter of sexual assault against women and children in aboriginal communities.

Justice committee  No. The funding is actually directed at groups offering services directly to victims.

Justice committee  It's a process whereby the program will expand the knowledge of those responsible for providing service. They need training to be able to recognize symptoms and address the needs when they suspect a sexual assault has occurred. This money will make it possible to improve the skills and abilities of those who deliver service to victims.

Justice committee  You want to know the number of compensation claims?

Justice committee  I'm sorry, I can't speak to whether there are vacancies; I simply don't know.

Justice committee  I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Chair, but beyond supplementary estimates (C), we don't play a role in supporting, creating, staffing, or otherwise following the judicial appointment committees. That's a matter handled by the minister on the one side and others. The department is not involved in the judicial appointment process in that regard.

Justice committee  The victims fund has served the purpose of enhancing the overall focus consistent with the government's agenda and enhancing the focus on victims through the criminal justice system, raising awareness in terms of the rights of victims, enhancing access to victims programming, working in cooperation with the provinces and territories to look to enhance access to victims, enhancing the use of technology to better enable victims to participate remotely or otherwise in criminal justice proceedings, and to be aware of them, and overall just to enhance the knowledge, awareness, and profile of victims' issues in the criminal justice system.

Justice committee  They don't provide compensation.

Justice committee  Perhaps we could provide an explanation of how the ombudsman works in writing. In any case, the ombudsman does not grant any funds directly to victims to help them take part in proceedings or anything of that nature.

Justice committee  Yes.

Justice committee  We will endeavour to find that information and provide it to the committee.

Justice committee  Mr. Chair, I have no role in relation to the appointment of judges. That's a matter—

Justice committee  Yes. In the 2012 budget, funding for the Victims Fund was enhanced by $7 million, so $1.4 million a year. A total of $1 million will go to establishing and expanding child advocacy centres. So the budget to support those centres is being doubled. A total of $400,000 has been allocated as time-limited operational funding, meant to help non-governmental organizations develop processes and systems to assist victims.

Justice committee  Not really. It's an area of shared responsibility. We've made an investment to help these groups set up victim assistance centres. The money is to support the centres, which help victims with proceedings at both the federal and provincial levels. It's not limited to federal proceedings.