Government Operations committee  Departments log in these planned expenditures by what we call standard objects of expenditure. There's a breakdown, if you look at page I-34 , which is already fairly detailed. What we'd have to do is actually go back to the departments and break it down even further into the subgroups.

Government Operations committee  Those expenditures come from what you referred to earlier: the central financial system, the CFMRS. They are aggregated at the end of the year by Public Works and are published in the public accounts. But it's very hard to do on a planned basis, what you're asking for.

Government Operations committee  I can answer the first part of the question on the transfers. We seek approval for transfers as well as for increases in funding in the supplementary estimates. That's why it's listed as a transfer.

Government Operations committee  Thank you for the question. We do, of course, keep very close tabs on government spending through the whole estimates process. Through these supplementary estimates and main estimates you see all the requests for new resources. In addition, as the minister said, we look at the so-called A-base budgets of departments through strategical reviews.

Government Operations committee  Thank you again for the question. They are complex. We have tried, however, to make them more readable and digestible for members. For example, in these supplementary estimates, we've tagged everything that is a Budget 2009 initiative. You can follow those requests right through the document.

Government Operations committee  Thank you for the question. We have engaged in a pilot project for the reports on priorities and planning to bring in full accrual statements over time. Those will mirror what we do now with the departmental performance reports. So in the next few years we will be able to look at both accrual statements at the beginning of the year and accrual statements at the end of the year for departments.

Government Operations committee  I think there are a lot of projects under way under the federal infrastructure program, and indeed also the bridges. So there is quite a lot of progress on that.

Government Operations committee  Within TB vote 35 as well there is a significant investment in strategic training funds, which is also—

Government Operations committee  There has been a very broad economic action plan at work. In addition to what the minister just described, we shouldn't forget the extraordinary financing program that has been deployed, as well as tax measures and other elements and many of the elements of the Budget Implementation Act.

Government Operations committee  No.

Government Operations committee  I think the president has been clear. Every year we examine up to 25% of program spending. This is money that is in departments' existing budgets, so it tends to be what we call A-base money—money for operating and other types of ongoing spending—as opposed to, say, the budget money, which tends to be new money.

Government Operations committee  I'm not quite sure it's exactly that. As you alluded, we do not second-guess what's in the budget or whether these are stimulative or not or whether they're the right thing to do or not. Our role is to ensure that if indeed there are funding requirements they can be met appropriately, and in this case, vote 35 provides the bridge funding where there are genuine cash requirements that we can't meet through supplementary estimates (A), for instance, or supplementary estimates (B).

Government Operations committee  Precisely.

Government Operations committee  Everything that is in chapter 3 of the budget is eligible for the use of this Treasury Board vote 35.

Government Operations committee  There were some items ready to move in advance of supplementary estimates (A) for which funding could be provided through this vote. There are some where there are cash requirements that extend beyond supplementary estimates (A) and, on a bona fide cash requirements basis, would also be eligible for assistance from this vote.