Government Operations committee  I will try to answer the first question. Unfortunately, I don’t have the numbers with me for last year’s supplementary amount. So I cannot give you the exact figure. I can follow up on it and give you the amount later, since I don’t want to mislead you.

Government Operations committee  Thank you for the question. I don't have those numbers in front of me, but we take them at face value. I go back to the nature of the business of PWGSC. We're a common service organization. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, we have a complex funding structure and 57% of our appropriation is revenue dependent.

Government Operations committee  I can tell you now.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely, and thank you for the question. In fact, PWGSC, as I mentioned earlier in my opening remarks, is fully committed to delivering on our commitments in terms of strategic review savings, which are $24.1 million. I can elaborate on the quality of the work we've done on strategic review if you wish, as advisers, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and ministers have stated.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely. Just for the record, it's $24 million. It involves 22 specific initiatives that we proposed in the strategic review, touching all areas of PWGSC. PWGSC will deliver $24.1 million in savings this fiscal year.

Government Operations committee  The $32 million is a combination of many things. It's maternity leave, severance pay, termination benefits, and other benefits that are managed by the centre--entitlements for employees. Now, is it an indication that we are losing employees? The answer is no. It's that the government gave the choice to employees to have access to their severance pay while they are in function, while they are still working.

Government Operations committee  I wouldn't like to contradict you, but on this one, I think it's the cash management. As a responsible department, we do not draw cash unnecessarily from the bank of the government. What we do is generate savings, and then either we give them to the centre and we get them back for legitimate requests, or we reduce our legitimate requests.

Government Operations committee  What I can tell you is that, in the supplementary estimates (B) being introduced today, there is no amount for SNC-Lavalin.

Government Operations committee  I would like to answer that question, but I think it might be more appropriate for the people from Shared Services Canada, who are running the program. They would be in a better position to give you a specific answer. All I can tell you is that the costs represent rather significant savings.

Government Operations committee  I’m sorry, but what amount are you talking about?

Government Operations committee  I don’t know. We use SNC-Lavalin to provide our services. That is included in the department’s supplementary estimates.

Government Operations committee  As far as I know, there is no overbilling in the supplementary estimates (B) or in the department’s supplementary estimates.

Government Operations committee  Some of it is. The others are reflected under Treasury Board, which acts on behalf of all government departments. Our share of that, to help the members, is the operating budget carry forward within Treasury Board authorities. It is $30.7 million...a paylist total of $31.7 million.

Government Operations committee  Yes.

Government Operations committee  It is exclusively capital.