Government Operations committee  Maybe I'll ask my colleague, Matthew Sreter, to respond to that.

Government Operations committee  To date, we have used the set-aside program for aboriginal business to ensure there's participation from indigenous businesses in the work we do. Going forward, I wouldn't say we have all the answers yet. We really want to develop an approach that creates meaningful results. It's not about a tick-box exercise.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely. We did. Yes.

Government Operations committee  I will ask Nathalie Laliberté to respond to that question.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. My thanks also to all committee members. My name is Rob Wright and I am the Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the Parliamentary Precinct Branch within Public Services and Procurement Canada. I am here to speak to you today about our work in the Parliamentary precinct as part of the committee's study on small and medium enterprises in federal procurement, and on the procurement strategy for aboriginal business.

Government Operations committee  The visitor welcome centre, phase 1, will be located in-between the West Block and the Centre Block. You may note a large excavation in that area right now. That excavation is specifically for phase 1 of the visitor welcome centre. You will enter essentially from the east into the visitor welcome centre, phase 1, which will provide security screening before entering the West Block, as well as visitor greeting services.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely. Thank you very much for the question. The projects, as you noted, are all proceeding on time and on schedule. By 2018 a suite of five major projects will be completed, which will enable the Centre Block to be completely emptied, and for its restoration to begin. Last year we completed the Sir John A.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely. We work very closely with the new Parliamentary Protective Service, which was put in place last summer. I would note that prior to its creation, we worked very closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as well as the security services of the Senate and the House of Commons.