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MS TUCKER: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I note that Roberta McRae has a question on notice about whether the Dell report that you referred to is out. I do not know what the timeframe is for that. If it is not looked at by the Assembly before the budget, is the Government committed to raising the level of funding for respite care as recommended in the Dell report? That is a lot less than has been recommended by other community organisations such as ACTCOSS.

MR SPEAKER: Ms McRae, does that cut across your question on notice?

Ms McRae: No.

MRS CARNELL: The Dell report was a long time coming. I believe that it should have been released to this Assembly while we were still sitting last year. Unfortunately, the Government felt unable to release it until December, after the last Assembly had risen. Since then a number of things have been done to start implementing the Dell report, and we will continue with that.

I cannot give you categorical figures on how much money will go to respite care at this stage. Obviously, that is part of budget deliberations. At this stage the final figures for a September budget have not been brought down. The reason we set up the new Department of Health and Community Care was so that we would be able to produce some continuity of care, and also start looking holistically at a patient and where we can both save money and improve care. I believe that by providing adequate backup for carers we will save money in our health system and our backup services generally in the community. By bringing the department together as we did, I believe that we have a much better capacity to look at what things like patients requiring care in the home cost us as a community.

Acton Peninsula

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, my question without notice is to the Chief Minister. Mrs Carnell, I refer to the proposal to demolish buildings on Acton Peninsula. Which buildings is it proposed be demolished, which agencies will be responsible for the management of the demolition, and what form of consultation do you propose with continuing occupants of Acton Peninsula, such as the hospice and the child-care centre?

MRS CARNELL: I have answered that quite a few times, but that is all right. I have already given an undertaking to this Assembly that we will not enter into contracts or start demolishing any building on Acton Peninsula until the committee reports. What department or whatever will be responsible for it? Obviously, we will be contracting out the demolition of those sites to, heaven help us, the private sector. That is something that I know the other side of the house is not terribly pleased about. We will not be letting any of those contracts until the Assembly committee has reported.

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