Public Accounts committee  I'll make note of that and table it with the chair.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, it is. That is the practice. The Treasury Board ministers look at the cash needed, look at other priorities of the government, and come down with a decision. We give them information that would help them make their decision, and they make--

Public Accounts committee  Clearly it would be better if full life-cycle costing and accrual accounting were used, and that's the whole issue being discussed right now. Mind you, I think...yes, we need to look at the full life cycle, there's no doubt about it, and I think perhaps members of the Treasury Board are looking at it as well.

Public Accounts committee  I think this is the issue we talked about earlier. We have now a good understanding of what we need and we're going out to acquire these systems. This will help us to upgrade over the next couple of years. I should also say that since the 2002 report, we have developed regional investment plans based on each major real estate region of the country and the needs of different government departments.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, Mr. Chair. We have been very conscious of the need to upgrade our systems in this kind of program going forward, and the actual savings we've achieved so far and are working on amount to $1.25 billion. We have earmarked $100 million for changes over five years—new systems, new capabilities, and so forth—which then would yield a net of $925 million.

Public Accounts committee  We are certainly examining very carefully the economics of owning, because as you look at a business case on paper, when you want a long-term occupancy, it would often point to the advisability of owning. On the other hand, as you get into the 25-year journey and you don't make the investments to upgrade your building, you end up at the end of 25 years with a building you really have to tear down.

Public Accounts committee  I believe the reasoning was that the minister and the department had decided.... If I go back a bit, they had wanted to expand their occupancy or the space they needed. They ended up concluding that they didn't need to expand—so right there is a savings in the space utilization, but in other costs as well—and that they would stay where they were.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, you're right. That's what I meant. We tried to reduce the impact of that.

Public Accounts committee  Sure.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, we would be very pleased to do that.

Public Accounts committee  I very much regret that I cannot.

Public Accounts committee  There has been a letter of intent signed with the vendor, Minto, on January 10. The option we have with the vendor expires on June 15.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, so a decision must be made--

Public Accounts committee  You mean the decision--

Public Accounts committee  Yes, the letter of intent clearly states that we must receive approval from ministers of the Treasury Board, and other conditions of that kind.