Subject to subsection 8(4), the Memorial shall not, without the approval of the Minister, enter into a contract under which the Memorial is to pay or receive:
(a) in the case of a contract for the acquisition of any historical material--an amount exceeding $250,000 or, if a higher amount is for the time being prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph, that higher amount; or
(b) in any other case--an amount exceeding $150,000 or, if a higher amount is for the time being prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph, that higher amount.