Frequently Asked Questions
Board of Internal Economy
The Board of Internal Economy is the governing body of the House of Commons. The Board is created by the Parliament of Canada Act and has equal representation from the governing party and the officially recognized parties (i.e. those holding at least 12 seats in the House). It is chaired by the Speaker.
Following the passing of legislation on June 22, 2017, Board of Internal Economy meetings will now be open to the public, by default. For issues relating to security, employment, staff relations, tenders; specific circumstances prescribed by a Board By-Law; or if the Members of the Board present at the meeting unanimously agree the meeting may go in camera.
The Board meets approximately once a month when the House is sitting. The meeting time and location will be posted online when confirmed.
The minutes are reviewed and approved by the Board before they are tabled in the House of Commons and then published on the website shortly after. This practice has been in place since the 35th Parliament.
During the 41st Parliament, the Bureau also decided to publish its minutes. The minutes are published shortly after they are tabled in the House.
For copies of these Board meeting minutes, contact the Parliament of Canada Information Service.
The exact timing for the tabling and posting of Board minutes may vary.
Depending on the matters being discussed, some minutes are tabled to coincide with the tabling of other information, such as the Public Accounts of Canada or Main Estimates.
By-Laws of the Board of Internal Economy
The by-laws of the Board of Internal Economy are key governing documents of the House of Commons. Together with the Parliament of Canada Act, they form the basis of all policies and guidelines regarding the resources that Members have access to for carrying out their parliamentary functions.
The by-laws are:
The Board of Internal Economy is responsible for establishing and enforcing the by-laws, policies and guidelines that govern the use of funds, goods, services and premises made available to Members and House Officers to carry out their parliamentary functions.
The Board delegates to the Clerk of the House and the House Administration the responsibility of implementing its policies and programs and the day-to-day management of House resources.
“Parliamentary functions” in relation to a Member, means the duties and activities that relate to the position of Member, wherever performed and whether or not performed in a partisan manner, namely, participation in activities relating to the proceedings and work of the House of Commons and activities undertaken in representing his or her constituency or constituents.
The following activities, when performed by a Member, are not considered to be parliamentary functions:
- any activities related to the private interests of a Member or a Member’s immediate family;
- any activities related to the administration, organization and internal communications of a political party, including participation in a party leadership campaign or convention, solicitations of contributions and solicitations of membership to a political party;
- any activities related to a Member’s re-election;
- any activities designed, in the context of a federal, provincial, or municipal election, or any other local election, to support or oppose a political party or an individual candidate; and
- any activities that are related to a meeting of an electoral district association, as defined in the Canada Elections Act, and that are carried out for nomination, electoral or sponsorship purposes or that relate to soliciting contributions or membership.
Members’ Allowances and Services Manual
The Members’ Allowances and Services Manual is a comprehensive guide to the Board of Internal Economy’s policies on budgets, allowances and entitlements for Members and House Officers.
It describes the support services provided by the House Administration, the terms and conditions of employment for employees of Members and House Officers, and the stipulations for contracts.
This manual also outlines the provisions available to Members who resign or die while in office, or who are not re elected, and describes the effects of the dissolution of Parliament on services, allowances and entitlements.
The Members By-Law stipulates the terms and the validity period for the designation of all designated travellers. It also stipulates the maintenance of the registry.
This By-Law regulates how financial resources and administrative services provided by the House are to be used. In the event of any inconsistencies, the Members By-Law takes precedence over this manual.
The Members’ Allowances and Services Manual is written for use by Members and their staff. It is being posted on ourcommons.ca to provide the public with more information on the services and allowances provided to Members in support of their parliamentary functions.
The Members’ Allowances and Services Manual is initially being published on ourcommons.ca in PDF format. Enhancements will be made to its navigation and format in the future.
Users may consult the Table of Contents for the chapter of the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual that is of most interest to them.
Keyword searches may also be done within chapters or the complete manual using the search function in the PDF reader software.
The page numbers restart at the beginning of each chapter and appendix. To print an individual chapter or appendix, select it from the Table of Contents.
The Members’ Allowances and Services Manual is updated regularly to reflect Board of Internal Economy decisions.
Since the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual is written for use by Members and their staff, it contains internal references. As an example, the manual refers to Intraparl, which is the internal Web site for the Parliament of Canada. Access is provided to Senators and Members and their staff, as well as to employees of the Administration of the Senate, the House of Commons Administration and the Library of Parliament.
The public is invited to direct inquiries to the Parliament of Canada Information Service.
Expenditure Reports for Members
The Summary of Expenditures includes expenses incurred by Members in the fulfillment of their parliamentary functions. Expenses are presented as quarterly aggregated amounts for the following categories: salaries, travel, hospitality and contracts. The summary also includes the Detailed Travel Expenditures Report, the Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report and the Detailed Contract Expenditures Report.
The Detailed Travel Expenditures Report presents the following information regarding travel for Members and their authorized travellers:
- claim ID;
- date of the trip;
- purpose of the trip;
- names of the travellers (except for dependants and designated travellers);
- places visited;
- transportation expenses;
- accommodation expenses;
- meals and incidentals expenses;
- number and type of points used (regular, special, U.S.A.); and
- total cost of the claim.
The Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report presents the following information regarding hospitality expenses for Members:
- claim ID;
- date of the event;
- type of event;
- purpose of the event;
- location of the event (city);
- number of guests (excluding the Member);
- name of the supplier; and
- total cost of the event.
The Detailed Contract Expenditures Report presents the following information regarding contract expenses for Members:
- name of the supplier;
- description of the contract;
- date of the invoice;
- value of the contract.
Since April 1, 2014, the Members’ Expenditures Report is produced quarterly and published on ourcommons.ca under the About the House tab.
On June 21, 2020, An Act to amend the Access to information Act and the Privacy Act to make consequential amendments to other Acts (previously Bill C-58) came into force. This legislation led to changes to the proactive publication of financial information for Members. Their expenses are therefore disclosed for each individual quarter (rather than cumulatively) within 90 days of the end of each quarter, and details regarding their contract expenses are now disclosed in their new Detailed Contract Expenditures Report.
Each quarterly report includes the Members’ expenses that were reimbursed during the reporting period in question. All information disclosed in quarterly reports remains static once the reporting period in question has ended; therefore, any additional expenses will only be reflected in the next quarterly report.
The Act requires the disclosure of certain information that was not included in the Members’ Expenditures Report. The following is now to be disclosed:
- expenses for each individual quarter (rather than cumulative expenses) within 90 days of the end of each quarter;
- a detailed breakdown of travel and hospitality expenses, including travel expenses charged to the Member’s Office Budget; and
- contract information, such as:
- expenses incurred by Members using House funds for the purchase of goods or services from a supplier;
- name of the supplier;
- value of the contract;
- date of the invoice; and
- description of the contract.
The House of Commons Administration required a transition period to implement the necessary systems and processes in order to meet the new requirements of the Act. All claims for travel, hospitality and contract expenses received as of June 21, 2020 were set aside for processing until July 1, 2020. These expenses along with related financial information are disclosed in the quarterly report for July 1 to September 30, 2020, in accordance with the Act.
The expenditure reports for Members are published on ourcommons.ca, under the About the House tab.
In accordance with the Members By-Law, the Speaker of the House of Commons, on behalf of the Board of Internal Economy, is responsible for ensuring the publication of the Summary of Expenditures for Members, the Detailed Travel Expenditures Report, the Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report and the Detailed Contract Expenditures Report on ourcommons.ca at such time as may be determined by the Board.
The publication timeline changed further to a Board decision in June 2020. Since, the expenditure reports for Members are to be published on ourcommons.ca within 90 days of the end of each quarter.
Members must approve and provide receipts for their expenses. In accordance with the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, receipts are not required for per diem expenses or for expenses related to kilometre travel by personal vehicle or to private accommodations while in travel status; these expenses are based on utilization as reported by the Member.
For more information on the resources provided to Members in support of their parliamentary functions and on Members’ eligible expenses, refer to the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual.
The expenses included in the report reflect, to some extent, the characteristics of the constituency that each Member represents. For example, a constituency’s size and its distance from Ottawa would be determining factors with regard to travel costs, whereas the number of constituents and households would influence the amounts spent for printing and office supplies. For more information, see the Appendix: Member’s Office Budget by Constituency in the Budgets chapter of the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual.
Seats identified as “vacant” followed by the constituency name are overseen by the former Member’s Party Whip, or by the Speaker of the House of Commons in the case of an independent Member. This ensures that constituents continue to be served until the general election or a by-election is held.
Members are personally responsible for any expenses that exceed their budgets.
Expenses are disclosed in the quarter in which they are processed by the House Administration, not necessarily in the quarter in which they are incurred. For example, if a trip occurred near the end of a quarter, the related expense claim is likely to be processed in the next quarter and therefore the expenses disclosed in the following quarterly reports.
In accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, federal electoral districts, also known as constituencies, were readjusted following the last decennial census to reflect changes and movements in Canada’s population. The readjustments to the federal electoral districts came into effect on the day of the 42nd general election, which was held on Monday, October 19, 2015. As a result, Members’ portions of the Members’ Expenditures Report for the third quarter of 2015-2016 and subsequent quarterly reports reflect the updated constituency profile information.
Transportation expenses may be charged to the Member’s Office Budget or under the Travel Points System. The Detailed Travel Expenditures Report discloses transportation, accommodation and per diem expenses related to travel in the fulfillment of the Member’s parliamentary functions.
For more information on travel expenses, refer to the Travel chapter in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual.
Each travel expense claim is given a unique identification number (claim ID) for internal tracking purposes.
Regular travel points refer to points used for travel between the Member’s constituency and Ottawa, within the constituency, and from Ottawa or the constituency to the provincial/territorial capital, and for which a claim has been processed by the House Administration.
Special travel points refer to points used for travel within Canada, other than for regular trips, and for which a claim has been processed by the House Administration.
U.S.A. points refer to points used for travel to Washington D.C. or New York City and for which a claim has been processed by the House Administration.
These expenses are disclosed in the Detailed Travel Expenditures Report and the report includes the following information:
- purpose of the trip (secondary residence);
- expense period;
- amount of the invoice; and
- city in which the residence is located.
The Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report includes information about hospitality expenses related to Members’ parliamentary functions, such as meals for Members and their guests; tickets for meals with service groups, at community events or at other meetings of a non partisan nature; and food and beverages served at meetings and events.
The Member is always excluded from the count; therefore, should the Member be unaccompanied at an event, the total of attendees will appear as zero by default.
The total of attendees also appears as zero for activities related to the purchase of beverages served to visitors at the Member’s office (e.g. coffee and tea).
The Detailed Contract Expenditures Report includes information about contracts entered into by Members. A contract is formed every time a Member uses House funds to acquire goods or services from a supplier, whether or not a formal contract is signed. Therefore, any expenses resulting from these contracts using House funds will be disclosed in the Detailed Contract Expenditures Report. This report does not include employee salaries, nor any expenses already disclosed in other reports (e.g. expenses related to travel disclosed in the travel report, or expenses related to hosting a constituency event disclosed in the hospitality report).
The Speaker of the House of Commons may exempt from public disclosure information that may constitute a breach of parliamentary privilege or compromise the security of persons, infrastructure or goods in the parliamentary precinct.
Public Registry of Designated Travellers
The Public Registry of Designated Travellers provides the name of the designated traveller for each Member. It is maintained by the Clerk of the House of Commons and updated on a quarterly basis on ourcommons.ca.
In accordance with the Members By-Law, each Member may designate one person, other than the Member’s employee or another Member who is not the Member’s spouse, as a designated traveller.
The Members By-Law stipulates the terms and the validity period for the designation of all designated travellers. It also stipulates the maintenance of the registry.
The Public Registry of Designated Travellers provides the name of the designated traveller for each Member in office during the fiscal year (between April 1 and March 31). If a Member chooses not to have a designated traveller, the Member’s name will not appear in the registry.
In accordance with the Members By-Law, a Member may change a designated traveller once every 12 months, at the beginning of a new parliament or in the event of the designated traveller’s death. The Public Registry of Designated Travellers is updated on a quarterly basis.
For more information on the travel resources available to designated travellers in support of Members’ parliamentary functions, refer to the Travel chapter in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual.
As part of the Board of Internal Economy’s ongoing commitment to transparency, the Public Registry of Designated Travellers is made available on ourcommons.ca.
The travel costs incurred by Members and their designated travellers in the discharge of Members’ parliamentary functions are reported in the Members’ Summary of Expenditures, which is available on ourcommons.ca.
Expenditure Reports for Presiding Officers and House Officers
A Presiding Officer is a Member elected or appointed to one of the following positions: the Speaker of the House of Commons; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons; the Chair of the Committees of the Whole; the Deputy Chair of the Committees of the Whole; or the Assistant Deputy Chair of the Committees of the Whole.
A House Officer is a Member who holds another specific position at the House of Commons, such as Leader of a recognized party, House Leader, Chief Whip or Caucus Chair. These positions carry additional parliamentary functions in relation to House or caucus business.
On June 21, 2020, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act to make consequential amendments to other Acts (previously Bill C-58) came into force. This legislation led to changes to the proactive publication of financial information for Presiding Officers and House Officers.
The Act requires the disclosure of certain information that was not included in the House Officers’ Expenditures Report. The following is disclosed:
- expenses for each individual quarter (rather than cumulative expenses) within 90 days of the end of each quarter;
- a detailed breakdown of contract expenses, including expenses for the acquisition of goods or services from a supplier by a Presiding Officer or House Officer using House funds; and
- contract information, such as the name of the supplier, a description of the contract, as well as the date and amount of the invoice.
The House of Commons Administration required a transition period to implement the necessary systems and processes in order to meet the new requirements of the Act. All claims for travel, hospitality and contract expenses received as of June 21, 2020 were set aside for processing until July 1, 2020. These expenses along with related financial information are disclosed in the quarterly report for July 1 to September 30, 2020, in accordance with the Act.
On June 8, 2017, the Board of Internal Economy approved the disclosure of the expenses of House Officers (including the Speaker of the House of Commons and other Presiding Officers) and Research Offices.
The Summary of Expenditures for Presiding Officers and House Officers includes expenses incurred by Presiding Officers and House Officers in the fulfillment of their parliamentary functions. Expenses are presented as quarterly aggregate amounts for the following categories: salaries, travel, hospitality and contracts.
In accordance with the Members By-Law, the Speaker of the House of Commons, on behalf of the Board of Internal Economy, is responsible for ensuring the publication of the expenditure reports for Presiding Officers and House Officers on ourcommons.ca at such time as may be determined by the Board.
The quarterly reports are to be published within 90 days of the end of each quarter.
When Presiding Officers and House Officers are appointed during a fiscal year, they are provided with the predecessor’s remaining budget until the end of that fiscal year. Therefore, the Summary of Expenditures for Presiding Officers and House Officers shows the expenses incurred by each incumbent.
Presiding Officers and House Officers must approve and provide receipts for their expenses. In accordance with the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, receipts are not required for per diem expenses or for expenses related to kilometre travel by personal vehicle or to private accommodations while in travel status; these expenses are based on utilization as reported by the Presiding Officer or House Officer.
Depending on their role, Presiding Officers and House Officers are provided with an office budget to carry out their parliamentary functions. This budget is used to pay employee salaries, service contracts and office expenses. In some cases, this budget may be used to cover travel and hospitality expenses, subject to certain conditions. For more information, please refer to the Presiding Officers, House Officers and Recognized Parties chapter in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, which is available on ourcommons.ca.
Following a general election, budgets for House Officers and Research Offices of recognized parties are established using party representation in the House of Commons and prorated until the end of the fiscal year. The annual budgets are then allocated at the beginning of each fiscal year on April 1. For more information, please refer to the Elections chapter in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, which is available on ourcommons.ca.
House Officers’ budgets are presented in the Presiding Officers, House Officers and Recognized Parties chapter of the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, which is available on ourcommons.ca. These budgets are established based on party representation in the House of Commons.
Presiding Officers and House Officers are personally responsible for any expenses that exceed their budgets.
House Officers within a recognized party may only transfer funds between their respective House Officers’ Office Budgets. This includes budgets provided to Leaders of recognized parties, House Leaders, Chief Whips and Caucus Chairs.
However, no funds may be transferred between the Research Office Budgets and the budgets of House Officers or Members.
Expenses are reported in the quarter in which they are processed by the House Administration, not necessarily in the quarter in which they are incurred. For example, if a trip occurred near the end of a quarter, the related expense claim is likely to be processed in the next quarter and therefore the expenses disclosed in the following quarterly reports for the fiscal year.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, House Officers, as well as their respective employees, may travel in the fulfillment of parliamentary functions. The Detailed Travel Expenditures Report discloses transportation, accommodation, meals and incidentals expenses. At their discretion, the Speaker, Opposition Party Leaders, House Leaders and Chief Whips may use the Travel Points System or their office budget for their transportation expenses. In such cases, transportation costs are disclosed in the Summary of Expenditures for Presiding Officers and House Officers. For more information on Presiding Officers’ and House Officers’ travel expenses, please refer to the Presiding Officers, House Officers and Recognized Parties chapter in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, which is available on ourcommons.ca.
Some House Officers may use the Travel Points System or their office budget for their transportation expenses. All other related expenses such as accommodation, meals and incidentals expenses are charged to the House Officer’s Office Budget. Therefore, the Detailed Travel Expenditures Report may not show transportation expenses. For more information on House Officers’ travel expenses, please refer to the Presiding Officers, House Officers and Recognized Parties chapter in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, which is available on ourcommons.ca.
The Speaker of the House of Commons may use up to 16% of the annual office budget to cover hospitality expenses for parliamentary and protocol functions. Other Presiding Officers are provided with a separate hospitality budget.
House Officers may incur hospitality expenses in the fulfillment of their parliamentary functions. Leaders of recognized parties, House Leaders, Chief Whips and Caucus Chairs may use up to 3% of their annual office budget for hospitality expenses. Although House Officers within a recognized party may transfer funds between their respective House Officers’ Office Budgets throughout the year, the hospitality limit remains unchanged.
The House Officer designated by the Party Leader to organize national caucus meetings may incur hospitality expenses for national caucus meetings, up to the total amount of the National Caucus Meetings Budget.
For more information on the hospitality limits for Presiding Officers and House Officers, please refer to the Presiding Officers, House Officers and Recognized Parties chapter in the Members’ Allowances and Services Manual, which is available on ourcommons.ca.
The House Officer is always excluded from the total of attendees; therefore, should the House Officer be unaccompanied at an event, the total of attendees will appear as zero by default.
The number of guests is not specified when expenses are incurred for beverages served at events that are not specific, such as welcoming visitors to the House Officer’s office.
The Speaker of the House of Commons may exempt from public disclosure information that may constitute a breach of parliamentary privilege or compromise the security of persons, infrastructure or goods in the parliamentary precinct.
Financial Statements
In June 2023, the Audited Financial Statements of the House of Commons and the Quarterly Financial Report of the House of Commons for the fourth quarter were combined into one Annual Financial Report.
The Annual Financial Report provides an overview of the House of Commons’ financial performance for the year ending on March 31. The report contains:
- highlights for the year;
- financial results by program; and
- highlights for the year;
financial results by program; and audited financial statements prepared
in accordance with Canadian public-sector accounting standards, including the following:
- Statement of Financial Position as at March 31
- Statement of Operations and Net Financial Position
- Statement of Change in Net Debt
- Statement of Cash Flows
- Notes to the Financial Statements
An unqualified opinion, also known as a clean opinion, is the most favourable type of opinion that can be issued by an auditor following an audit of financial statements. An unqualified opinion means that the auditor has not identified any material misstatements or irregularities and can conclude that the financial statements are presented fairly and accurately, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable accounting standards.
This type of opinion provides stakeholders with a high level of confidence in the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting, such as fraud-prevention measures.
In contrast, a qualified opinion is less favourable. A qualified opinion means that the auditor has identified one or more material misstatements or omissions in the financial statements, but, overall, deems that the financial statements are fairly presented. When a qualified opinion is issued, readers should keep it in mind when reviewing the statements.
Yes. Through a competitive procurement process, the House of Commons hires an independent accounting firm to audit its financial statements.
The Board of Internal Economy strongly believes that an annual external audit of the financial statements is a key component of sound management practices.
The function of such an audit is to attest that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the House of Commons as at March 31, its results of operations and its cash flows for the year then ended.
The annual audit includes an assessment of the processes and controls for all financial transactions reported in the financial statements. These transactions include expenses incurred by the House Administration, House Officers and Members under the authority of the Parliament of Canada Act and the By-laws of the Board of Internal Economy.
Each year, the audited financial statements are presented to the Board of Internal Economy. The audit results are provided to the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Office of the Auditor General for information purposes. The audited financial statements are posted on ourcommons.ca.
Yes, the House of Commons has an internal audit function.
Internal Audit provides independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and improve House operations. Internal Audit helps the House accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes.
Internal Audit, through the Chief Audit Executive, provides both the House Administration management and the Board of Internal Economy with an independent assessment of and advice on the:
- effectiveness, efficiency and adequacy of internal controls to reduce risk;
- soundness of risk management and governance systems and practices; and
- measures in place to determine the effectiveness of programs.
Internal Audit is also responsible for liaising and coordinating with an independent accounting firm for the audit of the financial statements of the House of Commons.
Internal Audit reports its findings to the Board of Internal Economy and the House Administration’ senior management team.
Reports from the House of Commons Administration
The House of Commons Administration produces several reports that are available to the public, including a strategic plan and a report to Canadians, as well as the disclosure reports required under the proactive publication of financial information. Visit this page to access them.
The strategic plan is the first official planning document to be published following the renewal of the House of Commons Administration’s planning framework. It replaces the strategic outlook, but it is not tied to the parliamentary cycle. This new approach is more flexible and allows for greater responsiveness to the changing needs of clients.
The report covers the period from April 1 to March 31.
Yes, the Report to Canadians includes the following financial information:
- planned versus actual spending by authority;
- planned versus actual spending by program;
- actual spending by service area; and
- full-time equivalents.
Financial information regarding travel and hospitality expenses incurred by House of Commons Administration employees, and regarding contracts with a value of more than $10,000 entered into by the House of Commons Administration, is also published within 60 calendar days of the end of the quarter in which expenses are incurred and contracts are created. Travel, hospitality and contract reports can be found under the Proactive Publication of Financial Information section.
The Strategic Plan and the Report to Canadians are available to the public under the Reports from the House of Commons Administration section.
An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 and came into force on June 21, 2020.
In accordance with the Act, starting June 21, 2020, financial information regarding travel and hospitality expenses incurred by House of Commons Administration employees, and regarding contracts with a value of more than $10,000 entered into by the House of Commons Administration, will be published on ourcommons.ca within 60 calendar days after the end of the quarter in which expenses are incurred or contracts are created.
The House of Commons Administration required a transition period to implement the necessary systems and processes in order to meet the new requirements of the Act. All travel and hospitality expenses incurred as of June 21, 2020, as well as all contracts created as of that date, were set aside for processing until July 1, 2020. These expenses along with related financial information are disclosed in the quarterly report for July 1 to September 30, 2020, in accordance with the Act.
Each travel and hospitality event is given a unique identification number for internal tracking purposes.
The Detailed Travel Expenditures Report includes spending for transportation, accommodations, meals, and incidentals, as well as other travel-related expenses incurred by House of Commons Administration employees in the course of House business travel.
Travel expenses are disclosed in the Detailed Travel Expenditures Report within 60 calendar days after the end of the quarter in which the expenses were reimbursed to the employee.
The Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report includes spending for meals and refreshments, as well as other hospitality-related expenses incurred by House of Commons Administration employees.
Hospitality expenses are disclosed in the Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report within 60 calendar days after the end of the quarter in which the last supplier was paid.
The role of the host appears beside the host’s name in the Detailed Hospitality Expenditures Report for the following event purposes:
- Provide food and beverages during caucus meetings
- Provide food and beverages in the lobbies
- Host a corporate event
- Host corporate training
- Host a protocol event
- Host an onboarding event
These events are not business-related events held in the normal course of business. Adding the role of the host indicates that the purpose of the event is associated with the nature of this role.
One hospitality event with the purpose “Provide food and beverages in lobbies” is included every month when the House is sitting. Although the event is only included at the end of the month, it shows the monthly cost for providing food and beverages in the lobbies when the House is sitting.
The Detailed Contract Report includes information on contracts over $10,000 (including amendments) that were entered into by the House of Commons with its suppliers and other entities. The report provides the following information regarding contracts: the name of the supplier, a general description of the contract, as well as the period and value of the contract.
Information regarding contracts with a value of more than $10,000 will be disclosed within 60 calendar days after the end of the quarter in which contracts are created.
A framework agreement (FA) establishes the conditions under which the House of Commons Administration can purchase certain goods and/or services at a future date from one or more suppliers. A binding contract is only established when a call-up against an FA is issued to a supplier. Framework agreements are used when the House of Commons Administration is purchasing the same goods and/or services to meet its recurring needs. They may also be used when the House Administration anticipates a need for a variety of goods and/or services for a specific purpose, however, the actual demand is not always known and the delivery is to be made when a need arises.
As the value of a framework agreement (FA) is not established at the outset, the value indicated in the report represents an estimated value for the period of the agreement. In the Supplier column, when multiple qualified suppliers are listed under the sub-heading Qualified Supplier(s), the value of an FA will represent the estimated value of the FA in its entirety, not the value per supplier. This value must not be interpreted as contractually or legally binding. Where it is not possible to provide an estimate, the value field will indicate “$0.00.”
Unless a supplier appears under the sub-heading Qualified Supplier(s), a supplier listed in the Detailed Contract Report has supplied goods and/or services to the House of Commons under contract. By contrast, a “qualified supplier” was deemed able to meet the House of Commons Administration’s requirements and, as such, was named under a House of Commons framework agreement. Consequently, “qualified suppliers” are eligible to provide specific goods and/or services to the House of Commons at a future date.
A call-up is the issuance of a purchase order against a framework agreement for goods and/or services.
Amendments to the value of a contract are disclosed when the original contract value is over $10,000 or when the value of a contract is amended so that its new value exceeds $10,000.
For contracts, purchase orders and call-ups
The original contract value is based on the terms and conditions for the initial period of contracts, purchase orders and call-ups. The new value reflects the contract’s new total value (original value plus or minus amendment value) as a result of changes based on period (e.g. exercising an option year), scope, pricing, etc.
For framework agreements
When a value other than zero is listed for a framework agreement (FA), the original contract value reflects the estimated value of the FA conditions for the initial agreement period. The new contract value reflects the FA’s new total estimated value (original estimated value plus or minus amendment value) as a result of changes based on period (e.g. exercising an option year), scope, pricing, etc.
The House of Commons Administration enters into cooperative agreements (e.g. service level agreements, memoranda of understanding) with other public entities for the purpose of exchanging goods or services.
A negative value or a value in parentheses indicates that the House of Commons is the provider of the goods or services in question.
The Speaker of the House of Commons may exempt from the reports that are subject to the Proactive Publication of Financial Information any information that may constitute a breach of parliamentary privilege or that may compromise the security of persons, infrastructure or goods in the parliamentary precinct.
An asterisk (*) indicates that information has been revised or omitted from a previous report.
Media inquiries about the reports should be directed to Olivier Duhaime, Director of Outreach and Media Relations, Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons, at 613-943-9055 or at olivier.duhaime@parl.gc.ca.
All other inquiries should be directed to House of Commons Corporate Communications at com@parl.gc.ca.