No. 320
Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
:
Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 2532, 2533, 2536, 2540 and 2544.
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Question No. 2532—Mr. Brad Redekopp:
With regard to the government's response to Order Paper Question Q-2055, tabled in the House of Commons on January 29, 2024, and the table provided in Appendix A on pages 42-51, broken down by the criteria previously provided: (a) how many of those individuals are currently in Canada on valid permits; (b) how many of those individuals are currently in Canada but do not have valid permits or have expired permits; and (c) how many of those individuals are no longer in Canada?
Mr. Paul Chiang (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the information as requested is not systematically tracked at that level of detail. IRCC concluded that producing and validating a comprehensive response to this question would require a manual case-by-case comparison of information that is not possible in the time allotted. Additionally, as Canada does not have an exit control policy, there is no data available on the number of individuals currently in Canada who do not have a valid/expired permit or how many are no longer in Canada.
Question No. 2533—Mr. Brad Redekopp:
With regard to the government's response to Order Paper Question Q-2232, tabled in the House of Commons on March 18, 2024: (a) for the 410 individuals in the Canada Border Services Agency’s response to part (e)(i), what are the specific offences that have deemed them inadmissible pursuant to s. 36(1)(a) or s. 36(2)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, for having been convicted in Canada of a Criminal Code offence; and (b) for the 236 individuals in the Canada Border Services Agency’s response to part (e)(ii), what are the specific (i) offences that have deemed them inadmissible pursuant to s. 36(1)(b) or s. 36(2)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, for having been convicted in their country of origin of an equivalent charge to a Criminal Code offence, (ii) countries of origin where the convictions occurred?
Ms. Jennifer O’Connell (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity), Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the CBSA undertook a preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of the question and the amount of time that would be required to prepare a comprehensive response. The CBSA concluded that the level of detail of the information requested is not systematically tracked in a format that permits bulk extraction. As a result, producing and validating a comprehensive response to this question would require a manual collection and reconciliation of information that is not possible in the time allotted.
Question No. 2536—Mr. Mark Strahl:
With regard to the government’s response to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) giving Canada a score of 64 out of 100 in a recent assessment: (a) what is the government’s explanation for the decrease in Canada’s score from 95 in 2005 to the latest score of 64; (b) on what date did Transport Canada receive the ICAO report; (c) what shortcomings were identified in the report; (d) what specific actions, if any, has the government taken to address each identified shortcoming; and (e) for each shortcoming in (c), by what date will each be brought up to standard?
Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Transport, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada remains confident in the safety of Canada’s aviation system, and we take the audit results seriously. We welcome the opportunity to improve our system and increase our alignment with the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, a United Nations specialized agency, hosted in Canada.
The ICAO audit process, the aviation industry, and Canada’s regulatory and oversight landscape have evolved significantly since 2005, when Canada was last audited. Canada has a long history as a key international player with a robust regulatory regime.
However, since Canada’s last audit 18 years ago, the global aviation system has evolved significantly, becoming more technologically complex and interconnected. Although Transport Canada actively participates in various international civil aviation safety fora, the audit has shown that Canada needs to do a better job at aligning and monitoring changes to international standards, especially given the maturity of Canada’s aviation safety regulatory regime.
Additionally, it is imperative for Transport Canada to improve its efforts in ensuring that the unique characteristics of Canada’s domestic reality, i.e., large geography with many remote communities dependent on aviation for connectivity, are effectively accounted for when international standards are developed. By advocating for the inclusion of Canada's domestic reality in international standards, we can ensure that our aviation system continues to operate safely and efficiently, meeting the diverse needs of our nation while upholding global aviation standards.
Transport Canada received the final ICAO report on December 14, 2023. While Canada's score witnessed a decline, it is important to note that ICAO has not identified any serious safety issues with Canada’s civil aviation system. The score is not a reflection of the safety of Canada’s aviation system, but rather Canada’s proficiency in conducting safety oversight of its regulated entities in alignment with ICAO’s standards and recommended practices, SARPs.
Despite the decrease in score, Transport Canada’s safety systems and processes continue to be effective, but there remains a need for refinement to ensure closer alignment with these international standards. The shortcomings largely fall under one of the following areas: organizational design and designated responsibilities, regulatory and operational alignment with ICAO SARPs, training, and documentation gaps and processes.
Government of Canada officials have worked closely with ICAO since its establishment in 1947, including through our responsibilities as the proud host state of ICAO. In continuing to foster this important partnership, Transport Canada officials have been diligently collaborating with ICAO to address audit report findings and corrective measures and ensure Canada's alignment to international aviation standards. Some measures have already been taken, including the creation of an ICAO compliance office, in February 2023, and a new civil aviation directive to inspectors and program manual related to ICAO compliance, in October 2023. Furthermore, TC is actively engaged in refining its internal policies and processes, clarifying regulatory ambiguities, and scrutinizing various surveillance procedures and checklists. This concerted effort aims to establish a consistent framework for oversight activities, effectively tackling findings that are pervasive across audit areas. Transport Canada is also committed to addressing regulatory changes aimed at harmonizing with international standards over the next five years. This will be accomplished through the well-established Canadian aviation regulation advisory council, CARAC, process, where the broader aviation safety stakeholder community is consulted. Additionally, Transport Canada recently undertook an internal realignment to enhance coordination and focus on international matters.
Transport Canada officials have also been proactively engaged with both domestic stakeholders and international counterparts to ensure transparency and clarity with regard to the findings of the ICAO report. The objective is to reassure stakeholders that Canadian air carriers remain steadfast in their commitment to robust safety management systems and uphold high safety standards. This effort will continue in the months and years to come.
Question No. 2540—Mr. Dan Albas:
With regard to the First Home Savings Account (FHSA): (a) how many accounts are currently active; (b) what is the total cumulative amount held in all accounts; (c) what is the average and median account balance; (d) how many accounts have a balance of over (i) $1,000, (ii) $5,000, (iii) $10,000, (iv) $20,000, in them; and (e) what is the breakdown of the number of FHSA accounts by the owner's income bracket?
Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of National Revenue, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, with respect to the above-noted question, what follows is the response from the CRA.
The CRA receives all information about the first home savings account, FHSA, through T4FHSA slips filed by financial institutions. Only slips and returns that have been processed by the CRA are included in these statistics.
It is important to note that the CRA considers each separate FHSA contract to be an “account.” Because an individual can have multiple FHSA contracts, the information has been provided per FHSA holder. All figures relating to an “FHSA holder” are based on all FHSA contracts for that individual.
An active account is one where the account hasn’t been marked as closed or has been marked as closed but the financial institution reported a balance greater than zero.
The following responses are based on the information returns filed and as processed by the CRA when the statistics were produced. While the information for this response was compiled in April 2024, please note that the date for which the most recent data is available for parts (a) to (e) is December 31, 2023.
In response to part (a), as of December 31, 2023, there were 624,970 individuals with active FHSAs.
In response to part (b), as of December 31, 2023, the year-end fair market value of all active FHSAs was $2.37 billion.
In response to part (c), as of December 31, 2023, the average balance for all active FHSA holders was $3,792 and the median was $2,040.
In response to part (d), as of December 31, 2023, there were (i) 66,120 active FHSA holders whose total balance, across all of their accounts, was from $1,001 to $5,000; (ii) 272,340 active FHSA holders whose total balance, across all of their accounts, was from $5,001 to $10,000; (iii) 920 active FHSA holders whose total balance, across all of their accounts, was from $10,001 to $20,000; and (iv) 50 active FHSA holders whose total balance, across all of their accounts, was $20,001 or more.
In response to part (e), as of December 31, 2023, there were 194,220 active FHSA holders who had a taxable income of $53,359 or less; 154,400 active FHSA holders who had a taxable income from $53,360 to $106,717; 25,210 active FHSA holders who had a taxable income from $106,718 to $165,430; 5,250 active FHSA holders who had a taxable income from $165,431 to $235,675; and 2,290 active FHSA holders who had a taxable income of more than $235,675.
This information represents cases where the CRA was able to match the T4FHSA slip with an assessed T1 income tax and benefit return. This matching exercise was performed on April 20, 2024, before the general deadline for filing 2023 tax returns.
Question No. 2544—Mr. Colin Carrie:
With regard to Health Canada’s (HC) approach when they suspect that a vaccine manufacturer has potentially adulterated their own product without appropriate disclosure to HC: (a) how does HC confirm that the potential adulteration exists; (b) does HC procure independent labs to assess the potential adulteration; (c) what measures are available to HC to ensure safety to Canadians and the environment in the event of a deception or adulteration of a therapeutic product under the Food and Drugs Act; (d) regarding the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, were any measures taken under the Food and Drugs Act or under any contract or other regulation with regard to the discovery in July 2023 of the SV40 enhancer/promoter sequences well after the full authorization of this vaccine; (e) if the answer to (d) is affirmative, what measures were taken; (f) if the answer to (d) is negative, why weren’t measures taken; and (g) if the answer to (d) is negative, are measures being planned?
Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), Health Canada, HC, verifies that companies manufacturing vaccines destined for the Canadian market comply with Canada’s high safety and quality requirements, whether the drug is manufactured domestically or abroad. Within Canada, all drug manufacturers are inspected by Health Canada. For foreign manufacturing sites, Health Canada conducts inspections or assesses inspection results from trusted international regulatory partners.
Health Canada is also committed to verifying signals and complaints regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of vaccines. When there is suspected non-compliance, the department takes steps to verify if non-compliance has occurred. Health Canada uses a variety of compliance and enforcement tools to monitor and verify that regulated parties comply with requirements, including on-site visits.
In response to (b), should Health Canada have any concerns surrounding a product, we may request samples from any lot and conduct in-house testing through the lot release program. Health Canada can request products for testing through this program when a product is being reviewed by the department prior to market authorization or at any time during the post-market stage.
The HC lot release program is fully independent of the manufacturer’s testing and is one means used for ensuring the quality of vaccines released onto the Canadian market. Test methods used by the lot release program are validated, laboratory staff are qualified and trained, the laboratories and methods are accredited by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO, and results are reviewed by experienced HC evaluators familiar with the vaccine and test methods. Health Canada does not use third party or contract labs for the lot release of vaccines. All vaccine lot release laboratories in Health Canada currently have sufficient staff required for conducting the required test methods.
In response to (c), the primary objective of Health Canada’s compliance and enforcement approach is to manage the risks to Canadians using the most appropriate level of intervention based on the risk posed to the general public.
When non-compliances are identified, we will take appropriate actions to protect the health and safety of Canadians. This can include requesting recalls, issuing risk communications to alert the public and/or suspending licences. Health Canada has the ability to order a product recall or require a product label change if serious health and safety risks are identified. The department takes compliance and enforcement actions in line with our compliance and enforcement policy, where actions are based on the specific facts of each case and appropriate for the situation.
Where appropriate, the department may conduct investigations, make referrals to law enforcement, and refer cases to the Public Prosecution Services of Canada, PPSC, for potential prosecution. The courts have the sole discretion to impose penalties. While monetary fines and penalties can be levied by the courts under the Food and Drugs Act as a result of prosecutions, health product compliance programs do not have the ability to issue administrative monetary penalties in the event of contraventions.
In response to (d), the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine is not considered adulterated. The SV40 promoter enhancer sequence was found to be a residual DNA fragment in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The fragment is inactive, has no functional role, and was measured to be consistently below the limit required by Health Canada and other international regulators. The Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine currently on the market is consistent with the product/process submitted to Health Canada for authorization. Therefore, no measures under the FDA were taken.
In response to (e), see response to (d).
:
Mr. Speaker, if a revised response to Question No. 2495, originally tabled on May 22, and the government's responses to Questions Nos. 2526 to 2531, 2534, 2535, 2537 to 2539, 2541 to 2543 and 2545 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format immediately.
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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Question No. 2495—Mr. Maxime Blanchette-Joncas:
With regard to federal spending in the electoral district of Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, broken down by fiscal year since 2018–19, inclusively: (a) what is the total amount for each fiscal year; (b) what is the detailed breakdown of the amounts in (a) by department, Crown corporation, agency or organization; and (c) what grants and contributions were made, broken down by funding source?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2526—Ms. Kirsty Duncan:
With regard to healthcare in Canada: (a) what is specifically included under universal health services; (b) has the scope of services included under universal health services changed since first implemented and, if so, (i) what are the changes, (ii) on what dates did these changes take place; (c) what are the specific services that are (i) funded publicly, (ii) not fully publicly funded; (d) what was the annual total health spending in Canada, broken down by year from 2010 to present; (e) what was the private total health spending in Canada since 2010 to present; (f) what, if any, publicly insured services are being offered for out-of-pocket pay, and, if relevant, what is the annual spending since 2010; (g) what was the annual per capita spending on health since 2010, and how does per capita spending compare to that of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries; (h) what was the private annual per capita spending on health since 2010; (i) what was the investment in homecare since 2010, and, for each investment, (i) how many more people were served, (ii) what was the average wait time from approval to service delivery, (iii) has the wait time from approval to service delivery changed; (j) what, if any, mechanisms have existed to hold provinces and territories accountable on how they spend the health transfer, and, if relevant, what is (i) the accountability mechanism, (ii) the date;
(k) for each province and territory, what is the annual funding compared to the age-adjusted population growth since 2010; (l) for each province and territory, what is specifically included under universal health services; (m) for each province and territory, has the scope of services changed since universal health services were first implemented, and, if so, what are (i) the changes, (ii) the dates of the changes; (n) for each province and territory, what are the specific services that are (i) funded publicly, (ii) not fully publicly funded; (o) for each province and territory, what (i) is the percentage increase in healthcare service costs since the last health transfer, (ii) is the new negotiated health transfer, (iii) new services will the transfer buy for Canadians; (p) where does Canada rank with respect to amenable mortality among comparator countries, and (i) where have there been improvements, (ii) where specifically has there been a lack of improvement; (q) what does Canada spend on pharmaceuticals, and how does Canada rank among the OECD; (r) what are all of the pan-Canadian health benchmarks, and what is the target for each benchmark;
(s) for each benchmark, what is the percentage of patients receiving care within each of the pan-Canadian benchmarks, broken down by province and territory; (t) what is the percentage of patients receiving care within the benchmarks for (i) cataract removal, (ii) hip fracture repair, (iii) hip replacement, (iv) knee replacement, broken down by province and territory; (u) how does Canada rank with respect to service wait times for comparator countries, specifically to (i) see a general practitioner, (ii) see a specialist, (iii) be treated in an emergency department, (iv) receive advanced diagnostics, (v) receive elected surgical care; (v) what is the average wait time to (i) see a general practitioner, (ii) see a specialist, (iii) be treated in an emergency department, (iv) receive advanced diagnostics, (v) receive elected surgical care, in each province and territory; (w) how many people left an emergency department in 2022-23 without ever having been seen, broken down by province and territory; (x) what is the health and social services sector vacancy rate in each province and territory; (y) what is the physician supply gap in each province and territory and how does Canada rank against comparator countries; (z) in each province and territory, (i) what is the vacancy rate for nurses, (ii) what discipline has the highest vacancy rate;
(aa) broken down by province and territory, what percentage of Canadians lack a primary care provider; (bb) how does Canada rank on inequality in healthcare by income compared to other countries; (cc) what groups of Canadians have difficulty accessing primary care, and, for each group identified, how (i) is access to a general practitioner, (ii) is prescription use, (iii) is access to a specialist, (iv) are diagnostics, (v) is treatment, (vi) is morbidity, (vii) is mortality, impacted; (dd) in each province and territory, what percentage of cost is covered for prescription drugs outside (i) the hospital, (ii) homecare, (iii) non-physician mental health care; (ee) what percentage of income do Canadians in the lowest income quintile spend on their healthcare; (ff) what percentage of income do Canadians in the highest income quintile spend on their healthcare; (gg) broken down by province and territory, (i) how many more people were served with respect to long-term care since 2010 by each federal health transfer, (ii) what was the average wait time from approval to service delivery, (iii) has the wait time from approval to service delivery changed; (hh) broken down by province and territory, what percentage of hospital-bed days is designated to those awaiting long-term care; (ii) how does Canada rank with respect to comparator countries on (i) health outcome measures, (ii) patient-reported experience;
(jj) what specific data is collected at the federal level on medical errors, including, but not limited to, (i) patient harm, (ii) a foreign body left in after a procedure, (iii) obstetric trauma, (iv) postoperative pulmonary embolism after a hip replacement, (v) postoperative pulmonary embolism after a knee replacement, and how does this data compare internationally; (kk) what specific data is collected at the provincial and territorial level on (i) medical errors, (ii) patient harm; (ll) how does Canada rank with respect to comparator countries on (i) dental coverage, (ii) non-physician mental health care, (iii) vision?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2527—Ms. Kirsty Duncan:
With regard to women’s health in Canada and clinical research funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): (a) how much did the government invest in women’s health annually, from 2010 to present, and specifically, for the same time period, how much was invested in (i) aging, (ii) cardiovascular conditions, (iii) neurological conditions, and how did these investments compare to that of the United States; (b) how much did the CIHR invest in women’s health annually, from 2010 to present, and specifically, for the same time period, how much was invested in (i) aging, (ii) cardiovascular conditions, (iii) neurological conditions, and how did these investments compare to that of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); (c) broken down by all common female-specific conditions, including, but not limited to, endometriosis, fibroid tumours, pelvic inflammatory disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome, (i) what are the number of women impacted, (ii) what is the cost to the healthcare system, (iii) what are the effective diagnostics, if any, (iv) what are the effective treatments, if any, (v) is the condition under-researched, (vi) what is the annual investment since 2010, (vii) how does investment compare to that of the United States, (viii) what is the annual investment by CIHR since 2010, (ix) how does investment compare to that of the NIH;
(d) what annual investment has the government made since 2010 in (i) fertility, (ii) pregnancy, (iii) maternal health, (iv) reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, (v) breastfeeding, and how does investment compare to that of the United States; (e) what annual investment has the CIHR made since 2010 in (i) fertility, (ii) pregnancy, (iii) maternal health, (iv) reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, (v) breastfeeding, and how does investment compare to that of the NIH; (f) broken down by all specific female cancers including, but not limited to, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, (i) what is the number of women impacted, (ii) what is the cost to the healthcare system, (iii) what are the effective diagnostics, if any, (iv) what are the effective treatments, if any, (v) what is the average cancer stage at diagnosis, (vi) what is the annual investment by the government since 2010, (vii) how does investment compare to that of the United States, (viii) what is the annual investment by the CIHR since 2010, (ix) how does the investment compare with that of the NIH; (g) broken down by all specific conditions that disproportionately affect women including, but not limited to, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and specific cancers, (i) what is the number of women affected, (ii) what is the cost to the health care system, (iii) what is the annual investment by the government since 2010, (iv) how does the investment compare to that of the United States, (v) what is the investment in research by the CIHR annually since 2010, (vi) how does the investment compare to that of the NIH; (h) what percentage of CIHR’s budget is invested in the gender and health institute, and how does this percentage compare to each of the remaining institutes;
(i) does CIHR have a policy regarding the sex of animals used in pre-clinical research, and, if so, what are the details of the policy, including the date it came into effect; (j) does all CIHR-supported pre-clinical research require the use of female and male animals; (k) what percentage of CIHR’s pre-clinical research uses female animals, and how is that percentage measured; (l) what percentage of CIHR’s pre-clinical research reports on the sex of animal subjects, and how is it measured; (m) is it mandated that all CIHR-supported clinical research include women, and, if so, what (i) is the date of the mandate, (ii) is the policy, (iii) are the exceptions, (iv) are any requirements for analysis to include sex, gender, and intersectionality, (v) are any requirements for reporting on sex, gender, and intersectionality; (n) how specifically does CIHR track whether clinical research includes women, what are all questions on grant applications, and what questions and formulae are used to calculate the percentage of CIHR-supported clinical research involving women; (o) what percentage of CIHR-supported clinical research involves women; (p) what percentage of CIHR-funded research examines (i) sex, (ii) gender, (iii) intersectionality, and how are these measured; (q) what specific policies has CIHR put in place to ensure women of all ages and backgrounds are included in clinical research populations; (r) does CIHR provide support for research specifically focused on populations of women historically (i) under-represented, (ii) under-researched, (iii) under-reported, in clinical research, and, if so, what specific investment is made for each?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2528—Mr. James Bezan:
With regard to the Defence Policy Update and the statement that “The government is projecting our defence spending to GDP ratio to reach 1.76% in 2029-30”: (a) what is the projected defence budget broken down by fiscal year from 2023-24 to 2029-30; (b) how much of that is allocated from the Defence Policy Update as a dollar value; (c) what is the projected GDP, broken down by fiscal year from 2023-24 to 2029-30; and (d) what is the projected defence spending to GDP ratio broken down by fiscal year from 2023-24 to 2029-30?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2529—Mr. Ben Lobb:
With regard to government advertising during or connected to the Super Bowl, including the pre- and post-game broadcasts, on February 11, 2024: (a) what was the total amount spent on advertising; and (b) what is the breakdown of the spending by each advertisement, including a description of the contents, and by media outlet, along with when the advertisement ran (pre-game, during the game, etc.)?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2530—Mr. Ben Lobb:
With regard to government grant programs which are or have been administered by external parties or vendors since 2016: what are the details of all such programs, including, for each, the (i) name of the program, (ii) description or purpose of the program, (iii) amount of funding provided through the grants, (iv) number of grant recipients, (v) name of the external party or vendor that administered the program, (vi) amount paid to the external party or vendor for administering the program, (vii) reason the government outsourced the administration of the program?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2531—Mr. Sameer Zuberi:
With regard to the Housing Accelerator Fund: (a) what is the total amount of funding allocated in Ontario, broken down by each municipality; and (b) what is the breakdown of (a), by type of housing funded?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2534—Mr. Brad Redekopp:
With regard to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Settlement Program, the Resettlement Assistance Program, the Interim Housing Assistance Program, the International Migration Capacity Building Program, and the Francophone Immigration Support Program, for the fiscal years 2015-16 to 2023-24, broken down by program and by province and territory: (a) what organizations applied for grants, contributions or loans; (b) how much did they apply for on an annual basis; (c) how much did they receive on an annual basis; (d) how much of their funding did IRCC allocate to administrative costs on an annual basis; and (e) what were the actual administrative costs on an annual basis?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2535—Mr. John Barlow:
With regard to the government’s online estimators: (a) what were the costs associated with developing and implementing the AgriStability estimator, in total and broken down by type of expense; (b) what are the details of all contracts signed by the government related to (a), including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) value, (iv) description of goods or services; (c) what were the costs associated with developing and implementing the Canada Carbon Rebate estimator, in total and broken down by type of expense; and (d) what are the details of all contracts signed by the government related to (c), including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) value, (iv) description of goods or services?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2537—Mrs. Karen Vecchio:
With regard to the revocation of government security clearances between January 1, 2023, and April 11, 2024: (a) how many individuals have had their security clearances revoked for cause (and not as a result of retirement or resignation); (b) of the revocations in (a), how many were due to the individual spying or otherwise acting on behalf of a foreign government; and (c) what is the breakdown of (a) and (b) by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2538—Mrs. Karen Vecchio:
With regard to the revocation of government security clearances for ministerial exempt staff, including those from the Office of the Prime Minister, between January 1, 2016, and April 11, 2024: (a) how many individuals have had their security clearances revoked for cause (and not as a result of retirement or resignation); and (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by (i) year, (ii) minister whom they were working for at the time of revocation, (iii) reason for revocation?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2539—Mr. Gerald Soroka:
With regard to the Public Health Agency of Canada's procurement of ventilators from Canadian Emergency Ventilators Inc. in April 2020, and the subsequent sale of many of these ventilators as commodity code "9500 - Scrap metal" through the GC Surplus auction: (a) why were the ventilators classified and sold as scrap metal; (b) did the government offer these ventilators to the (i) provincial health authorities, (ii) National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, (iii) Department of National Defence, (iv) International Development section of Global Affairs Canada; (c) for each entity in (b) that received an offer, what reason was received by the government for the entity not accepting the ventilators; (d) for each entity in (b) that did not receive an offer, why did the government not offer the ventilators to them; (e) for the ventilators that have been disposed of to date, through either GC Surplus or other means, who was the recipient of the ventilators, what quantity did each recipient receive, and how much payment did the government receive; (f) have any of these ventilators ended up in private or for-profit health care entities, either in Canada or abroad, and, if so, what are the details; and (g) if the government does not know the answer to (f), why does the government not have that information?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2541—Mr. Dan Albas:
With regard to the granting of government security clearances between January 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024: (a) how many individuals (i) applied for, (ii) were denied (not as a result of retirement or resignation), security clearances; (b) of the denials in (a), how many were due to the individual spying or otherwise acting on behalf of a foreign government; and (c) what is the breakdown of (a) and (b) by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity and level of clearance applied (secret or top secret)?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2542—Mrs. Tracy Gray:
With regard to the Canada Digital Adoption Program: (a) how many of the 29,532 businesses which applied to the Boost Your Business Technology Stream were successful and received funding; (b) what was the total amount of funding given to businesses through the Boost Your Business Technology Stream; (c) what is the breakdown of the $13 million provided in the contribution agreement with Magnet for project implementation and administrative costs; (d) what are the details of third-party contractors who received money from the $13 million, including, for each, (i) their name, (ii) the amount received, (iii) the goods or services provided; (e) what are the names of all third-party contractors who received funding through this project implementation and administrative cost stream; (f) what were the amounts paid to each third-party contractor who received funding through this project implementation and administrative cost stream; (g) what were the work descriptions of each third-party contractor who received funding through this project implementation and administrative cost stream; (h) what is the breakdown by school of the 1,954 students who were hired as of December 31, 2023, as E-commerce Advisors; (i) what is the breakdown of the advertising used to advertise these positions; (j) what were the work descriptions of these positions; (k) what is the breakdown by school of the 1,255 youth who were hired to support participating Canadian small and medium enterprises in the implementation of their digital adoption plans; (l) what is the breakdown of the advertising used to advertise these positions; (m) what were the work descriptions of these positions; (n) how many E-commerce Advisors and youths who were hired to support businesses with the implementation of their digital adoption plans were the same person; and (o) what is the breakdown by school of these individuals?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2543—Mrs. Tracy Gray:
With regard to travel expenses related to the Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme, since January 1, 2017: (a) what is the total number of travel expenses filed; (b) what is the total cost of travel expenses filed; (c) what is the cost of travel expenses filed by public servants; (d) what is the cost of travel expenses filed by third-party contractors; (e) what is the cost of flights expensed by public servants; (f) what is the cost of lodgings expensed by public servants; (g) what is the cost of per diems expensed by public servants; (h) what is the cost of flights expensed by third-party contractors; (i) what is the cost of lodgings expensed by third-party contractors; (j) what is the cost of per diems expensed by third-party contractors; and (k) what is the breakdown of (a) to (j) by month and by quarter?
(Return tabled)
Question No. 2545—Ms. Kirsty Duncan:
With regard to cancer in Canada: (a) what are the top 10 cancers annually since 2010, broken down by province and territory, and, for each cancer, what is the (i) morbidity rate, (ii) mortality rate, (iii) five-year net survival rate; (b) how do the rates in (a)(i), (a)(ii), (a)(iii) compare to the United States; (c) for the rates in (a)(i) and (a)(ii), what is the (i) number of people affected, (ii) cost to the health care system, (iii) total investment compared to the United States; (d) are there any types of cancer on the rise in Canada, and, if so, what are they, broken down by province and territory; (e) what percentage of new patients are offered a diagnostic molecular test in Canada; (f) what percentage of patients are offered a clinical trial in Canada; (g) what percentage of patients are enrolled in a clinical trial in Canada; (h) how many clinical trials have been initiated in Canada annually since 2010; (i) what cancer prevention programs, by cancer type, are funded by the government; (j) how much has the government invested since 2010 in the top 10 cancers, broken down by (i) cancer diagnosis, (ii) treatment, (iii) research, (iv) prevention, (v) federal transfers, and the specific amount, (vi) direct investment in cancer programs, and the specific amount, (vii) research funding, and how does the total investment compare to the United States;
(k) how much has the government annually invested since 2010 in pediatric cancer, broken down by (i) diagnosis, (ii) treatment, (iii) research, (iv) prevention, (v) federal transfers, and the specific amount, (vi) direct investment in cancer programs, and the specific amount, (vii) research funding, and how does the total investment compare to the United States; (l) how much has the government invested since 2010 in rare cancer, broken down by (i) diagnosis, (ii) treatment, (iii) research, (iv) prevention, (v) federal transfers, and the specific amount, (vi) direct investment in cancer programs, and the specific amount, (vii) research funding, and how does the total investment compare to the United States; (m) does the Scientific Advisory Committee on Oncology Therapies still exist, and, if so, (i) what is its membership, (ii) when did it last meet, (iii) what was on the agenda of all meetings since 2019; (n) what is the average approval time for phased clinical trials for the top 10 cancers in Canada, broken down by (i) phase I clinical trials, (ii) phase II clinical trials, (iii) phase III clinical trials, (iv) phase IV clinical trials, and how do the approval times in (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) compare to the United States; (o) what percentage of Canadian children undergoing cancer treatment have access to a clinical trial; (p) what is the average approval time for phased clinical trials for rare cancers in Canada, broken down by (i) phase I clinical trials, (ii) phase II clinical trials, (iii) phase III clinical trials, (iv) phase IV clinical trials, and how do the approval times in (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) compare to the United States;
(q) how many new cancer treatments has Health Canada (HC) approved since 2010 and what percentage have been precision treatments; (r) what are all cancer drugs approved in Canada, and the dates of approval since 2010, broken down by the (i) date the drug was approved in the United States, (ii) provinces and territories where the drug is available, (iii) provinces and territories covering the entire drug cost, (iv) provinces and territories requiring patient payment, (v) additional cost per treatment; (s) how many new cancer treatments has HC approved since 2010 for the top 10 cancers, what percentage have been precision treatments and how do the approval rates and times compare to those in the United States; (t) how many new pediatric cancer treatments has HC approved since 2010 and what percentage have been precision treatments; (u) how many new rare cancer treatments has HC approved since 2010 and what percentage have been precision treatments; (v) on what date was the special access program for drugs first put in place, (i) how many applications have been made for chemotherapy drugs since its creation, (ii) how many times have approvals been made for chemotherapy drugs since its creation, (iii) what is the average approval wait time for a chemotherapy drug, (iv) is there a process for re-application, and, if so, what is the average approval time for re-application of a chemotherapy drug;
(w) what are the top 10 pediatric cancers since 2010 annually, broken down by province and territory, and, for each cancer, what is the (i) morbidity rate, (ii) mortality rate, (iii) five-year survival rate by stage, (iv) cost to the healthcare system; (x) for each rate in (w)(i) and (ii), what is the number of people affected; (y) what is the list of all rare cancers in Canada, how many people are affected by rare cancers, and what investments has the government made in their research; (z) what is the process for a clinician to access off-label chemotherapy options for a patient with a rare cancer, including (i) the average approval time, (ii) the re-approval process, and, if any, the average re-approval wait time, (iii) the approval success rate for application, (iv) if relevant, the approval success rate for re-application, (v) the approval success rate when a drug is already approved for use in another country; (aa) what is the average time to diagnosis for each of the (i) top 10 cancers, (ii) pediatric cancers, (iii) rare cancers, and what is the average cancer stage at diagnosis and the cost to the healthcare system, since 2010, broken down by province and territory; (bb) what was the average time to diagnosis for each of the (i) top 10 cancers, (ii) pediatric cancers, (iii) rare cancers, and what is the average cancer stage at diagnosis and the cost to the healthcare system, broken down by province and territory, and annually from 2019 to 2023;
(cc) how many people had to seek diagnosis outside of Canada due to either wait time or lack of diagnostic technology or procedure, and what was the cost to the healthcare system, broken down by province and territory annually since 2010; (dd) how many people had to seek treatment outside of Canada due to either wait time or lack of treatment that was available elsewhere, and what was the cost to the healthcare system, broken down by province and territory annually since 2010; (ee) how many people could not get a recommended chemotherapy because (i) they did not have health insurance, (ii) their health coverage did not cover a chemotherapy drug, (iii) their insurance covered only part of the drug cost, broken down by province and territory; (ff) broken down by province and territory, how many times has the federal special access program been accessed since its inception, (i) how many approvals have been made since its inception, (ii) what is the average approval time, (iii) is there a process for re-application, and, if so, what is the average approval time for re-application; (gg) what has each government invested in cancer treatment since 2010, broken down by province and territory; and (hh) how much has the Canadian Institutes of Health Research invested annually in cancer research since 2010, and specifically what has been invested in (i) the top 10 cancers, (ii) pediatric cancers, (iii) rare cancers, and how does this annual total investment compare to the United States?
(Return tabled)
[English]
:
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
Some hon. members: Agreed.