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Sunday, September 7, 2008 (AT DISSOLUTION)

Questions

Q-199 — February 14, 2008 — — With regard to federal spending in the federal riding of , what has been the total federal spending in each of the last seven years by the following departments, described by individual line item and program: (a) Canadian Heritage; (b) Human Resources and Social Development Canada; (c) Veterans Affairs Canada; (d) Infrastructure Canada; (e) Transport Canada; (f) National Defence; (g) Industry Canada; (h) Environment Canada; (i) Fisheries and Oceans Canada; (j) Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency; (k) Health Canada; (l) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; (m) Justice Canada; (n) Natural Resources Canada; (o) Public Safety Canada; and (p) Citizenship and Immigration Canada?

Q-256 — April 24, 2008 — — With regard to federal spending, how much support was given to individual airports over the last five years, in each federal riding?

Q-257 — April 29, 2008 — — With respect to the Kapuskasing Experimental Farm (KEF), located in Kapuskasing, Ontario: (a) what are the plans of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) for the near-term and long-term improvement, expanding or improving of the infrastructure of the KEF; (b) is the government considering closing or reducing the scope of the KEF and, if so, what are the details and plans of AAFC for community consultations; and (c) what research projects are now ongoing at the KEF and what new projects are planned?

Q-261 — May 1, 2008 — — With respect to gas and diesel prices: (a) is the government planning to implement the Energy Cost Benefit program, announced in October 2005; (b) what measures is the government implementing to build a greener economy, promote transparency in markets, promote alternative energy sources and improve fuel economy; (c) what steps will the government take to greater transparency in markets, fuel efficiency improvements and fuel alternatives; (d) is the government planning to index both the old age security pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement payments to offset the increasing gas prices; and (e) what is the government’s specific plan with respect to research investments to develop renewable and alternative fuels, such as cellulose-based ethanol and hydrogen-based fuels, to reduce Canadians’ reliance on global fuel markets?

Q-262 — May 1, 2008 — — With respect to religious freedom around the world: (a) will the government recognize that religious persecution is an international crisis affecting many religious groups in the world; (b) will the government develop an automatic array of interventions that may be imposed by Canada against foreign governments, such as Iraq, that may support religious persecution or fail to prevent it; and (c) what steps is the government prepared to take to improve measures for refugees who have suffered religious persecution?

Q-266² — May 7, 2008 — — With regard to the Canadian mission in Afghanistan: (a) which Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)-funded programs from 2006 to present day involve or concern the Afghan judiciary or corrections systems, (i) what amounts of monies have been allocated to date for such programs, (ii) what amounts of monies have been spent to date on such programs, (iii) what are the documented outcomes or progress reports returning from these programs, (iv) are there plans to alter the aforementioned programs; and (b) will CIDA be funding new programs involving the Afghan judiciary or corrections systems this fiscal year?

Q-268 — May 12, 2008 — — With regard to the Port Divestiture Program: (a) has any wharf that has been divested of both management and ownership by the government and turned over to a local port authority or community group ever received additional funding for repairs and maintenance from the government, after the initial funding provided upon divesture; and (b) does the Department of Transport or the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have any plans to implement a grant program for authorities and community groups to obtain additional funding for emergency repairs or required maintenance of the wharf that has been divested to them for operation and management?

Q-270² — May 13, 2008 — — Prior to the government's creation of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and with regard to government funding towards cancer research between the years 2000 and 2008, how much federal funding was granted by the government to private research organizations, hospitals, university research teams and, if possible, how much of this funding was delivered for research by specific cancer types?

Q-271² — May 14, 2008 — — With respect to the case JOHN GUENETTE and JOANNA GUALTIERI v. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA, FRANK TOWNSON, IAN DAWSON, KEN PEARSON, JAMES JUDD, GORDON SMITH, GEOFF CLIFFE-PHILLIPS, DONALD CAMPBELL and LUCIE EDWARDS and also the case JOANNA GUALTIERI v. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA, FRANK TOWNSON, IAN DAWSON, KEN PEARSON, JAMES JUDD, GORDON SMITH, GEOFF CLIFFE-PHILLIPS, DONALD CAMPBELL and LUCIE EDWARDS: (a) what are the total expenditures of the government with regard to these cases including, but not limited to, all legal fees, monitoring the progress and impact on public opinion of the case, in preparing communications strategies, and in preparing briefing packages for officials and ministers, on an annual basis, broken down by expenditure item; and (b) with respect to the figures in (a), how much was spent annually, on a departmental or agency basis?

Q-272² — May 15, 2008 — — Regarding requests for financial assistance made to the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec for the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 financial years, and by regional office: (a) for requests submitted for the authorization of the Regional Director, how many did he approve, and how many did he reject; (b) for requests submitted for the authorization of the General Director for Regional Coordination, how many did he approve, and how many did he or she reject; (c) for requests submitted for the authorization of the Vice-President for Operations, how many did he approve, and how many did he reject; (d) for requests submitted for the authorization of the President, how many did he approve, and how many did he reject; and (e) for requests submitted for the authorization of the Minister, how many did he approve, and how many did he reject?

Q-273² — May 22, 2008 — — With regard to the observations and recommendations in the May 2008 report of the Auditor General of Canada pertaining to the management of detentions and removals by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA): (a) has the Process Monitoring Framework for the issuance of temporary resident permits to persons with serious past criminal convictions (paragraph 7.18) been implemented; (b) what measures does the Department of Public Safety intend to take to ensure compliance with the conditions of these permits; (c) what measures does the Department of Public Safety intend to take to ensure the consistency of CBSA decisions regarding detention (paragraph 7.24); (d) does the Department intend to establish a process for when the number of detainees exceeds the number of beds available to ensure that the number of detainees awaiting hearing who are in a cell does not exceed capacity and that these detainees have access to a bed (paragraph 7.28); (e) are talks underway between CBSA and Quebec’s Ministry of Public Security towards an agreement on detention costs (paragraph 7.32); (f) why does the Quebec Region of CBSA no longer receive funding for the removal of failed refugee claimants (paragraph 7.42); (g) will the Quebec Region of CBSA once again receive additional funding for the removal of failed refugee claimants; (h) what is the total amount recoverable from air carriers who brought failed refugee claimants into Canada (paragraph 7.44); and (i) have the debts of any of these carriers been written off or is the government still attempting to recover the unpaid amounts (paragraph 7.44)?

Q-274² — May 27, 2008 — — With respect to the redecorating and renovations of ministers’ parliamentary and departmental offices in the National Capital Region for the last five years: (a) what amount has each department spent on such improvements, on an annual basis; (b) on which date was each project approved and completed; (c) what was the nature of the renovations undertaken in each instance; (d) what is the normal approval process for such work; (e) which projects were undertaken at the demand of a minister or their political exempt staff; (f) when were they undertaken and at what cost; (g) how much has been spent on buying or renting art work for each ministers’ office, on an annual basis; (h) what artwork was purchased, when, and for how much; (i) how much has been spent on flowers or plants for each minister’s office, on an annual basis; (j) how much has been spent on new furniture for each minister’s office, on an annual basis; (k) what furniture was purchased, when, and for how much; (l) how much has each minister spent on purchasing new technology for their office, on an annual basis; and (m) what new technology items were purchased, when, and for how much?

Q-275 — May 27, 2008 — — With regard to the costs of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games: (a) what are the direct costs, past and planned, in grants and transfers to the Province of British Columbia (BC) or the governments of any municipalities therein from the federal government; (b) will the federal government be making any financial contribution to the 2010 Olympic Games by way of loans to the BC government or the governments of any municipalities therein and, if so, have these loans already been issued and what are the current and projected total amount of any loans issued by the federal government in this matter; (c) given the existing cost overrun from the 2003 bid forecast, will or has the federal government been providing financial assistance in any way either through direct grants, transfers or loans to the provincial government of BC or the governments of any municipalities therein to cover any additional cost overruns; (d) will the BC government be solely responsible for any additional cost overruns; (e) what are the direct costs in grants and transfers to all non-governmental entities, organizations, committees and agencies associated with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games from the federal government; (f) what are the indirect costs to the federal government for the 2010 Olympic Games including (i) direct payment and transfers to the BC provincial government or the governments of any municipalities therein in terms of transportation, logistics and salary costs associated with private and RCMP security for the games, (ii) military security costs for transportation and logistical costs associated with all military security provided for the 2010 Olympic Games; (g) what are other infrastructure costs being born by the federal government including construction, renovation, expansion or improvements of buildings, highways, public transportation or transportation for athletes associated with the 2010 games; and (h) what is the best government estimate at this time for the total cost of the 2010 games to the federal government taking into consideration all aforementioned direct and indirect expenses?

Q-276 — May 27, 2008 — — With regard to the security of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games: (a) how many total Royal Canadian Mounted Police and private security personnel will be detached to provide security services for the games; (b) how many total Canadian Forces (CF) personnel will be employed to provide security services for the games; (c) how many of these CF personnel are reservists; (d) how many of these CF personnel are regular forces personnel; and (e) what are the total anticipated salary costs of all CF personnel who are currently or will be tasked with providing security or logistical services for the 2010 games?

Q-278² — May 28, 2008 — — With respect to Canada's mission in Afghanistan and the use of cluster munitions by Canadian Forces: (a) does Canada use cluster munitions in its military operations; (b) do any of Canada's allies use cluster munitions in areas where the Canadian military is operating; (c) have cluster munitions been used by Canada or its allies in Afghanistan and, if so, when, and does this practice continue; (d) what assurances exist to ensure that cluster munitions are not used by Canada or its allies in Afghanistan; (e) are there any agreements between Canada and its allies explicitly prohibiting the use of cluster munitions in joint operations; (f) are there any agreements between Canada and its allies explicitly prohibiting the use of cluster munitions in Afghanistan; (g) are there any agreements between Canada and its allies prohibiting the use of certain military tactics or weapons; (h) have cluster munitions ever been deployed by Canada or its allies in past joint military operations; (i) has Canada ever negotiated guidelines for the prohibition of certain weapons in joint operations; (j) what is the government's definition of what constitutes an acceptable success rate for self-destruction mechanisms and precision guidance systems for cluster munitions; (k) how was this acceptable rate of success arrived at; (l) has the Canadian Forces destroyed all existing stockpiles of cluster munitions in its arsenal and, if not, why not; and (m) does Canada intend to procure munitions in the future?

Q-279² — May 28, 2008 — — With respect to Canada's military imports and exports: (a) did Canada import any products from the United Kingdom between October and December 2007 containing depleted uranium and, if so, what were these products and what were their end uses; and (b) has Canada imported any products containing depleted uranium from 2007 to 2008 from other countries and, if so, what products and from which countries?

Q-280² — June 3, 2008 — — With respect to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, what has been the total departmental spending on citizenship courts, divided by line item, for each of the last ten fiscal years: (a) nationally; (b) in each province and territory; and (c) in each of Mississauga, Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario, Québec City and Montréal, Quebec, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia?

Q-281² — June 3, 2008 — — With regard to the Canada Student Loans Program, for each year for the 5 fiscal years starting with 2002-2003, up to and including 2006-2007: (a) what were the total number of direct loan borrowers in repayment status; (b) what was the total amount of interest revenue generated by those direct loan borrowers; (c) what were the total administrative costs for the program; (d) how many direct loans were written off; and (e) what was the total dollar value of those written off direct loans?

Q-282² — June 3, 2008 — — With regard to the Canada Student Loans Program, for each year that the debt reduction and interest relief programs have been operating: (a) how many students have applied for assistance under each program; (b) how many of those applications have been approved; (c) from the applications that were denied, how many applications have been appealed, and how many of these appeals have subsequently been approved; (d) what are the three most common reasons for the decline of a debt reduction or interest relief application or for an appeal; and (e) how many students who have been previously declined for debt reduction or interest relief reapply at a later date?

Q-283 — June 5, 2008 — — With respect to federal spending in the riding of Hamilton Mountain, what has been the total federal spending during fiscal years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, itemized according to: (a) the date the money was received in the riding; (b) the dollar amount of the expenditure; (c) the federal program from which the funding came; (d) the ministry responsible; and (e) the designated recipient?

Q-284 — June 5, 2008 — — With respect to federal spending in the city of Hamilton, what has been the total federal spending during fiscal years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, itemized according to: (a) the date the money was received in the city; (b) the dollar amount of the expenditure; (c) the federal program from which the funding came; (d) the ministry responsible; and (e) the designated recipient?

Q-285 — June 5, 2008 — — With respect to federal spending in the riding of Hamilton Mountain, what total federal spending has been announced for fiscal year 2008-2009 and beyond, itemized according to: (a) the date the money is to be, or has been received in the riding; (b) the dollar amount of the expenditure; (c) the federal program from which the funding came or will come; (d) the ministry responsible; and (e) the designated recipient?

Q-286 — June 5, 2008 — — With respect to federal spending in the city of Hamilton, what total federal spending has been announced for fiscal year 2008-2009 and beyond, itemized according to: (a) the date the money is to be, or has been received in the city; (b) the dollar amount of the expenditure; (c) the federal program from which the funding came or will come; (d) the ministry responsible; and (e) the designated recipient?

Q-287² — June 10, 2008 — — With respect to the Mountain Pine Beetle disaster: (a) how much money has been designated by the government to address this issue; (b) when, where and which government official announced these allocation of funds; (c) to date, how much has been spent; (d) in which provinces and municipalities have these funds been spent; (e) how have these funds been spent; (f) which companies or front-line government agencies have received payment for related services; (g) what is the timeline for the spending of any remaining funds; and (h) how will these remaining funds be allocated?

Q-288² — June 10, 2008 — — What is the total amount of government funding, since fiscal year 2004-2005 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of , listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-290² — June 11, 2008 — — With regard to the government initiative to determine the legitimacy of overseas marriages of Canadians: (a) in what countries is this initiative operating; (b) is this initiative operating in Canada; (c) how many reports have been submitted by anyone involved in this initiative to any Canadian visa office; (d) what are the costs incurred by this initiative; (e) how many individuals or teams of individuals involved with this initiative are operating either inside or outside of Canada; (f) what training documents or operations manuals are given to these individuals or teams of individuals; (g) what mandate and instructions are given to these individuals or teams of individuals; (h) what criteria are used to assess the legitimacy of a marriage; (i) are the individuals or teams of individuals doing this work Canadian citizens; and (j) has the government made foreign governments of countries where these individuals or teams of individuals are operating aware of this initiative?

Q-291² — June 11, 2008 — — With regard to Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s total spending on it’s Immigration Program, listed by each year, to 2009, and projected into 2011: (a) in fiscal year 2008-2009 and the two fiscal years following, what positions, departments, services, resources will be eliminated, downsized, or merged; (b) are there any plans to lay off staff and, if so, how many staff will be laid off; (c) are there any plans to eliminate or reorganize positions and, if so, how many staff positions will be eliminated; (d) are there any additional plans for reorganization or downsizing of staff positions; (e) are there any plans with regards to the merger or reorganization of offices within the departments; (f) which offices within the departments will be eliminated; (g) which offices within the departments will be downsized; (h) are there plans to eliminate any services; (i) how many services will be reorganized or merged; (j) how many services will be downsized; (k) how many resources will be eliminated; (l) how many resources will be downsized; (m) how many resources will be reorganized or merged; (n) which regions, towns, municipalities or provinces will face a reduction or reorganization of immigration and settlement services, offices, staff, resources, departments or centers; (o) what translation or multi-language resources, services, staff, departments or offices will be reorganized, downsized, eliminated or merged; and (p) which overseas offices, processing centres, welcoming centres, information centres, will be reorganized, downsized, merged or closed?

Q-292² — June 12, 2008 — — With regard to the enlistment of a private company to process immigration visas by the government: (a) how many privately run visa application centres are operating abroad, under contract with the government; (b) in which countries are private companies processing Canadian visa applications; (c) what security provisions have been made to protect the process from abuse, theft or exploitation; (d) what assurances were sought or received by the government that the personal information of applicants using these private immigration centres is not shared with foreign governments or other third party actors; (e) what are the terms of reference with respect to contracts signed between private companies operating Canadian visa applications centres abroad and the government; (f) what are the total costs of contracting these services to private companies, according to company, on an annual basis and over the duration of their contract; (g) what are the names and contact information for all companies operating these centres; (h) which representatives of these companies did the government deal with in awarding the contracts; (i) what is the rationale for out-sourcing immigration services to the private sector and what cost-benefit analysis has been undertaken to show that this model provides a better monetary value as opposed to using canadian immigration officials; (j) when did this process begin and under whose request; (k) what is the change in application cost in places where private immigration centres operate, what additional costs are charged to prospective immigration applicants, by location, since the inception of private immigration services; (l) what studies, audits or evaluations were consulted before enlisting private companies to process immigration visas; with respect to those paid for by the government, what was the title and date of publications of each report, who was the principal authors and if private consultants were used to pursue these studies, who were they and how much were they paid; (m) what services are the privately run centres contracted to offer; (n) have any assurances been made by foreign governments with regard to the security of documents held at these centres; (o) do representatives of the foreign countries, in which these private immigration centres operate, have the right to enter the facilities and seize documents; (p) what provisions have been made to ensure the quality of service offered by these centres; (q) has any Canadian employee lost employment or receive reassignment due to the enlistment of these private companies and, if so, how many and in which locations; (r) were the contracts awarded to private immigration centres publicly tendered and, if so, when and, if not, why not; (s) who signed the awarded contracts to private companies on behalf of the government; (t) has any Canadian company applied for contracts under the tendering process and, if so, which ones; (u) has any Canadian company won contracts to offer these services and, if so, which ones; (v) has the government taken measures to ensure that no extra fees are charged by these companies directly to visa applicants; (w) has the government studied past reports of security breaches by VFS Global reported in the news media; (x) is the government liable for lost or stolen private documents in these private facilities and, if so, has a legal opinion been sought on this contract; and (y) does the government have the right to end the contract in the event of lost of stolen documents?

Q-293 — June 12, 2008 — — When will the government commence construction of a new school in Cat Lake to replace the Cat Lake First Nation's school?

Q-294² — June 16, 2008 — — With regard to the floatplane safety review of 2005-2006: (a) what were the terms of reference given to this review; (b) when and where did these meetings take place; (c) who, by name and position, was involved with the review; (d) what evidence was presented at this review; (e) what were the findings of the review; (f) what recommendations were produced; (g) were any of these recommendations accepted by the government and, if so, which ones and why, and if not, which ones and why not; (h) were the terms of reference or the recommendations influenced by anyone outside the government and, if so, (i) who, (ii) what is their position, (iii) why; and (i) at any time was the responsible Minister’s office contacted regarding this review either by internal or external sources?

Q-295² — June 17, 2008 — — With regard to the Garnishment Attachment and Pension Diversion Act, since January 24, 2006, listed by year and by department: (a) how many federal employees and individual contractors are subject to garnishment of salaries and other remuneration; (b) what is the total amount of money required to be garnished under the Act from the salaries and other remuneration of federal employees and individual contractors; (c) since 2006, how many times has a cheque been sent to the court or the provincial enforcement agency 16 or more days following the debtor’s pay period; (d) what is the total amount of money that has been sent to the court or the provincial enforcement agency 16 or more days following the debtor’s pay period ; and (e) how many times has the Crown been held in contempt of court?

Q-296² — June 17, 2008 — — What funds, grants, loans and loan guarantees has the government issued through its various departments and agencies in the constituency of Thornhill for the period of January 24, 2006 to June 17, 2008 inclusive, and in each case where applicable: (a) what was the program under which the payment was made; (b) what were the names and addresses of the recipients; (c) what was the monetary value of the payment made; (d) on what date was the payment made; and (e) what was the percentage of program funding covered by the payment received?

Q-297² — June 17, 2008 — — What funds, grants, loans and loan guarantees has the government issued through Canada's Action Plan Against Racism since January 24, 2006, and in each case where applicable: (a) what was the total allocation of funds in each year; (b) what was the allocation of funds in each constituency per year, broken down per grant, loan, or loan guarantee; (c) what were the names of the recipients; and (d) what was the monetary value of each payment made, per recipient, including the date the payment was made and the percentage of program funding covered by each of the payments received?

Q-298² — June 17, 2008 — — With regard to advertising with respect to the one-percent cut to the goods and services tax (GST) in 2008: (a) how much was spent per print advertisement, listed alphabetically by supplier; (b) how much was spent per radio advertisment, listed alphabetically by supplier; (c) how much was spent per Internet advertisement, listed alphabetically by supplier; (d) how much was spent per television advertisement, listed alphabetically by supplier; and (e) how many inquiries were made to 1-800 O-Canada inquiring about the one-percent GST cut?

Q-299² — June 17, 2008 — — With regard to a cap and trade system on carbon as proposed by the government: (a) what studies have been done by each department within the government on the costs associated with that system; (b) what, if any, would be the resulting tax increase that would be passed on to taxpayers; (c) how many, if any, jobs would be lost by this system; (d) what, if any, new jobs would be created by a cap and trade system on carbon; (e) what assurances has the government received from other stakeholders that a cap and trade system on carbon will reduce greenhouse gases; and (f) what would be the effect of such a system on Canada's environment as a whole and the time frame necessary in achieving 2006, 2000, 1996 and 1990 greenhouse levels?

Q-300² — June 17, 2008 — — Regarding the fuel efficiency rebate: (a) what were the criteria and formula used by the Departments of Finance, Natural Resources, Transportation, Environment and any other government department involved in determining which vehicles would be eligible for the fuel efficiency rebate; (b) were standard transmission vehicles which are more fuel efficient than automatic vehicles studied and included on the list and, if not, why not; (c) what is the ratio of foreign-made vehicles to Canadian and North American vehicles on the list; (d) were any four-wheel drive, full time or part time cars or small utility vehicles considered on the list of fuel efficient vehicles eligible for rebates; (e) from the final list of fuel efficient vehicles that were approved for rebates, what was their ranking in safety standards tests and their overall safety, and consumer warranty listings; and (f) were any vehicles listed as eligible for fuel efficiency ratings given an overall poor safety and consumer protection rating?

Q-301² — June 17, 2008 — — With regard to the Canada Gazette: (a) if any, what studies have been conducted by the government to determine the level of efficiency, circulation and cost effectiveness of announcing government studies calling for stakeholder feedback as opposed to newspaper ads, Internet Web sites and other forms of mass media; (b) what is the cost of publication associated with the Canada Gazette per issue and annual budget as opposed to other media costs incurred by the government in electronic, print, television, radio, Internet and other advertising venues per various campaigns on a quarterly and annual basis; (c) what is the circulation outreach of the Canada Gazette as opposed to print, television, radio and Internet circulation, individualy and collectively; and (d) what plans does the government have to better inform Canadians of proposed studies, regulation changes, coming into force of laws and other workings of the government other than the Canada Gazette?

Q-302² — June 17, 2008 — — With regard to documents marked "for minister's eyes only": (a) what is the number of briefing notes prepared by the government since coming to power for Minister's marked "for minister's eyes only" that are produced by each department; (b) does the designation "for minister’s eyes only" preclude these documents from access to information regulations; (c) what is the reasoning for this practice; (d) does this practice minimize documents that would be in circulation and subject to public scrutiny; and (e) what is the number of such briefing notes forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office?

Q-303² — June 17, 2008 — — With respect to the government’s cessation of funding for the First Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control Strategy announced on September 25, 2006: (a) as the evaluation of this strategy was not completed until March 2007, on what evidence of not providing “value for money” was the decision to cut funding based; (b) as the Minister of Health, who has acknowledged the need to address the serious health implications of higher-than-average smoking rates in First Nations and Inuit populations, has given public reassurances – to the Standing Committee on Health on November 23, 2006 – that funding will be revived once a revised strategy has been developed, (i) what steps has the government taken since September 2006 to develop a revised strategy, (ii) what is the target date for the initiation of the revised strategy and its full funding; and (c) as the strategy’s evaluation document cited the absence of statistical data as an impediment in evaluation, will the collection of baseline and ongoing national tobacco use statistical data specific to First Nations and Inuit be included in the revised strategy and its funding?

Q-304² — June 17, 2008 — — With respect to the government’s actions to detect, prevent and treat Lyme disease in Canada: (a) by what standard is the accuracy of Lyme disease testing conducted at the National Microbiological Laboratories evaluated; (b) when was the most recent independent evaluation of the proficiency of this testing conducted, by whom and what were the results; (c) what are the current criteria for determining whether a geographical area is deemed to be endemic for Lyme-infected ticks; (d) what is the projected schedule of field study with regard to such endemic areas; (e) with respect to the recommendations of the National Conference on Lyme Disease hosted by the Public Health Agency of Canada in March 2006, (i) have the committees to develop new guidelines on surveillance, clinical and laboratory criteria been formed and, if so, when have they met, (ii) what stakeholder groups have participated in the development of new guidelines, what form has that participation taken, and when did it occur; (f) what is the government's strategy to protect canadians from the increase in incidents of Lyme disease anticipated by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC); (g) what is PHAC's strategy to increase (i) physicians' and other health professionals' awareness of the symptoms of Lyme disease, (ii) the canadian public's awareness of the symptoms of Lyme disease; (h) what measures has the PHAC taken in conjunction with provincial health authorities to increase professional and public awareness; (i) what are PHAC's measurable targets for the future increase of awareness and diagnostic accuracy of Lyme disease; (j) does Health Canada recommend the screening of blood for Lyme disease or co-infections such as babesiosis, as done in the United States and, if not, why not; and (k) what research projects into lyme borelia and tick-borne co-infections, their epidemiology, their possible role in the occurence of other diseases, and their treatment are currently being funded by the government and have been government funded during the past five years?

Q-305² — June 18, 2008 — — With respect to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration: (a) what has been the average total processing time for applications for Canadian citizenship submitted in each of the last ten fiscal years (i) nationally, (ii) in each province and territory, (iii) in each of the following cities: Mississauga, Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario, Québec and Montréal, Quebec, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, and Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia; and (b) what has been the total backlog of applications for Canadian citizenship in each of the last ten fiscal years (i) nationally, (ii) in each province and territory, (iii) in each of the following cities: Mississauga, Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario, Québec and Montréal, Quebec, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, and Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia?

Q-306² — June 18, 2008 — — What was the total federal spending in the riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton during fiscal years 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, itemized according to: (a) the date the money was received in the riding; (b) the dollar amount of the expenditure; (c) the federal program from which the funding came; (d) the department responsible for allocation of the funding; and (e) the recipient of the funding?

Q-307² — June 18, 2008 — — With regards to the Youth Employment Strategy and its programs Career Focus, Skills Link, Summer Work Experience and Youth Awareness: (a) broken down by program, province and territory, what sums were allocated to the Youth Employment Strategy in each of the fiscal years from 2005-2006 up to and including the current one; (b) for the Province of Quebec, which associations and organizations received funds, and how much, from the Youth Employment Strategy, for the fiscal years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, broken down by program; and (c) which associations or organizations have been approved for funding to date in every province and territory, broken down by program?

Q-308 — June 18, 2008 — — With respect to the government’s cessation of funding for the First Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control Strategy (FNITCS) announced on September 25, 2006 and the Minister of Health's announcement before the Standing Committee on Health on November 23, 2006: (a) what steps has the government taken, since September 2006, to develop a revised strategy, specifically, in each province and territory; (b) for fiscal years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, what has been the annual spending, per province and territory on funding tobacco control for First Nations and Inuit; (c) what are the specific tobacco control initiatives for First Nations and Inuit that have been funded, per province and territory, since September 2006; and (d) what is the target date for the completion of that summative evaluation of a March 2007 evaluation of the strategy that cited the need for a summative, results and outcome, evaluation on the FNITCS?

Q-309 — June 18, 2008 — — With respect to the lighthouses located on Manitoulin Island, including the Strawberry Island lighthouse, the Janet Head lighthouse in Gore Bay, the Manitowaning lighthouse, the Kagawong beacon and the Shoal Island lighthouse of St. Joseph Island: (a) what are the government's long-term and near-term plans with respect to the future of these lighthouses; (b) is it the intention of the government to continue to maintain these lighthouses in the future; and (c) will the government consider transferring unused facilities to local authorities should there be an interest?

Q-310 — June 18, 2008 — — With respect to grants from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions: (a) what non-profit organizations in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region received grants for fiscal years 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008; (b) under what programs are these grants issued; (c) which of these grants are used to cover operating costs; and (d) which organizations, with the changes in effect since November 2007, did not have their grants renewed?

Q-311² — June 18, 2008 — — With regard to the distribution of jobs in the government and in all federal agencies in the National Capital Region: (a) how many jobs are there annually on the Quebec side of the National Capital Region since March 31, 2004; and (b) how many jobs are there on the Ontario side of the National Capital Region since March 31, 2004?

Q-312² — June 18, 2008 — — With regard to the surface area in square meters used by the government and all federal agencies in the National Capital Region: (a) what surface area in square meters has been used annually on the Quebec side of the National Capital Region since March 31, 2004; and (b) what surface area in square meters has been used annually on the Ontario side of the National Capital Region since March 31, 2004?

Q-313² — June 18, 2008 — — With regard to the Local Arts and Heritage Festivals and the Community Historical Anniversaries Programming programs of the Department of Canadian Heritage: (a) what is the total amount of funding allocated under each program since they were initiated, giving an itemized list of each recipient, the location, the date of the event being funded, and the date on which the funding was approved; and (b) in each province and territory, how many funding applications (i) have been accepted, (ii) have been rejected, (iii) are still under consideration?

Q-314² — June 18, 2008 — — With regard to the Building Canada Fund: (a) what projects have been awarded funding; and (b) for each of these projects what was (i) the dollar share of project costs funded by the government, (ii) the percentage share of project costs funded by the government, (iii) the content and specifications of the project, (iv) the location of the project?

Q-315² — June 18, 2008 — — With regard to federal government employment, what was the total number of full-time and part-time federal government employees in the federal riding of Labrador in each calendar year since 2004 inclusive and, of those, what was the total number of full-time and part-time employees of each federal government department, agency, or crown corporation?

Q-316² — June 18, 2008 — — For each of the fiscal years 2004-2005 through 2008-2009 inclusive, what was the total amount spent or, for the current year, budgeted to be spent, by the Department of National Defence or the Canadian Armed Forces in respect of 5 Wing Goose Bay, indicating for each fiscal year the operational budget, capital budget, payroll and other expenses?

Q-317² — June 18, 2008 — — With respect to tax treatments offered to the fishermen from Atlantic Canada and Quebec: (a) were the fishermen who accepted the Atlantic Fisheries Groundfish Retirement Package and to permanently gave up their fishing licences in the years 1999 and 2000 advised in writing by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to report, at the time of filing their income tax, that the retirement lump-sum payment was to be counted as revenue from a capital gain and, if so, (i) why, (ii) why did the Department of Fisheries and Oceans issue this advice, (iii) how many fishermen did the Department of Fisheries and Oceans give that advice to; (b) why did Revenue Canada or the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency agree to give certain other fishermen a different tax treatment than the one outlined above, for the same retirement years; (c) how many fishermen received that different tax treatment; (d) why did the Minister of National Revenue and the Federal Minister of Fisheries advise these former fishermen (or their survivors in the case of deceased former fishermen) to appeal to the Regional Director of Taxation in St. John’s for a review; (e) has the Regional Director of Taxation informed the affected individuals that he will not accept their appeals and, if so, why; and (f) did Revenue Canada or the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency reach an out-of-court settlement in 2007 with a certain number of fishermen who had appealed their tax treatment and, if so, (i) why, (ii) why were the fishermen involved in that out-of-court settlement required to sign a secrecy or non-disclosure document, (iii) how many fishermen were involved in that out-of-court settlement?

Q-318² — June 19, 2008 — — With respect to Canada's support for the Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults: (a) what is the current status of the Convention; (b) what steps is the government taking to move towards ratification; (c) what formal negotiations or processes are currently in place between the federal and provincial governments to ensure adoption and coverage for the Convention in all jurisdictions; (d) what is the government's timeline and conditions for ratification of the Convention; (e) which departments are involved in the Convention; and (f) notwithstanding ratification of the Hague convention, is the government committed to continue providing consular support for Canadian citizens overseas?

Q-319² — June 19, 2008 — — With regard to applications received both in Canada and abroad for permanent residence in Canada in the years 2005, 2006 and 2007, what are, enumerated by category-family class, economic class, protected persons class, and humanitarian and compassionate grounds class, by country: (a) the number of applications received in total; (b) the number of applications processed; (c) the number of applications not processed; and (d) the number of applications remaining in both the overseas and in-Canada inventories?

Q-320² — June 19, 2008 — — Does Environment Canada believe that the design modifications of the South Fraser Perimeter Road have addressed its concerns about the project's impact on the attainability of the Burns Bog management objectives, as discussed in its letter to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Transport Canada, dated November 19, 2007?


² Response requested within 45 days