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Monday, February 25, 2008 (No. 53)

Questions

The complete list of questions on the Order Paper is available for consultation at the Table in the Chamber and on the Internet. Those questions not appearing in the list have been answered, withdrawn or made into orders for return.

Q-87 — October 24, 2007 — — With respect to the Summer Career Placement Program for 2005 and 2006 and to Canada Summer Jobs for 2007, in the riding of North Vancouver, what was the total: (a) number of applicants; (b) number of successful applicants; (c) dollar amount of grants awarded to successful applicants; and (d) number of student jobs created?

Q-98 — October 30, 2007 — — What instructions did Canadian negotiators receive for the fourth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Vienna, Austria, from August 27 to 31, 2007; on what information were their presentations and negotiations based; and what positions did the Canadian negotiators defend?

Q-161 — December 10, 2007 — — With respect to allegations of administrative error and erroneous advice under section 66(4) of the Canada Pension Plan, what are the statistics for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 concerning: (a) the total number of allegations made; (b) the total number allowed in the client's favour; (c) the total number still pending; (d) the total number not allowed; and (e) the total number of clients who proceeded to Federal Court?

Q-167² — January 24, 2008 — — For each of the years 1997 to 2007, how many dollars has the National Capital Commission spent purchasing poinsettias and other Christmas gifts for Members of Parliament, Senators, Ontario Members of the Provincial Parliament, Quebec Members of the National Assembly, elected municipal officials, and unelected officials broken down by category of recipient, and on shipping and delivering these gifts?

Q-168² — January 24, 2008 — — With regard to the Temporary Resident Permits issued by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration during the 39th Parliament up until and including November 30, 2007, how many requests were received by the Minister according to federal electoral district, indicating whether or not the permit was granted?

Q-169² — January 24, 2008 — — With regard to contracts and investments under the Industrial Regional Benefits (IRB) Policy: (a) which contracts have been awarded by the government since January 1, 2006 that require the prime contractor to make sub-contracts and investments; (b) what were the names of the prime contractor and the clients; (c) what was the description of the contract; (d) what was the contract period; and (e) what were the details of any and all sub-contracts and investments agreed to under the IRB policy, including (i) the name and location of the companies receiving the sub-contracts or investments, (ii) the description, (iii) the value, (iv) the time period, (v) the Canadian content value for each?

Q-170² — January 24, 2008 — — With regard to the report entitled “National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries” published by the Advisory Group of the National Roundtables on CSR and the Canadian Extractive Industry on March 29, 2007: (a) does the government intend to promptly respond to the Roundtable members; (b) will the government act quickly on all the recommendations presented; and (c) what is the government’s official position on implementing the recommendations resulting from this process?

Q-171 — January 24, 2008 — — What is the total amount of government funding in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 to Batchewana First Nation and to Garden River First Nation in the constituency of , with each initiative and amount?

Q-173² — January 24, 2008 — — With regard to Bill C-26, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, and the government's anti-drug strategy: (a) what stakeholders were consulted in forming this strategy and what documents or studies relating to drug trends were analyzed; (b) what were the departmental recommendations regarding harm reduction; and (c) what documents were commissioned externally by government that contributed to the strategy?

Q-175¹ — January 24, 2008 — — With respect to equalization, what is the estimated annual cost to remove the cap on equalization payments while maintaining the current formula?

Q-180² — January 29, 2008 — — With regards to sport infrastructure eligibility in the Building Canada program: (a) how has the government advertised and solicited applications for sport infrastructure projects; (b) how many applications have been received and where eligible; (c) what have been the infrastructure requests in the applications; (d) what is the total amount of funds dispersed for sport infrastructure under the Building Canada program; and (e) what applications have been accepted?

Q-181 — January 29, 2008 — — With regard to the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), how many Canadian families are above the Low Income Cut-Offs with the UCCB in place that would have otherwise remained below the threshold?

Q-182² — January 29, 2008 — — With regard to the tendering process used for deciding the in-service support contract for the Victoria-class submarines: (a) what policy on industrial and regional benefits was used as a methodology by the government in the evaluation of bids in the procurement process for the in-service support contract to maintain the Victoria-class submarines; (b) when did the government decide not to award the contract for the in-service support contract of the Victoria-class submarines as a major Crown project and did any department formally object to this decision; (c) has the government calculated the loss of employment and other economic opportunities to Atlantic Canada as a result of the decision to award the in-service support contract to another region; (d) with regard to (c), what is the estimated loss, in dollars, to Atlantic Canadian companies as a result of the awarding of the in-service support contract; and (e) what is the cost to the taxpayer, for the transit of a Halifax-based Victoria–class submarine to the West Coast of Canada for extended docking work?

Q-183² — January 30, 2008 — — With respect to An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, the Wage Earner Protection Program Act and chapter 47 of the Statutes of Canada, 2005, assented to on December 14, 2007: (a) what steps must be taken for the government to issue an order of the Governor in Council for the sections of this act to come into force; and (b) what is the expected time frame for the government to issue the order of the Governor in Council?

Q-184² — January 30, 2008 — — With respect to An Act to establish the Wage Earner Protection Program Act, to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, assented to on November 25, 2005: (a) what steps must be taken for the government to issue an order of the Governor in Council for the sections of this act to come into force, specifically section 1; (b) what is the expected time frame for the government to issue an order of the Governor in Council for the sections to come into force, specifically an order of the Governor in Council for section 1 to come into force; and (c) what is the expected time frame for eligible workers to receive payments under the Wage Earner Protection Program provided for in the bill?

Q-185² — February 1, 2008 — — What funds, grants, loans and loan guarantees has the government issued through its various departments and agencies in the areas with postal codes beginning in M4L, M4C, M4E, and M4B for the period of January 24, 2006 to January 30, 2008, inclusive, and, in each case, where applicable: (a) what was the program under which the payment was made; (b) what were the names of the recipients; (c) what was the monetary value of the payment made; and (d) what was the percentage of program funding covered by the payment received?

Q-186 — February 6, 2008 — — With respect to the related integrated overview mechanisms of the December 2006 report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar, entitled ''A New Review Mechanism for the RCMP’s National Security Activities'': (a) what actions have been taken to date on the thirteen recommendations made by Commissioner O’Connor in the report; (b) who has been assigned responsibility for carrying out these recommendations within the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Transport Canada and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada; (c) what timeline has been established for reaching full compliance with the report’s recommendations; and (d) how much funding is required to achieve these goals in 2008-2009?

Q-187 — February 6, 2008 — — With respect to the Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator 2006-2007: (a) what progress has been made in addressing the twelve key barriers to public safety identified in the report; (b) what internal strategies have been developed to ensure the five key priorities listed in the report are achieved; (c) how much additional funding was made available following the release of the report on June 29, 2007, and how was that money allocated; and (d) how much targeted funding is required to achieve these goals in 2008-2009?

Q-188² — February 6, 2008 — — With respect to Canada's sixth and seventh reports on the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: (a) what measures is the government taking past March 31, 2007 to fully implement (i) article 2, (ii) article 3, (iii) article 4, (iv) article 5, (v) article 6, (vi) article 7, (vii) article 8, (viii) article 9, (ix) article 10, (x) article 11, (xi) article 12, (xii) article 13, (xiii) article 14, (xiv) article 15, (xv) article 16, (xvi) article 17 of the Convention; and (b) what measures are being taken past March 31, 2007 to report for the period April 2006 to March 2010?

Q-189² — February 6, 2008 — — With regard to the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into certain events at the Prison for Women in Kingston: (a) how has the government provided action on the recommendations of the report; and (b) how will the government provide further action on the recommendations?

Q-191² — February 6, 2008 — — With regard to the Department of Human Resources and Social Development: (a) what was the funding amount allocated, granted or contributed to the riding of for the years 2004 to 2007, inclusive, for the purposes of training, retraining or education; (b) within this department, how many federal programs received budget allocation within the riding of for the years 2004 to 2007, inclusive; and (c) how many student jobs were funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program for the years 2004 to 2007, inclusive?

Q-193² — February 8, 2008 — — With regard to the government's response to Canada's 3rd most common chronic disease arthritis: (a) what systems are currently in place to track the number of cases of arthritis and its treatment; (b) what is the extent of Health Canada's resource allocation (in dollars, person-hours, etc.) to arthritis; (c) how many physicians specializing in the treatment of arthritis are currently in practice in each province; (d) what is the national standard for the education and training of family physicians regarding the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis; (e) what is the total amount of federal research money devoted to arthritis research; and (f) how is Health Canada meeting its specific responsibilities for Aboriginal health to ensure that Aboriginal Canadians suffering from arthritis have timely and equal access to diagnosis and treatment?

Q-194² — February 11, 2008 — — With regards to Canadians sentenced to death abroad, does the government have a clemency policy and, if so: (a) when was this new policy adopted; (b) which Ministers, departments, agencies, and officials were responsible for the creation of this policy; (c) what factors are considered in a clemency determination; (d) what specific information is collected by Foreign Affairs and consular officials when evaluating clemency requests; (e) what criteria must one meet to be granted clemency; (f) what process exists for review of clemency determinations by the government; (g) what oversight process exists for clemency determinations by the government; (h) how does a person apply for clemency protection under this process; (i) is there an appeal process for clemency determinations under this policy; and (j) which Minister, Ministry, Department, Agency, or officials will make clemency determinations for the government?

Q-195² — February 12, 2008 — — With regard to 5 Wing Goose Bay: (a) what steps have been taken since January 2006 towards the establishment of a rapid reaction battalion and unmanned aerial vehicle squadron at the base; and (b) how many Department of National Defence civilian employment and Canadian Forces were employed or stationed at each of (i) 444 Squadron, (ii) 5 Wing Goose Bay not otherwise included in 444 Squadron, as of January 1, 2005, January 1, 2006, January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2008?

Q-196² — February 12, 2008 — — With regard to federal spending in the federal riding of , what has been the total federal spending in each of the last three fiscal years by the following departments or agencies, described by individual line item, program and, where applicable, recipient of grant or contribution: (a) Canada Council for the Arts; (b) Canadian Heritage; (c) Environment Canada; (d) Fisheries and Oceans Canada; (e) Health Canada; (f) Indian and Northern Affairs Canada; (g) Industry Canada; (h) Infrastructure Canada; (i) Library and Archives Canada; (j) National Defence; (k) National Research Council; (l) Natural Resources Canada; (m) Parks Canada; (n) Public Safety Canada; (o) Public Works and Government Services Canada; (p) Human Resources and Social Development Canada; (q) Transport Canada; and (r) Veterans Affairs Canada?

Q-197² — February 12, 2008 — — With regard to federal funding: (a) has any funding been provided towards construction or improvement of (i) the Trans Labrador Highway, (ii) Quebec route 138 east of Sept-Iles, (iii) Quebec route 389, in each of the past three fiscal years and, if so, under which programs or funding envelopes was this funding provided; and (b) what was the cost-sharing formula for any such projects as between the federal and respective provincial governments?

Q-198² — February 12, 2008 — — With regard to equalization entitlements, for the current and each subsequent fiscal year for which projections or estimates have been calculated, what are the projected or estimated equalization entitlements for each province (i) under the equalization formula which existed immediately prior to the latest federal budget, (ii) under the equalization formula provided for by the latest federal budget?

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-200² — February 14, 2008 — — With regard to Canadian citizen Omar Khadr, detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: (a) when was the government first made aware of his detention; (b) does the government consider that he was a child soldier at the time of his initial detention; (c) what efforts, if any, have been made to seek his return to Canada; (d) what consular services and government protections have been afforded to him; (e) does the government intend to participate or intervene in any way during his trial; (f) has the government undertaken any effort to extradite him, or have him otherwise returned to Canada; (g) will the government seek clemency if he is sentenced to death; (h) what assurances has the government received that he is being treated humanely; and (i) is the government aware of, or has it investigated, reports of abusive and ill treatment during his detention?

Q-201 — February 21, 2008 — — With regard to the Tomorrow Starts Today program in the Department of Canadian Heritage: (a) what has been the total spending under the progam since 2001; (b) how much of this total has been spent in each of the provinces in each of the years 2001 to 2007, inclusive; and (c) what is the per capita amount of spending of this program per province in each of the years 2001 to 2007, inclusive?

Q-202 — February 21, 2008 — — With regard to the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund within Infrastructure Canada and the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program within the Department of Transport: (a) what has been the total spending in the program since 2002; (b) how much of this total has been spent in each of the provinces in each year of the programs from 2002 to 2007, inclusive; and (c) what is the per capita amount of spending of these programs per province in each year of the programs from 2002 to 2007, inclusive?

Q-203² — February 21, 2008 — — With regard to the National Defence Official Languages Program Transformation Model: (a) who exactly must be bilingual under the Model; (b) do all National Defence members have the right to receive orders from their superiors in English or French and what is the rationale for this; (c) has National Defence ever required all its members to be bilingual; (d) is the Model consistent with the Official Languages Act and on what criteria is this answer based; (e) does the Model run counter to all the efforts made in the past to comply with the Official Languages Act; (f) what method is used to ensure that working groups within units can provide services in both official languages when necessary; (g) how will the adoption of a ''functional approach'' ensure that National Defence complies with the Official Languages Act more fully than in the past; (h) which recommendations by the former Commissioner of Official Languages were not included in the Model and why; (i) where are the English, French and bilingual units located; (j) can a unilingual member serve as superior to someone who does not understand the member’s language; (k) will the Model increase the isolation and lack of understanding between the linguistic groups, in addition to aggravating tensions between Anglophones and Francophones, and have these aspects been considered; (l) what evaluation criteria and processes are used to designate a unit bilingual, Anglophone or Francophone; (m) will only bilingual and Francophone units receive services in French; (n) will the Model provide greater opportunities for advancement and equality for Francophones and why; (o) will the Model affect the number of positions for English and French teachers, program designers, curriculum developers for English and French courses and technical and administrative staff and if so how; (p) who will be required to reach the CBC level; and (q) how will priority be given for language courses?

Q-204² — February 21, 2008 — — With regards to the First Nations Infrastructure Fund (FNIF): (a) how has the government advertised and solicited applications for First Nations infrastructure projects; (b) how many applications have been received; (c) how many applications were found to be eligible; (d) what type of infrastructure requests were in the applications; (e) what is the total amount of funds dispersed under the FNIF; and (f) which applications have been accepted?


¹ Requires Oral Answer ² Response requested within 45 days