Each year, parliamentary committees undertake numerous studies based on the permanent or specific mandates given to them by the House of Commons. For instance, they study bills and may amend them before sending them back to the House of Commons. They are involved in the review of the government’s spending by examining departmental estimates, reports on plans and priorities (departmental plans) and performance reports. They also participate in the review of Order in Council appointments by calling nominees to appear. Furthermore, committees may initiate their own studies on issues related to the subject areas of their mandates. In conducting these studies, committees will hear from witnesses and, in most cases, will present a report of their findings and recommendations back to the House of Commons. Given the number and scope of their studies, it is clear that committees play an essential role in the work of the House of Commons.

The Liaison Committee, composed of the Chairs of all standing committees and the House Co-Chairs of standing joint committees, is empowered to deliberate on administrative matters relating to the standing committee system. Its main responsibility is to apportion funds to standing committees from the money allocated for that purpose by the Board of Internal Economy. To this end, a global envelope in the amount of $4 million for the 2023–24 fiscal year, is available to committees for their activities.

The Reports on Committee Activities and Expenditures, which are usually prepared three times per fiscal year by the Liaison Committee, present cumulative financial information on committees’ expenditures and the work they are doing. When required, they also include information on special committees, which are normally funded by the Board of Internal Economy. They serve as essential reporting and accountability mechanisms, not only for activities, but also for the use of the resources at committees’ disposal. By summarizing and consolidating statistics regarding the number of meetings, meeting hours, reports, briefs and witnesses for each committee, these reports, presented in a format intended to help readers better understand the work of committees, provide readers with a concise summary of committee mandates, activities and expenditures. Finally, they complement other reports and disclosure tools available to Canadians on the Board of Internal Economy website.

From the outset of the pandemic in early 2020, the House of Commons adopted special orders that authorized committees to hold hybrid meetings, making it possible for committee members and witnesses to participate in committee meetings by videoconference. This led to many changes to work methods and the implementation of new logistical processes, including the development of a rigorous process to onboard witnesses, to ensure that each virtual participant uses an approved headset and that the audio quality meets the standard required for simultaneous interpretation. On June 15, 2023, the House adopted a number of permanent changes to the Standing Orders to allow committee members and witnesses to continue participating virtually in committee meetings, except for the member presiding over the meeting, typically the committee chair, who is required to be in person. More detail concerning witnesses participating by videoconference is available in Appendix A.

This report covers the period from April 1 to August 31, 2023. During this period, committees held a total of 416 meetings, heard from 1,813 witnesses, received 1,322 briefs and presented 80 reports to the House.

We hope this report provides helpful and concise information on the activities of committees, thus giving a better sense of their important work on behalf of Canadians.

For further information, please contact the Liaison Committee at LIAI@parl.gc.ca.