Questions and responses All Sessions January 17, 1994, to present

With regard to Health Canada’s wait times strategy: (a) what are the most recent wait times as reported by each province in each of the five key areas of the government’s wait times strategy (cancer, heart, diagnostic imaging, joint replacement and sight restoration); and (b) what was the amount of money earmarked for wait time reduction disbursed by the government to each province in each year of the government’s wait times strategy?

With regard to the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS): (a) has the government achieved its goal to reduce overall smoking prevalence from 19 percent in 2005 to 12 percent by 2011 and, if not, what are the reasons the government has failed to meet this target; (b) has the government established new goals and objectives for this strategy for the period following 2011 and, if so, what are they and, if not, why not; (c) does the government intend to revise or renew the FTCS and, if so, what steps has it taken to consult with the public and key stakeholders in this regard; and (d) does the government intend to continue to provide transfer payments in support of this strategy in 2011-2012 and, if so, (i) what is the total anticipated amount to be transferred in that fiscal year, (ii) has spending authority for these payments been obtained, (iii) has a process been put in place to solicit proposals for activities funded through transfer payments?

With regard to Canadian Development Investment Corporation, what contracts under $10,000 did it award from September 1, 2009, to the present, including the vendor's name, the date, the amount and the description?

With regard to Export Development Canada, what contracts under $10,000 did it award from September 1, 2009, to the present, including the vendor's name, the date, the amount and the description?

With regard to Afghan detainees: (a) how many Afghans or other foreign nationals were detained by regular Canadian Forces or Military Police each year since Canada began its operations in Kandahar province; (b) how many Afghans or other foreign nationals were detained by Canadian special forces since Canada began its operations in Kandahar province; (c) were the processes for the handling of detainees different depending on whether they were captured by regular or special forces and, if so, how; (d) do Canadian special forces participate in joint operations with U.S. special forces and, if so, what happens to detainees captured during the course of those operations; (e) since Canada began its operations in Kandahar province, how many Canadian-captured detainees were questioned (i) by agents of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), (ii) in the presence of a CSIS agent; (f) did CSIS provide input on which detainees should be transferred to the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS); and (g) was any information from the NDS interrogations of detainees passed on to Canadian authorities?

With regard to the Department of National Defence and the purchase of CH-148 Cyclone helicopters: (a) when was the government notified that Sikorsky could not deliver the helicopters according to the agreed-upon schedule in November of 2007; (b) what were the “additional capabilities” that were added in the contract amendments and, if these capabilities were necessary for the Canadian operating environment, why were they not included in the original contract; (c) why did the government not impose late penalties in 2007 as agreed to in the original contract; (d) will the government impose late penalties now that Sikorsky has indicated that it will not be able to meet even the amended schedule; (e) what is the revised schedule for the commencement of delivery, and the end of delivery of both the interim and enhanced helicopters; and (f) how will this delay affect the cost of this procurement project?

With regard to the announced purchase of Close Combat Vehicles (CCV) and Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles (TAPV): (a) why was the solicitation of interest and qualifications (SOIQ) postponed to 2010; (b) what industry feedback contributed to non-issuance of the SOIQ; (c) what changes to the government requirements contributed to this decision; (d) what impact did the Department of National Defence (DND) internal reviews have on the CCV procurement process, including whether resources that had been allotted to the CCV procurement process were reallocated and, if applicable, what was the value of those resources and to where were they reallocated; (e) what are the key procurement priorities of DND; (f) what impact does the end of the military mission in Afghanistan have on the decision to not issue the SOIQ as scheduled; (g) what is the timeframe for issuing the SOIQ for the TAPV project and is this on schedule; and (h) if applicable, what are the details of the revised schedule for either project?

With regard to the Department of National Defence, what is the list of all equipment procurement projects with a value of over $25 million that are either currently in progress or have been announced publicly, including: (a) the piece of equipment being purchased and the quantity; (b) the date the project was announced; (c) the total value (or expected value) of the project and of any related contracts such as maintenance or repair; (d) the date the project received Treasury Board approval; (e) the date the contract was awarded and to whom; (f) the dates of commencement of delivery and end of delivery; and (g) for each project, what is the breakdown of the original and most recent schedule, including all project phases and costing, and a detailed explanation for each case where the original and most recent schedule are not the same?

With regard to Canada’s mission in Afghanistan: (a) did the government ever request legal opinions regarding Canada’s domestic and international legal responsibility for detainees captured by the Canadian military or military police in Afghanistan and transferred to Afghan authorities; (b) if so, who was it requested by and who was it provided by; (c) what actions, policies, or standard operating procedures were developed within each entity as a result of this advice; and (d) did this legal advice contribute to the formulation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's diplomatic contingency plan related to detainees?

With regard to Canada’s mission in Afghanistan: (a) how many times has the government notified the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) of allegations of abuse, mistreatment, or torture of Canadian-transferred detainees; (b) on which dates were those notifications sent (please list all); (c) did the government follow-up on these or any other investigation with regards to allegations or evidence of abuse, mistreatment, or torture of Canadian-transferred detainees to ensure that each of the allegations had been investigated; (d) what were the results of these investigations, in detail and for each instance; (e) what did the government do to assure itself that the allegations had been sufficiently investigated by the AIHRC or any other entity; (f) were any records or files kept on these investigations; and (g) were any of these investigations deemed to be insufficient and, if so, what was done to remedy this?

With respect to the Department of Defence for all contracts under $10,000 signed between December 1, 2008 and December 8, 2009, what is the: (a) vendor name; (b) contract reference number; (c) contract date; (d) description of work; (e) delivery date; (f) original contract value; and (g) final contract value if different from the original?

With regard to the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan: (a) what legal opinion or opinions did the government receive regarding the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel’s opinion dated October 23, 2009 on the disclosure of information to the committee; (b) who provided that legal opinion or opinions and on what date; (c) what arguments were used to form that opinion or opinions; and (d) was there any disagreement or difference of opinion among those providing that advice and, if so, what was the nature of the disagreement or difference of opinion?

With regard to the mission in Afghanistan: (a) what contingencies have been developed in the event that the Canadian military mission is extended beyond 2011; (b) what ministerial resources have been devoted to this effort; (c) what major material purchases have been acquired to facilitate such contingency; and (d) what measures have been taken to prepare our human resources in the Armed Forces for the contingency of extension?

With regard to reports that Canadian soldiers witnessed Afghan children being sexually abused by members of the Afghan National Police or the Afghan National Army: (a) were any complaints or reports filed with either the Canadian Forces, Military Police, Department of National Defence, or Department of Foreign Affairs alleging that children were being abused; (b) when were these complaints or reports filed; (c) what actions were taken to address these complaints or reports; (d) when was the Minister of National Defence or his office informed of the existence of these complaints or reports; (e) what instructions were given by the Minister of National Defence or his office with regard to these complaints or reports, and when; (f) when did the Minister of National Defence first receive a briefing on this issue; (g) when were briefing notes first written by either the Minister’s staff, the Department of National Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Canadian Forces, or the Military Police; (h) were the Canadian Forces or Military Police ever instructed not to report incidents of child sexual abuse and, if so, when; (i) were the Canadian Forces or Military Police ever instructed not to intervene or prevent incidents of child sexual abuse if they witnessed them and, if so, when; and (j) when were the Canadian Forces and Military Police explicitly instructed to report or prevent such incidents?

With regard to the withholding of information by the government under section 38 of the Evidence Act for reasons of national security: (a) what criteria or guidelines are used to determine whether a piece of information would have an impact on national security; (b) how does the government define “impact on national security”; (c) who in the government is responsible for determining which pieces of information will be subject to section 38; (d) do the Ministers of Justice, National Defence or Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister or their offices have an input on what information will be withheld on national security grounds; (e) what role does the Department of Justice play in redacting or suppressing information under Section 38 of the Evidence Act; (f) what role does the Privy Council Office play in reviewing or further redacting information that could have an impact on national security; (g) what role does the Prime Minister’s Office play in the decision to withhold information on national security grounds; and (h) what role does the Prime Minister’s Office play in reviewing or further redacting information judged to be a risk to national security?

With regard to Afghan detainees: (a) when did the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defence receive each of the following documents: KANDH-0029, KANDH-0032, KBGR-0118, KBGR-0121, KBGR-0160, KBGR-0258, KBGR-0263, KBGR-0265, KBGR-0267, KBGR-0269, KGBR-0271, KBGR-0274, KBGR-0275, KBGR-0291, KBGR-0292, KBGR-0302 and KBGR-0321; (b) what actions were taken or instructions given in response to these documents; (c) did the offices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Defence receive copies of each of the listed documents and, if so, when; (d) what actions were taken or instructions given by the offices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Defence in response to these documents; (e) were briefing notes prepared or was a briefing given for either Minister with regards to these documents and, if so, when; (f) did the Office of the Prime Minister or the Privy Council Office receive copies of these documents and, if so, when; and (g) were briefing notes prepared, or was a briefing given to the Prime Minister regarding the documents and, if so, when?