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Wednesday, June 10, 2009 (No. 72)

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 Those questions not appearing in the list have been answered, withdrawn or made into orders for return.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-75 — March 4, 2009 — — With respect to investing in research and innovation, specifically regarding York University in Toronto, Ontario: (a) what is the government's plan to ensure that Canadian research and development remain an example to the rest of the world; (b) what is the government prepared to do to ensure that the best and brightest remain in Canada; (c) what research grants will the government be making available this year, both at York University and across Canada; (d) what new programs will the government undertake to assist students; (e) what will the government's response be to the issue of rising tuition; (f) what specific steps will the government take to invest in research and development, to improve the lives of Canadians, and to partner to help Canadian industries grow in these difficult economic times; and (g) what future investments is the government planning in colleges and universities?

Q-101 — March 26, 2009 — — With respect to providing safe, quality, and affordable housing to the most vulnerable: (a) how much money will the government invest for the fiscal year of 2009-2010 in affordable housing; (b) how much investment will the government make in 2009-2010 in affordable housing specifically allocated for seniors; (c) will the government enter into new provincial agreements in order to work to facilitate the building and renovation of affordable housing units; and (d) will the government commit to make affordable housing a priority and expedite the building and maintenance of these critical units?

Q-106 — April 1, 2009 — — With regard to funding applications submitted to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, for each fiscal year from 2006-2007 to 2008-2009: (a) which projects were submitted under each Agency program; (b) which project were approved; (c) what amount was allocated to each of these projects; and (d) which projects were not processed?

Q-108 — April 1, 2009 — — With regard to the transitional measures for Employment Insurance economic regions: (a) will the economic regions change after April 10, 2010; and (b) will the transitional measures for the economic regions be completely eliminated after April 10, 2010?

Q-145² — April 27, 2009 — — With respect to the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program and the AgriStability program in each of the participating provinces and in each of the program years from 2003 to 2007: (a) what were the number of applications received; (b) what were the number of payment files; (c) what was the average of all benefit payments below $500,000; (d) how many payment files were greater than $500,000; (e) what percentage of applicants received actual payments; (f) what was the farm type associated with each recipient of a payment of $500,000 or greater; (g) what was the average reference year margin of all participants by farm type; (h) what were the contributing reasons for the reduced payment percentage in 2007; (i) what were the contributing reasons for the reduced average reference year margins in 2007; and (j) what was the rationale or intended purpose of implementing the mandatory accrual reference year margin?

Q-149² — April 29, 2009 — — With respect to funds allocated to the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor): (a) what is the global budget of FedNor and its programs from 2006 to the present; (b) how much of FedNor's economic development funding and other funding it administers has gone to projects and initiatives in Northern Ontario from 2006 to the present; (c) how does FedNor define “Northern Ontario” in terms of boundaries, and when and how has that definition changed since 1993; (d) what is the number of jobs directly created in Northern Ontario as well as other regions from FedNor programs and other programs it administers from 2006 to the present; (e) listed by location, what is the number of full time employees and equivalents that have worked for FedNor, on an annual basis since 2006; (f) what are the ten electoral ridings which received the most FedNor funding from 2006 to the present, broken down by year; and (g) listed by electoral riding, who were the recipients of FedNor funding, broken down by year from 2006 to the present?

Q-152² — April 29, 2009 — — With regards to the $33 billion Building Canada plan announced in Budget 2007: (a) what are the total federal funds committed for expenditure, as well as the amount effectively spent, to Canadian municipalities, through the Building Canada plan, per year, since its inception; (b) who are the recipients of these funds, what is the breakdown for every province and territory, as well as the criteria used for allocating these funds; and (c) what are the changes to the allocation criteria in Budget 2009?

Q-154² — April 30, 2009 — — With regard to funding from the government, through the Department of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, for an extension of Conception Bay South By-Pass Road, from Legion Road to Seal Cove, in Newfoundland and Labrador: (a) was there an official approval of this project by the government on or before December 17, 2007 and, if so, (i) what amount of funding was approved, (ii) what date was it approved, (iii) why was it not included in a news release issued by the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities on December 17, 2007; (b) if no formal approval was given for this project by the government prior to December 17, 2007, has there been any formal project approval given for an extension to the Conception Bay South By-Pass Road since December 17, 2007 and, if so, on what date; and (c) is the project to extend the Conception Bay South By-Pass Road, from Legion to Seal Cove, currently being reviewed or recommended for approval within the Department of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities?

Q-158² — April 30, 2009 — — With regard to spousal sponsorship, what are: (a) the number, overall percentage and the countries of origin of spousal sponsorship through family class applications rejected by visa offices but (i) approved by the Immigration Appeal Board, (ii) approved by the Federal Court; and (b) the wait times on average for spousal sponsorship in visa offices from India, China, the Middle East and African countries compared with wait times from European countries, and the reasons for the difference?

Q-159² — April 30, 2009 — — What is the number and countries of origin of refugee claimants, based on sexual orientation, who were rejected by each Immigration Refugee Board member since 2006, the approval and rejection rates of each of these Board members, and the cost each year to defend refugees' appeals at the Federal Court?

Q-160 — May 4, 2009 — — With regard to the public reports which are issued by or on behalf of the RCMP, in which information is made public as to what took place each time a taser is fired or otherwise used to control a member of the public, both in the case of the incident of Adam Dormer, who was tasered on July 21 2007, and in all other cases since January 1, 2001: (a) what changes have been made, from time to time, with regard to the types of information being released, both in terms of types of information being withheld, which had previously been made public, and types of information being made public, which had previously been withheld; (b) what instructions were given to the individuals who prepared these reports, regarding the types of information which ought to be withheld or made public; (c) who issued any such instructions, and with whom did the instructions originate; and (d) has additional information been collected, which is not being released, on any of the following topics, (i) related injuries which took place during the tasering incident, (ii) the duration of the shocks, (iii) whether the individual who was tasered had been armed, (iv) whether the individual who was tasered was violent, combative or posed a risk of death or grievous bodily harm, (v) what alternative measures the police tried before resorting to a taser, (vi) whether the individual who was tasered was first given a verbal warning, (vii) whether the individual who was tasered had already been handcuffed or otherwise restrained?

Q-161² — May 4, 2009 — — With regard to the Shi’ite personal status law: (a) when did Canadian officials in Afghanistan first become aware of the proposed legislation; (b) when was knowledge of the proposed law communicated to the government; (c) to which branches, in which departments, was this information sent; (d) what action did the government take upon knowledge of the proposed legislation; (e) on what dates did the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and International Cooperation first become aware of these proposals; and (f) on what date did Canadian representatives in Afghanistan receive a copy of the proposed law and with whom have they shared this information outside of government?

Q-162² — May 4, 2009 — — With regards to the Canada’s operations in Afghanistan: (a) what is the total amount of money spent on translation of documents from Dari and Pashto to English and French in the past five years on a yearly basis and in total; (b) what is the number of staff in the Afghanistan Task Force who can speak, read and write in Dari in Kabul, in Kandahar and in Ottawa in the past five years on a yearly basis and in total; (c) what is the number of staff in the Afghanistan Task Force who can speak, read and write in Pashto, in Kabul, in Kandahar and in Ottawa in the past five years on a yearly basis and in total; (d) what is the total budget of Afghanistan Task Force for translation in the past five years on a yearly basis and in total; (e) what is the total budget of Afghanistan Task Force for communications in the past five years on a yearly basis and in total; (f) what is the number of staff on the Afghanistan Task Force responsible for communications in the past five years on a yearly basis and in total; and (g) what form of protection is offered to local Afghans working for Canada’s operations in Afghanistan who are citizens of Afghanistan at the end of their service with the Canadian government?

Q-164² — May 4, 2009 — — With respect to temperature control in government buildings and facilities over the last five years: (a) what are the total government expenditures for heating on (i) an annual basis, (ii) on an annual basis for each federal building; and (b) what are the total government expenditures for air conditioning (i) on an annual basis, (ii) on an annual basis for each federal building?

Q-165² — May 4, 2009 — — 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 Winnipeg Centre, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-166² — May 5, 2009 — — With regards to the operations of the Canada Desk of the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) and the Government of Canada's response: (a) when was the government first made aware of possible improper activity of the desk; (b) what were the immediate steps taken by the Canada Revenue Agency to allegations about the desk; (c) what is the estimated value of money that the desk held for each year from Canadian clients beginning in 2004 and ending this year; (d) what role has the government played in the Justice Department's investigations; (e) what is the estimated amount of tax leakage from this operation; (f) what were government departments able to determine about the locations in Canada that were used; and (g) what potential fines or penalties is the government considering at this time?

Q-167² — May 5, 2009 — — What is the number of live-in caregivers who have not been able to successfully become landed immigrants in Canada due to: (a) mistreatment and exploitation by their employers; (b) cases of reported involvement of unscrupulous consultants, lawyers and recruiters; (c) the loss of employment due to reported cruel, unfair, and unjust employment demands and conditions set by the employer; and (d) an inability to obtain alternate employment opportunities within the time frame stipulated by the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act?

Q-168² — May 5, 2009 — — 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 Victoria, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-169² — May 5, 2009 — — Are there Canadian Heritage or Canada Council grant programs under which Les Grands Ballets Canadiens could receive more than $51,000 to stage a production outside the country and, if so, what are the programs?

Q-170² — May 5, 2009 — — Are there Canadian Heritage or Canada Council grant programs under which a dance or theatre company or a performing arts organization could receive more than $51,000 to stage a production outside the country and, if so, what are the programs?

Q-171 — May 5, 2009 — — 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 Hamilton Centre, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-172² — May 5, 2009 — — With regard to the Extension of Employment Insurance Benefits, under the Pilot Project 10 and funding for skills and development and training, within the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC): (a) broken down by provincial and territorial jurisdictions, how many clients of HRSDC were receiving EI benefits on February 28, 2009 and out of that number, (i) how many were receiving the benefit of the additional five weeks under Project Pilot 10, in each provincial and territorial jurisdiction, (ii) what were the same statistics by provincial and territorial jurisdiction for March 31, 2009; and (b) broken down by provincial and territorial jurisdiction, (i) how many clients applied and how many clients were approved for training and skills development benefits while receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits from January 1, 2008 to April 30, 2008, (ii) how many clients applied and how many clients were approved for training and skills development benefits while receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits from January 1, 2009 to April 30, 2009?

Q-173² — May 6, 2009 — — 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-174² — May 6, 2009 — — With regard to funding applications submitted to FedNor, the Federal Economic Development Initiative in Northern Ontario, for each fiscal year from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010: (a) which projects were submitted under each agency program; (b) which project were approved; (c) what amount was allocated to each of these projects; and (d) which projects were not processed?

Q-175² — May 6, 2009 — — 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-176² — May 6, 2009 — — 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-177 — May 6, 2009 — — 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-178² — May 6, 2009 — — With respect to the 28 federal departments that spent more than $15 million to purchase and provide single-use water bottles and water coolers between the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 fiscal years: (a) what was the total government expenditures for bottled water contracts in facilities where access to safe drinking water was readily available; and (b) with respect to the above figures, how much was spent by each of the 28 departments?

Q-179² — May 7, 2009 — — 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-180² — May 7, 2009 — — Has the government issued any press releases, statements or speeches, with regards to the recent review, chaired by Mount Allison University President, Robert Campbell, prepared for the government, suggesting that Canada Post should drop door-to-door mail delivery and switch to community mailboxes and, if so, where can they be accessed?

Q-181² — May 7, 2009 — — 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-182² — May 7, 2009 — — With regard to the financial literacy initiatives announced in Budget 2009: (a) what programs have been created; (b) how much funding has the government allocated for each of these programs; (c) how much funding has been spent, to date, on these programs; (d) what section of the Canadian population is each program targeting; (e) what area of the country is each program going to operate in; and (f) how will each program help make Canadians more financially literate?

Q-183 — May 7, 2009 — — 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-184² — May 7, 2009 — — 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-185² — May 7, 2009 — — With regards to the Public Sector Pension Investment Board: (a) what are the private market benchmarks used by the Board and in what way do they reflect the underlying credit risk, liquidity risk, leverage and beta of the underlying investments; (b) does the Board invest in hedge funds and, if so, (i) what are the Board’s benchmarks for these hedge funds, (ii) how do the benchmarks accurately reflect the underlying credit risk, liquidity risk, leverage and beta of the underlying investments; (c) who is the officer responsible for the policy portfolio; (d) what is the total active risk the board is allowed to take and how is this risk monitored; (e) what is the risk management policy to deal with portfolios that are losing money; (f) are there steps to cut losses in public markets when they reach a certain level, and how are they made clear; (g) what are the detailed policies for (i) mitigating the risks of private markets, (ii) whistleblower protection, (iii) compliance with diversity laws; (h) what has been the turnover in funds of the last four fiscal years; and (j) has the board been audited or evaluated by the Canadian Human Rights Commission?

Q-186² — May 7, 2009 — — With regards to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board: (a) what are the private market benchmarks used by the Board and in what way do they reflect the underlying credit risk, liquidity risk, leverage and beta of the underlying investments; (b) does the Board invest in hedge funds and, if so, (i) what are the Board’s benchmarks for these hedge funds, (ii) how do the benchmarks accurately reflect the underlying credit risk, liquidity risk, leverage and beta of the underlying investments; (c) who is the officer responsible for the policy portfolio; (d) what is the total active risk the Board is allowed to take and how is this risk monitored; (e) what is the risk management policy to deal with portfolios that are losing money; (f) are there steps to cut losses in public markets when they reach a certain level, and how are they made clear; (g) what are the detailed policies for (i) mitigating the risks of private markets, (ii) whistleblower protection, (iii) compliance with diversity laws; (h) what has been the turnover in funds of the last four fiscal years; and (i) has the board been audited or evaluated by the Canadian Human Rights Commission?

Q-187² — May 7, 2009 — — 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-188² — May 7, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 2006 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of , listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-189² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to federal investments in infrastructure in New Brunswick since 1999: (a) what is the detailed breakdown of the funding allocated for rebuilding roads in New Brunswick; and (b) what is the detailed breakdown of the funding allocated for airport infrastructures?

Q-190² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to federally regulated pension plans: (a) how many such plans are currently at risk of default and which plans are so affected; (b) what is the value of each affected plan, how many current and future pensioners does each pension have and what is the average annual amount each pensioner, current and future, would lose in the event of default; (c) what is the government’s position on protecting existing pension benefits in the event of bankruptcy; and (d) does the government support efforts to guarantee pension benefits in the event of bankruptcy and, if so, how?

Q-191² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to the Wage Earner Protection Program, on a yearly basis: (a) what funds have been allocated to this program; (b) what funds have been disbursed since its inception; (c) how many employees, by province, have benefited, (i) what was the average payment sought by claimants, (ii) what was the average payment received; (d) from which businesses did employees seek to claim back wages, vacation, severance and termination pay they were owed by their former employers, on what dates did each company declare bankruptcy or go into receivership under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and how many employees did each company lay-off; (e) what is the average wait time between a person making a claim under the Wage Earner Protection Program, and them receiving payment; and (f) how many claims have been denied and what is the most common reason for a denial in claims?

Q-192² — May 7, 2009 — — 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-193² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to the motion passed by the House on March 10, 2009 concerning Employment Insurance, what actions has the government taken since to: (a) eliminate the two-week waiting period; (b) reduce the qualifying period to a minimum of 360 hours of work, regardless of the regional rate of unemployment; (c) allow self-employed workers to participate in the program; (d) raise the rate of benefits to 60% and base benefits on the best 12 weeks in the qualifying period; and (e) encourage training and re-training?

Q-194² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to the Employment Insurance program, and by Employment Insurance economic regions, how many applicants did not qualify for benefits because (i) they did not have the minimum qualifying hours of work, (ii) they were self-employed?

Q-195² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to the Employment Insurance program, and by Employment Insurance economic regions: (a) how many recipients have exhausted their regular benefits since October 31, 2008; (b) what is the government’s estimate of how many recipients will exhaust their regular benefits in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011; and (c) what assistance and guidance is the government offering or is prepared to offer to recipients who have exhausted their regular benefits?

Q-196² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to Expert Panels created by the Minister of Finance since January 2006: (a) which Panels have been so struck, on what date, and which individuals are they composed of; (b) what was the length of duration of each Panel, when and in what locations did each Panel meet; (c) what were the final conclusions and recommendations made by each Panel and have these conclusions been made publicly accessible and, if so, what is the Internet address for each Panel conclusion; and (d) what compensation was paid to each member and what travel, hospitality and miscellaneous expenses were submitted by each panelist, according to each Panel?

Q-197² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to the Fall 2008 purchase by the government of $150 billion in mortgage securities from Canadian banks through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): (a) what conditions were sought and received from the banks by the government in return for extending this credit swap, and what conditions, if any, were sought by the government but rejected by the banks; (b) were any conditionalities sought on executive compensation; (c) did the federal government seek assurances of interest rate cuts or greater credit access by consumers and companies in return for the credit swap and, if not, why not; (d) what oversight measures are in place to monitor how the banks use the credit; (e) how was the $150 billion sum disbursed, (i) which banks or financial institutions accessed funds, (ii) on what dates, (iii) in what amounts; (f) what was the presumed economic stimulus of this bailout; (g) how long does the government anticipate holding these mortgages and what is the anticipated return from this credit swap; and (h) in the event of a mortgagee defaulting on their loan, what are the financial liabilities and responsibilities borne by the government?

Q-198² — May 7, 2009 — — 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-199² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to government funding announcements since the January 2009 Budget: (a) how many such announcements have been made; (b) what was the location, purpose, and amount of each announcement and which Ministers and Members of Parliament were in attendance; (c) what did each announcement cost to stage, including all travel and hospitality expenses incurred for each Minister, MP, and their staff to attend the announcement; (d) did any involve previously announced funds and, if so, which ones and in what amount; and (e) for each announcement, what amount has since been transferred to each recipient, on what date were each transfer made and if such funds have yet to be transferred, what factors account for the delay?

Q-200² — May 7, 2009 — — 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-201² — May 7, 2009 — — 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 art work 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-202² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to the purchase, either by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) for departments, agencies and Crown corporations, or by the individual departments, agencies and Crown corporations, in the fiscal years 2007-2008, and 2008-2009, namely, (i) media and public relations training, (ii) public opinion research, (iii) promotional materials related to press conferences only, (iv) hairstylists and estheticians, (v) spas and sun tanning salons, (vi) sporting events, (vii) dry cleaning, (viii) taxis, (ix) retreats at resorts or conference centres: (a) by department, agency or Crown corporation, how many items or services in each category were purchased; (b) what was the total cost spent by either PWGSC or another department, agency or Crown corporation on each category; and (c) with respect to media training, what was the date and cost of each contract and who was the recipient of the training?

Q-203² — May 7, 2009 — — With respect to the following categories of items purchased either by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) for departments, agencies and Crown corporations, or by the individual department, agency or Crown corporation in fiscal years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, namely, (i) hybrid vehicles, (ii) televisions, (iii) flowers, (iv) carbon off-set credits for air travel, (v) blackberries, (vi) tickets to sporting events, (vii) tickets to culture related galas, (viii) tickets to entertainment events, (ix) golf balls and golf tees, (x) business ties, (xi) candies, (xii) alcoholic beverages, (xiii) flags, (xiv) land mines and cluster bombs, (xv) games, toys and wheeled goods, (xvi) DVDs and CDs, (xvii) perfumes, toilet preparations and powders, (xviii) clothes and footwear for Ministers of the crown and their staff, (xix) sporting goods, (xx) Tim Horton’s coupons, (xxi) plane and helicopter rentals: (a) by department, agency or Crown corporation, how many in each category were purchased; (b) what was the total cost spent by either PWGSC or another department, agency or Crown corporation on each category?

Q-204² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to investing in retraining and apprenticeships: (a) what is the government's plan to ensure that apprenticeships are being taken up by the industry during this economic downturn; (b) what new programs will the government undertake to assist unemployed Canadians to retrain for new opportunities; (c) what will the government's response be to the issue of rising tuition and costs incurred to complete apprenticeships; (d) what specific agreements have been signed with the provinces for the transfer of funds for retraining and apprenticeships, to improve the lives of Canadians, and to partner to help Canadian industries grow in these difficult economic times; and (e) what future investments is the government planning for the technical colleges and institutes across Canada?

Q-205² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to investing in research and innovation, specifically regarding Brock University in St. Catharine's, Ontario: (a) what is the government's plan to ensure that Canadian research and development remain an example to the rest of the world; (b) what is the government prepared to do to ensure that the best and brightest remain in Canada; (c) what research grants will the government be making available this year, both at Brock University and across Canada; (d) what new programs will the government undertake to assist students; (e) what will the government's response be to the issue of rising tuition; (f) what specific steps will the government take to invest in research and development, to improve the lives of Canadians, and to partner to help Canadian industries grow in these difficult economic times; and (g) what future investments is the government planning for Brock University specifically as well as the colleges and universities across Canada?

Q-206² — May 8, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding, since fiscal year 2005-2006 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of , listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-207² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to Employment Insurance claims made by residents of the constituency of : (a) what is the number of claims that have been made since January 2008 (i) broken down by month, (ii) in total; (b) what is the percentage of claims that have been approved since January 2008, (i) broken down by month, (ii) in total; and (c) what has been the average period of time it has taken to process the claims that have been made since January 2008 (i) broken down by month, (ii) in total?

Q-208² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to the Canada Summer Jobs program administered by Service Canada: (a) what was the amount of funding allocated to each federal riding (i) for 2009, (ii) for 2008, (iii) for 2007; and (b) what are the criteria used to determine the funding amount for each riding?

Q-209² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to applications to sponsor family members for visitor visas made by residents of the constituency of : (a) what is the average processing time for applications made to sponsor family members from (i) China, (ii) the Philippines, (iii) India, (iv) all countries aggregated; (b) what is the approval rate for applications made to sponsor family member from (i) China, (ii) the Philippines, (iii) India, (iv) all countries aggregated; and (c) what are the top five main grounds for denying claims and their rates of usage for applications made to sponsor family members from (i) China, (ii) the Philippines, (iii) India, (iv) all countries aggregated?

Q-210² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to applications to sponsor family members for permanent residency made by residents of the constituency of Vancouver Kingsway: (a) what is the average processing time for applications made to sponsor family members from (i) China, (ii) the Philippines, (iii) India, (iv) all countries aggregated; (b) what is the approval rate for applications made to sponsor family member from (i) China, (ii) the Philippines, (iii) India, (iv) all countries aggregated; and (c) what are the top five main grounds for denying claims and their rates of usage for applications made to sponsor family members from (i) China, (ii) the Philippines, (iii) India, (iv) all countries aggregated?

Q-211² — May 8, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 1998-1999 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituencies of , , , , , , , and , listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-212² — May 8, 2009 — — Regarding regulations on mercury: (a) what progress has the government made on the development of new regulations to reduce mercury emissions from coal fired electric power generation; and (b) when, specifically, is the government going to issue new regulations on mercury emissions from coal fired electric power generation?

Q-213² — May 8, 2009 — — Regarding the government’s “Turning the Corner” strategy released on April 26, 2007: (a) what progress has the government made on the development of regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions; (b) what studies, analyses, polling, or modelling has the government commissioned or prepared on the development of greenhouse gas regulations, (i) who conducted the aforementioned studies, analyses, polling or modelling, (ii) what did each of these cost, and when specifically were they conducted; and (c) when, specifically, is the government going to issue its regulations on greenhouse gas emissions?

Q-214² — May 8, 2009 — — Regarding Canada–United States discussions on energy security and climate change: (a) what specific issues have been discussed by Canadian and United States government representatives bilaterally on energy security issues since 2004; (b) what policy documents have been commissioned by or prepared for the Canadian government to support those discussions; (c) has the Canadian government begun to develop a domestic energy security plan and, if not, why not and, if so, when will it be completed; (d) has the Canadian government conducted an analysis of the effects of a disruption of oil supplies on Canada; (e) have there been discussions with the United States government or its representatives on the development of a bilateral energy security plan with the United States government or have there been discussions of a continental energy security plan to include the parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and (f) has the Canadian government done any analyses or studies on the vulnerability of Canada as the only NAFTA party without an energy security plan in the event of a disruption in oil supplies and, if not, why not, if so, (i) who conducted the studies, (ii) when were they commissioned and completed, (iii) what did they cost, (iv) what are their titles?

Q-215² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to acknowledging and addressing the link between youth unemployment and youth homelessness, using the age range of 15-24: (a) what is the youth unemployment rate over the past three years, broken down by month and by province; (b) what was the impact of the 2006 Human Resources Development Canada investment in youth employment; (c) how much money does the government plan to invest in 2009-2010 to address the problem of youth unemployment; (d) how many additional homeless youth will be caused by the increase in youth unemployment; (e) what is the youth homelessness rate over the past three years, broken down by month and by province; (f) how much money the effects of youth homelessness cost the government in 2009-2010; (g) how much money will the government invest in 2009-2010 to address the problem of homeless youth; and (h) what is the government’s position on committing additional funds for youth internships and work study programs?

Q-216² — May 8, 2009 — — With regards to the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Program Pilot Program: (a) how much did the program cost on an annual basis; (b) did the government achieve its stated goal of universal access by 2005 and, if not, what level of coverage did it achieve, overall and in each participating community and what factors prevented the program from attaining universal access; (c) for what reasons was the program not expanded beyond the pilot stage; (d) which communities participated in the pilot project, what funding did each community receive on an annual basis and what level of accessibility did each recipient community achieve; (e) what was the funding allocation, broken down by province; (f) what is the current level of broadband connectivity in each area that took part in the pilot program; (g) according to province, which communities are still without broadband access and how many of those are First Nations; (h) on a per capita basis for the last five years, how does access to broadband in rural and northern communities compare with Canada’s major urban centres; and (i) what strategies is the government currently undertaking to improve broadband access to rural and northern communities and what resources have been committed to such initiatives?

Q-217² — May 8, 2009 — — 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-218² — May 8, 2009 — — With respect to educational grants and awards issued by the government for the last five years: (a) how many grants have been awarded annually; (b) what was the average amount awarded to each grant recipient from (i) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), (ii) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), (iii) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC); (c) what is the gender split for awardees from (i) NSERC, (ii) CIHR, (iii) SSHRC; (d) what is the provincial breakdown for funding awarded by (i) NSERC, (ii) CIHR, (iii) SSHRC; (e) how many NSERC, CIHR and SSHRC grants are anticipated to be awarded in the next three years, on an annual basis and what is the estimated average value of these awards, on an annual basis; and (f) with regards to changes in SSHRC funding announced in Budget 2009, what was the rationale behind orienting funding toward business-related degrees or areas of study?

Q-219² — May 8, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 2006-2007 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of , listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-220² — May 8, 2009 — — With regard to the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act: (a) when will an order of the Governor in Council be issued to bring this legislation into force; (b) how many pay equity complaints are currently before the Canadian Human Rights Commission; and (c) how many pay equity complaints will be transferred from the Canadian Human Rights Commission to the Public Service Labour Relations Board?

Q-221² — May 11, 2009 — — With respect to contract number C1111-050673/001/PR and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC): (a) when was this contract first awarded, by whom and to whom was it awarded; (b) in what amount was it first awarded; (c) for what product or service was it first awarded; (d) for what reasons was the contract amended six times between December 2006 and February 2009; (e) what amendments were made in each amendment; (f) was the contract competitively tendered following Glickman Fulleringer Executive Promotions’ withdrawal from the contract; (g) if it wasn’t amended, why wasn’t it amended; (h) was any penalty paid by Glickman Fulleringer for pulling out of the contract and, if so, what was the penalty, if the penalty was financial, in what amount was it and was the penalty paid; (i) on what date did Glickman Fulleringer advise the government of their intention to withdraw from the contract and what was the reasoning behind this decision; (j) on what date did 6768997 Canada Inc. assume control of the contract in question; (k) how was 6768997 Canada Inc. chosen by PWGSC; (l) who in PWGSC made the decision to award the contract to 6768997 Canada Inc.; (m) did any persons at 6768997 Canada Inc. formerly work at Glickman Fulleringer and, if so, whom and what role did the presence of this person play in the PWGSC decision to award the original contract to 6768997 Canada Inc.; and (n) what is the government’s position on awarding a contract for the production of maple leaf flag pins that are distributed by parliamentarians to an American-owned company that subsequently outsourced the job to China?

Q-222² — May 11, 2009 — — With respect to the Office of Protocol Official Events (XDS) and Official Visits (XDV) at the Department of Foreign Affairs, for the last five years: (a) what is the annual cost of travel, hospitality and any miscellaneous expenses incurred by each, on a monthly basis; (b) what amount was incurred hosting official delegations in Canada, on a monthly basis, what amount was incurred for foreign travel by Canadian officials, on a monthly basis and on what date and to what locations did each trip occur, stating the purpose of each trip; (c) in regard to such expenses incurred by Ministers of the Crown, their political staff, and any accompanying family members, what did each trip cost and on what date and to what locations did each trip occur stating the purpose of each trip; (d) in regard to special envoys and members of expert panels named by the Prime Minister, what expenses were incurred by each, on what date and to what locations did each trip occur, stating the purpose of each trip; (e) what expenses were covered for domestic travel by Canadian officials, whose expenses were covered, on what date and to what locations did each trip occur, stating the purpose of each trip; (f) in regard to hosting foreign delegations, which delegations were hosted, on what dates and what travel, hospitality and miscellaneous costs were incurred by each delegation; (g) why are expenses of Ministers, their staff and other VIPs, routed through XDS or XDV and not listed in proactive disclosures required in Treasury Board guidelines; and (h) what is the government’s position on listing travel and hospitality expenses incurred by ministers and their staff on foreign trips in their proactive disclosures?

Q-223² — May 11, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 1998-1999 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of , listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-224² — May 11, 2009 — — With respect to federal spending in the constituency of , what was the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 2005-2006 up to and including the current fiscal year, itemized according to: (a) the date the money was received in the riding; (b) the dollar amount of the expenditure; (c) the program from which the funding came; (d) the ministry responsible; and (e) the designated recipient?

Q-225² — May 11, 2009 — — With regard to the patient wait time pilot project announced in Budget 2007, what is the total amount of government funding since 2007 up to and including the current fiscal year, itemized according to: (a) where each pilot project is located; (b) the name of the institution; (c) what the money was used for; (d) the date the money was received; and (e) the effect on, if any, wait times?

Q-226² — May 11, 2009 — — With regard to the human swine flu: (a) when exactly was the government first approached by Mexico for help in managing this serious health issue; (b) how many fatalities did the Mexican authorities attribute to this respiratory disease at the time they first notified Canada of their situation; (c) how many victims, that were not fatalities, were they treating when they first approached Canada on the swine flu; (d) what were the official concerns cited by the Mexican authorities in seeking Canadian and international assistance in managing this emergency; and (e) when did the Canadian government undertake the requested assistance?

Q-227² — May 12, 2009 — — With regards to motion M-426 (rare diseases and disorders), in the name of Mr. Bell (Vancouver North), adopted by the House on May 6, 2008, since that time: (a) has the government acted on this policy and, if not, why not; (b) how much contact has the government initiated and had with stakeholder groups such as Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders to enact this policy; (c) what financial resources have been set aside for this policy; (d) what assurances can the government give Canadians with rare disorders that they have a right to and can access effective therapies and medications; and (e) what actions will the government take to make Canadians aware of this program?

Q-228² — May 12, 2009 — — Since coming to power, (i) what has the government done to promote and help get the Alaska Highway gas pipeline started, (ii) what meetings have been held with stakeholder groups, (iii) what have been total government expenditures to date on this project, (iv) what is the target date for the construction of this gas pipeline?

Q-229² — May 12, 2009 — — With regard to the Atlantic Gateway initiative: (a) how much federal funding has been announced to date; (b) how many funding expenditures have been approved to date under this program, (i) what is the federal contribution, and matching contribution from provincial or private partner sources for each expenditure for a total project cost, (ii) where is each expenditure located, (iii) what are the criteria for the approval and anticipated outcomes of each expenditure; (c) what are the amounts given to each province since the creation of this funding; and (d) what are the projected economic benefits for the Atlantic Region?

Q-231 — May 13, 2009 — — 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 of agency, initiative and amount?

Q-232² — May 13, 2009 — — With regards to the expedited processing of family class sponsorships for people in Sri Lanka: (a) what date was the High Commission in Colombo instructed to expedite family class sponsorships; (b) what additional resources have been allocated to the High Commission to facilitate the expedited processing of family class sponsorships; (c) what criteria are used to identify the cases to be expedited; (d) how many cases have been identified for expedited processing; (e) how many applications have been completed since the instructions were issued; and (f) does the government have a comprehensive and detailed plan to send human resources directly to the camps in Sri Lanka in order to facilitate the completion of the documentation required to expedite family reunification for those who cannot make their way to Colombo?

Q-233² — May 13, 2009 — — With respect to military contracts of over $100 million awarded since January 2006 that include industrial and regional benefit (IRB) requirements, for each contract: (a) what is the name of the principal contractor; (b) what is the name of the Canadian company that concluded a partnership agreement with the principal contractor under the IRB Policy; (c) briefly, what is the project's description; (d) where will most of the project be carried out; (e) how long will the project take; and (f) what is the project’s IRB value in terms of the IRB Policy?

Q-234² — May 13, 2009 — — With regards to the government’s animal welfare policies: (a) to which projects, programs and organizations has funding been allocated; (b) what is the amount pledged for each project, program and organization; (c) what total amounts have been allocated towards animal welfare in the last 4 fiscal years, and what proportion was directed to regulatory enforcement or to other kinds of programs; (d) what relevant government regulations have existed and currently exist now; (e) has the government (or its agencies and departments) conducted consultations on animal welfare issues since January 23, 2006 and, if so, which groups have been consulted; (f) what mechanisms does Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency use to obtain input from valid animal welfare groups on animal welfare issues; (g) what amount has the government allocated to the National Farm Animal Care Council for this fiscal year and the last 4 fiscal years; (h) what amount has the government allocated to the Canadian Council on Animal Care for this fiscal year and the last 4 fiscal years; (i) what amount of the $1.3 billion allocated to the government’s Growing Forward program is dedicated exclusively to animal care and animal welfare; (j) what sections of the Growing Forward framework will allow for ongoing funding of animal welfare programs and enforcement in Canada; and (k) within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, what departments address animal welfare issues?

Q-235² — May 13, 2009 — — With regards to the Canadian airports and night flights: (a) how many Canadian airports are designated as international airports, and what are their names; (b) by month, over the last 5 years, what is the number of flights that, between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and between midnight and 6:00 a.m., (i) take off, (ii) land, (iii) weigh more than 45,000 kilograms, (iv) weigh less, (v) are regularly scheduled flights, (vi) are charter flights, (vii) are caused by weather delays, (viii) are for emergency medical reasons, (ix) are for military operations, (x) are for delays beyond a carrier’s control; (c) for each of Canada’s international airports, what is the specific legal or regulatory requirement for public consultation concerning the creation of new flight corridors or the modification of existing ones; (d) which organizations are the relevant airport governing bodies required to consult with before the creation of a new flight corridor or the modification of an existing one; and (e) what legal or regulatory requirements exist, if any, that oblige Canada’s international airports’ governing bodies to take into account public health factors when modifying or establishing flight corridors or increasing the number of night flights?

Q-236² — May 13, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 1998-1999 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-237² — May 13, 2009 — — Regarding the telecommunications infrastructure in each of Lanaudière’s regional county municipalities: (a) what licences have been issued with respect to physical infrastructure in these jurisdictions; (b) who holds each of these licences; (c) what is the physical telecommunications infrastructure (cable, copper wire, optical fibre and other networks) inventory in these jurisdictions; and (d) who, specifically, owns this infrastructure?

Q-238² — May 14, 2009 — — With respect to Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) over the past five fiscal years: (a) in the National Capital Region, what is the total amount of PILT paid per federally-owned property on a yearly basis and in total and which municipalities received the payment for every property; (b) which municipalities receive PILT, on a yearly basis and in total; (c) which of the federally-owned buildings are slated to be sold; and (d) which of the federally-owned buildings are under corporate asset review?

Q-239² — May 14, 2009 — — With regard to government funding for research and development activity: (a) what research and development projects have received federal funds in Newfoundland and Labrador in the past fiscal year; (b) how many of these projects have required matching provincial, municipal, or private funding and what is the breakdown of funding matched for each project; (c) how much federal research and development funding has gone into each province and territory on a per capita basis; (d) as a percentage of the gross domestic product, how much federal funding has gone into research and development funding in each province and territory; (e) what reports have been prepared to analyze or make suggestions related to strategies for increasing research and development activities in the Atlantic Region, and what is the content of these reports; and (f) what reports have been prepared to analyze or make suggestions related to strategies for increasing research and development activities in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and what is the content of these reports?

Q-240² — May 14, 2009 — — With regards to the boundary dispute between France and Canada related to the seabed off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador near the islands of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon: (a) what actions has the government taken in relation to this dispute; (b) what correspondence has been exchanged between Canada and France on this issue, and what is the content of this correspondence; (c) what correspondence has been exchanged between the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on this issue, and what is the content of this correspondence; and (d) have any reports been prepared on this issue for the government, and what is the content of these reports?

Q-241² — May 14, 2009 — — With regards to the support of the sealing industry in Canada: (a) what actions have been taken by the government to correct misinformation being spread concerning the seal harvest by animal rights extremists; (b) what correspondence has been exchanged by the Government of Canada and other governments related to the seal industry, and what is the content of this correspondence; (c) have any reports or briefing notes been prepared on this issue and, if so, what is the content of these reports; and (d) how much has the government spent in marketing and advertising in support of the seal industry in 2007-2008 and in 2008-2009?

Q-242² — May 14, 2009 — — With regard to Employment Insurance: (a) has the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development been provided any documents or departmental briefing notes that outline changes to the processing time of Employment Insurance cheques; (b) under the rules, how many days does an unemployed worker have to wait for his or her first cheque; (c) on average, how many days does an unemployed worker currently wait for his or her cheque; and (d) how many service telephone lines are available to workers looking for information, and how many of those telephone lines are staffed at one time?

Q-243² — May 14, 2009 — — With regard to the Veteran’s Independence Program: (a) how many applications were received in the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 to date; (b) how many of these applications were approved to receive assistance; (c) how many of these applications were refused; (d) does the government plan to expand the program to include all Second World War and Korean War veterans’ widows; and (e) has the Department of Veteran’s Affairs been provided any documents or departmental briefing notes with regard to a cost-benefit analysis for expanding the program?

Q-244² — May 14, 2009 — — With respect to the $ 1 billion Community Adjustment Fund announced in Budget 2009: (a) what economic studies were conducted by the government with respect to the creation of the Community Adjustment Fund; (b) when did these studies begin; c) which stakeholders, organizations, provincial governments and municipal governments were consulted; (d) have any rural groups, organizations, stakeholders been consulted in terms of scope or mandate of this new Fund; (e) have any Aboriginal communities been consulted; (f) what is the planned date for the implementation and distribution of funds for the first year of the Fund; (g) what is the base amount each province will receive; (h) will the territories receive funding from the Fund and, (i) if so, what is the base amount they will receive, (ii) if not, will they receive funding through a different program; (i) which annual population figure will be used for the calculation of the per capita sharing for the remainder of the funds which are to be allocated in annual payments in each of the two years to the provinces; (j) what amount, excluding the base amount, is to be allocated to Ontario based on the calculation of the per capita sharing for the first year; (k) as the funding will be provided through regional development agencies, what amount will be provided to FedNor; (l) what federal ridings will be under the jurisdiction of FedNor regarding the Community Adjustment Fund; (m) what limitations, stipulations or regulations will be attached to the requirements for the provinces to receive and distribute the funds; (n) what, if any, are the specific programs the Fund have already committed to support and in which town or cities are these programs based; and (o) what specific programs will the Fund invest that will help workers, communities and businesses in Northern Ontario position themselves to take advantage of opportunities, as economic growth recovers in Canada and around the world?

Q-245² — May 14, 2009 — — With respect to federal spending in the constituency of Nipissing—Timiskaming, what was the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 2005-2006 up to and including the current fiscal year, itemized according to: (a) the date the money was received in the riding; (b) the dollar amount of the expenditure; (c) the program from which the funding came; (d) the ministry responsible; and (e) the designated recipient?

Q-246² — May 14, 2009 — — With regard to funding applications submitted to FedNor, the Federal Economic Development Initiative in Northern Ontario, for each fiscal year from 2003-2004 to 2009-2010: (a) which projects were submitted under each agency program; (b) which projects were approved; (c) what amount was allocated to each of these projects; and (d) which projects were not processed?

Q-247² — May 14, 2009 — — With regards to the measures announced in Budget 2009 concerning assistance for consumers of financial products by enhancing disclosure and improving business practices in respect of credit cards issued by federally regulated financial institutions: (a) which government departments, agencies, government officials and their titles were involved in the consultation process and drafting process in regards to this measure and when did they begin; (b) were there any consultations with any of the Credit Card companies who operate in Canada and, if so, when did these meetings occur and who was present; and (c) which other organisations or stakeholders were involved in the consultation process and with which government officials and when did they occur?

Q-248² — May 14, 2009 — — What is the government's strategy to counter the important increase in illegal cigarette sales?

Q-249² — May 14, 2009 — — 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 Don Valley East, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-250² — May 14, 2009 — — What is the total impact on government revenues due to the 2006 new tax on income trusts?

Q-251² — May 21, 2009 — — What are the names of all government appointments to federal boards, agencies and associations in Nova Scotia for the years 2006 to date?

Q-252² — May 21, 2009 — — With regard to project applications and approvals in the constituency of under the Job Creation Partnership, through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: (a) how many applications were submitted; (b) who were the applicants; (c) what were the projects identified in the application; and (d) of the projects that were approved, how much funding was approved and what was the breakdown of funding to each specific project for wages, overhead and materials for the time period January 1, 2007 to April 30, 2009?

Q-253² — May 21, 2009 — — With regard to the Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board (CEIFB) announced in Budget 2008, and the subsequent Nominating Committee announced July 21, 2008: (a) have the Nominating Committee identified candidates for appointment to the CEIFB and, if so, (i) has a list of potential members been presented to the Governor in Council for appointment, (ii) has the Governor in Council appointed members for the CEIFB, (iii) who were the individuals listed or appointed, (iv) what is the home province or territory for each individual; (b) what has the CEIFB done since being founded to fulfill their responsibilities, including (i) implementing Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate-setting mechanism to ensure EI revenues and expenditures break even over time, (ii) using any excess EI revenues in a given year to reduce premium rates in subsequent years, (iii) maintaining a $2 billion cash reserve fund to support rate stability measures; and (c) has a contingency fund been established, if so, (i) has the transfer of $2 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund into a contingency fund occurred, (ii) what is the current balance in the established contingency fund?

Q-254² — May 21, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding since fiscal year 2006-2007 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of Don Valley West, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-255² — May 21, 2009 — — With respect to the Police Officers Recruitment Fund: (a) how does the government track how many new police officer positions are created and filled from the fund; and (b) how many positions has the fund created and how many of those positions have been filled?

Q-256² — May 21, 2009 — — With respect to the Community Futures program, what Community Futures projects have received funding, since 2006, within British Columbia, but outside the Greater Vancouver area and, for these projects, which have repaid any loans they received?

Q-257² — May 21, 2009 — — With respect to the Building Canada Fund, which applications have received funding since 2006 within British Columbia, but outside the Greater Vancouver area?

Q-258² — May 21, 2009 — — With regard to the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP): (a) how much money was spent on this program in 2008-2009; (b) how many individuals received payments of any kind eligible under the program; (c) were payments in (b) more or less than budgeted; (d) what was the average payment per individual; (e) how many claims were made last fiscal year; (f) how many claims are expected this year; (g) has the government planned for an increase in bankruptcies and insolvencies this year; (h) what are the administrative costs of this program; (i) how many staff are employed to administer this program; and (j) does the department plan to hire additional staff in the face of the current economic crisis to administer the WEPP?

Q-259² — May 21, 2009 — — With regard to the government's public consultations to modernize Part III of the Canada Labour Code: (a) how many groups have made submissions; (b) how many individuals have made submissions; (c) how many face-to-face or telephone meetings has the Minister of Labour had with groups and individuals in relation to these public consultations; (d) what are the names of groups and individuals of (c); (e) what are the names of groups and individuals that have made submissions; (f) what is the budget of this public consultation process; (g) what is the cost so far of these consultations; and (h) is the legislation to modernize Part III of the Canada Labour Code being drafted?

Q-260² — May 21, 2009 — — With regard to replacement workers: (a) has the government reviewed subsection 94 (2.1) of the Canada Labour Code which prohibits the use of replacement workers if these workers are used to undermine a trade union’s capacity to engage in bargaining and represent its member; (b) has the use of replacement workers ever been prohibited under subsection 94 (2.1); (c) has the government compared federal legislation to provincial legislation as it relates to replacement workers and, if so, what were the findings and conclusions; (d) has the department held consultations or provided information to the Minister of Labour to define what services would be deemed essential under federal jurisdiction in the event of a labour dispute should a ban on replacement workers be implemented; (e) does the government intend to take any action on replacement workers in 2009-2010; and (f) has the department provided the Minister of Labour with any documentation indicating that the number of work stoppages would increase and last longer if a replacement worker ban were implemented?

Q-261² — May 21, 2009 — — With regard to the Employment Equity Act: (a) has the progress of the Act been evaluated since the last parliamentary review of the legislation and, if so, what were the findings of this review; (b) did Human Resources and Social Development Canada develop a workplace equity integration strategy for persons with disabilities and Aboriginal peoples; (c) have these two under-represented groups in the public service increased in numbers; and (d) how has employment equity progressed in workplaces covered under the Federal Contractors Program since 2002?

Q-262² — May 25, 2009 — — With regard to government investments in drinking water filtration and sewage treatment infrastructure: (a) how much has the government spent or allocated for these in fiscal years 2005-2006 to 2009-2010 (budgeted amount); (b) what is the provincial-territorial breakdown of this spending in each of the aforementioned years; and (c) how much investment has this spending leveraged, or will leverage, from other levels of government, including provincial, territorial and municipal?

Q-263² — May 25, 2009 — — With regard to the environmental industries sector in Canada: (a) what were the sales of water and waste-water treatment firms for the five most recent years; (b) what proportion of these sales were for equipment and systems as opposed to services; (c) what were the sales for the environmental industries as a whole in the same years; (d) what proportion of the water sector's sales were export sales in each of the years in question; and (e) what proportion of these export sales were for equipment and systems as opposed to services?

Q-264² — May 25, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding, since fiscal year 2004-2005 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the City of Hamilton, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-265² — May 25, 2009 — — 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-266² — May 25, 2009 — — With respect to the Government’s agreement with the Government of Ontario to harmonize the Goods and Services Tax and Ontario Provincial Sales Tax: (a) what additional classes of goods and services will the new harmonized sales tax apply to that the GST does not; (b) what additional classes of goods and services will the new harmonized sales tax apply to that the Ontario provincial sales tax does not; (c) owing to this agreement, on an annual basis, how much sales tax revenue does the government project it will lose from (i) corporations, (ii) consumers; and (d) owing to this agreement, on an annual basis, how much new sales tax revenue does the government project it will collect from (i) corporations, (ii) consumers?

Q-267² — May 25, 2009 — — 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 Windsor West, listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-268² — May 25, 2009 — — With regard to the Shiprider Project: (a) at what stage are the negotiations with the United States; (b) is there a deadline for the signing of the permanent agreement and, if so, what is it; (c) on what date did the discussions about this project begin and by whom were they initiated; (d) which Canadian government departments or agencies, and which officials have participated in the negotiations; (e) which United States government departments or agencies and officials have participated in the negotiations; (f) were other stakeholders consulted and, if so, who; (g) when did these consultations occur and what was discussed; (h) what is the mandate of this project; (i) what are the rules under which this project operates; (j) which government departments are funding this project, both here and in the United States; (k) what is the total dollar amount spent by the government on this project since its inception, broken down by year; (l) what is the total dollar amount spent on this project since its inception, broken down by year; (m) which government departments will operate and fund this project should it become permanent, both in Canada and the United States; (n) what is the total anticipated cost of this project should it become permanent; (o) how much of that anticipated cost is being covered by the Canadian government and how much will be covered by the American government; (p) how many Canadian vessels and how many American Coast guard vessels are participating in this project currently; (q) how many Canadian vessels and how many American Coast Guard vessels will participate when and if this project becomes permanent; and (r) what precautions have been taken to ensure that Canadian sovereignty is not violated?

Q-269² — May 25, 2009 — — With regard to the ministerial directions provided to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS): (a) what are the new operational guidelines provided to CSIS; (b) when were they provided and when did they come into force; (c) how did they amend the previous CSIS guidelines; (d) why was a revision of the guidelines initiated and when was it initiated; (e)who was consulted in the revision of the guidelines and when; (f) do the new guidelines address the concerns raised about CSIS’ operations and procedures in both the O’Connor and Iacobucci inquiries and how; (g) do the revised guidelines address the issue of information sharing, and how; (h) do the guidelines specifically address the issue of information sharing with countries that have questionable human rights records or are known to use torture, and how; (i) do the revised guidelines specifically address the issue of labelling, and how; (j) will there be a mandatory review of the revised guidelines to ensure that they have effectively responded to concerns raised by the O’Connor and Iacobucci inquiries and, if so, when; and (k) what are the government’s intelligence priorities for 2008-2009, as outlined in the new guidelines, and what are the government’s intelligence priorities for 2009-2010?

Q-270² — May 25, 2009 — — With respect to the government’s policy of arming Canada’s border guards: (a) how many border guards are currently armed, broken down by region and border crossing; (b) how many border guards still remain to be armed; (c) what is the government’s current schedule for the training and arming of the remaining border guards, from the present until the scheduled date of completion; (d) has the schedule been amended and, if so, how, when and why; (e) what methodology is being used to determine the order in which border guards are armed; (f) what is the current budgeted cost of arming border guards; (g) has this amount changed and, if so, why, when and by how much; (h) what is the detailed breakdown of money spent to implement this policy, broken down yearly, to date; (i) what is the total dollar amount budgeted for this project since its inception, broken down by year, from now until completion; (j) which department or agency is supplying the funds for the arming of border guards; (k) who did the government consult before initiating the arming policy, and when; (l) are these consultations on-going as this policy is rolled out and, if so, at what point do the consultations occur and how are they conducted; (m) was the government provided with advice or studies to support their claim that the arming of border guards will improve border security and, if so, by whom and how were their conclusions reached; (n) was the government provided with any advice or studies that did not support their claim that the arming of border guards will improve border security and, if so, by whom and how were those conclusions reached; (o) was the government provided with advice or studies that recommended other policies as more effective at improving border security and, if so, by whom where they provided, what were they, how were their conclusions reached and, what were their detailed cost breakdown; (p) what is the government doing with border guards who do not wish to be trained to carry a gun or who do not have the competency to do so; (q) what is the detailed cost to the government, broken down annually, of accommodating those guards; (r) what is the current pay scale of an unarmed guard as compared to an armed guard; (s) how many times have armed border guards had to upholster their guns to date, how many time have they had to fire their gun, and what were the circumstances surrounding each situation; and (t) is the government considering extending the arming policy to include national park wardens and, if so, when will that occur and what is the detailed cost of this policy?

Q-271² — May 25, 2009 — — With respect to proposed provisions contained in bills C-2, C-14 and C-15: (a) has the government done a detailed cost analysis for these bills and, if so, what is it; (b) what is the projected growth rate of inmates in our federal correctional institutions over the next five years, broken down yearly, and are costs associated with proposed provisions contained in these bills factored into that calculation; (c) what is the government’s plan to ensure that our corrections facilities can accommodate the additional surge of inmates resulting from the changes that these bills would bring; (d) what funds have been spent on corrections infrastructure, annually, since 2006; (e) what funds are being allocated to address corrections infrastructure over the next five years, broken down annually; (f) what funds have been spent on programming for inmates in federal corrections institutions, broken down by program, annually, since 1993; (g) what funds are earmarked to be spent on programming for inmates in federal corrections institutions, broken down by program, annually, for the next five years; (h) did the government consult with the provincial and territorial governments before bringing forward these bills and, if so, (i) when did the consultations occur, (ii) what form did the consultations take; (i) will the government be providing funding to the provinces and territories to help them pay for the additional costs being placed on their correctional institutions and, if so, how much, and when can they expect to access the funding; and (j) what are the government’s plans for the land that is currently used by the Prison Farm Program, and will it be used to accommodate the growing number of inmates in our federal institutions and how?

Q-272² — May 25, 2009 — — With respect to the Police Officers Recruitment Fund: (a) how much has been allocated to the fund since its inception; (b) how much has been allocated to each jurisdiction since inception; (c) is the government aware of how many new police officers have been hired with this fund and, if so, how many in each jurisdiction; (d) what plans does the government have to help jurisdictions retain new recruits beyond the conclusion of this fund; and (e) what controls has the government put on the fund?

Q-274² — May 27, 2009 — — 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-275² — May 27, 2009 — — With regard to Status of Women Canada's Action Plan: (a) what individuals, organizations and government bodies have been consulted; (b) what individuals, organizations and government bodies are still to be consulted for the development of the Action Plan; (c) what mediums are used for the consultations and are they written, in person, by video conference or any other mean; (d) is the Minister of State meeting with consultation participants in every province and territory; and (e) were there guidelines or criteria developed for consultation and, if so, what were they?

Q-276² — May 27, 2009 — — With regard to Military Family Resource Centres: (a) how many are there across Canada; (b) where are they located; (c) how many staff are employed in each centre; (d) what are the programs listed in each centre; (e) how many early learning and child care spaces are available in each centre; (f) how many children occupy those spaces; (g) how many children are on the wait list; and (h) what is the criteria to access spaces available?

Q-277 — May 28, 2009 — — What is the total amount of government funding, since fiscal year 1998-1999 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of , listing each department or agency, initiative, and amount?

Q-278² — May 28, 2009 — — With regards to the proposed changes to the Food Mail Program: (a) how will the expenditures specifically be used to improve the program’s efficiency; (b) how are the elimination of personal orders and the reduction of small retail orders expected to improve the program’s effectiveness; (c) how will the elimination of personal orders and a reliance on large retailers impact those people with specific dietary and health needs; (d) how does the government plan on fulfilling its duties to consult with both Inuit women and men about the proposed changes to the program; (e) how does the government plan on publicizing the changes in services and the relocation of entry points to the affected population; (f) what are the plans for ensuring that the retailers will pass on the subsidy savings to consumer prices; and (g) how does the government intend to increase transparency within the program and monitor how government funds are specifically spent?

Q-279 — May 28, 2009 — — With respect to the Veterans Affairs program for the compensation of those who were exposed to Agent Orange: (a) how did the government come to the decision on the years that would be covered for those who were exposed; (b) how did the government arrive at the compensation amount of $20,000; (c) why will the government not compensate the widows of those who were exposed and met the qualifying conditions, but who have since passed away; (d) how many applications for compensation has the government received to date; (e) how many of those applications have been approved; (f) how many applications have been denied; (g) how many of those denied were refused because the veteran has since passed away; (h) how many of the applications denied were due to a medical condition that was not deemed to meet the government’s criteria; (i) what mechanisms did the government use to determine which illnesses would be covered and which would not be considered for compensation; (j) how many cheques have been issued and delivered; and (k) was the departmental funding cut of $33.6 million completely due to a program criteria which resulted in lower than expected numbers of beneficiaries?

Q-280² — May 29, 2009 — — With regard to the $18 million committed to the restoration of Lake Winnipeg: (a) how much of the committed amount has been spent; (b) what projects has the money been allocated to; (c) how much has each project received; (d) what organizations have received funding; (e) how much has each organization received; (f) what are the intended outcomes for all funding that has been allocated; (g) over what period of time are outcomes expected of each project; (h) has all the money been committed to; and (i) what government departments are overseeing the spending expenditures?

Q-281² — May 29, 2009 — — With respect to Veterans Affairs Canada Health Benefits: (a) what is the rationale behind the application of a deduction, in most cases of $5, from the repayment of taxi fares for veterans seeking treatment or diagnosis from doctors, hospitals, or health care facilities; (b) what is the total amount Veterans Affairs Canada deducted from all repayment of taxi fares in the 2007-2008 fiscal year; and (c) has a review of this policy been undertaken by Veterans Affairs Canada?

Q-282² — May 29, 2009 — — With respect to Canadian bilateral aid to Afghanistan, on an annual basis since 2002: (a) what projects have been so funded and in what amounts; (b) which branches of which departments, were involved in approving and overseeing each project; (c) how much is considered tied aid, in percentage and dollar amounts; (d) which projects were sole-sourced contracts; (e) which projects have been audited by independent auditors hired by, or on behalf of, the government; (f) which accounting firms were hired; (g) what was the cost, and submission date, of each audit; (h) by which department or agency was the audit received; (i) were any contracts awarded to auditors without a competitive tender and, if so, which ones, and why; (j) on the basis of what criteria do auditors determine a project to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory and which ones were so designated and why; (k) how many projects have had funding revoked, reduced, or not renewed, because of concerns related to their fiscal or project management and which were so affected, and for what reasons; and (l) which audits referenced projects that lost aid due to corruption, and what was the estimated loss in percentage and dollar amounts?

Q-283² — May 29, 2009 — — With respect to the deportation of foreign nationals from Canada, for the last five years: (a) on an annual basis, how many people are deported and to which countries; (b) how many were deported after having been deemed a national security threat, violated immigration rules, or received a criminal conviction; (c) how many countries does the government not deport people to due to concerns of violating the principle of non-refoulement, as codified in international law, including the 1951 Geneva Convention; (d) to which countries does Canada not deport people and why; (e) with regard to countries that have well documented human rights violations, what consideration is given to their records and their potential implications for deportees prior to Canadian government officials making final determinations on whether or not to deport persons, (i) which departments would be involved in such a consideration, (ii) which department is the final authority in making a determination; (f) on what basis would the need to deport a person trump concerns for that person’s welfare after they are deported; (g) with regard to countries that are in the midst of a civil war, what consideration is given to this and its potential implications for a deportee prior to Canadian government officials making a final determination on whether or not to deport a person; (h) what is the annual travel costs of repatriating deportees, as a global figure and a median basis; (i) what is the annual cost of housing deportees in detention prior to their deportation; (j) what is the average time a deportee remains in custody prior to deportation; and (k) currently how many people are waiting to be deported?

Q-284² — May 29, 2009 — — 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-285² — June 1, 2009 — — With respect to government expenditures since fiscal year 2004-2005: (a) what is the total amount of government funding from that time up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of ; (b) which departments or agencies spent money within the constituency; (c) on what initiatives did each department or agency spend these funds; and (d) what was the amount of spending within the riding for each department or agency and each initiative?

Q-286² — June 1, 2009 — — With respect to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) for the last five years: (a) how many security incidents, by airport, were reported on a monthly basis; (b) what kind of security incidents were so reported; (c) how many incidents were serious enough to involve the police; (d) how many involved arrests; (e) how many weapons were confiscated by airport screeners, by airport, on a monthly basis; (f) what weapons were confiscated; (g) how many breaches of security perimeters under CATSA’s jurisdiction occurred, by airport, on a monthly basis; (h) which private security firms has CATSA engaged to provide screening services at airports; (i) what is the value and duration of each contract; (j) which contracts were awarded without a competitive tender, and why; (k) how many employees of private security firms have been charged in relation to security incidents; and (l) on what day and in what location did the incidents occur?

Q-287² — June 1, 2009 — — With respect to significant environmental incidents within federal jurisdiction in the last five years: (a) when and in what locations did each incident occur; (b) which incidents occurred in environmentally sensitive or protected areas; (c) what damage was caused; (d) which wildlife listed in the Species at Risk Registry were affected; (e) which departments were notified; (f) which department claimed lead jurisdiction in overseeing each case; (g) who evaluated the potential environmental damage; (h) which private sector entities were contracted to carry out such work; (i) were any contracts the subject of a non-competitive bid process and, if so, which ones and why; (j) what were the associated cleaning up costs of each incident; (k) who was so contracted; (l) were any contracts the subject of a non-competitive bid process and, if so, which ones and why; (m) what charges, if any, were laid in connection with each incident; (n) did any result in fines or prison terms and, if so, for whom and what sentence or fine did they receive; and (o) if no legal action was taken, why not?

Q-288² — June 1, 2009 — — With respect to the $2 billion for university and college infrastructure announced in Budget 2009: (a) what projects have been approved for funding to date; (b) where are they located; (c) who are the partners involved; (d) what is the federal contribution; (e) what is each partner's contribution; and (f) has the funding flowed?

Q-289² — June 1, 2009 — — With respect to Canada’s contribution to millennium development goals (MDGs) and democratic governance: (a) how will the Canadian International Development Agency reach the target populations in each of the 20 new countries on the focus list, especially countries where the target populations are in the minority; (b) which subnational concentration strategies will be applied; (c) which MDGs will be targeted in each country selected; and (d) what percentage of bilateral aid for each country will go directly to achieving MDGs?

Q-290² — June 1, 2009 — — Since January 2006, what are the dates, times, and locations of all cabinet and all committees of cabinet meetings including: (a) who attended each meeting and in what capacity; (b) who attended as a presenter to cabinet or cabinet committee at each meeting, or as part of a delegation to cabinet or cabinet committee at each meeting; and (c) what was the time duration of the meeting?

Q-291² — June 1, 2009 — — With regards to the proposed establishment of the Edmonton Aboriginal Transition Centre in conjunction with the proposed changes to the Aboriginal Transition Model in urban centres: (a) what specific research has the government done to recognize the need for this centre and what are the comprehensive findings of any studies done; (b) how does the government specifically plan on engaging and cooperating with community-based organizations that already focus on transitioning Aboriginal people in urban locations; (c) if any consultation was done with community-based organizations prior to the planning of the new model, (i) what organizations were contacted, (ii) at what date were they contacted, (iii) where is each organization located, (iv) what were the results and feedback of the consultation process; (d) has this new model received support or opposition from the Friendship Centres on the local, regional, and national levels; (e) if the Friendship Centres do support this new model, how is their cooperation demonstrated, and if they are opposed to the model, how have they displayed their opposition; and (f) what consultation has been done with other governmental departments, particularly the Department of Canadian Heritage, that fund similar services to Aboriginal peoples in order to avoid overlap in governmental expenditures and programming?

Q-292² — June 2, 2009 — — With regards to former President Bush’s visit to Calgary, Alberta on March 17, 2009, and former Presidents Bush and Clinton’s visit to Toronto, Ontario, on May 29, 2009: (a) what were the costs of these visits to the government; (b) what did these costs cover, including security, transportation or other; (c) what, if any, is the protocol or agreement for incurring costs for visits of former heads of state to Canada; (d) did the government contribute to the speakers’ fees or any other fees related to the March or May events and, if so, what were the contributions; (e) what risk assessments are made and what risk factors are considered by the government when former heads of state visit Canada; (f) have any former heads of state been denied entry into Canada because of risk factors; and (g) does the government condone the exclusion of the media from these types of events, if the government is responsible for any of the costs related to these visits?

Q-293² — June 2, 2009 — — With regards to the disposal of surplus federal property in the greater Victoria area: (a) how many federal properties have been designated as surplus properties since 1999; (b) for what reasons were the properties determined as surplus; (c) which properties have been designated as routine; (d) which properties have been designated as strategic; (e) when were those designations declared; (f) were any properties changed from a routine designation to a strategic designation and, if so, what was the reason for the change in designation, and when did the change in designation occur; (g) what was the market value for each of the surplus properties; (h) what was the purchase price of each disposal property that was successfully transferred; (i) who conducted the independent third party appraisals of each property; (j) which properties, if any, were transferred under the Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative (SFRPHI); (k) which properties, if any, are currently in the process of transfer through SFRPHI; and (l) how many homelessness related community service providers have tendered bids on disposal properties?

Q-294 — June 2, 2009 — — With regards to the employment insurance program two-week waiting period: (a) how many individuals who apply for employment insurance report finding a new job within the two-week waiting period; and (b) how much would it cost the government to eliminate the two-week waiting period for all claimants?

Q-295² — June 2, 2009 — — With respect to the government’s proposed tax on income trusts to take effect in 2011: (a) what is the government’s current revenue forecast for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 from the tax on income trusts; and (b) what portion of these monies will be shared with the provinces and territories, (i) how much money will each province receive, if any, as a result of the tax on income trusts in each year 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, (ii) has the government established a working group to determine how these monies would be shared, as requested by the Ontario Finance Minister in 2007, (iii) which provinces has Finance Canada consulted with to inform them of the monies they should expect from this tax, if any?

Q-296² — June 2, 2009 — — With regard to the Agriculture Minister’s 2008 request for his then-Parliamentary Secretary Guy Lauzon to conduct a study on the future of agriculture, trends in agriculture and how to attract youth to agriculture: (a) what were the findings of this report; (b) when was the report completed and presented to the Minister; (c) what communities were visited by the Parliamentary Secretary as part of the research, (i) who did he meet with in compiling his information, including their names, positions, associations represented and stakeholders in the agriculture industry, (ii) what documents were submitted for this report; (d) what were the dates, times and locations of town hall meetings held in researching this paper; (e) what were the costs associated with producing this report, including travel, meals, hospitality, meeting venues, support staff, and accomodation; (f) why has the study not been tabled in Parliament; and (g) what are the government's plans for acting on this report?

Q-297² — June 2, 2009 — — 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-298² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to the Jericho Lands in Vancouver, British Columbia: (a) what are all of the documents outlining the government’s plans for the Jericho Lands; (b) which department or agency is in charge of the transition from military use to other use; (c) what is the timeline for the relocation of the regimental headquarters; (d) where are the family housing units currently located on the premises planned to be relocated and by when; (e) which department or agency will take custody when the Jericho Lands are vacated; (f) what dates and locations, if at all, did consultations take place with the public and Musqueam bands regarding the planned change in land use; (g) what is the process by which the government will divest itself of the Jericho Lands; and (h) have any commitments been made to sell, lease or transfer all or part of the Jericho Lands to any other organizations and, if so, to whom?

Q-299² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to the University of British Columbia (UBC), for the fiscal years 2004 to present (and including Budget 2009): (a) which government departments, agencies, crown corporations and granting councils distributed research funding to UBC; (b) in what amounts were these funds distributed; and (c) for what projects or programs were these funds distributed?

Q-300² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (organized crime and protection of justice system participants) and Bill C-15, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts: (a) does the government have an assessment of the increase in incarceration (both numbers and duration) that will result from the enactment of these Bills and, if so, what is it; (b) does the government have an assessment of the number of new provincial jail cells in British Columbia that will have to be constructed to house an increased prison population resulting from these Bills and, if so, what is it; (c) does the government have an assessment of the number of new federal prison cells that will have to be constructed to house an increased prison population resulting from these Bills and, if so, what is it; (d) does the government have an estimate on the cost to build the increased provincial and federal prison capacity to house the predicted increase in incarcerated Canadians; and (e) what are the estimated annual operating cost for the estimated increase in prisoner capacity?

Q-301² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to crime prevention programs in the province of British Columbia: (a) what crime prevention programs does the government fund, and what are the dates that they were created, (i) what is the budget of each program, (ii) how many spaces do they provide, (iii) who is the responsible authority for overseeing and managing these programs; (b) what crime prevention programs has the government cut funding for during the fiscal years 2004 to present and, in what amounts; (c) with respect to Budget 2009, what has been budgeted for each crime prevention program in British Columbia, (i) how many spaces will be provided, (ii) who is the responsible authority for overseeing and managing these programs; and (d) what crime prevention programs has the government cancelled during the fiscal years 2004 to present, (i) what was the cost of each program, (ii) how many spaces did they provide, (iii) who was the responsible authority for overseeing and managing these programs?

Q-302² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to political meetings held at Blatchford Lake Lodge, Northwest Territories, on the weekend of February 27 to March 1, 2009, which led to the creation of a political declaration for the Northwest Territories (NWT Declaration): (a) was the Manager, Indian and Northern Affairs Aboriginal Economic Development, Northwest Territories (Mr. Altaf Lakhani), in attendance at these meetings and, if so, why was a senior civil servant in attendance at a political meeting; (b) what, if any, role did Mr. Lakhani play in organizing these meetings; (c) what, if any, role did Mr. Lakhani play at the meetings; (d) what, if any, activities did Mr. Lakhani take part in following the meetings which were connected to the meeting or the NWT Declaration; (e) was Mr. Lakhani involved in any follow-up meetings or activities either flowing from these meetings or in connection with the NWT Declaration and, if so, when and where were these meetings held; (f) if Mr. Lakhani took part in any activities following the Blatchford Lake meetings what were these activities; (g) were government funds provided either directly or through another person or organization to organize, conduct or carry out follow-up activities related to this or other meetings or the NWT Declaration; (h) if government funds were dispersed, what were the amounts; (i) which persons or organizations received these funds; (j) under which government programs were such funds dispersed; and (k) if any government funds were dispersed, who authorized the release of these funds?

Q-303² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to grants and contributions provided by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development ((1) contribution of $8,691.00 to 5681 N.W.T. LTD. dated January 8, 2009, (2) contribution of $95,000 to Braden Burry Expediting dated February 9, 2009, (3) contribution of $41,000 to the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines dated February 28, 2009, (4) contribution of $63,000 to NWT Chamber of Commerce dated March 2, 2009): (a) what were these grants or contributions used for; (b) who authorized the disbursement of these funds; and (c) under which program was the funding provided under?

Q-304² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund announced in Budget 2009: (a) what projects have been approved for funding to date; (b) where are they located; (c) who are the partners involved; (d) what is the federal contribution; (e) what are each partner's contribution; and (f) has the funding flowed?

Q-305² — June 3, 2009 — — With respect to phytosanitary management, what measures, if any, are in place to prevent the transmission or spread of potato wart and golden nematode: (a) from Newfoundland to Labrador; (b) within Labrador; (c) from Labrador to any other part of Canada; (d) if no such measures are in place, are any such measures being planned or otherwise under consideration; and (e) if so, what are they?

Q-306² — June 3, 2009 — — With regards to the seal fishery: (a) how much has the government spent on advertising to promote the Canadian position on the seal hunt; (b) in how many media outlets, broken down by (i) province or country, if outside Canada, (ii) medium, such as newspaper, radio, television, internet, or other; (c) which countries, international bodies, non-governmental organizations, and supranational bodies such as the European Union, have the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Ambassador for Fisheries Conservation met with to present Canada’s position on the seal fishery; and (d) when and where did each of these meetings take place?

Q-307² — June 4, 2009 — — With regard to funding for pandemic response in the 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 fiscal years: (a) what is the detailed breakdown of the (i) total funding allocated, (ii) total funding spent; (b) what are the official criteria required to access the pandemic response funding; and (c) what funding amounts have been distributed, on what date and towards what project?

Q-308² — June 4, 2009 — — With respect to the Algoma Tankers Limited application to the Department of Finance regarding a remission order for the recently paid import duty on the new petroleum product tankers, Algonova and AlgoCanada: (a) when will a decision be rendered on this application; (b) what are the qualifications necessary for a successful application; (c) have there been any consultations with any of the following organizations regarding this application, including, the Shipbuilders Association of Canada, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, the Canadian Shipowners Association, the Chamber of Marine Commerce and the Ontario Marine Transportation Forums and, if so, what has been the result of those consultations?

Q-309² — June 4, 2009 — — With regard to the current outbreak of new influenza A (H1N1) virus, including its potential global spread, and including the probability that it will become widely established: (a) seeing as swine is an important reservoir for the new virus, what specific measures are being undertaken by animal and human health experts in Canada to monitor swine; (b) what, if any, funding has been made available for a coordinated surveillance effort; (c) how does the new H1N1 compare with the 1918 H1N1 virus and H5N1, particularly regarding the adaptation markers and virulence, and are the current human cases of H1N1 similar (in pattern) to the possible cases of influenza between the spring and fall of 1918 and, if so, what lessons can be learnt; (d) what planning is being undertaken for a worse-case scenario, especially if a more virulent virus emerges during the course of a pandemic; (e) what specific measures are being taken to reduce the spread of H1N1 in local communities (and particularly in low resource areas) and institutions, and in the future, at what point should affected provinces consider activating aggressive containment or mitigation efforts for affected communities; (f) what new surveillance is taking place in the southern hemisphere, particularly in respect to the Americas’ flyways, humans, and pig populations; (g) has the source of H5N1 infection in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia been established and, if so, what is the source, and is it endemic; (h) what steps are being taken to address the source of H5N1 infections in the Fraser Valley, particularly with the approach of the Vancouver Olympic Games; (i) what specific preventive and treatment recommendations, if any, will be provided to young adults and pregnant women; (j) what are the predicted impacts on the Canadian economy and society should a pandemic occur if illnesses and deaths are concentrated in a young, economically productive age group, and what specific measures can be implemented to reduce these effects; (k) what underlying medical conditions may make individuals more at risk of complications or more likely to experience severe or lethal infections, and how will this information be related to at-risk groups; (l) how might our current disease burden influence the impacts of a possible H1N1 pandemic, and how might these impacts be reduced; (m) what is the known full clinical spectrum of the disease caused by H1N1, does it impact multiple organs and, if so, which ones, what specific supportive therapies might be given, and will there be resources to provide these; (n) what specific steps have been taken to engage the private and voluntary sector in Canada, what percentage of organizations are prepared for the economic and social impacts of a possible pandemic, and what measures are being taken to better prepare these sectors; (o) what percentage of Canadian companies activated their pandemic response plans because of the H1N1 epidemic, and what are the learnings from these companies; (p) since the emergence of the H1N1 epidemic, what steps have been taken to evaluate the effectiveness of communications among all stakeholders, including the levels of public awareness, degree of concern, and complacency; (q) what, if any, steps could have been taken to contain the spread of H1N1 infection in Canada, and going forward, what is the decision framework to move from a policy of containment to mitigation; (r) what will be the decision process for deciding whether to produce and stock seasonal or new influenza A (H1N1) vaccines for Canada; (s) what specific measures will be taken to avoid complacency about the H1N1 virus and keep the public engaged; (t) what steps are being taken to monitor antiviral resistance in Canada, (i) what alternative therapies, including, new antiviral agents for flexibility in developing prophylaxis treatment, benefits of combination therapies and novel therapies, including, monoclonal antibodies, are being explored to deal with this possibility, (ii) what resources are being provided for these efforts, (iii) how will it be decided who has been exposed and requires treatment, (iv) how will antivirals be distributed in the event of a pandemic; (u) what specific funding is being provided for clinical vaccine studies for commercial-scale production of both antigen and adjuvant for a novel H1N1 influenza vaccine; (v) how quickly will influenza A (H1N1) vaccines be available, (i) what regulatory processes would need to be modified, (ii) what delays might occur in production, (iii) how could these be overcome; (w) will vaccines being developed now be effective if the virus causes a mild pandemic in the warmer months and changes into something more severe in the fall; (x) who specifically is likely to receive priority for vaccination with a future pandemic vaccine, and how can decision makers engage citizens regarding ethical choices in order that the public understand the decisions that will have to be made during a pandemic; (y) what advice is being given to medical personnel and community members regarding masks, (i) what is the Canadian stockpile of N-95 and surgical masks, (ii) could Canadian companies supply enough of the required masks for a serious outbreak, (iii) what is the Canadian supply of respirators and does it meet the needs of the government’s estimate; and (z) what is the possibility of a wider clinical spectrum of H1N1, and a longer medical legacy (i.e. long-term sequelae)?

Q-310² — June 5, 2009 — — With respect to the Toronto Port Authority (TPA), will the government: (a) conduct an internal and external audit, as requested in a letter to the Minister of Transport outlined by four directors of the TPA, on the management of the Port Authority by the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) during 2008; (b) disclose the legal advice to the Board of Directors of the TPA, as obtained by the former CEO in 2008; (c) order the minutes of TPA meetings from 2008 be released from abeyance; (d) provide a justification of the $80,000 in hospitality and travel expenses in 2007 and part of 2008, incurred by the CEO, while operating a deficit; (e) provide a justification for changing the constitution of the TPA by expanding two extra members onto the Board; and (f) ensure no board member has a conflict of interest, and that all board members act in an ethical manner?

Q-311² — June 8, 2009 — — With respect to non-financial assets and Crown Corporations owned by the government, how much value does the government ascribe to: (a) Via Rail; (b) the Canada Post Corporation; (c) the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; (d) the CN Tower; (e) Canada House; (f) the National Arts Center; (g) Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd; (h) the Royal Canadian Mint; (i) the Canadian Museum of Nature; (j) the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation; (k) the National Gallery of Canada; (l) the National Museum of Science and Technology Corporation; (m) the four ferry boats owned by Marine Atlantic; (n) its 55 prisons, treatment centres, and healing lodges; (o) the Canada Ports Corporation; and (p) the National Capital Commission?

Q-312² — June 8, 2009 — — With respect to section 162 of the Federal Accountability Act passed on December 12, 2006, what expenses were incurred by the office of the head of each department or ministry of state in fiscal year 2006-2007 for: (a) personnel; (b) transportation and communications; (c) information services, and (d) professional and special services?

Q-313² — June 8, 2009 — — With respect to the government's decision to increase the lowest personal income tax bracket from 15% to 15.5% in Budget 2006: (a) what was the justification for the increase; (b) what was the total revenue generated by the tax increase; and (c) why did the government feel it was necessary to lower the rate back to 15%?

Q-314² — June 8, 2009 — — With respect to government action in the case of Mr. Muhammad Kohail, what was every official communication with the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while respecting Mr. Kohail's right to privacy by not revealing the substance of the communication, specifically, (i) who initiated the communication, (ii) who was involved on behalf of the Canadian government, (iii) who was involved on behalf of the Saudi government, (iv) what was the date of the communication, (v) what was the method of communication?

Q-315² — June 8, 2009 — — Since the government announced plans for the construction of a $720 million polar ice breaker to be named HMCS Diefenbaker: (a) what progress has been made to date on this project; (b) have design contracts been awarded and, if so, to whom; (c) has the government altered its plans on the Diefenbaker by shelving the project and, if so, (i) when was the decision made, (ii) on who’s recommendation, (iii) what is the rationale for the curtailment, (iv) why was this information not made public; (d) what is the latest estimated cost for the Diefenbaker; and (e) has the government decided to reassess the plans for the Diefenbaker in favour of recapitalizing the Coast Guard fleet on a more useful basis, with the support of the Canadian Armed Forces?

Q-316² — June 8, 2009 — — With regards to the $500 million for Recreational Infrastructure Canada-RInC: (a) how much of the original amount has been spent to date; (b) which projects have been funded and what is the (i) name, (ii) location, (iii) timeline, (iv) result of each project; (c) what is the expected spending of the fund by the end of this fiscal year; and (d) what are the partners for each project, and what have they contributed to each project?

Q-317 — June 8, 2009 — — With regards to the performance of the access to information system in the government for each fiscal year from 2005-2006 to 2008-2009, for each department and agency subject to the Access to information Act: (a) what was the number of requests received; (b) what was the number of requests answered within the 30 day time limit; (c) what was the number of requests answered within 60 days; (d) what was the number of requests answered within 90 days; (e) what was the number of requests answered within 120 days or more; (f) what is the number that were appealed to the Information Commissioner; (g) what is the number of deemed refusal complaints found by the Commissioner; (h) what is the number of request that have been referred to the courts; (i) what is the number of requests that have been ordered to be released by a court; and (j) what is the amount spent on the administration of the Act?

Q-318² — June 8, 2009 — — With respect to the $1.7 billion invested in Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) over the last three years: (a) on what date, in what amount, and for what purposes, were the disbursements made; (b) what amount was earmarked specifically for repairs to the Chalk River reactor, (i) what repairs have been made, on what date, and at what cost, (ii) what repairs remain to be addressed, (iii) what is the estimated cost of fixing the reactor’s remaining deficiencies, (iv) what work plan is in effect to correct them; (c) what amount went to executive compensations, including performance bonuses, and which executives received such compensation, and in what amount; (d) what amount was spent on private sector consultants, (i) which consultants were so hired, and for what services, (ii) which contracts were the subject of a non-competitive, or sole-source, bid process; (e) what amount was spent to assess future consideratons to privatize AECL, (i) if private sector actors were involved, which ones, (ii) what services did they render, and at what cost; (f) what is the business case to privatize AECL, in whole or part; and (g) what amount was spent on assessing the market value of AECL, in whole or part, (i) what evaluations were given, on what date, (ii) who undertook the evaluations on AECL’s behalf?

Q-319² — June 8, 2009 — — With respect to performance bonuses paid by the government on an annual basis for the last four years: (a) which departments or Crown entities awarded such bonuses, to whom, in what amounts and on what dates; (b) who is eligible to receive such compensation, and what formula is used to determine the bonus; and (c) what is the government’s position on maintaining such bonuses?

Q-320² — June 8, 2009 — — With respect to sole-source contracting over the last five years undertaken by, or on behalf of, each department or Crown agency: (a) what was the total amount of such contracting, on an annual basis; (b) what was the amount and duration of each contract, (i) who so authorized the contracts, (ii) which contracts were amended, (iii) how were they amended, and what justification was given for amending each contract; (c) in each instance where the value of the contract exceeded $25,000, what was the business case for doing so; and (d) what audits were undertaken in relation to any sole-sourced contracts, (i) what was the date, title, authorship and cost of each audit, (ii) which ones raised concerns over the value for money taxpayer received, (iii) what concerns were raised and what recommendations were made, (iv) did any result in criminal charges and, if so, (v) which ones?


² Response requested within 45 days