Evidence of meeting #11 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was data.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Glenda Yeates  President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Institute for Health Information
Brien Benoit  Chairperson, Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
Barbara Ouellet  Executive Director, Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
Michael Hunt  Manager, Pharmaceuticals, Canadian Institute for Health Information
Clerk of the Committee  Mrs. Carmen DePape

12:40 p.m.

Chairperson, Patented Medicine Prices Review Board

Dr. Brien Benoit

--except for the consumer price index every year. They're allowed a small percentage.

12:40 p.m.

Liberal

Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON

Okay, and what about the aboriginal issue?

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Your time is up now. I'm sorry to interrupt you.

Are there any closing comments the witnesses would like to make quickly, just to sum up what Mr. Temelkovski has asked? Is that fine?

12:40 p.m.

Liberal

Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON

Maybe you can answer the aboriginal question.

12:40 p.m.

A voice

You get the FNIHB data.

12:40 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Institute for Health Information

Glenda Yeates

Yes, when we talk about jurisdictions that can submit data, one of those jurisdictions is the federal government's first nations and Inuit health branch, so again, that is a group we are working with. We don't currently have their data in NPDUIS, but discussions are ongoing, as they are with a number of other jurisdictions.

That's certainly something we would see in the future.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Thank you.

I want to especially thank you for coming out on such a snowy day. We're so glad that you were here in Ottawa and not caught in some airport today. Your insightful wisdom has been very helpful to every member of this committee.

As you know, we do have two more items of business. To committee members, if you want to talk with the witnesses--I would ask the witnesses to leave the room very quickly so we can complete our business--any conversations can be held outside that doorway over there.

Thank you again.

Committee members, we're now going on to a couple of other items. As I mentioned at our meeting on Tuesday, we'll be asking the committee today to adopt a budget to pay witness expenses for our study on post-market surveillance. The request at this time is for $39,950.

I would like the clerk, if she would, to speak to this. A couple of comments might answer some questions before they've been asked.

February 7th, 2008 / 12:40 p.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Mrs. Carmen DePape

It's a pretty standard budget for a study like this one. We have calculated for about 20 witnesses from outside the area. There's also money for some working lunches, three of them, if we need them. And there's also money for video conferences, if we need some.

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Is it the will of the committee to pass this budget?

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

On a second issue, Ms. Kadis brought us the issue of the safety of certain baby products at our meeting on Tuesday. So as mentioned at the meeting, we are going to incorporate this as part of our meeting on toy regulations scheduled for April 1. That was also discussed at the last meeting.

I also wanted to mention that the motion that Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis gave notice on, on Tuesday, will be on the agenda for the meeting of February 14, Valentine's Day, because she will not be here until then and she made that request. So I think that's a prudent thing to do out of respect.

The committee will meet next on Tuesday, February 12, at 11 a.m., on the subject of the supply of radioisotopes. Witnesses that have been invited are MDS Nordion and the Canadian Society of Nuclear Medicine. The Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility was also invited, but they were unable to attend, so we'll try to get Mr. Roger Collier, author of the article on isotope surplus that recently appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Jounal. We're working on that right now, and hopefully we'll be able to get him.

Dr. Bennett.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Is the nuclear responsibility gang going to send us a report? I certainly have a couple of very lengthy e-mails from them.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

We certainly could make that request.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

Yes, okay.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Okay, we'll do that and get back to you on that, Dr. Bennett. That's a good question.

Also, to let you know, the Minister of Health has confirmed that he will be attending the meeting from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday. So he's made himself very well available for all of us.

Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is adjourned.