Thank you, Mr. Chair, and good morning to members of the committee.
I would like to explain to the committee my role and how my office interacts with the Prime Minister's Office and ministerial staff in responding to requests sent to the Privy Council Office under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
The access to information and privacy division reports to the assistant deputy minister for corporate services in PCO. The division has 28 positions. The PCO ATIP division processes all of PCO's access and privacy requests in keeping with statutory obligations and Treasury Board guidelines.
The PCO ATIP work process is divided into five stages. Generally, about four days before the due date a copy of the release package is sent to PCO communications and to PMO issues management. Records appear as they will be released to the applicant. This copy of the release package allows ministerial staff to keep the Prime Minister informed of upcoming releases and to prepare for media and parliamentary questions. No records review or sign-off by PMO is involved, and the procedure causes no delay in completing a request. The practice does not single out particular requests. It is a routine and consistent action for every access to information request.
There is no mechanism within the routine to alter a decision, to vet records content, or to delay access. The identity of the requester remains protected. Information is also delivered to the PMO via memorandum. For every access to information request, the ATIP division forwards a memorandum to the chief of staff to the Prime Minister called a notification of pending release. In addition, I meet with PMO issues management staff weekly to provide information on ATIP requests and consultations that come into PCO and those that are closed. This is purely an information session.
These are the practices used by the ATIP division to keep ministerial staff and senior PCO officials informed about what information is being released in response to requests. The Privy Council Office does not categorize requests or label specific files for any kind of special handling. It processes all requests in the same manner. Ministerial staff in the PMO play no part in the approval process and have never asked me to alter a decision, to vet content, or to delay, deny, or withhold access. All decision-making about the release of information in response to requests is done by departmental officials in PCO.
This upward flow of information is entirely consistent with the constitutional responsibility of a minister for the operation of his or her department, including its ATIP functions. A minister has to be informed. However, the work process--the decisions about what exemptions apply and what information is released--remains the sole purview of departmental officials exercising their delegated authority.
I would also highlight for the committee the progress that the ATIP Division has made in improving its performance. I was appointed ATIP director in April 2007. Over the last three years, we have improved efficiency and effectiveness in responding to requests. The division has been restructured into three lines of responsibility. We have made procedural changes to streamline our process, adopted new technology and staffed up.
An Officer Development Program was established to mentor new ATIP officers. We have sought out best practices in other departments. All this is to say that we have been working, and continuing to work, toward an efficient work process, and awareness for the principle of access. I can also say that I have been fully supported in this effort by senior management at every level.
PCO's ratings under the Office of the Information Commissioner have improved. Last year, the division processed 545 access requests, involving the review of 75,000 pages of records as well as responding to 350 consultations from across government. For the year that just ended on 31 March 2010, we closed 82% of requests on time, the equivalent of a C grade. This is solid progress. Three years ago we had over 230 late requests in a backlog. We've reduced this backlog by 98%.
Let me close by saying that the application of the Access to Information Act to records under the control of government is a profound responsibility. The ATIP professional has to strike a balance between the public's right of access to information and legal protection of the information under the act.
I thank you and the members of the committee for your attention and this opportunity to speak.