I should explain how the NSEs work.
I talked about the statistics regarding specific requests we've received over the past year, but I want to make sure that I'm clear for committee members. There are those requests that we receive from government departments as well as the omnibus ones, which you've heard described, that apply broadly.
When an NSE is granted, it applies to an entire project. For example, for Canadian surface combatants, which some of you have heard about, a national security exception has been invoked, and it will apply throughout the life of that project.
There are also blanket NSEs that apply for a certain duration of time. It's not that these exist forever; they are for the needs of a specific project. They simply ensure, as my colleagues were saying, integrity of the process and supply chain throughout, and you also avoid having to go back and ask every time you're issuing a contract.