Evidence of meeting #10 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was labs.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Ayoob Ghalami  Senior Biosafety Officer, Environmental Health and Safety, University of Toronto
Wayne Conlan  Principal Research Officer, National Research Council, As an Individual
David Butler-Jones  Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
Jane Allain  General Counsel, Legal Services, Public Health Agency of Canada
Theresa Tam  Director General, Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada

5:10 p.m.

Director General, Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada

Theresa Tam

For the laboratories already complying with the human pathogens importation regulations, I would say we think almost all the group threes and of course the risk group four lab already do that. The clear messages to us are concerns around risk group two.

For risk group two, we have laid out a proposed regulatory and program framework that says we do not intend to require security clearance. We intend for people to keep inventories simple, so they can be produced if we need them to. Inspections are not going to be every year; they're going to be as needed and spot checks as required. All those program designs and the regulatory intent was there to minimize the impact.

We have a level two lab within the Public Health Agency. Some of the ways we were trying to look at impact were in fact to ask them directly. So we asked, “Upon royal assent, what would be the impact on your lab?”, and they said, “Very minimal. All we need to do is make sure we provide a contact person, a name, and whether we have any prohibited organisms.” Then, really, it's in the program design. Regarding the cost, we've done some ballparking, but that cannot be done in detail—and we have accountants trying to work this through—until the program design is done in detail, and that requires the stakeholder input.

We're in a circulatory design mode right now whereby we want to reduce impact; we don't want to lay it down in stone. At the same time, then, you can't have the exact cost, but I could safely say for risk group two we are trying to minimize the impact.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB

You had mentioned ongoing stakeholder consultations. I know you've done extensive consultations previous to this, but can you tell us a little bit about the future consultations?

5:10 p.m.

Director General, Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Infectious Disease and Emergency Preparedness Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada

Theresa Tam

I think one of the proposals we have going forward is that not only will we design a consultation plan, but we will let the stakeholders have a look at it and say, “Is there anything you want to change? Can you provide input into the consultation design?” Of course, we are looking quite extensively at different methods and different groups, and of course the stakeholders include the laboratories we know.

Upon royal assent, we will actually require all labs to contact us and give us a name. When we have that name and know the other 4,000 contacts, we would also be able to consult with those laboratories we don't already know about.

We will definitely be consulting with the provinces and territories very extensively at different levels.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Thank you very much, Dr. Tam.

It's 5:15 right now, and we have a motion and some other things we have to deal with before the bells ring and we vote.

I want to thank you so very much for your contribution today. It's been very insightful.

5:15 p.m.

Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada

Dr. David Butler-Jones

Thank you.

Thank you, committee. It's always a pleasure. Hopefully it's been helpful to you. I'm happy to address any issues, and look forward to the next time. If there are any questions we can follow up on we'll be happy to do so.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joy Smith

Thank you so much.

We are going in camera. We have some business that has to be attended to before the bells ring at 5:30. I'd be so appreciative if you could exit the room as quickly as possible and take any conversations you might have outside.

Thank you.

[Proceedings continue in camera]