Evidence of meeting #31 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hybrid.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
Does that employment figure include the House administration employees who support the parliamentary press gallery?
Clerk of the House of Commons
The parliamentary press gallery secretariat is a separate directorate within the House administration.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
There are House of Commons employees who support the parliamentary press gallery, though.
Conservative
Clerk of the House of Commons
I should know this. I think it's about 12, but we can get the exact number to you, Mr. Cooper.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
Are there any cost recovery mechanisms in place with what amounts to supporting big media outlets?
Clerk of the House of Commons
As far as I know, no. It's one perspective that we're assisting the media outlets. It's another perspective that we're assisting parliamentarians vis-à-vis their dealings with the media. It's for that reason that the parliamentary press gallery secretariat has been in existence for quite some time.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
There is no cost recovery mechanism. For the $1.4 billion to the CBC, for example, it provides no reimbursement to the House of Commons.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
Okay.
With respect to translation and interpreters, Mr. Aubé, you indicated that there had been a decrease in the number of incidents in which interpreters are injured. However, would it be fair to say that, since the adoption of a hybrid Parliament, there has been a significant increase in the number of injuries?
Chief Executive Administrator, House of Commons
There was an increase since pre-hybrid Parliament, sir.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
I understand that the increase, at one time, spiked to a ninefold increase.
Chief Executive Administrator, House of Commons
I don't have the stats in front of me, sir, but they did increase.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
Mr. LeBlanc, you seem to be nodding that that was the figure.
Deputy Clerk, Procedure, House of Commons
I don't know the exact percentage, but it is fair to say that it did increase.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
How many injuries, for example, were there in 2019, the year before the option of hybrid Parliament?
Chief Executive Administrator, House of Commons
I don't have that number with me. We provided statistics to the board, and we could bring them back.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
If you could, undertake to do so.
Mr. Aubé, you indicated that the number had been declining. Are you able to elaborate on what the statistics for occupational incidents look like?
Chief Executive Administrator, House of Commons
I wouldn't want to comment, sir, until.... I will provide you with the right number. We did provide that information to the board, and we would like to provide you with the same information.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Chris Bittle
Your five minutes are up, almost exactly. I might have taken a second from you, which I will give you in the future.
To be fair, everyone else has gone above. You're the only one I've taken time from. I do apologize.
I will go to Madame Kayabaga for five minutes, and that will be the end of questioning. I'll then suspend the committee for a couple of minutes, as we have a couple of items to vote on. Then we'll adjourn.
Madame Kayabaga, go ahead for five minutes.
Liberal
Arielle Kayabaga Liberal London West, ON
Thank you, Chair.
In terms of the House of Commons staying ready, obviously the hybrid model was set up because of the COVID pandemic. If we were to scale it back, what would be the cost of reinstating the hybrid model in case there was an emergency, whether it was a pandemic or any other situation?
Could you also mention the cost of setting it up at first? What challenges did you have, and what lessons did you learn from that?
Deputy Clerk, Procedure, House of Commons
In terms of the cost of setting it up, there were a few different costs involved. There was a technological cost from the technology we use and the infrastructure we had to build to support it. A large portion of the cost is from the staff who support the different meetings, both of the House and of the committees.
I can give you the exact numbers, which I don't have with me.
Deputy Clerk, Procedure, House of Commons
Gosh. I can give you the number later.