My apologies.
Mr. Chair, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to address the comments in the Auditor General's follow-up status report. At the outset, I would like to say that I welcome the opportunity to describe the concrete steps Transport Canada has taken to improve intelligence and information sharing. I also welcome the opportunity to answer any questions the committee may have.
Transport Canada is the lead department, as you know, for transportation security in Canada. Our job is to prevent unlawful interference with civil aviation and marine and surface transportation, as well as to provide oversight to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Overall security at our airports and ports is a shared responsibility among departments and agencies that work closely with Transport Canada, including the RCMP, Canada Border Service Agency, the Canadian Air Transportation Security Authority, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, police of jurisdiction and local airport and port authorities.
Our transportation security clearance program was created in 1986, in the aftermath of Air India, to prevent unlawful interference with civil aviation. The program accomplishes this by assessing the risk posed by individuals who by the nature of their work require access to a restricted area of an airport. Since the program's inception, Transport Canada has processed over 600,000 applications. On average, we receive 40,000 to 45,000 applications annually. Currently there are 115,000 active transportation security clearances at airports and ports in Canada.
Transport Canada verifies the suitability of each transportation security clearance applicant with the RCMP, CSIS, and, if necessary, Citizenship and Immigration Canada. If Transport Canada obtains credible information that an applicant or an existing pass holder posses a transportation security risk, the department responds immediately by refusing, suspending or cancelling the clearance.
As recognized by the Auditor General, we continually strive to improve the program by implementing additional procedures. For example, following the Auditor General's recommendation of 2004, Transport Canada and the RCMP negotiated an inaugural MOU for background checks and subsequently did a review of all existing transportation security clearances. As well, we began requesting applicants who live outside the country for a significant period of time to provide five years of verifiable information.
In addition, we introduced the marine transportation security clearance program for workers at the marine ports and facilities. An action plan has been developed to address the issues raised by the recent Auditor General's report, and progress is ongoing. Here are some of the concrete measures included in that plan.
First, on April 8, Transport Canada and the RCMP entered into a new information-sharing agreement to provide expanded criminal background checks on individuals working in restricted areas of Canada's transportation system. Transport Canada will share more complete data with the RCMP, and the RCMP, in turn, will perform expanded background checks using multiple criminal databases available to the RCMP.
Second, we are developing strengthened guidelines and criteria against which applicants will be assessed.
Third, we are amending the transport security clearance application form to address new consent and new criteria requirements.
Fourth, Transport Canada will review all current security clearance holders--all of them--based on these improved procedures to identify any previously unknown adverse information that could suggest that an individual may pose a risk to civil aviation.
All the while, we have been working closely with the Department of Justice to address privacy issues and these efforts are reflected in enhanced information sharing provisions in the new memorandum of understanding. Our action plan is ambitious. We are convinced, however, that it is attainable with the assistance of our many partners, and we remain committed to working with them to enhance intelligence information sharing and to improve security in all modes of transportation, consistent with the recommendations of the Auditor General.
Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize the level of cooperation that has prevailed throughout this audit between Transport Canada, the RCMP, and the Office of the Auditor General. I and my team believe that our security screening process will be improved as a result of this audit.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.