Thank you very much, Chair.
General Natynczyk and Mr. Harris, it's great to see you again. It's nice to be with you and the rest of the committee.
I think the numbers tell a story, a story of the success of the reinvestment in and the rebuilding of VAC after a difficult decade. Between 2015-16 and 2019-20, the number of applications grew by 40%. During that same five-year period, the number of applications processed by the department rose by 35%, so there was a tremendous increase in applications and a tremendous increase in capacity to process, which falls, however, a bit short of the growth in applications, granted.
VAC service standards indicate that in normal circumstances, 80% of decisions should be made in the first 16 weeks from when an application is made. We've heard a lot about the necessity for more staff and more streamlined decision-making, but I think we also need to have a better understanding of the specific reason that a claim might not meet that standard beyond the bureaucratic people power issue.
I was wondering if you could describe what normal circumstances are and whether there has been a time when VAC has had the pleasure or the privilege of normal circumstances.