Thanks very much, sir.
As Steven mentioned, the number of files of applications we have in the department is in the 40,000 range, and that includes files that we received yesterday. It includes the files that we received last week. The number of those files that were in excess of 16 weeks at the beginning of this pandemic, when I spoke to the committee on March 10, was about 23,000, if my memory serves correctly, and we can confirm that.
What Steven has indicated is that we've actually reduced that 23,000 by about 15%. My understanding is that we are south of 20,000 files that are beyond the 16 weeks. The fact is that we have made all of these additional improvements and now we're bringing on additional staff in order to accelerate decision-making. We are following the plan that the minister has carried forward, and we appreciate all of the support with the additional resources, especially in terms of staff and innovation.