Mr. Speaker, I just discovered the situation that the hon. member has described a few moments before the sitting opened. Had I been aware of it beforehand, certainly I would have made inquiries in order to provide him with more detailed information for the reason for the apparent lapse in the filing of this document on time.
I assure the hon. member I will take the matter up with the Minister of the Environment and make inquiries as to why there has been this apparent delay in the tabling of the report.
I thank the hon. member for drawing the point to the attention of the House. The comments that he makes with respect to the application of the rule and its importance to the workings of the House are extremely apt and timely. I do not disagree with his suggestion in that regard.
I will have to look into the facts surrounding the preparation of the government response to the report and get back to the hon. member and to the House at the earliest possible time. I hope to be in a position to do that shortly after question period today.