Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, I have the honour to present the ninth report of the committee.
This report deals with our review of Chapter XVII of the September 1996 report of the Auditor General of Canada, as it relates in particular to Human Resources Development Canada, the Canada Pension Plan and the CPP disability benefits program.
The report contains three recommendations, which are: first, that, as part of developing an official quality assurance program, the department establish performance indicators to help determine the extent to which program objectives were achieved. These indicators are to be included in the department's April 1998 progress report to the committee; second, that more information be shared with workers compensation boards, provincial social services and private insurance companies to increase the program's efficiency; and finally, that the department consider the possibility of intensifying its efforts with respect to rehabilitation to make the program more widely accessible.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.