Debates of Sept. 20th, 2010

(Return tabled)

Question No. 253

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

With respect to the impact that the government's legislative crime initiatives will have on Canada's correctional facilities: (a) what studies has the government done to assess the future need for increased inmate capacity; (b) according to studies and assessments done by or on behalf of the government, will there be a need for increased inmate capacity in Canada's correctional system; (c) what plans are in place to have new prisons built in Canada; (d) where are new facilities to be located; (e) are there plans for future correctional facilities that do not have a location finalized at this point; (f) how does the government determine where correctional facilities will be located; (g) to what extent is the private sector involved in the operations of Canada's correctional facilities; (h) are there Canadian correctional facilities that are fully operated by the private sector and, if so, where are these facilities and by whom are they operated; (i) has the government considered, done studies on, commissioned studies on or consulted with other jurisdictions on expanding the role of the private sector in the operation of Canada's correctional facilities; (j) how many correctional facilities have sought and received permission to have inmates “double bunk” in one cell; (k) what annual costs are expected to be achieved by “double bunk” plans; and (l) what research has been undertaken, and by whom, to study the possible negative effects of “double bunking”, such as increased violence and behavioural problems?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 254

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

With regard to the Renovation and Retrofit of Social Housing Program, by province and territory: (a) how many applications were received under the program; (b) how many applications met the criteria; (c) how many applications were accepted; (d) how many applications that met the criteria were turned down and for what reason; (e) how many and which of the projects are for cooperative housing; (f) how much of the $1 billion has been allocated to date; (g) how much of this money has been delivered and how much has been spent; (h) how many projects will be completed by the March 2011 deadline; and (i) how many projects will exceed the March 2011 deadline and which of these projects will be terminated or left incomplete because they will not meet the deadline?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 255

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

With regard to the Marquee Tourism Events Program, for each of the fiscal years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011: (a) what were the program criteria; (b) what are the names of the organizations that applied for funding; (c) what were the amounts applied for by each organization; (d) what were the decisions given for each application and the justification provided for each decision; (e) how much of the budgeted funds have not been allocated to projects; (f) how were the successful applications chosen; (g) what are the projected impacts on tourism in terms of the number of domestic and foreign visitors for the successful applications; (h) what are the projected economic benefits for the approved projects; and (i) what were the projected benefits for the applications that were not approved?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 257

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

With regard to travellers from Mexico: (a) how many travellers from Mexico have visited Canada since 2007, broken down by quarter; (b) what is the economic impact of these visits to Canada, broken down by quarter; (c) what provinces are the destinations of these travellers; (d) what was the projected growth in travel prior to the implementation of visa requirements; (e) what is the projected difference in economic input with the implementation of the visa requirements over the next five years, including a breakdown by sector; and (f) what is the projected effect on tax revenue over the next five years?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 258

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

With regard to the Economic Action Plan: (a) how has the government informed Canadians about the Economic Action Plan; (b) how much has the government spent on announcements relating to the Economic Action Plan; (c) what is the breakdown of these expenses by event and by type of expense; (d) how much has been spent on (i) consultants, (ii) flights, (iii) media and logistic companies, (iv) props and backdrops; (e) what are the names of companies contracted and the amount of funds spent for media consultants, logistics, props, and advertising; (f) what is the breakdown of this funding by city; (g) how much has the government spent producing advertisements; (h) when have these advertisements aired; and (i) what are the events and what are the total costs for each?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 260

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

With regard to the Marquee Tourism Events Program for 2010: (a) who are the recipients and what is the amount of each contribution; and (b) which applications of tourism events were rejected?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 264

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

With regard to funding applications received from John Howard Societies and the Youth Skills Link program: (a) how many funding applications to all federal departments, broken down by program and department, were received from all John Howard Societies across Canada in the current fiscal year, (i) how many were approved, (ii) how many were turned down and why, (iii) how many of those turned down had received funding in previous fiscal years; (b) how many funding applications to all federal departments, broken down by program and department, were received from all John Howard Societies across Canada in the previous fiscal year, (i) how many were approved, (ii) how many were turned down and why, (iii) how many of those turned down had received funding in previous fiscal years; (c) why was the application by the John Howard Society Victoria for Youth Skills Link funding turned down and who will now provide this service in Victoria; (d) why was the application for the same program by the John Howard Society of St. John's, Newfoundland turned down and who will now provide this service in St. John's; (e) why was the application by the John Howard Society of Fredericton for Youth Skills Link funding turned down and who will now provide this service in Fredericton; (f) which projects in St. John's, Newfoundland for the Youth Skills Link funding were supported at the regional level but were finally rejected, and for what reasons; (g) why was the application by the Kamloops John Howard Society for homelessness initiative funding turned down; (h) how many applicants for Youth Skills Link funding, not from the John Howard Society, were contacted by the ministry and asked questions about their proposals before decisions were made about their proposals; and (i) what is the government doing to provide the services for which no funding is provided to organizations such as the John Howard Societies?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 265

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

With regard to the $1 billion over five years for the Green Infrastructure Fund to support green infrastructure projects on a cost-shared basis, included in the Economic Action Plan: (a) how much money has been allocated to date; (b) what, if any, specific criteria were used in determining whether or not a project received funding; (c) by project, what are the details of all applications received in each year for funding support; and (d) by project, what are the details of the projects approved each year under the fund, including (i) type of project, (ii) the proponents of the project, (iii) location of the project, (iv) the federal riding in which the project is located, (v) the proportion of federal funding and contributions by other partners, including the proponent for each approved project?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 267

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

With regard to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Biological Diversity: (a) what are the negotiating positions taken by Canada on the key actions currently being discussed by the parties under the above Convention, including (i) eliminating subsidies which undermine ecosystems, (ii) ending destructive fishing practices, (iii) reducing nutrient pollution from agriculture and industrial sources to below critical thresholds, (iv) reducing habitat destruction by half, (v) reducing natural resource exploitation to maintain ecological limits; (b) what existing or draft measures, strategies, plans, guidelines, regulations or legislation are in place or currently in discussion to implement obligations under articles 6 and 11 of the Convention to protect biodiversity, additional to the Species at Risk Act; (c) which persons or organizations has the government consulted in the past two years toward formulating the above, (i) whom does the government intend to consult in finalizing its measures and by what consultation process, (ii) has the government consulted First Nations, Inuit or Métis in these matters and, if so, what are the details of those consultations; and (d) did the government include in its delegations to the Nairobi negotiations on the global convention any representatives from First Nations, Inuit, Métis, environmental or conservation organizations, youth or scientists, (i) does the government intend to include in its delegation to the Conference of the Parties in Nagoya, Japan, this October representatives from any or all of the previously listed parties, (ii) who did the government include in its delegation to Nairobi, and who will be included in the delegation to Nagoya?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 268

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

With regard to government television and radio advertising during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics: (a) how much money did the government spend on promoting Canada’s Economic Action Plan through television and radio commercials in Canada and the United States; (b) which television and radio stations aired commercials advertising Canada’s Economic Action Plan; (c) what were the exact dates and times of each television and radio advertising spot airing commercials of Canada’s Economic Action Plan; (d) what were the media costs of each advertisement; (e) what were the production costs of each advertisement; (f) which advertising firms were used for the creation and production of these advertisements; (g) which media buying agency was used; and (h) what rate of commission did each agency of record charge for the creation, production and media booking of each advertisement?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 269

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

With regard to the Business Development Bank of Canada: (a) what was the total cost for legal fees to set up the Secured Credit Facility announced in the 2009 Budget; (b) what was the total cost for consulting fees to set up the Secured Credit Facility announced in the 2009 Budget; (c) what was the total amount of loans extended to all businesses in the 2009 and 2010 calendar years; (d) who were the loan recipients in the 2009 and 2010 calendar years; and (e) how much was each loan to each recipient in the 2009 and 2010 calendar years?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 270

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

With regard to the Veterans Affairs Community Engagement Partnership Fund: (a) what is the total amount of grants the department has dispersed since January 1, 2009; (b) who are the recipients of these grants; and (c) what is the amount of each grant to each recipient?

(Return tabled)