Debates of Jan. 30th, 2012

Question No. 200

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

With respect to the Canadian Forces (CF): (a) what is the total number of men and women who served in the CF from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (b) what is the breakdown of CF members who served in the Navy, Airforce, and Land force sections respectively from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (c) how many members of the CF have been medically released from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (d) what is the breakdown of CF members who have been medically released within the Navy, Airforce, and Land force sections from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (e) what are the details on how many members are medically released in the factors comprising the following medical categories (i) visual, (ii) colour, (iii) hearing, (iv) geographical factor, (v) occupational factor, (vi) air factor; (f) how many currently serving CF members are in receipt of a disability pension from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (g) how many currently serving personnel are in receipt of the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP) Long Term Disability (LTD) insurance from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (h) how many medically released CF personnel are in receipt of the SISIP from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (i) how many medically released CF personnel are in receipt of a disability pension from VAC from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (j) what is the total number of ex-CF personnel receiving a disability pension from VAC from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; (k) how many members of the CF have been assigned on a temporary basis Medical Employment Limitations from 2001 to 2011 inclusively; and (l) how many members of the CF have been assigned on a permanent basis Medical Employment Limitations from 2001 to 2011 inclusively?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 201

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

With respect to the Canadian Forces (CF) Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act (New Veterans Charter): (a) is there a provision for former CF members to access the benefits of a public service dental care plan by paying monthly premiums; (b) has Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) considered providing former CF members access to a public service dental care plan by paying monthly premiums; (c) what would be the projected cost to the government for providing former CF members access to the Public Service Dental Care Plan; (d) has the government considered providing a caregiver or attendant allowance for family members who take care of severely disabled veterans under the New Veterans Charter; (e) has a quality assurance program of various programs within the New Veterans Charter been completed; (f) when does VAC plan to undertake a quality assurance program of various programs under the New Veterans Charter; (g) what is the name of the consortium that is subcontracted to VAC to provide vocational rehabilitation services and components for VAC's broader Rehabilitation Program; (h) what are the names of the businesses or individuals across the country who work with the consortium to deliver vocational rehabilitation services to veterans by province and territory; (i) what is the amount of annual funding provided by VAC to the subcontracted consortium to provide vocational rehabilitation services to CF veterans from 2006 to 2011 inclusively; (j) what are the details of how frequently business plans, operating budgets, capital budgets and performance reports are submitted by the consortium to VAC or the Minister; (k) how often does VAC conduct an assurance audit of the vocational rehabilitation services provided by the consortium; (l) when was the last time the government conducted an assurance audit of the vocational rehabilitation services; and (m) when does VAC next plan to conduct an assurance audit of the vocational rehabilitation services provided by the consortium?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 202

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

With respect to the Veterans Independence Program (VIP) administered by Veterans Affairs Canada: (a) what is the maximum annual monetary limit that eligible veterans can receive for the following services under the VIP and what is the breakdown of services received by veterans in the following categories from 2006-2011 inclusively for (i) home care services, (ii) grounds maintenance services, (iii) home adaptations, (iv) housekeeping services, (v) social transportation for eligible veterans; (b) how many veterans received VIP services from 2006 to 2011; (c) how many widows of veterans received VIP or the VIP extension from 2006 to 2011 inclusively; (d) has VAC considered extending VIP to all veterans who have a demonstrated health need; (e) has VAC considered extending VIP eligibility to all veterans widows or widowers who have a demonstrated health need; (f) has VAC considered extending VIP eligibility to all Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) veterans' and their widows; (g) what are the estimated costs of providing VIP services to RCMP veterans; and (h) what are the estimated costs of providing VIP services to all veterans' widows or widowers?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 204

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

With regard to the training of Canadian military personnel by the U.S. company Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater: (a) what is the total value of the contracts awarded to this company by the government in 2011; (b) how many Canadian Land Forces soldiers have been trained by the company since 2005; (c) what type of training did these soldiers receive; (d) how many members of the Special Operations Forces have been trained by this company since 2005; (e) what type of training did the members of the Special Operations Forces receive; and (f) how many contracts were awarded to this company in 2011 and what percentage of these contracts were awarded without a competitive bid process?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 206

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

With regard to government funding in Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou since fiscal year 2004-2005, up to and including the current fiscal year: (a) what is the total amount of funding broken down by (i) department, (ii) agency, (iii) all other government institutions, (iv) program; and (b) how many jobs have been created as a direct result of this government funding, broken down by (i) full-time jobs, (ii) part-time jobs?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 207

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

With respect to additional fees or expenses of Deputy Ministers (DM) of government departments, what is the amount of all additional fees or expenses paid on behalf of DMs or for which DMs are reimbursed, including but not limited to (i) memberships or membership discounts for professional associations or other organizations (e.g., bar associations), (ii) club memberships or membership discounts for fitness clubs, golf clubs, social clubs (e.g., The Rideau Club), (iii) season tickets to cultural or sporting events, (iv) access to private health clinics or medical services outside those provided by provincial healthcare systems or by the employer’s group insured benefit plans, (v) professional advisory services for personal matters, such as financial, tax or estate planning, broken down both by individual and by department?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 211

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

With regard to search and rescue response times: (a) what new steps is the government taking to improve search and rescue response times; (b) what new monies are being allocated to improve search and rescue response times; (c) what is the rationale for the separate estimated response times in the day and in the evening, what was the rationale for choosing these times, and what research was done to determine the rationale; and (d) have the separate estimated response times in the day and evening been evaluated and what were the recommendations?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 213

[Raymond Côté, NDP, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

With regard to the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP): (a) what is the total amount borrowed from the program for each fiscal year since it was created; (b) how many loans over $250 million dollars were issued; (c) which enterprises or individuals received loans over $250 million dollars; (d) how many loans between $25 million to $250 million dollars were issued; (e) which enterprises or individuals received loans between $25 million to $250 million dollars; (f) which enterprises or individuals received loans less than $25 million dollars; (g) what sum from the whole of BCAP's assets was given out as (i) loans, (ii) grants, (iii) subsidies; (h) what was the form (checks, bank loans, business loans, credit cards, cash) of the BCAP's loans, grants, and subsidies; (i) what were the conditions of acceptance to receive the BCAP program's support; (j) who was deciding on rejecting or accepting businesses into BCAP's loan program; (k) what were the eligibility criteria of BCAP's measures for businesses; (l) was there an evaluation grid of criteria needed for a business or individual to have access to BCAP's helping measures, and, if yes, who was the person or group of persons responsible for taking decisions concerning helping or not helping a business; (m) what is the total number of businesses that were directly helped by the BCAP program; (n) what was the composition of the oversight group managing the BCAP program; (o) were there any private companies involved in the acceptance or rejection process of the BCAP program, and, if yes, what were the names of the individuals that were involved and what were their roles within the BCAP program administration; (p) were there any conditions to receive financing from BCAP program; (q) what was the percentage and sum within the amount of BCAP resources allocated to small businesses (under 100 employees); (r) what was the percentage and sum within the amount of BCAP resources allocated to small businesses (under 500,000$ in revenue); (s) what was the percentage and sum within the amount of BCAP resources allocated to small businesses (under 500,000$ in revenue and under 100 employees); and (t) was anyone from the private sector consulted to allocate the resources of the BCAP and, if yes, what were their names and what were their roles in the process?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 214

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

With regard to the impacts of oil sands development on the health of downstream surrounding First Nations and Métis communities in Fort McKay, Fort Chipewyan, Fort McMurray, Fort Resolution, Fort Fitzgerald, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope: (a) what analysis has Health Canada conducted concerning what would have been, had there been no development of oil sand projects, the expected rates over the past decade in surrounding communities of (i) all forms of cancer, (ii) biliary tract cancer, including cholangiocarcinoma, (iii) colon cancer, (iv) lung cancer, (v) soft tissue sarcoma, (vi) leukemia, (vii) lymphomas; (b) what studies has Health Canada completed concerning the observed rates over the past decade in surrounding communities of (i) all forms of cancer, (ii) biliary tract cancer, including cholangiocarcinoma, (iii) colon cancer, (iv) lung cancer, (v) soft tissue sarcoma, (vi) leukemia, (vii) lymphomas; (c) what studies has Health Canada completed concerning whether over the past decade oil sands development has been exposing, via the land, water, air or wildlife, surrounding communities to toxic substances, including (i) lead, (ii) mercury, (iii) volatile components of petroleum, (iv) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, (v) dioxin-like compounds, (vi) arsenic; (d) what analysis has Health Canada conducted concerning the underlying cause, such as increased detection, chance, lifestyle risk factors or exposure to environmental contaminants, of any discrepancy between the expected and observed rates over the past decade in surrounding communities of (i) all forms of cancer, (ii) biliary tract cancer, including cholangiocarcinoma, (iii) colon cancer, (iv) lung cancer, (v) soft tissue sarcoma, (vi) leukemia, (vii) lymphomas; (e) does Health Canada plan to work with other federal departments, the Government of Alberta, and surrounding First Nations and Métis communities to complete a comprehensive study on the health impacts of oil sands development; (f) does Health Canada plan to work with other federal departments, the Government of Alberta, and surrounding First Nations and Métis communities to identify and implement measures aimed at reducing any health impacts that are discovered in such a study; (g) what is Health Canada’s policy on its responsibility under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act with regard to the health impacts of oil sands development on surrounding communities; and (h) what is the government’s policy on whether napthenic acids, a toxic by-product of oil sands production found in tailings, should be added to the National Pollutant Release Inventory under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 216

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

With regard to refugee claims from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, how many claims were made in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008, (iv) 2009, (v) 2010?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 217

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

With respect to budget cuts at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO): (a) which specific directorates and programs are affected and what was the process followed to determine whether or not to make cuts to a specific directorate and program; (b) what, if any, DFO scientists were consulted regarding the considered cuts; (c) what scientists outside of DFO were consulted; (d) for each directorate and program specified in (a), what is the number of current full-time, part-time and contract scientific positions; (e) for each directorate and program specified in (a), what is the number of full-time, part-time and contract scientists who have been given “workforce adjustment” letters; (f) for each directorate and program specified in (a), what is the number of full-time, part-time and contract scientists who are going to be moved out of their current “job functions”; (g) what are all programs run by a single scientist who has been given a “workforce adjustment” letter, and, for each program identified, what, if any, steps have been taken to make sure that the program continues; (h) what process will be followed to place scientists in appropriate research areas; and (i) has the government taken steps to limit the effects of the cuts on scientists whose high level of specialization in a particular field may make finding an appropriate replacement position impossible?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 218

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

With respect to Canada’s fleet of submarines, which is comprised of HMCS Victoria, HMCS Windsor, HMCS Chicoutimi, and HMCS Corner Brook: (a) what is the total cost, broken down by vessel, and itemized by categories including maintenance, repairs, staffing, and all others relevant categories for (i) the most recent fiscal year, (ii) since their acquisition; (b) what is the estimated cost that the government anticipates to spend before the fleet is active again, broken down by vessel; (c) what are the dates that the government anticipates each vessel will return to service; and (d) which companies have been contracted to perform work on the vessels in order to return the fleet to operation?

(Return tabled)

Question No. 220

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

With respect to Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs): (a) how many individuals per year, over the last ten years, who were issued a TRV have gone on to make a refugee claim; (b) over the last ten years, (i) what have been the ten most common countries of origin of the refugee claimants in (a), (ii) how many refugee claimants have come from each of the ten countries per year; (c) of the refugee claimants mentioned in (a), what is the breakdown in terms of (i) gender, (ii) age; (d) what is the total number of TRVs issued per year over the last ten years; and (e) does the Department of Citizenship and Immigration know how many TRV holders have stayed in Canada beyond the expiry date of their visas in the last ten years and, if so, how many have done so?