Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the member for York South—Weston regarding the access and use of Canadian Police Information Centre information by U.S. authorities. For the information of the member and those who may be watching at home, the Canadian Police Information Centre is also known as CPIC.
The CPIC system is Canadian law enforcement's primary conduit for exchanging police information. I would like to take this opportunity to assure all members of the House that personal medical information is not stored in the CPIC system. What is stored, however, is investigative and intelligence information that is important for the administration or enforcement of the law in the detention, prevention or suppression of crime generally and for national security purposes. In the interests of public safety, the information may include observed behaviours and detention under provincial mental health legislation. Knowledge of such information is intended to protect individuals from harming themselves, the general public or law enforcement members. It allows law enforcement to be better equipped to respond to immediate and future incidents.
In a law enforcement and public safety context, information sharing between Canada and the United States is needed to address border threats at the very earliest possible stages. The RCMP and the FBI have a memorandum of co-operation for the electronic exchange of information contained in the CPIC system and the U.S. national crime information system. This exchange of information, which is vital for public safety and national security reasons, is reciprocal. U.S. law enforcement agencies have access to CPIC information, as Canadian law enforcement agencies have access to the American information. It goes both ways. Under the terms of this memorandum, customs and border protection are permitted to access CPIC.
I would like to remind members of the House that entry into a foreign country is governed by that country's laws and policies, and Canada has absolutely no authority to direct the U.S. with respect to allowing individuals entry into that country.
Lastly, should any individuals have concerns with their treatment by American border officials, I would encourage them to contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.