Leona Aglukkaq

[Health, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we have announced a long-term stable funding arrangement with the provinces and the territories. The transfers will reach an historic level of $40 billion by the end of the decade. My goal is to ensure that Canada's health system is more sustainable and accountable to Canadians.

Let me just list a few things that the NDP voted against in the last budget: significant funding to assist the homeless, mental health program funding that would increase health infrastructure for first nations, funding to help treat and prevent those with drug addictions--

[Health, March 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to a universal publicly funded health care system. Again, unlike the previous Liberal government, which gutted health care transfers, we have actually increased funding to record levels. We have announced a long-term stable arrangement with the provinces and the territories that will see transfers reach historic levels of $40 billion by the end of the decade.

[Health, March 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, almost two weeks ago we offered the provinces and territories access to the national emergency stockpile system to help them alleviate the drug shortage. So far no one has asked for any drugs, which shows the provinces seem to be doing well in managing the drug shortage.

My department has also approved 32 requests for individual emergency access to needed drugs.

[Health, March 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, even the former adviser to the interim leader of the Liberal Party and NDP strategist agreed that this is the best offer the provinces and the territories could get from the federal government. I think it is an extraordinarily generous offer. It is more generous than the provinces had any right to expect. If I were the provinces, I would stop griping and take the money and get to work reforming the system.

As indicated by recent Canadian Institute for Health Information data, the federal transfers are projected to grow faster than average provincial spending on health care. I will work with my provincial—

[Health, March 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, our government is committed to a universal, publicly funded health care system. Unlike the previous Liberal government, which gutted our health care transfers, we have actually increased funding to a record level. We have announced a long-term, stable funding arrangement with the provinces and the territories that would see transfers reach an historic level of $40 billion by the end of the decade.

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada monitors the scientific literature and funds studies on the health impacts of electromagnetic radiation and evaluation of exposure frequencies. Information on Health Canada research in this area is available on the Health Canada website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/cons/radiofreq/index-eng.php.

In addition the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, CIHR, funds research investigating the effects of low frequency electromagnetic fields. Currently funded projects include a study examining the mechanisms by which extremely low frequency magnetic fields interact with biological systems; another is investigating the mechanism and effects of power-line frequencies on human brain processing.

Health Canada and CIHR are also contributing support and funding for the Canadian component of MOBI-KIDS, an international study which aims to assess the potential associations between the use of communication devices, including cellphones, and other environmental risk factors and brain tumours in young people.

Health Canada is also formalizing a process for an expert panel of the Royal Society of Canada to review exposure limits through a literature review. The Royal Society previously conducted such reviews up to and including 1999, 2001-03 and from 2004 to 2007. The next review is expected to be undertaken in 2012 and the results will be communicated by Health Canada.

Health Canada will work with Industry Canada to explore how existing web-based and other communications materials on this topic might be improved. Health Canada’s work in this regard will begin in 2012.

Health Canada will continue to monitor the scientific literature on this topic.

[Health, March 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged by this week's progress. Our government got a commitment from Sandoz and industry organizations to inform their clients and all Canadians regarding possible drug shortages in the future.

We have started processing all the application for alternate drugs within 24 hours and complete reviews within one month. We are in regular contact with the provinces and the territories and support them in their effort to deliver alternate medications to their jurisdictions.

[Business of Supply, March 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I will explain it again.

The provinces and territories deliver health care. The provinces and territories purchase their drug supply. The provinces and territories dispense the drugs to their patients.

Health Canada regulates and approves products for the market. We are doing our part to support the provinces and territories that are experiencing drug shortages because of the situation that occurred. Sandoz experienced a fire in its plant which resulted in drug shortages across the country.

Health Canada is doing its part to support the provinces and territories by identifying approved companies in Canada that can produce the drugs that are now in shortage. We have provided this information to the provinces and territories. It is also our responsibility to approve drugs. We have put in place mechanisms to approve alternate drugs to be made available. We have that mechanism in place to respond and support the provinces and territories.

We are also working with the provinces, territories, pharmacists and industry to come up with a one-stop shop to report drug supply shortages or anticipated drug supply shortages. That work has been going on. The process started last year, and we are accelerating it.

The challenge in this particular situation is a drug supply shortage which was the result of a fire. Obviously, we cannot anticipate a fire. The situation has caused some challenges. We are doing our part to support the provinces and territories.

[Business of Supply, March 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, drug shortages, as we know, are a global problem. There are multiple roles and responsibilities involving industry, the provinces and territories, and Health Canada. Industry supplies and controls what drugs are produced and how much is being produced. The provinces and territories are responsible for managing their respective roles in the delivery of health care. Health Canada is a regulator and authorizes the sale of drugs in Canada after a review of their quality, safety and efficacy.

[Business of Supply, March 14th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I will again clarify the member's confusion.

We stated before that the FDA identified some concerns with one product that was sold in the United States. That particular product is not used in Canada. However, in taking steps to make sure that other drugs produced by Sandoz were not compromised, Health Canada did its due diligence by inspecting the plant here in Canada to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of the drugs that were produced in that factory. We did our part to ensure that products produced by Sandoz Canada were not compromised