Agriculture committee  As Minister Bibeau said, we are working with our colleagues at Transport Canada. We understand the concerns expressed by people in the industry. We don't want to have any safety issues. We are having discussions with Transport Canada officials to try to explain our regulations in relation to theirs, and to find a pragmatic solution for carriers.

Agriculture committee  We are definitely very aware of the concerns that the fairs are raising, and we are actively working with them to find solutions. I just want to say that traceability is incredibly important to prevent foreign animal diseases from coming in. Fairs are places where animals congregate and then return back to their farms, for example.

Agriculture committee  We are taking very seriously the mandate commitment that is in Minister Bibeau's letter. We are continuing to analyze and look at ways forward. We will be getting back to members as soon as we can on this one.

Agriculture committee  I don't think I would be able to commit to a timeline, but I can certainly say that while we are looking into how we can implement that mandate commitment, the CFIA continues to hold very high animal welfare standards and to inspect all the shipments using measures that are in place that are based on very strong science international standards.

Agriculture committee  We haven't yet put the regulations in place. We are out consulting under Canada Gazette, part I. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for fairs and other interested parties to give us feedback, which we are getting. Then we will take that feedback and again engage with people.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Chair, for the question. It would probably make more sense for me to go back and speak with my colleagues in science and get you an answer in writing.

Agriculture committee  I don't have an update on the DNA test but I can say that there's much more cooperation with the Canada Border Services Agency. We've also identified several problems. We are working closely with the United States to make sure there isn't a problem.

Agriculture committee  Thank you. You may know that one of the priorities of Minister Bibeau and his provincial and territorial counterparts is facilitating internal trade, particularly for slaughter activities. In keeping with the Guelph Statement, one of the priorities we need to work on is drafting a report on progress.

Agriculture committee  Are you talking about spent hens?

Agriculture committee  Thank you for the question. We are currently reviewing our regulatory guidelines on genetic modification and technologies related to genome editing. We held some broad consultations last year and are now doing some follow‑up work with stakeholders who have given us their comments.

Agriculture committee  We don't have a date yet, but there's a lot of discussion at the moment with the various parties.

Health committee  Thank you very much for the questions. Whether food is prepared in Canada or imported, the same standards must be met. We have enhanced our inspections, laboratory analysis and monitoring programs, and we're designing systems to target foods at a higher risk. We're also strengthening our relationship with the Canada Border Services Agency.

Health committee  Yes. As I said, right now we have a system that's based on defined risks, and we have the necessary resources, including the budget increases we received.

Agriculture committee  We were informed by U.S. officials that they would not be accepting imports of potatoes from P.E.I., and our regulations don't allow us to issue export certificates if we don't meet the country's importing requirements.

Agriculture committee  We are not blocking the movement of table-stock potatoes from P.E.I. The ministerial order is not a document that bans anything. It's actually an enabling document that allows products and commodities from the potato industry to move, under certain conditions, across Canada. That is completely separate from the decision the United States took, which was to not allow or to suspend the import of potatoes from P.E.I.