Finance committee  There could be advantages. It could also be advantageous to come from outside the security intelligence community—it could result in a different perspective. The important thing is to make sure the analysts who work in the secretariat have the right skills to do the job.

Finance committee  The target under the deficit reduction action plan for this mission is about $800,000.

Finance committee  No, the budget for the Inspector General is part of the Public Safety budget. When you cost out the nine staff and the associated operating costs, it comes to more like $1 million, so there's a bit of a differential there, and we're exploring how to reallocate it within the Security Intelligence Review Committee.

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  I think SIRC's reviews might differ with, say, those of the Inspector General. They might look at other things, and they might be a bit more operationally focused. Usually, though, it's more of a duplication or an overlap—there's no substantive difference in the findings that we've observed.

Finance committee  I think it was in 1984 or 1985 that the CSIS Act was put in. Probably at the time it was to give independent eyes and ears for the minister, different from the external review body of SIRC. I think, though, what's going on here is no change to the proportion or amount of review that's going to be done.

Finance committee  That's right. It goes to the minister. An unclassified version is released, though.

Finance committee  The normal review function of the Security Intelligence Review Committee would continue. Their annual report would be submitted by the minister to Parliament. In addition, there would be an internal report prepared by the minister—the certificate—which is the former Inspector General's function.

Finance committee  Yes. It's very similar. A number of analysts who have worked in the Inspector General's office have also worked at the Security Intelligence Review Committee and vice versa. It's the same thing in Public Safety with the national security branch, of which I am part. A number of analysts have worked in both places, so they have a similar or complementary skill set.

Finance committee  The Security Intelligence Review Committee and Inspector General both produce annual reports summarizing all the reviews they've done during the year.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I apologize for messing up your order earlier on. Division 15, or clauses 378 to 387 of the budget implementation act, is relatively straightforward. It amends the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act to abolish the Office of the Inspector General.