Procedure and House Affairs committee  We have the listed exceptions in the act. They are the three that I've highlighted. The other one I did not mention is if the House has been adjourned that day. There's no concern about not having been there. That, to me, is one that is perhaps implicit. The three that are considered justifiable reasons are illness, public or official business, service in the armed forces.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That's not defined. It would be raised by the member looking at their circumstances. There's certainly an understanding that members do many things outside the chamber that are part of their public or official business, such as attending events, following up on matters outside the chamber.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It would be for the member to say that they were absent and this was public or official business, that they were following up on matters in their constituency. There is, obviously, an expectation that members will try to organize their affairs so as to be able to be in the House.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  In the initial PROC report—this was prior to the amendment of the act—there was a recommendation that if this happened, the House administration could be consulted on that. Then more recently there was an express request made in PROC for the House administration to look into this.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I wouldn't have that information.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Certainly in the proposed regulation we are talking about maternity and parental arrangements and we're talking about justified absences from a House sitting. My point was that it's not the same type of leave that you would see an employee take, where the employee is not performing the functions of the job during that leave.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  To include that as part of the reasons, it would, in my view, require such a change.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It could be the first sitting of the next Parliament. In the current form, it would enter into force immediately once adopted by the House. Assuming that the House would continue to sit in this session, after that, it would apply immediately.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The act states: members who are unable to attend a sitting of that House by reason of (a) being pregnant; With that language, in both English and French versions, in my mind it's specific to those circumstances. PROC's recommendation was also similarly in that vein. Again, that's something that may warrant consideration as a policy matter.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I don't believe there are statistics that we would be able to share. I don't know if my colleague would want to add to that in terms of the—

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Even if the regulations came into force as soon as the House made them, they define the period in question as the period that starts on the day of the child's birth or the day when the child is placed with the member for the purpose of adoption, depending on the case, and ends 12 months later.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That's right. During the 12-month period following the birth of a child, the adoption of a child or the placement of a child for the purpose of adoption, the member's absences will not be counted. If there are no absences, it does not apply, of course. That does not mean the member cannot or must not be in the House.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The $120 amount has always remained at $120. That amount has not been modified. However, the House can modify it. The act states that the House can, through regulations similar to the ones proposed here, decide to increase it. That is a possibility.