Health committee  With respect to the process for advance payments and the contracts, my colleagues at PSPC would be best placed to answer those questions.

Health committee  I'll wait for your signal, Chair.

Health committee  All right. That's wonderful. Because we do have a very limited amount of time, would it be possible to table some of this information with the committee so we can see the rationale that was used to help formulate the decisions made by PHAC here?

Health committee  That's fantastic. I have one quick question, because I believe I have about 30 seconds left. Do you have the number of weeks that the stockpile will last, yes or no?

Health committee  Mr. Chair, we now have an eight-week supply of key commodities and personal protective equipment.

Health committee  What was the number prior to this COVID-19 pandemic?

Health committee  Mr. Chair, personal protective equipment was not a commodity requested of us. Of the provinces' jurisdictions, we did not have an eight-week supply prior to the pandemic.

Health committee  How many weeks' supply did we have prior to it?

Health committee  I'm unable to answer that question, Mr. Chair.

Health committee  Very specifically, I would like you guys to provide in writing a response to the question that was asked by Mr. Barrett immediately before I was able to ask questions.

Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank everyone for appearing here today. I will just second the comments made by my colleague, Mr. Davies, that the inability to answer some of these questions is truly outstanding. As someone who is brand new to this committee, many of the questions I've seen asked came from the brief that was prepared by the Library of Parliament, and you haven't been able to answer some very simple questions.

Health committee  Mr. Chair, I'll turn to my colleague, Ms. Diogo, with respect to a travel-related question. Thank you.

Health committee  Could you please give a little more detail regarding the exemptions and what data you guys used to come up with those exemptions?

Health committee  I have one question, then. What data did you guys use to build those arguments to support the exemptions?

Health committee  Mr. Chair, early on in the pandemic, there were some challenges with the provinces and territories being able to very quickly identify their current holdings of personal protective equipment. In that regard, the Public Health Agency moved forward quickly in collaboration with our partners at Public Services and Procurement Canada to engage in bulk procurement so that we could secure for Canada the personal protective equipment needed.