Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Access to Information Act 2022-23

Table of contents

Introduction

This report is tabled in Parliament in accordance with section 94(2) of the Access to Information Act and Section 20 of the Service Fees Act under the direction of the Minister of Public Safety. The report describes how Public Safety Canada (Public Safety) administered and fulfilled its obligations under the Access to Information Act between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.

Purpose of the Access to Information Act

The Access to Information Act came into force on July 1, 1983 and was amended by Bill C-58 on June 21, 2019. It provides Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as persons and corporations physically present in Canada, an enforceable right of access to records under the control of a government institution. The purpose of the Access to Information Act is to

enhance the accountability and transparency of federal institutions in order to promote an open and democratic society and to enable public debate on the conduct of those institutions. Individuals who are not satisfied with an institution’s handling of any matter related to a formal request made under the Access to Information Act are entitled to complain to the Information Commissioner of Canada.

Mandate of Public Safety

Public Safety was created in 2003 to ensure coordination across all federal departments and agencies responsible for national security and the safety of Canadians. Our mandate is to keep Canadians safe from a range of risks such as natural disasters, crime and terrorism. Our mission is to build a safe and resilient Canada. Our vision is to, through outstanding leadership, achieve a safe and secure Canada and strong and resilient communities.

Legislation governing the Department sets out three essential roles:

Organizational Structure

Public Safety

During the 2022-23 fiscal year, the department was organized into seven branches: Emergency Management and Programs, Crime Prevention, Portfolio Affairs and Communications, National and Cyber Security, Corporate Management, Firearms Compensation Program, and the Indigenous Affairs Secretariat . The department also has a Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive and is supported by the Legal Services Unit.

Five Regional Offices represent the Atlantic, Quebec and Nunavut, Ontario, Prairies and Northwest Territories, and British Columbia and Yukon. These  offices are the primary point of contact for the department at the regional level. They deliver a coordinated federal response to emergencies; facilitate the effective delivery of emergency management, Indigenous policing and crime prevention programs; and improve partnerships with other levels of government and key regional stakeholders.

The Public Safety Portfolio: Partner Agencies and Review Bodies

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) manages the nation's borders by enforcing Canadian laws governing trade and travel, as well as international agreements and conventions. CBSA facilitates legitimate cross-border traffic and supports economic development while stopping people and goods that pose a potential threat to Canada.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) investigates and reports on activities that may pose a threat to the security of Canada. CSIS also provides security assessments, on request, to all federal departments and agencies.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) helps protect society by encouraging offenders to become law-abiding citizens while exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane control. CSC is responsible for managing offenders sentenced to two years or more in federal correctional institutions and under community supervision.

The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) is an independent body that grants, denies or revokes parole for inmates in federal prisons and provincial inmates in provinces without their own parole board. The PBC helps protect society by facilitating the timely reintegration of offenders into society as law-abiding citizens.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Canada’s national police service and is the police of jurisdiction for all provinces and territories except Ontario and Quebec. The RCMP works at the community, provincial, territorial and federal levels to prevent crime; enforce the law; investigate offences; keep Canadians, and their interests, safe and secure; and assist Canadians in emergency situations/incidents. The RCMP also offers expertise at the international level by

providing specialized training for police officers; conducting international policing activities, including peacekeeping; and sharing intelligence with trusted partners to support investigations, as well as disrupt and dismantle criminal operations.

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (CRCC) investigates complaints from the public about the conduct of members of the RCMP in an open, independent and objective manner. The Commission also holds public hearings and conducts research and policy development to improve the public complaints process.

The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) conducts independent, thorough and timely investigations regarding issues related to the Correctional Service of Canada. The OCI may initiate an investigation based on a complaint from (or on behalf of) an offender, as the result of a ministerial request, or on its own initiative.

The RCMP External Review Committee (ERC) is an independent agency that promotes fair and equitable labour relations within the RCMP. The Committee conducts an independent review of appeals in disciplinary, discharge and demotion matters, as well as certain kinds of grievances.

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office

The department’s Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office is responsible for the coordination and implementation of policies, guidelines, and procedures to ensure departmental compliance with the Access to Information Act as well as the Privacy Act. The ATIP Office is also responsible for responding to requests made under the Acts. In keeping with the department’s role to support the Minister in the coordination of entities within the Public Safety Portfolio, it also plays a leadership role with respect to ensuring alignment of approach with the ATIP Offices of other Public Safety Portfolio organizations. 

The ATIP Office is housed within the department’s Portfolio Affairs and Communications Branch, and is headed by the Director of ATIP and Executive Services, who is also responsible for Ministerial Correspondence and Secretariat Services.  It is divided into two teams, the ATIP Operations Unit and the Privacy Policy and Governance Unit (PPGU), each of which is headed by a Manager who reports to the Director of ATIP and Executive Services. In 2022-23, the ATIP Office consisted of 17 full-time employees.

Public Safety was not a party to any service agreements to provide services to other organizations under section 96 of the Access to Information Act during the fiscal year.

The ATIP Office has overall responsibility for the department’s proactive publication obligations under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act. The ATIP Office is directly responsible for proactive publication of the following information:

Proactive publication of financial and human resources information under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act is handled by the department’s Corporate Management Branch, including:

Additional information on the department’s proactive publication activities can be found in the section on Proactive Publication below.

Delegation Order

Public Safety’s current delegation order for the Access to Information Act and related regulations was signed by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness on July 21, 2020. As of October 26, 2021, the responsibilities of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness were divided between two Ministers: the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Emergency Preparedness. Despite this change, the current Delegation Order remained valid for all exercise of delegated authorities by employees of the department under the Access to Information Act and can be found in Annex A. 

The following authorities are granted under this delegation order:

Performance 2022-2023

The following sections provide an overview of key data on Public Safety’s processing of Access to Information Act requests between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. The full statistical report can be found in Annex B, and the Supplemental Statistical Report  found in Annex C.

During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Public Safety saw a significant increase in overall ATIP volumes compared to the previous year:

Response within Legislated Timelines

Of the 463 new formal requests completed, 73% were completed on time, a slight increase compared with the previous year (72%). As with the previous year, the department’s on-time completion rate continued to be impacted by the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, the ATIP Office was temporarily unable to process files containing classified or physical records, in cases where these could not be retrieved by employees working remotely. In 2021-22, the department restored full capacity to process requests, and  the ATIP team has since turned its attention to addressing the backlog of files. As files are completed, they will continue to have the temporary effect of lowering Public Safety’s overall on-time completion rate, a situation which will continue until all of the backlog files are dealt with. That being said, when considering only files received during the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the department’s on-time completion rate was 93%.

Completion Times

A total of 463 formal requests were completed during the fiscal year.  Due to the focus on completing backlog files delayed by the pandemic, there has been an increase in files with longer completion times (greater than 180 days), similar to last year.

Completion Times
Completion Time Number of Files
1 to 15 days 74
16 to 30 days 94
31 to 60 days 77
61 to 120 days 81
121 to 180 days 27
181 to 365 days 46
More than 365 days 64

Active Requests Outstanding from Previous Reporting Periods

At the end of the fiscal year, Public Safety had a total of 422 active requests that were carried over to the next reporting period. Of these, 115 were within the legislated timeline, while 307 were beyond the legislated timeline. Of the 307 requests, 265 (86%) were delayed due to the pandemic. Public Safety also has a small number of complex files (2018 and earlier) where multi-year extensions were taken due to the large volume of records that must be processed.

Fiscal Year Received Number of Files
2022-23 147
2021-22 120
2020-21 123
2019-20 24
2018-19 2
2017-18 2
2016-17 0
2015-16 4

Active Complaints Outstanding from Previous Reporting Periods

At the end of the fiscal year, Public Safety had a total of 21 active complaints that were carried over to the next reporting period. The ATIP Office worked closely with the Office of the Information Commissioner throughout  the year to ensure complaints were addressed, and no significant issues were flagged.

Fiscal Year Received Number of Files
2022-23 14
2021-22 4
2020-21 0
2019-20 3

Reasons for Extensions

A total of 132 extensions were taken during the fiscal year. The distribution of extensions was consistent with previous fiscal years.

Reason for Extension (With corresponding section of the Act) Number of Files
Interference with Operations – s. 9(1)(a) 90
Consultations – s. 9(1)(b) 176
Notice to Third Parties – s. 9(1)(c) 21

Consultations from Other Institutions

Public Safety completed 252 consultations for other institutions. The distribution of completion timelines was consistent with previous fiscal years.

Completion Time Number of Files
1 to 15 days 78
16 to 30 days 93
31 to 60 days 49
61 to 120 days 14
121 to 180 days 7
181 to 365 days 5
More than 365 days 6

Disposition of Requests

Of the 463 completed requests, 12% had records that were entirely disclosed, and 58% had records that were disclosed in part. The remaining requests were either exempted or excluded in their entirety; transferred; abandoned; or no records existed corresponding to the request.

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

A primary focus for the ATIP Office in 2022-23 was implementing plans to tackle the backlog of files delayed during the pandemic. Key measures taken during the year included:

By March 31, 2022, the ATIP Office had reviewed and triaged the entire backlog (375 files); tasked out 308 backlog files to program areas (82%); received responses and records for 275 files, in preparation for review by the ATIP analyst team (73%); and completed review of 87 files (23%).

While the initial intention was to task out the entire backlog by the end of the fiscal year, some program areas within the department found it challenging to keep pace with the rate of backlog taskings, in addition to the very heavy volume of new ATIP taskings experienced this year. This prompted a decision to slow the rate of tasking of backlog files, in order to allow program areas to focus on providing timely responses to the files they were tasked. While this meant a slower pace of progress on addressing the backlog, it allowed the department to maintain a high rate of on-time processing for new incoming files. Progress toward completing the backlog will continue in 2023-24.

Training and Awareness

Public Safety remains committed to promoting awareness and providing ongoing training opportunities to all employees. During the year, the ATIP team updated its training and outreach function to the department to reinforce knowledge and understanding of the legislation and ATIP process among policy and program areas. The team completely revised its training model, distributing the training function among a team of senior ATIP analysts, in order to better respond to the diverse needs of the department. ATIP also updated its training materials to simplify its approach and incorporate best practices from other departments.

Over the course of the year, the ATIP Office provided 21 training and information sessions on the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act. A variety of subject matter was presented, including strategies for retrieving records and applying exemptions, as well as requirements for proactive publication. A total of 393 people attended these sessions.

The ATIP Office also continued to provide outreach and awareness through department-wide communication mechanisms, such the weekly InfoBulletin and the Administrative Professionals Network Newsletter.

Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

During the year, Public Safety’s ATIP Office worked closely with external and internal partners to ensure continuous alignment with policies, guidelines, and procedures issued by Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and the Privy Council Office to support security of information in both the remote and hybrid work environment. This included supporting implementation of TBS policies on the return to the hybrid workplace, as well as the department’s Hybrid Workforce Framework.

Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the ATIA

Public Safety is a government institution listed under Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act, for the purposes of Part 2 of the ATIA. In line with the department’s obligations under Part 2 of the ATIA, Public Safety proactively publishes the following information:

While the department takes care to ensure that all required materials are proactively published in line with the requirements of Part 2, the ATIP Office to date has not collected or reported on statistics showing the proportion of proactive publication deliverables that are posted within the legislative timelines. To support increased transparency and accountability in this area, the ATIP Office is developing procedures to systematically monitor and report on proactive publication timelines going forward. These measures will be introduced in 2023-24, and periodic reports will be shared with senior management to support accountability and ensure compliance with the department’s legislative obligations.

Proactive Publication of Briefing Note Titles

In January 2023, Public Safety’s ATIP Office became aware of a gap in the department’s reporting of titles and reference numbers of memoranda (briefing notes). Specifically, the ATIP team discovered a coding error in the departmental tracking system, by which some of the briefing notes being sent to the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, and the Deputy Minister each month, were not being captured on the list generated monthly for proactive publication, and therefore had not been proactively disclosed on the TBS’s Open Government website.

Working with internal partners, the ATIP Office conducted a systematic review and identified a total of 820 titles that had not been published, going back several years. The team reviewed the list of titles and published them on Open Government, bringing the department back into compliance with legislative obligations. The department ensured that TBS and the Information Commissioner were kept apprised of progress, and additional measures were taken to ensure the issue would not recur going forward:

Initiatives and Projects to Improve Access to Information

During the year, the ATIP Office provided dedicated support on a number of high visibility files within Public Safety and the Portfolio, that required a coordinated approach to handling of ATIP requests, above and beyond the normal ATIP process. For example, the ATIP Office provided support to the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency (DEDC) and the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) which had responsibility for reviewing the events surrounding the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in February 2022. The team collaborated  closely with officials within the department’s Crime Prevention Branch (CPB), to review documents being provided to DEDC and POEC, loaning three senior ATIP staff to the Department of Justice over a period of several weeks to review records onsite in a secure environment. These efforts helped support transparency in the materials being released to DEDC and POEC.

In July 2022, the ATIP Office onboarded to the new ATIP Online Management Tool, which has allowed the department to modernize the delivery of services and improved the efficiency of request processing.

Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints

Public Safety has historically received a comparatively low volume of complaints on requests made under the Access to Information Act. During the year, the OIC received 34 new complaints against the department, and concluded 34 investigations on Public Safety files. Of these, only 8 files (23%) were deemed to be well-founded.

During the year, the ATIP Office had a constructive relationship with the OIC. Through regular meetings the Office worked collaboratively to ensure ongoing alignment of approach, to identify priority files for attention, and to address any areas of concern as they arose. No specific areas of concern were noted by the OIC, and the Commissioner did not issue any orders to Public Safety during the year.

Reporting on Access to Information Fees for the Purposes of the Service Fees Act 

The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by the institution. With respect to fees collected under the Access to Information Act, the information below is reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act.

Monitoring Compliance

Time Taken to Process Access to Information Requests

Public Safety prepares four recurring ATIP reports to inform senior management during the fiscal year. These reports track a range of information including the list of new formal Access to Information requests received by the department each week, deadlines assigned for retrieval, as well as quarterly record retrieval response time for the branches. Reports are shared regularly with Assistant Deputy Ministers and other senior officials and discussed at senior management meetings as required. In addition, ATIP performance is monitored at the ADM level through performance agreements and evaluations, to ensure ATIP remains a priority within the department.

Inter-Institutional Consultation

Public Safety limits inter-institutional consultation by assessing the sensitivity of records. When information pertains to a routine process, the department may release the information without consultation.  A courtesy consultation is often used to advise other institutions that information is to be released on a given date and to invite  comments within a given timeframe, which is done with a short turnaround time for review.  Formal consultations are reserved for more sensitive matters or where Public Safety is unable to properly assess the sensitivity of records without seeking fulsome input from another institution. Both courtesy and formal consultations are monitored by the Manager, ATIP Operations in discussion with the Director, ATIP and Executive Services.

Frequently Requested Types of Information

As the lead department for the Public Safety Portfolio, Public Safety is responsible for a wide range of policy deliverables. As such, records related to the department’s major policy files (e.g., policy documents, briefing materials, correspondence of senior officials on policy deliverables) are among the most frequently recurring categories of information requested under the Access to Information Act. Over the past year, the department saw a large increase in the volume of informal requests for previous ATIP release packages. In light of this increase, the ATIP Office concluded that there was a need to enhance the availability of information to requesters by streamlining the process for responding to informal requests. Accordingly, a new intake unit was created, and while the primary focus of the intake unit was tackling the department’s pandemic backlog, this unit was also given full responsibility for processing informal requests. Procedures were revised and updated, and information management protocols were centralized in order to quickly locate records and prepare release packages. The new process has allowed for a more timely response to requesters, evidenced by the processing of 528 informal requests over the course of the year, an increase of 197% over the previous year.

Contracts, Information Sharing Agreements, and Information Sharing Arrangements

As required under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act, contracts over $10,000 are posted on the Open Government site. Any contract, information sharing agreement, or information sharing arrangement not posted on Open Government can be requested under the  Access to Information Act. In processing any request, the ATIP Office strives to uphold the principle of transparency and to support the right of access to the greatest extent possible, with a focus on ensuring that any exemptions or exclusions are specific, targeted, and reasonable.

Accuracy and Completeness of Proactively Published Information

As mentioned previously, while Public Safety takes care to ensure that all required materials are proactively published in line with the requirements of Part 2, to date, the ATIP Office has not conducted systematic reporting on its proactive publication activities. To support increased transparency and accountability in this area, the ATIP Office is currently developing procedures to systematically monitor and report on proactive publication timelines going forward, which will be introduced in 2023-24.

Annex A: Delegation Order

The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, pursuant to section 95(1) of the Access to Information Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties and functions of the Minister as the head of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, under the provisions of the Access to Information Act and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position. This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.

Delegation Order
Position Authorities Under the Access to Information Act and Access to Information Regulations

Deputy Minister

Associate Deputy Minister

Assistant Deputy Minister, Portfolio Affairs and Communications

Director General, Cabinet and Parliamentary Affairs, and Executive Services

Director, ATIP and Executive Services

ATIP Manager

 Full authority

Team Leader, ATIP Operations

ATIP Analyst

 Sections 4(2.1), 9 and 11(2) of the Access to Information Act and 7(2) and 7(3) of the Access to Information Regulations

Dated, at the City of Ottawa, this 21st day of July, 2020.

The Honourable William Sterling Blair, P.C., C.O.M., M.P.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Annex B: Statistical Report

Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act

1.1  Number of requests
Description Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 483

Outstanding from previous reporting periods

  • Outstanding from previous reporting period: 205
  • Outstanding from more than one reporting period: 197
 402
Total 885
Closed during reporting period 463

Carried over to next reporting period

  • Carried over within legislated timeline: 115
  • Carried over beyond legislated timeline: 307
 422
1.2  Sources of requests
Source Number of Requests
Media 179
Academia 44
Business (private sector) 22
Organization 10
Public 92
Decline to Identify 136
Total 483
1.3  Channels of requests
Source Number of Requests
Online 458
E-mail 16
Mail 9
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 483

Section 2: Informal Requests

2.1 Number of informal requests
Description Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 481

Outstanding from previous reporting periods

  • Outstanding from previous reporting period: 48
  • Outstanding from more than one reporting period: 0
 48
Total Requests 529
Closed during reporting period 528
Carried over to next reporting period 1
2.2  Channels of informal requests
Source Number of Requests
Online 457
E-mail 24
Mail 0
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 481
2.3 Completion time of informal requests
1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
295 97 40 88 8 0 0 528
2.4 Pages released informally
Less Than 100 Pages Released 100-500 Pages Released 501-1,000 Pages Released 1,001-5,000 Pages Released More Than 5,000 Pages Released
Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2.5 Pages re-released informally
Less Than 100 Pages Re-released 100-500 Pages Re-released 501-1,000 Pages Re-released 1,001-5,000 Pages Re-released More Than 5,000 Pages Re-released
Number of Requests Pages Re-released Number of Requests Pages Re-released Number of Requests Pages Re-released Number of Requests Pages Re-released Number of Requests Pages Re-released
393 10,125 106 22,407 17 11,070 12 20,527 0 0

Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests

Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests
Description Number of Requests
Outstanding from previous reporting period 0
Sent during reporting period 0
Total 0
Approved by the Information Commissioner during reporting period 0
Declined by the Information Commissioner during reporting period 0
Withdrawn during reporting period 0
Carried over to next reporting period 0

Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

4.1 Disposition and completion time
Disposition of Requests Completion Time
1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
All disclosed 6 23 13 7 1 1 6 57
Disclosed in part 6 32 53 65 25 44 44 269
All exempted 2 2 1 3 0 0 0 8
All excluded 0 7 6 4 1 0 6 24
No records exist 37 27 4 1 0 0 8 77
Request transferred 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 5
Request abandoned 19 2 0 1 0 1 0 23
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 74 94 77 81 27 46 64 463
4.2 Exemptions
Section Number of Requests
13(1)(a) 6
13(1)(b) 0
13(1)(c) 10
13(1)(d) 5
13(1)(e) 0
14 20
14(a) 19
14(b) 4
15(1) 4
15(1) - I.A.Table note i 41
15(1) - Def.Table note ii 25
15(1) - S.A.Table note iii 64
16(1)(a)(i) 11
16(1)(a)(ii) 1
16(1)(a)(iii) 0
16(1)(b) 8
16(1)(c) 24
16(1)(d) 0
16(2) 52
16(2)(a) 1
16(2)(b) 1
16(2)(c) 12
16(3) 0
16.1(1)(a) 0
16.1(1)(b) 0
16.1(1)(c) 0
16.1(1)(d) 0
16.2(1) 0
16.3 0
16.4(1)(a) 0
16.4(1)(b) 0
16.5 0
16.6 0
17 47
18(a) 2
18(b) 5
18(c) 0
18(d) 0
18.1(1)(a) 0
18.1(1)(b) 0
18.1(1)(c) 0
18.1(1)(d) 1
19(1) 136
20(1)(a) 1
20(1)(b) 25
20(1)(b.1) 2
20(1)(c) 31
20(1)(d) 4
20.1 0
20.2 0
20.4 0
21(1)(a) 93
21(1)(b) 96
21(1)(c) 16
21(1)(d) 1
22 0
22.1(1) 0
23 31
23.1 0
24(1) 23
26 1
Table note i

I.A.: International Affairs

Return to table note i referrer

Table note ii

Def.: Defence of Canada

Return to table note ii referrer

Table note iii

S.A.: Subversive Activities

Return to table note iii referrer

4.3 Exclusions
Section Number of Requests
68(a) 12
68(b) 0
68(c) 0
68.1 0
68.2(a) 0
68.2(b) 0
69(1) 0
69(1)(a) 35
69(1)(b) 0
69(1)(c) 7
69(1)(d) 19
69(1)(e) 36
69(1)(f) 5
69(1)(g) re (a) 98
69(1)(g) re (b) 0
69(1)(g) re (c) 16
69(1)(g) re (d) 21
69(1)(g) re (e) 26
69(1)(g) re (f) 26
69.1(1) 0
4.4  Format of information released
Paper Electronic Other
E-record Data set Video Audio
10 317 0 0 2 0

4.5 Complexity

4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats
Number of Pages Processed Number of Pages Disclosed Number of Requests
73,477 28,417 381
4.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests
Disposition Less Than 100 Pages Processed 100-500 Pages Processed 501-1,000 Pages Processed 1,001-5,000 Pages Processed More Than 5,000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed
All disclosed 53 904 3 355 0 0 1 1,241 0 0
Disclosed in part 172 4,159 70 16,785 19 12,471 7 12,059 1 22,615
All exempted 6 135 2 377 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 17 819 7 1,247 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 22 0 1 310 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 270 6,017 83 19,074 19 12,471 8 13,300 1 22,615
4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats
Number of Minutes Processed Number of Minutes Disclosed Number of Requests
0 0 0
4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests
Disposition Less Than 60 Minutes Processed 60 - 120 Minutes Processed More than 120 Minutes Processed
Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats
Number of Minutes Processed Number of Minutes Disclosed Number of Requests
0 0 0
4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests
Disposition Less Than 60 Minutes Processed 60 - 120 Minutes Processed More than 120 Minutes Processed
Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
4.5.7 Other complexities
Disposition Consultation Required Legal Advice Sought Other Total
All disclosed 18 0 21 39
Disclosed in part 205 1 160 366
All exempted 5 0 3 8
All excluded 23 0 15 38
Request abandoned 1 0 17 18
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0
Total 252 1 216 469

4.6 Closed requests

4.6.1  Requests closed within legislated timelines

Number of requests closed within legislated timelines

 337

Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%)

 72.78617711

4.7 Deemed refusals

4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines
Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines

Principal Reason

Interference with operations/ Workload External Consultation Internal Consultation Other
126 0 0 0 126
4.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)
Number of days past legislated timelines Number of requests past legislated timeline where no extension was taken Number of requests past legislated timeline where an extension was taken Total
1 to 15 days 1 7 8
16 to 30 days 0 7 7
31 to 60 days 1 8 9
61 to 120 days 3 15 18
121 to 180 days 4 5 9
181 to 365 days 5 13 18
More than 365 days 47 10 57
Total 61 65 126
4.8  Requests for translation
Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French 0 0 0
French to English 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

Section 5: Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests
Disposition of Requests Where an Extension Was Taken 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations/ Workload 9(1)(b) Consultation 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
Section 69 Other
All disclosed 8 0 15 1
Disclosed in part 75 9 138 20
All exempted 2 0 4 0
All excluded 2 5 4 0
Request abandoned 0 0 1 0
No records exist 3 0 0 0
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner 0 0 0 0
Total 90 14 162 21
5.2 Length of extensions
Length of Extensions 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations/ Workload 9(1)(b) Consultation 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
Section 69 Other
30 days or less 64 5 51 2
31 to 60 days 20 9 34 19
61 to 120 days 4 0 48 0
121 to 180 days 1 0 19 0
181 to 365 days 1 0 9 0
365 days or more 0 0 1 0
Total 90 14 162 21

Section 6: Fees

Fees
Fee Type Fee Collected Fee Waived Fee Refunded
Number of Requests Amount Number of Requests Amount Number of Requests Amount
Application 367 $1,835.00 3 $15.00 0 $0.00

Other fees

0 $0.00 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Total 367 $1,835.00 3 $15.00 0 $0.00

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations
Consultations Other Government of Canada Institutions Number of Pages to Review Other Organizations Number of Pages to Review
Received during the reporting period 242 7043 28 1,597
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 28 1,216 2 79
Total 270 8,259 30 1,676
Closed during the reporting period 252 6,692 29 1,669
Carried over within negotiated timelines 6 373 0 0
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines 12 1,194 1 7
7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions
Recommendation

Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests

1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121  to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
Disclose entirely 68 57 15 3 1 1 0 145
Disclose in part 6 31 32 11 6 4 5 95
Exempt entirely 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3
Exclude entirely 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Consult other institution 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3
Other 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 5
Total 78 93 49 14 7 5 6 252
7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada
Recommendation

Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests

1 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
Disclose entirely 14 7 1 0 0 0 0 22
Disclose in part 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 6
Exempt entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Total 15 8 5 1 0 0 0 29

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services
Number of Days Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed 100-500 Pages Processed 501-1,000 Pages Processed 1001-5,000 Pages Processed More Than 5,000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed
1 to 15 55 378 6 432 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 4 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
181 to 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More than 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 59 412 6 432 0 0 0 0 0 0
8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office
Number of Days Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed 100‒500 Pages Processed 501-1,000 Pages Processed 1001-5,000 Pages Processed More Than 5,000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed
1 to 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
181 to 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More than 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 9: Investigations and Reports of finding

9.1 Investigations
Section 32 Notice of intention to investigate Subsection 30(5) Ceased to investigate Section 35  Formal Representations
17 19 2
9.2 Investigations and Reports of finding
Section 37(1) Initial Reports Section 37(2) Final Reports
Received Containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner Containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner Received Containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner Containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner
1 0 1 11 0 1

Section 10: Court Action

10.1 Court actions on complaints
Section 41
Complainant (1) Institution (2) Third Party (3) Privacy Commissioner (4) Total
0 0 0 0 0

10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)

Section 44 - under paragraph 28(1)(b)

Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

11.1 Allocated Costs
Expenditures Amount
Salaries $1,142,986
Overtime $11,174

Goods and Services

  • Professional services contracts: $40,691
  • Other: $44,492
 $85,183
Total $1,239,343
11.2 Human Resources
Resources Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities
Full-time employees 14.046
Part-time and casual employees 0.050
Regional staff 0.000
Consultants and agency personnel 0.000
Students 0.030
Total 14.126

Annex C: Supplemental Statistical Report

Section 1: Capacity to Receive Requests under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Number of weeks your institution was able to receive ATIP requests through the different channels
Description Number of Weeks
Able to receive requests by mail 52
Able to receive requests by email 52
Able to receive requests through the digital request service 52

Section 2: Capacity to Process Records under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

2.1 Number of weeks your institution was able to process paper records in different classification levels
Type of Paper Record No Capacity Partial Capacity Full Capacity Total
Unclassified Paper Records 0 0 52 52
Protected B Paper Records 0 0 52 52
Secret and Top Secret Paper Records 0 0 52 52
2.2 Number of weeks your institution was able to process electronic records in different classification levels
Type of Electronic Record No Capacity Partial Capacity Full Capacity Total
Unclassified Electronic Records 0 0 52 52
Protected B Electronic Records 0 0 52 52
Secret and Top Secret Electronic Records 0 0 52 52

Section 3: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Access to Information Act

3.1 Number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods
Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2023 Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2023 Total
Received in 2022-2023 118 29 147
Received in 2021-2022 6 114 120
Received in 2020-2021 1 122 123
Received in 2019-2020 2 22 24
Received in 2018-2019 1 1 2
Received in 2017-2018 1 1 2
Received in 2016-2017 0 0 0
Received in 2015-2016 3 1 4
Received in 2014-2015 0 0 0
Received in 2013-2014 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 132 290 422
3.2 Number of open complaints with the Information Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods
Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution Number of Open Complaints
Received in 2022-2023 17
Received in 2021-2022 2
Received in 2020-2021 0
Received in 2019-2020 3
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 0
Received in 2014-2015 0
Received in 2013-2014 or earlier 0
Total 22

Section 4: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Privacy Act

4.1 Number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods
Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2023 Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2023 Total
Received in 2022-2023 2 0 2
Received in 2021-2022 0 1 1
Received in 2020-2021 0 2 2
Received in 2019-2020 0 1 1
Received in 2018-2019 0 0 0
Received in 2017-2018 0 0 0
Received in 2016-2017 0 0 0
Received in 2015-2016 0 0 0
Received in 2014-2015 0 0 0
Received in 2013-2014 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 2 4 6
4.2 Number of open complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods
Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution Number of Open Complaints
Received in 2022-2023 1
Received in 2021-2022 0
Received in 2020-2021 2
Received in 2019-2020 0
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 0
Received in 2014-2015 0
Received in 2013-2014 or earlier 0
Total 3

Section 5: Social Insurance Number

Has your institution begun a new collection or a new consistent use of the SIN in 2022-2023?

Section 6: Universal Access under the Privacy Act

How many requests were received from confirmed foreign nationals outside of Canada in 2022-2023?

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