Archived - Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Access to Information Act 2023 – 2024
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Purpose of the Access to Information Act
- Mandate of the Department of Finance Canada
- Administration of the Access to Information Act
- Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, and Initiatives to Improve Access to Information
- Training and Awareness
- Delegation of Authority
- Information Holdings
- Interpretation of the Statistical Report (Annex A)
- Sections 1 and 2 – Requests under the Access to Information Act and Informal requests
- Section 3 – Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests
- Section 4 – Requests Closed During the Reporting Period
- Section 5 – Extensions
- Section 6 – Fees
- Section 7 – Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations
- Section 8 – Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
- Section 9 – Investigations and Audits
- Section 10 – Court Action
- Section 11 – Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
- Supplemental Reporting – Breakdown of Outstanding Requests and Complaints
- Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act
- Monitoring Compliance
- Annex A Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act
Introduction
This Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Access to Information Act within the Department of Finance Canada (the 'Department') is prepared and tabled in Parliament in accordance with section 94 of the Access to Information Act and section 20 of the Service Fees Act, and covers the period from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
Purpose of the Access to Information Act
The Access to Information Act (the Act) came into force on July 1, 1983, and saw its most significant amendments with the passage of Bill C-58 on June 21, 2019. Its purpose is to provide a right of access to information in records under the control of a government institution in accordance with the principles that such information should be available to the public, that necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific, and that decisions on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of government. The Act is intended to complement existing procedures for access to government information; it is not intended to limit access to information that is normally available to the general public. Under the Act, Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or any person or corporation present in Canada have the right to request access to information contained in government records. The Act also puts into practice the principle of 'open by default' in the digital age by making key information available proactively, without the need to make a request.
The Department recognizes that the right of access to information in records under its control and other federal government institutions is an essential element of our system of democracy. It is committed to openness and transparency, respecting both the spirit and the requirements of the Act, its regulations and related policy instruments. The Department further acknowledges the importance of facilitating access to records by requiring that its employees make every reasonable effort to assist applicants.
Mandate of the Department of Finance Canada
The Department helps the Government of Canada develop and implement strong and sustainable economic, fiscal, tax, social, security, international and financial sector policies and programs. It plays an important central agency role, working with other departments to ensure that the Government's agenda is carried out and that ministers are supported with high-quality analysis and advice.
The Department's responsibilities include the following:
- Preparing the federal budget and the Update of Economic and Fiscal Projections;
- Preparing the Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada and, in cooperation with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Receiver General for Canada, the Public Accounts of Canada;
- Developing tax and tariff policy and legislation;
- Managing federal borrowing on financial markets;
- Designing and administering major transfers of federal funds to the provinces and territories;
- Developing financial sector policy and legislation; and
- Representing Canada in various international financial institutions and groups.
The Minister of Finance is accountable for ensuring that his/her responsibilities are fulfilled both within his/her portfolio and with respect to the authorities assigned through legislation. In particular, the Minister has direct responsibility for a number of acts as well as fiscal and tax policy relating to other acts that are under the responsibility of other ministers.
Administration of the Access to Information Act
Access to Information and Privacy Division
The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Division is part of the Consultations and Communications Branch. The ATIP Division is responsible for administering the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act for the Department. As a centralized operation, the ATIP Division coordinates the timely processing of requests under the legislation, conducts interdepartmental consultations, handles complaints lodged with the Information Commissioner and with the Privacy Commissioner, and responds to informal inquiries. Division staff also provide guidance to departmental officials on matters involving these Acts. As of March 31, 2024, 14 employees within the ATIP Division were dedicated to the administration of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act along with related functions. On that date, the ATIP Division was comprised of a director, supported by two managers, ten ATIP analysts, and a student. The Department of Finance Canada did not enter into any service agreements pursuant to section 96 of the Access to Information Act.
Principles on Assistance to Applicants
Section 4(2.1) of the Act reads as follows:
"The head of a government institution shall, without regard to the identity of a person making a request for access to a record under the control of the institution, make every reasonable effort to assist the person in connection with the request, respond to the request accurately and completely and, subject to the regulations, provide timely access to the record in the format requested."
The Department is committed to both the spirit and intent of these principles, and adheres to the Act and to the Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act with respect to their application when processing requests under the Act.
Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, and Initiatives to Improve Access to Information
Plain Language Guide on Exemptions and Exclusions
In 2023-2024, the Treasury Board Secretariat published the Access to Information Act: Plain Language Guide to Exemptions and Exclusions, a document to assist individuals who want to understand why some of the information they requested has been redacted. The Department of Finance subsequently updated its response letter templates to include a link to this guide for requesters. An article with the link was also included in the Department's newsletter to employees, who also benefited from this valuable information.
Access to Information and Privacy Communities Development Office (APCDO)
The Department's ATIP Division has been a member of the Access to Information and Privacy Communities Development Office (APCDO) since its inception in 2022-2023. The APCDO is an initiative led by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) with membership open to ATIP offices across the federal public service. The APCDO was established to enhance the capacity of ATIP offices to provide Canadians with access to government information in a timely manner by attracting new talent to the ATIP offices and providing ATIP professionals with centralized training and professional development programs. In 2023-2024, employees of the Department's ATIP office benefited from attending a number of the APCDO's training sessions tailored to the community thereby enhancing their skills.
ATIP Online Request Service Platform
The Department of Finance continues to use the ATIP Online Request Service Platform managed by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS). This latest generation was launched in summer 2022 to enhance the user experience on the digital request service, a portal used by individuals and organizations to submit requests under the ATIP legislation. The Department of Finance was an early adopter of the enhanced platform, having participated in its pilot prior to the official launch. Procedures were established at the time to ensure requests were efficiently captured and tracked. The digital request service was used to submit 95 per cent of the Access to Information Act requests received by the Department of Finance in 2023-2024, which is evidence that the portal is a favoured tool for the Act's users. The remaining five per cent of requests were submitted by email or mail.
Training and Awareness
During the reporting period, the ATIP Division provided seven training and awareness sessions to 176 participants. These sessions were given to employees and managers within the Department and covered various topics surrounding the Acts' legislative and policy requirements. For example, the sessions discussed the effective processing of access to information and privacy requests, proactive publication requirements, the principles surrounding the management of personal information, and the application of the Acts' exemption and exclusion provisions.
Delegation of Authority
The delegation of authority approved on May 5, 2021 provides the authority to approve or deny the release of departmental information requested under the Act. This is shared by the Department's Deputy Minister, Associate Deputy Minister, Senior Assistant Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers, Associate Assistant Deputy Ministers, Chief of Audit and Head of Evaluations, Executive Directors, Director General of Communications, ATIP Director, ATIP Managers and Senior ATIP Advisors. Generally, the ATIP Director approves all exemptions.
DESIGNATION / DÉLÉGATION
ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT / LOI SUR L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION
Access to Information Act Designation Order
The Minister of Finance Canada, pursuant to section 95 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 the Department of Finance, under the provisions of the Act and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position.
This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.
Arrêté sur la délégation en vertu de la Loi sur l'accès à l'information
En vertu de l'article 95 de la Loi sur l'accès à l'information, le ministre des Finances Canada délègue aux titulaires des postes mentionnés à l'annexe ci-après, ainsi qu'aux personnes occupant à titre intérimaire lesdits postes, les attributions dont [il ou elle] est, en qualité de responsable du Ministère des Finances, investi[e] par les dispositions de la Loi ou de son règlement mentionnées en regard de chaque poste.
Le présent document remplace et annule tout arrêté antérieur.
Dated in Ottawa on this 5th day
of May, 2021
Fait à Ottawa en ce 5ieme jour
de mai 2021
Chrystia Freeland
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance /
Vice-première ministre et ministre des Finances
Deputy Minister |
Associate Deputy Minister and G7/G20 & FSB Deputy for Canada |
Associate Deputy Minister |
Senior Assistant Deputy Ministers Assistant Deputy Ministers Chief of Audit and Head of Evaluation Associate Assistant Deputy Ministers Executive Directors |
Assistant Deputy Minister, Consultations and Communications Branch, Director General, Consultations and Communications BranchD |
Director, Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) |
ATIP Managers Senior ATIP Advisors |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Powers, duties, or functions |
Section |
|||||||
Responsibility of government institutions |
4(2.1) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Reasons for declining to act on request |
6.1(1) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Notice – suspension, end of suspension |
6.1(1.3), (1.4), (2) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Notice where access requested |
7 |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Transfer of request |
8(1) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Extension of time limits |
9 |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Where access is refused |
10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Application fee waiver |
11(2) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Language of access |
12(2)(b) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Access in an alternative format |
12(3)(b) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Exemption - Information obtained in confidence |
13 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Federal-provincial affairs |
14 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - International affairs and defence |
15 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Law enforcement and investigations |
16 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act |
16.5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Safety of individuals |
17 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Economic interests of Canada |
18 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Economic interest of certain government institutions (Canada Post Corporation, Export Development Canada, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and VIA Rail Canada Inc.) |
18.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Personal information |
19 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Third-party information |
20 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption – Advice, etc. |
21 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Testing procedures, tests and audits |
22 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption – Internal audits |
22.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption – Protected information - solicitors-advocates and notaries |
23 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption – Protected information – patents and trademarks |
23.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exemption - Statutory prohibitions against disclosure |
24 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Severability |
25 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Exception – Refusal of access if information to be published |
26 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Notice to third parties |
27(1), (4) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Representations of third party and decision |
28(1)(b), (2), (4) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Notice to Information Commissioner of notices to third parties |
33 |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Right to make representations |
35(2)(b) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Notice to the Commissioner of action taken or proposed to be taken to implement the order or recommendations of the Commissioner |
37(1)(c) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Access to be given |
37(4) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Review by Federal Court – government institution |
41(2) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Service or notice of application |
43(2) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Notice to person who requested the record (application to Federal Court by third party) |
44(2) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Special rules for hearings |
52(2)(b), (3) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Facilities for inspection of manuals |
71(1) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Annual report – government institutions |
94(1) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Notice – Provision of services related to access to information |
96(3) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Spending authority |
96(5) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Access to Information Regulations |
||||||||
Transfer of request |
6(1) |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Method of access |
8 |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Limitations in respect of format |
8.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Information Holdings
All government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act publish an inventory of their information holdings as well as relevant details about personal information under their control. The information can assist individuals in making an access to information or personal information request, or in exercising their privacy rights.
A description of the Department's programs, activities, and information holdings, including its classes of records and personal information banks can be found in Info Source: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information.
Some programs and activities, such as human resources and financial management, are common to most government institutions. These are known as internal services and they involve the following types of information:
- Standard classes of records: These are descriptions of all records created and used to support internal services.
- Standard personal information banks: These are descriptions of personal information contained in records, and collected and used to support internal services.
Interpretation of the Statistical Report (Annex A)
Sections 1 and 2 – Requests under the Access to Information Act and Informal requests
Number of Formal Requests
The Department of Finance began the fiscal year with 646 active requests carried forward from the previous year and received 862 formal requests in 2023-2024. This corresponds to a 33 per cent increase from the 650 formal requests received the previous year. By the end of the reporting period, 785 requests were completed and 723 were carried forward to 2024-2025.
The following table illustrates that the volume of requests has been unpredictable in recent years, with a low of 650 requests received in 2022-2023, and a peak of 1,115 in 2020-2021 with an average of 840 requests per year.
| Fiscal Year | New Requests Received | Requests Completed | Number of Pages Processed | Number of Pages Released | On-Time Compliance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 862 | 785 | 25,637 | 9,593 | 75% |
| 2022-2023 | 650 | 860 | 50,742 | 29,070 | 40% |
| 2021-2022 | 823 | 946 | 38,710 | 17,907 | 53% |
| 2020-2021 | 1,115 | 486 | 14,569 | 6,725 | 73% |
| 2019-2020 | 744 | 794 | 52,558 | 21,921 | 78% |
Other Requests
Government institutions also receive requests for records that were released in response to previous requests. As these requests are not made pursuant to the Access to Information Act, they are considered informal. This reporting year, the Department received 313 informal requests, roughly one third of the 952 informal requests received the previous year.
With respect to consultations from other government institutions and organizations on matters of interest to the Department of Finance, the Department began 2023-2024 with 18 consultations outstanding from the previous year and received 122 consultations. This is a 27 per cent decrease compared to 167 consultations received the previous year. By the end of 2023-2024, a total of 122 consultations were completed and 18 were carried forward to 2024-2025.
Overall ATIP Caseload
The table below illustrates a five-year trend of the total overall ATIP caseload. This includes formal Access to Information Act requests, Privacy Act requests, informal requests, and consultations received from other government institutions and organizations. The 2023-2024 caseload was similar to most recent years. In addition to administering the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, the ATIP Division also supported the Department and lent its expertise when required to respond to parliamentary motions for the production of documents.
| Fiscal Year | Overall Caseload | Increase/Decrease from Previous Reporting Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 1,313 | - 26% |
| 2022-2023 | 1,777 | + 35% |
| 2021-2022 | 1,314 | - 8.0% |
| 2020-2021 | 1,428 | - 6.2% |
| 2019-2020 | 1,523 | - 40% |
Sources of Requests
The following table shows the breakdown of requests by source. Media representatives submitted by far the most requests in 2023-2024, as in previous years. They were followed by members of the public, individuals that declined to identify their category, businesses, academia, and finally, organizations.
| Source | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media | 547 | 485 | 614 |
| Academia | 13 | 15 | 14 |
| Business | 62 | 22 | 32 |
| Organization | 19 | 10 | 5 |
| Public | 155 | 72 | 116 |
| Decline to Identify | 127 | 46 | 81 |
| Total | 823 | 650 | 862 |
Section 3 – Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests
Number of Requests
The Department of Finance did not decline to act on any requests in 2023-2024.
Section 4 – Requests Closed During the Reporting Period
Disposition of Requests
The following table indicates the disposition of the 785 requests completed during this reporting period:
| Disposition | Number of Requests | Percentage of Requests |
|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 16 | 2.0 % |
| Disclosed in part | 623 | 79 % |
| All exempted | 3 | 0.4 % |
| All excluded | 22 | 2.8 % |
| No records exist | 73 | 9.3 % |
| Request transferred | 9 | 1.1 % |
| Request abandoned | 39 | 5.0 % |
| Neither confirmed or denied | 0 | 0 % |
| Decline to act | 0 | 0 % |
| Total | 785 | 100 % |
The following is a comparison of the disposition of requests completed for the last three reporting periods:
| Disposition | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 48 | 19 | 16 |
| Disclosed in part | 719 | 673 | 623 |
| All exempted | 19 | 10 | 3 |
| All excluded | 32 | 24 | 22 |
| No records exist | 88 | 73 | 73 |
| Request transferred | 12 | 6 | 9 |
| Request abandoned | 28 | 55 | 39 |
| Neither Confirmed or Denied | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decline to act | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Completed | 946 | 860 | 785 |
Completion Time
Six hundred and sixty (84 per cent) of the 785 requests were closed within six months or less, with 214 of these requests (27 per cent of the total) having received a response within 30 days, 151 of them (19 per cent) requiring between 31 and 60 days, 247 requests (31 per cent) requiring between 61 and 120 days, and 48 requests (six per cent), between 121 and 180 days.
The remaining 125 requests (16 per cent) required 181 days or more. Requests requiring more than six months to complete usually involved a large volume of documents and/or required extensive internal consultations, consultations with third parties, and often, consultations with other government institutions. Given the nature of the work done by the Department, consultations must be conducted with other federal government institutions on many of its requests and completion time is consequently impacted by the amount of time required of the other institutions to respond to those consultations. In 2023-2024, the Department continued to focus on both incoming requests as well as older requests that had accumulated during the pandemic and those that had been temporarily set aside after the Department transitioned to remote work since they were available only in paper at the physical workplace.
Exemptions Invoked
In 2023-2024, the Department invoked a total of 2,498 exemptions pursuant to specific sections of the Act (more than one exemption can be applied to the same request).
These exemptions were as follows:
| Section of the Act | Description of the Exemptions | Number of Times Exemptions Applied |
|---|---|---|
| Section 13 | Information obtained in confidence from other governments |
63 |
| Section 14 | Federal-provincial affairs | 126 |
| Section 15 | International affairs and defence | 63 |
| Section 16 | Law enforcement, investigations, and Security | 554 |
| Section 17 | Safety of individuals | 0 |
| Section 18 | Economic interests of Canada | 173 |
| Section 19 | Personal information | 76 |
| Section 20 | Third party information | 299 |
| Section 21 | Operations of government | 1,081 |
| Section 22 | Testing procedures, tests and audits | 2 |
| Section 23 | Solicitor-client privilege | 47 |
| Section 24 | Statutory prohibitions | 12 |
| Section 26 | Information to be published | 2 |
Exclusions Cited
The Access to Information Act does not apply to information that is already publicly available, such as government publications and material in libraries and museums. It also excludes material such as Cabinet confidences. In accordance with the Act, exclusions were invoked 568 times: in seven instances under section 68 because the requested records could be found in the public domain, and 561 times under section 69, as records contained confidences of the King's Privy Council for Canada. Because the Department is responsible for preparing the federal Budget and develops legislation and associated policies, it has a large number of documents classified as Cabinet confidences.
Format of Information Released
Records were provided to applicants in 639 cases, and in all instances, documents were provided electronically.
Complexity
Three hundred and ninety requests processed by the Department in 2023-2024 involved complex issues which required the need to consult with other government institutions and/or third parties, or required legal advice. The number of pages in any given file is also a factor in the length of time it takes to complete a file. This year saw two files processed which contained more than 1,000 pages, with the largest one comprising of more than 5,000 pages.
Deemed Refusals
Of the 785 requests completed this fiscal year, 585 were closed on time, corresponding to a compliance rate of 75 per cent, an improvement from 2022-2023's rate of 40 per cent.
The 200 requests closed after the statutory deadline were delayed for various reasons including consultations, both external and internal, workload pressures, shortage of staff, and difficulty in retrieving records. In 160 instances, extensions of the statutory time limit had been claimed but the files were nonetheless late, due mainly to the volume of pages processed and the consultations. In the other 40 cases, no extension of the statutory deadline was taken.
The table below provides the completion time for the 200 requests closed past the statutory deadline in 2023-2024.
| Number of Requests | Completion Time After the Deadline |
|---|---|
| 33 | within 1 to 15 days |
| 17 | within 16 to 30 days |
| 15 | within 31 to 60 days |
| 24 | within 61 to 120 days |
| 19 | within 121 to 180 days |
| 31 | within 181 to 365 days |
| 61 | more than 365 days |
Translations
No requests for translations were received.
Section 5 – Extensions
Subsection 9(1) of the ATI Act sets out circumstances under which the initial 30-day time limit for response may be extended. Extensions may be taken for the following reasons:
- The request is for a large number of records or requires a search through a large number of records, and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the institution;
- Consultation is necessary with other government institutions, other levels of governments; or
- Notice is to be given to a third party (pursuant to s. 27(1)) of the pending release of commercial information of that third party.
During 2023-2024, the Department claimed 320 extensions under s. 9(1)(a) due to the volume of records and interference with government operations, versus 345 the previous fiscal year. Third party notifications required 23 extensions under s. 9(1)(c), down slightly from 25 in 2022-2023.
One hundred and thirteen extensions were claimed for consultations on Confidences of the King's Privy Council and 189 extensions for other types of consultations, for a total of 302 extensions claimed under s. 9(1)(b). Extensions for consultations are down from the 405 extensions in 2022-2023.
Section 6 – Fees
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.
- Enabling authority: Access to Information Act
- Fee payable: $5.00 application fee is the only fee charged for an ATI request
- Total revenue: $2,655
- Fees waived: $1,655
- Cost of operating the program: $1,258,612
Section 7 – Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations
The Department received 122 consultations from other government institutions and organizations this reporting year, carried over 18 from the previous fiscal year, and closed 140.
Of the 140 consultations that were completed in 2023-2024, the Department responded to 66 (54 per cent) in 30 days or less; 37 (30 per cent) were responded to in 31 to 60 days; 13 (11 per cent) required 61 to 120 days, and; six consultations (five per cent) required more than 121 days to complete.
Section 8 – Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
The departmental legal services unit responded to 191 consultations to confirm whether documents were Cabinet Confidences. All but two consultations were responded to within 120 days.
No consultations on Cabinet confidences were forwarded to the Privy Council Office.
Section 9 – Investigations and Audits
Thirty-four complaints against the Department were received during the reporting period:
- Eight complaints concerned the exemption/exclusion of information;
- Twenty-three complaints concerned delay in responding or extensions taken; and,
- Three complaints related to a response indicating that no records exist or alleged that the Department did not undertake a complete search for records.
In 2023-2024, the Office of the Information Commissioner closed 35 complaint investigations against the Department, including complaints received in previous reporting periods:
- Three complaints were concluded as "well-founded";
- Nine complaints were concluded as "not well-founded"; and,
- Twenty complaints fell into the categories of "cease to investigate" or "resolved"; and,
- Three complaints were "discontinued" by the Office of the Information Commissioner.
The Information Commissioner did not issue any orders to the Department in 2023-2024.
In 2023-2024, the Department's Internal Audit Directorate launched an internal audit of Access to Information. The audit was ongoing at the end of the fiscal year.
Section 10 – Court Action
No appeals to the Federal Court were made in this reporting period.
Section 11 – Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
Administration of the Act cost the Department $1,258,612 this reporting year. Costs incurred in the reporting period include the salaries of ATIP staff and the administrative expenses associated with administration of the Act. Costs do not include salaries of other departmental personnel involved in processing requests.
Supplemental Reporting – Breakdown of Outstanding Requests and Complaints
Of the 723 active requests at the end of the fiscal year, 269 files (37 per cent) were from 2023‑2024. A total of 270 requests (37 per cent) were received in one of the three previous fiscal years. The remaining 184 requests (25 per cent) were received prior to 2020-2021.
At the end of 2023-2024, a total of 23 complaints against the Department remained in its inventory of active complaints. Nineteen of these (83 per cent) were received in 2023-2024 and the remaining four complaints (17 per cent) were received in previous years.
Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act
The Department of Finance is a government institution for the purposes of Part 2 of the Access to Information Act. The Department is subject to the following proactive publishing requirements:
| Legislative Requirement | Section | Publication Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| All Government Institutions as defined in section 3 of the Access to Information Act | ||
| Travel Expenses | 82 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement |
| Hospitality Expenses | 83 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement |
| Reports tabled in Parliament | 84 | Within 30 days after tabling |
| Government entities or Departments, agencies, and other bodies subject to the Act and listed in Schedules I, I.1, or II of the Financial Administration Act | ||
| Contracts over $10,000 | 86 | *Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter |
| Grants & Contributions over $25,000 | 87 | Within 30 days after the quarter |
| Packages of briefing materials prepared for new or incoming deputy heads or equivalent | 88(a) | Within 120 days after appointment |
| Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared for a deputy head or equivalent, that is received by their office | 88(b) | Within 30 days after the end of the month received |
| Packages of briefing materials prepared for a deputy head or equivalent's appearance before a committee of Parliament | 88(c) | Within 120 days after appearance |
| Government institutions that are departments named in Schedule I to the Financial Administration Act or portions of the core public administration named in Schedule IV to that Act (i.e. government institutions for which Treasury Board is the employer) | ||
| Reclassification of positions | 85 | Within 30 days after the quarter |
| Ministers | ||
| Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for new or incoming ministers | 74(a) | Within 120 days after appointment |
| Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared by a government institution for the minister, that is received by their office | 74(b) | Within 30 days after the end of the month received |
| Package of question period notes prepared by a government institution for the minister and in use on the last sitting day of the House of Commons in June and December | 74(c) | Within 30 days after last sitting day of the House of Common in June and December |
| Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for a minister's appearance before a committee of Parliament | 74(d) | Within 120 days after appearance |
| Travel Expenses | 75 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement |
| Hospitality Expenses | 76 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement |
| Contracts over $10,000 | 77 | Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter |
| Ministers' Offices Expenses Note: This consolidated report is currently published by TBS on behalf of all institutions. | 78 | Within 120 days after the fiscal year |
|
* Q1 = 1st quarter (April 1 to June 30); Q2 = 2nd quarter (July 1 to September 30); Q3 = 3rd quarter (October 1 to December 31); Q4 = 4th quarter (January 1 to March 31) |
||
The ATIP Division, which falls within the Consultations and Communications Branch, is responsible for publishing the titles of memoranda to the Minister and to the Deputy Minister each month, for posting the transition materials for new ministers and deputy ministers, as well publishing the Department's access to information and privacy annual reports. The Consultations and Communications Branch is also responsible for publishing materials surrounding parliamentary affairs, for example materials prepared for the Minister or for the Deputy Minister for committee appearances as well as Question Period notes following the end of the winter and summer sessions. The Corporate Services Branch, having responsibility for coordinating the Department's human resources and financial activities, manages the disclosure of information on expenses for travel, hospitality, and those related to the minister's office, posting information related to contracts, grants and contributions, and reclassification of positions. All other annual reports are published by the branch responsible for its preparation. Departmental officials are aware of their obligations regarding proactive publication.
Proactively published information can be found on the Open Government Portal or in the Transparency section of the Department's web site.
Monitoring Compliance
In addition to producing statistics on branch performance across the Department, the ATIP Division continues to send targeted reports showing lists of outstanding branch actions related to Access to Infromation Act requests and consultations from other government departments. These statistics are shared on a weekly basis with senior management, branch ATIP contacts, the Deputy Minister's Office and the Ministers' Offices.
The ATIP Division also updated senior management throughout the fiscal year with a focus on departmental performance, current ATIP activities and the modernization of its work processes.
ANNEX A Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act (including Supplemental Statistical Report)
Name of institution: Department of Finance
Reporting period: April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024
Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act
| Number of Requests | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 862 | |||
| Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 646 | |||
Outstanding from previous reporting period |
212 | |||
Outstanding from more than one reporting period |
434 | |||
| Total | 1,508 | |||
| Closed during reporting period | 785 | |||
| Carried over to next reporting period | 723 | |||
Carried over within legislated timeline |
125 | |||
Carried over beyond legislated timeline |
598 | |||
| Source | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Media | 614 |
| Academia | 14 |
| Business (private sector) | 32 |
| Organization | 5 |
| Public | 116 |
| Decline to Identify | 81 |
| Total | 862 |
| Source | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Online | 817 |
| 41 | |
| 4 | |
| In person | 0 |
| Phone | 0 |
| Fax | 0 |
| Total | 862 |
Section 2: Informal Requests
| Number of Requests | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 313 | |||
| Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 2 | |||
Outstanding from previous reporting period |
2 | |||
Outstanding from more than one reporting period |
0 | |||
| Total | 315 | |||
| Closed during reporting period | 313 | |||
| Carried over to next reporting period | 2 | |||
| Source | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Online | 43 |
| 270 | |
| 0 | |
| In person | 0 |
| Phone | 0 |
| Fax | 0 |
| Total | 313 |
| Completion Time | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 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 |
| 99 | 50 | 72 | 90 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 313 |
| Less Than 100 Pages Released |
100-500 Pages Released |
501-1000 Pages Released |
1001-5000 Pages Released |
More Than 5000 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 |
| 292 | 4,147 | 20 | 4,306 | 1 | 574 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Less Than 100 Pages Re-released |
100-500 Pages Re-released |
501-1000 Pages Re-released |
1001-5000 Pages Re-released |
More Than 5000 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 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests
| 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
| Disposition of Requests | Completion Time | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 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 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | |||
| Disclosed in part | 38 | 77 | 127 | 235 | 45 | 45 | 56 | 623 | |||
| All exempted | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |||
| All excluded | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 | |||
| No records exist | 22 | 28 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 73 | |||
| Request transferred | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |||
| Request abandoned | 20 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 39 | |||
| 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 | 93 | 121 | 151 | 247 | 48 | 51 | 74 | 785 | |||
| Section | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| 13(1)(a) | 22 |
| 13(1)(b) | 13 |
| 13(1)(c) | 23 |
| 13(1)(d) | 4 |
| 13(1)(e) | 1 |
| 14 | 51 |
| 14(a) | 40 |
| 14(b) | 35 |
| 15(1) | 41 |
| 15(1) - I.A.* | 22 |
| 15(1) - Def.* | 0 |
| 15(1) - S.A.* | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(i) | 2 |
| 16(1)(a)(ii) | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(iii) | 3 |
| 16(1)(b) | 0 |
| 16(1)(c) | 19 |
| 16(1)(d) | 0 |
| 16(2) | 6 |
| 16(2)(a) | 1 |
| 16(2)(b) | 1 |
| 16(2)(c) | 522 |
| 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 | 0 |
| 18(a) | 36 |
| 18(b) | 75 |
| 18(c) | 0 |
| 18(d) | 48 |
| 18.1(1)(a) | 1 |
| 18.1(1)(b) | 13 |
| 18.1(1)(c) | 0 |
| 18.1(1)(d) | 0 |
| 19(1) | 76 |
| 20(1)(a) | 6 |
| 20(1)(b) | 159 |
| 20(1)(b.1) | 1 |
| 20(1)(c) | 78 |
| 20(1)(d) | 55 |
| 20,1 | 0 |
| 20,2 | 0 |
| 20,4 | 0 |
| 21(1)(a) | 523 |
| 21(1)(b) | 404 |
| 21(1)(c) | 124 |
| 21(1)(d) | 30 |
| 22 | 2 |
| 22.1(1) | 0 |
| 23 | 47 |
| 23,1 | 0 |
| 24(1) | 12 |
| 26 | 2 |
* I.A.: International Affairs |
|
| Section | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| 68(a) | 7 |
| 68(b) | 0 |
| 68(c) | 0 |
| 68.1 | 0 |
| 68.2(a) | 0 |
| 68.2(b) | 0 |
| 69(1) | 0 |
| 69(1)(a) | 17 |
| 69(1)(b) | 0 |
| 69(1)(c) | 2 |
| 69(1)(d) | 34 |
| 69(1)(e) | 43 |
| 69(1)(f) | 3 |
| 69(1)(g) re (a) | 100 |
| 69(1)(g) re (b) | 0 |
| 69(1)(g) re (c) | 36 |
| 69(1)(g) re (d) | 79 |
| 69(1)(g) re (e) | 184 |
| 69(1)(g) re (f) | 63 |
| 69.1(1) | 0 |
| Paper | Electronic | Other | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-record | Data set | Video | Audio | |||
| 0 | 639 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4.5 Complexity
| Number of Pages Processed | Number of Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|
| 25,637 | 9,583 | 703 |
| Disposition | Less Than 100 Pages Processed |
100-500 Pages Processed |
501-1000 Pages Processed |
1001-5000 Pages Processed |
More Than 5000 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 | 16 | 235 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 595 | 9,018 | 24 | 4,802 | 3 | 2,061 | 1 | 1,307 | 0 | 0 |
| All exempted | 3 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 20 | 373 | 2 | 479 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 33 | 130 | 4 | 1,072 | 1 | 524 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5,589 |
| 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 | 667 | 9,803 | 30 | 6,353 | 4 | 2,585 | 1 | 1,307 | 1 | 5,589 |
| Number of Minutes Processed | Number of Minutes Disclosed | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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 |
| Number of Minutes Processed | Number of Minutes Disclosed | Number of Requests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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 |
| Disposition | Consultation Required | Legal Advice Sought | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All disclosed | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Disclosed in part | 352 | 3 | 0 | 355 |
| All exempted | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| All excluded | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Request abandoned | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 387 | 3 | 0 | 390 |
4.6 Closed requests
| Requests closed within legislated timelines | |
|---|---|
| Number of requests closed within legislated timelines | 585 |
| Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) | 74.52229299 |
4.7 Deemed refusals
| Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines | Principal Reason | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interference with operations/ Workload | External Consultation | Internal Consultation | Other | |
| 200 | 109 | 14 | 33 | 44 |
| 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 | 7 | 26 | 33 | ||||
| 16 to 30 days | 2 | 15 | 17 | ||||
| 31 to 60 days | 3 | 12 | 15 | ||||
| 61 to 120 days | 6 | 18 | 24 | ||||
| 121 to 180 days | 6 | 13 | 19 | ||||
| 181 to 365 days | 3 | 28 | 31 | ||||
| More than 365 days | 13 | 48 | 61 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 160 | 200 |
| Translation Requests | Accepted | Refused | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| English to French | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| French to English | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 5: Extensions
| 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 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 282 | 97 | 173 | 15 |
| All exempted | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Request abandoned | 10 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| No records exist | 15 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 320 | 113 | 189 | 23 |
| 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 | 195 | 4 | 15 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 days | 114 | 1 | 89 | 20 |
| 61 to 120 days | 10 | 108 | 83 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 days | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 181 to 365 days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 365 days or more | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 320 | 113 | 189 | 23 |
Section 6: Fees
| Fee Type | Fee Collected | Fee Waived | Fee Refunded | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Requests |
Amount | Number of Requests |
Amount | Number of Requests |
Amount | |
| Application | 531 | $2,655.00 | 331 | $1,655.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
| Other fees | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
| Total | 531 | $2,655.00 | 331 | $1,655.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations
| Consultations | Other Government of Canada Institutions | Number of Pages to Review | Other Organizations | Number of Pages to Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Received during the reporting period | 111 | 4,281 | 11 | 194 |
| Outstanding from the previous reporting period | 18 | 356 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 129 | 4,637 | 11 | 194 |
| Closed during the reporting period | 111 | 4,017 | 11 | 194 |
| Carried over within negotiated timelines | 5 | 141 | 0 | 0 |
| Carried over beyond negotiated timelines | 13 | 479 | 0 | 0 |
| Recommendation | Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 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 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Disclose in part | 6 | 18 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60 |
| Exempt entirely | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Exclude entirely | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 26 | 33 | 33 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 111 |
| 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 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Disclose in part | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
| Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 100-500 Pages Processed | 501-1000 Pages Processed |
1001-5000 Pages Processed |
More Than 5000 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 | 60 | 305 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 30 | 108 | 472 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 | 19 | 68 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| More than 365 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 191 | 863 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of Days | Fewer 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 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
| Section 32 Notice of intention to investigate | Subsection 30(5) Ceased to investigate | Section 35 Formal Representations |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | 19 | 15 |
| 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 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Section 10: Court Action
| Section 41 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complainant (1) | Institution (2) | Third Party (3) | Privacy Commissioner (4) | Total |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Section 44 - under paragraph 28(1)(b) | 0 |
|---|---|
Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
| Expenditures | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries | $1,215,922 | |
| Overtime | $465 | |
| Goods and Services | $42,225 | |
Professional services contracts |
$0 | |
Other |
$42,225 | |
| Total | $1,258,612 | |
| Resources | Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 12.024 |
| Part-time and casual employees | 0.508 |
| Regional staff | 0.000 |
| Consultants and agency personnel | 0.000 |
| Students | 0.870 |
| Total | 13.402 |
Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act
Name of institution: Department of Finance
Reporting period: April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024
Section 1: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Access to Information Act
| Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received | Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Received in 2023-24 | 114 | 155 | 269 |
| Received in 2022-23 | 0 | 83 | 83 |
| Received in 2021-22 | 0 | 96 | 96 |
| Received in 2020-21 | 0 | 91 | 91 |
| Received in 2019-20 | 2 | 100 | 102 |
| Received in 2018-19 | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| Received in 2017-18 | 1 | 31 | 32 |
| Received in 2016-17 | 1 | 22 | 23 |
| Received in 2015-16 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Total | 123 | 600 | 723 |
| Row 11, Col. 3 of Section 1.1 must equal Row 7, Col. 1 of Section 1.1 of the 2023-24 Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act | |||
| Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution | Number of Open Complaints |
|---|---|
| Received in 2023-2024 | 19 |
| Received in 2022-2023 | 3 |
| Received in 2021-2022 | 0 |
| Received in 2020-2021 | 0 |
| Received in 2019-2020 | 1 |
| Received in 2018-2019 | 0 |
| Received in 2017-2018 | 0 |
| Received in 2016-2017 | 0 |
| Received in 2015-2016 | 0 |
| Received in 2014-2015 or earlier | 0 |
| Total | 23 |
Section 2: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Privacy Act
| Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received | Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Received in 2023-2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Received in 2022-2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Received in 2021-2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Received in 2020-2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Received in 2019-2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Received in 2014-2015 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Row 11, Col. 3 of Section 4.1 must equal Row 7, Col. 1 of Section 1.1 of the 2023-2024 Statistical Report on the Privacy Act |
|||
| Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution | Number of Open Complaints |
|---|---|
| Received in 2023-2024 | 0 |
| Received in 2022-2023 | 0 |
| Received in 2021-2022 | 0 |
| Received in 2020-2021 | 0 |
| 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 or earlier | 0 |
| Total | 0 |
Section 3: Social Insurance Number
| Has your institution begun a new collection or a new consistent use of the SIN in 2023-2024? | No |
|---|---|
Section 4: Universal Access under the Privacy Act
| How many requests were received from confirmed foreign nationals outside of Canada in 2023-2024? | 0 |
|---|---|
Row 1, Col. 1 of Section 6 must be equal to or less than Row 1, Col. 1 of Section 1.1 of the 2023-2024 Statistical Report on the Privacy Act |
|