2023-2024 Annual Report to Parliament on the Access to Information Act
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Introduction
The Privy Council Office (PCO) reports directly to the Prime Minister and is headed by the Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. PCO is both the Cabinet secretariat and the Prime Minister’s source of public service advice across the entire spectrum of policy questions and operational issues facing the Government. As the hub of non-partisan, public service support to the Prime Minister, Cabinet and its decision-making structures, PCO ensures that the Government and Canadians are served by the highest quality public service.
PCO also provides support to the Prime Minister, as well as to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada.
PCO’s three (3) main roles are to:
- Provide professional non-partisan advice to the Prime Minister, portfolio ministers, Cabinet and Cabinet committees on matters of national and international importance.
- Ensure that the Cabinet decision-making process runs smoothly and help implement the Government’s agenda.
- Foster a high-performing and accountable Public Service.
This is the 41st Annual Report to Parliament on the administration of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) by PCO, submitted as required by section 94 of the ATIA and section 20 of the Service Fees Act. This report covers the reporting period of April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
Additional copies of this report may be obtained by contacting:
- Access Information and Privacy Division
Privy Council Office
11 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A3
Highlights
In the 2023-2024 reporting period, PCO received one thousand seventy-nine (1,079) requests and closed seven hundred and seventy-eight (778) requests, compared to six hundred and seventy-three (673) requests received and seven hundred (700) requests closed in 2022-2023.
In 2023-2024, 176,996 relevant pages were processed, which represents a 9% increase in the pages reviewed from the previous year. The page volume does not account for proactive disclosure of briefing note titles, transition material, Question Period cards and committee binders.
In 2023-2024, PCO faced several challenges in responding to ATIP requests, including a 60% increase in incoming requests and a 63% increase in orders from the Information Commissioner. While maintaining a 64% on-time completion rate, 36% of ATIP responses to requests were late, adding to our growing backlog. The classified information we hold requires more of an in-office presence than most other departments, creating staffing challenges.
Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) division – organizational structure
The ATIP division within PCO is responsible for managing requests for departmental or personal information, ensuring corporate understanding and compliance with the ATIA and the Privacy Act (PA), and fostering corporate awareness of access and privacy rights and responsibilities. On matters of access and privacy, the ATIP division also acts as a primary liaison with the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC), the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC), the Access to Information Policy and Performance Division (AIPPD) of Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), and partner departments.
The ATIP division has a personnel complement of approximately 23.4 full-time equivalents (FTEs), 3.8 part-time and casual employees and 8.4 students. Staff are organized into two (2) areas of responsibility, as follows:
- ATIP Operations (20.4 FTEs, 3.8 part-time and casual and 6.4 students)
- Processes ATIP requests;
- Oversees the collection and release of personal and/or business information;
- Provides expertise in ATIP policy;
- Research trends and best practices in ATIP;
- Develops and delivers ATIP training programs; and
- Proactively discloses and publishes briefing note titles, transition material, Question Period cards and committee binders.
- Client Services (3 FTEs and 2 students)
- Coordinates training and prepares promotional products;
- Processes responses to parliamentary questions and petitions on behalf of PCO; and
- Provides database administration.
Of the personnel complement of 23.4 FTEs in 2023-2024, approximately 19.4 FTEs were dedicated to activities related to the administration of the Access to Information Act and one (1) FTE was dedicated to activities related to the administration of the Privacy Act.
Monitoring compliance
In order to meet the legislative deadlines for access to information requests, the timelines of individual requests are strictly monitored. Regular meetings and various reports are used to ensure all requests are on track to meet the deadlines. Given our delegation orders (described in the next section), the ATIP division works very closely with our Offices of Primary Interest (OPIs) to ensure tasking and signoff timelines are respected.
Privy Council Office delegation orders
The Minister heading each government institution is responsible for the implementation of the ATIA within his or her institution. The Prime Minister, as the Head of the Privy Council Office and pursuant to s. 95(1) of the ATIA, is responsible for the implementation of the ATIA within PCO. Through the PCO delegation order, the Prime Minister has designated the Executive Director, ATIP, as the individual within PCO to perform the powers, duties, functions, or administrative tasks pertaining to the ATIA. PCO Secretariats, or OPIs, holders of the information identified in an access request, approve the release of information to requesters and the application of exemptions or exclusions and supporting rationales. This shared delegation of authority for the disposition of information is exercised diligently within PCO and recorded formally at appropriate stages in the process. PCO delegation orders, which were in effect in 2023-2024, can be found at Appendix A.
Activities and accomplishments
| Access to information requests | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requests received | 616 | 509 | 673 | 1,079 |
| Requests completed | 332 | 532 | 700 | 778 |
| Requests completed on-time (%) | 68.1% | 68.2% | 63.1% | 64.3% |
| Total relevant pages processed | 42,958 | 70,777 | 162,315 | 176,996 |
While the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a backlog of access to information files that continues to affect PCO’s percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines, PCO is committed to getting back on track and responding to requests on time.
Summary of key issues and actions taken on complaints or audits
PCO collaborates regularly with the OIC with the intended purpose of resolving complaints in a timely manner. Throughout 2023-2024, the ATIP division continued to make progress on complaints while balancing workloads to allow consistent progress on active requests and meet legislated due dates. PCO is dedicated to reducing the number of active complaints.
Education and training activities
Within the ATIP division, meetings are held on a weekly basis to ensure requests meet the legislated due dates, as well as to review legislated extensions and discuss any new procedures. PCO provides information on ATIP requirements and best practices through learning products, special events at the branch and/or the departmental level, as well as on the intranet.
In 2023-2024, PCO provided ATIP training or awareness sessions to approximately one hundred and ninety-eight (198) employees through fifteen (15) training events during the reporting period. These sessions consisted of an overview of ATIP to internal secretariats to deliver insight on the ATIP process, related information management considerations, and the application of exemptions.
PCO senior officials were provided with a summary of the access and privacy statistics on performance and compliance to promote understanding of access and privacy responsibilities. The Executive Director of ATIP maintained regular contact with senior staff in the department, and ATIP senior staff met with senior officials in PCO Secretariats to clarify their roles and enhance working relationships. Throughout the 2023-2024 reporting period, ATIP analysts liaised with clients to explain the five-stage request timeline and their role, as well as to provide training on processes such as the search for records.
PCO personnel have access to key information on access and privacy. This information is readily available as instructional ATIP handouts, an email box for questions, takeaway learning tools, as well as comprehensive and educational electronic content on PCO’s intranet.
Information-related to policies, guidelines, procedures and initiatives
Posting of completed access to information requests
As part of the Open Government Initiative, PCO provides monthly summaries of completed access to information requests online. This information includes a summary of the request text, the year and month the request was completed, the disposition, and the number of pages disclosed. Summaries are available with direct links for requesting a copy of records.
The public can also submit informal requests for completed files by mail or the generic email on the PCO website. Records are provided in the form that they were released under the ATIA including format, language(s) and any exemptions or exclusions that were applied.
As reported in the Statistical Report, PCO released a total of eight hundred and four (804) previously released ATI packages informally between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.
Other activities
a) Reading room
In compliance with subsection 12(1) of the ATIA, the ATIP division also provides a reading room where the public may examine requested departmental records, manuals, and publications related to access to information. The reading room is located on the first floor of the Hope Building at 63 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario. This secure location allows for an appropriate separation from office activities and provides requesters with a suitable environment to review documents. ATIP analysts can reserve the space in advance to ensure that it is available to requesters. In 2023-2024, no individual made use of this means of access to information.
b) Proactive disclosure
In compliance with mandatory proactive disclosure requirements for government organizations, the PCO website continued to make available information concerning PCO travel and hospitality expenses, reclassification of positions, contracts over $10,000, grant and contribution awards, briefing note titles for the Prime Minister, Ministers, and the Clerk of the Privy Council, transition material for Ministers and the Prime Minister, as well as committee binders.
Interpretation of the Statistical Report
The 2023-2024 Statistical Report on the ATIA can be found at Appendix B.
Part 1 – Requests under the Access to Information Act (ATIA)
1.1 Number of requests
Between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, PCO received one thousand and seventy-nine (1,079) requests for information under the ATIA. The number of requests has increased from six hundred and seventy-three (673) received in the previous year. The number of pages processed has increased from the previous fiscal year. As seen in the graph below, ATIP processed 176,996 relevant pages, compared to 162,315 pages processed in 2022-2023 and 70,777 pages processed in 2021-2022.
Text version - Requests by year
| 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 616 | 509 | 673 | 1,079 |
Text version - Volume by year
| 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42,958 | 70,777 | 162,315 | 176,996 |
A total of seven hundred and fifty-eight (758) requests were carried over to the 2024-2025 reporting period, while four hundred and fifty-seven (457) requests were carried into 2023-2024 from the previous fiscal year.
1.2 Sources of requests
The sources of access to information requests, in descending order by volume, were: decline to identify; media; public; organization; academia; and business. The breakdown of the requests received during 2023-2024 is as follows:
- Three hundred and forty-two (342) or 31.7% – decline to identify;
- Three hundred and thirteen (313) or 29% – media;
- Two hundred and sixty-three (263) or 24.4% – public;
- Eighty-four (84) or 7.8% – organization, including from Parliament (members of the House of Commons or Senate);
- Sixty-four (64) or 5.9% – academia; and
- Thirteen (13) or 1.2% – business (private sector).
For this reporting period, the largest source of requests was from requesters who declined to identify at 31.7%, representing an increase of 6.6% from the previous reporting period. Media accounted for 29%, 3.8% less than in 2022-2023. Requests from the public increased by 4.5% in 2023-2024 to 24.4%. The requests from academia decreased by 6.4%, representing 5.9% of all requests. The business sector, which includes law firms, saw a decrease from 3% in 2022-2023 to 1.2% in 2023-2024.
1.3 Channels of requests
Of the one thousand seventy-nine (1,079) requests received in 2023-2024, the majority of requests submitted were through PCO’s electronic portal. PCO received one thousand thirty-five (1,035) online requests, accounting for 96% of the total number of requests. Emailed requests amounted to 3.5% of the total number of requests, while mailed requests corresponded to 0.5% of the requests for the reporting period.
Part 2 – Informal requests
Informal requests are not made or processed under the Act and have no deadline for responding. In alignment with Open Government requirements, PCO posts the summaries of completed access requests online on a monthly basis. These summaries allow requesters to access previously processed requests and are intended to eliminate barriers such as lengthy extensions, request fees, and allows for a timelier response.
2.1 Number of informal requests
Between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, PCO received eight hundred and four (804) informal requests. The number of informal requests increased by 70% from the four hundred and seventy-four (474) requests received in 2022-2023. In addition to the requests received, zero (0) requests were carried over from the previous reporting period, and zero (0) requests were carried over from more than one reporting period. In 2023-2024, PCO ATIP closed eight hundred and four (804) informal requests compared to five hundred and eighty-six (586) informal requests closed in 2022-2023. No requests have carried over into 2024-2025.
2.2 Channels of informal requests
Of the eight hundred and four (804) requests received in 2023-2024, the majority of informal requests submitted were through PCO’s electronic portal. PCO received seven hundred and eighty-eight (788) online informal requests, accounting for 98% of the total number of requests. Emailed informal requests accounted for 2% of the total number of requests submitted for the reporting period.
2.3 Completion time of informal requests
Of the informal requests that were closed in the fiscal year, seven hundred and fifty-seven (757) requests were completed in 1 to 15 days, representing 94% of all requests, while 5.7% of requests were completed between 16 to 30 days, compared to 4% of requests in the previous reporting period. Another .01% of the requests were completed between 31 to 60 days in 2023-2024, compared to 18.6% of requests in 2022-2023. There were no requests that took longer than 37 days to complete.
2.4 Pages released informally
Pages released is defined as the pages released, in response to informal requests, that were not previously released by the institution in response to a formal request pursuant to the ATIA. PCO did not release any pages informally between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.
2.5 Pages re-released informally
In 2023-2024, ATIP division completed eight hundred and four (804) informal requests and re-released 227,361 pages. The breakdown for the number of requests processed where pages were re-released is as follows:
- Four hundred and sixty-four (464) (57.7%) contained less than 100 pages;
- Two hundred and thirty (230) (28.7%) contained between 100-500 pages;
- Forty-six (46) (6%) contained between 501-1000 pages;
- Fifty-nine (59) (7%) contained between 1001-5000 pages; and
- Five (5) (.6%) contained greater than 5000 pages.
Part 3 – Applications to the Information Commissioner on declining to act on requests
During the 2022-2023 reporting period, PCO ATIP made two (2) applications to decline to act on an access request under the Access to Information Act that PCO determined to be vexatious, made in bad faith or an abuse of the right of access. These applications to decline to act on an access request under the Access to Information Act were declined by the Information Commissioner in 2023-2024.
Part 4 – Requests closed during the reporting period
4.1 Disposition and completion time
In 2023-2024, ATIP division completed seven hundred and seventy-eight (778) requests. The breakdown of the disposition of requests is as follows:
- Five hundred and twenty-nine (529) (68%) were disclosed in part;
- One hundred and forty (140) (18%) yielded no records;
- Fifty-four (54) (7%) were all disclosed;
- Thirty-three (33) (4.2%) were abandoned;
- Three (3) (.4%) were all excluded;
- Ten (10) (1.3%) were all exempted;
- Nine 9 (1.1%) were transferred;
- Zero (0) (0%) were neither confirmed nor denied; and
- Zero (0) (0%) were declined with the approval of the Information Commissioner.
As these figures demonstrate, five hundred and eighty-three (583) or 75% of all requests were fully or partially disclosed. The percentage of requests for which no records were disclosed (either exempted or excluded) decreased by .9% to 1.7% of requests completed in 2023-2024. Approximately 18% of requests in 2023-2024 did not produce responsive records, which is an increase from 13.9% in 2022-2023. Nine (9) requests were transferred from PCO to another institution in 2023-2024. A smaller proportion of requests were abandoned in 2023-2024, 4.2% compared to 5.1% of requests in 2022-2023.
Factors such as external consultations with other government departments and third parties, as well as the complex, sensitive and multi-jurisdictional nature of PCO records, impact the time required to complete requests. As such, the breakdown of completion times for requests is as follows:
- Two hundred and thirty-four (234) (30%) of requests were completed within 30 days;
- Seventy-six (76) (9.8%) of requests were completed between 31 to 60 days;
- Ninety-five (95) (12.2%) of requests were completed between 61 to 120 days;
- One hundred and seventy (170) (21.9%) of requests were completed between 121 to 180 days;
- One hundred and three (103) (13.2%) of requests were completed between 181 to 365 days; and
- One hundred (100) (12.9%) of all requests were completed in more than 365 days.
4.2 Exemptions
While PCO endeavours to release as much information as possible, there are instances where information is protected under the ATIA.
Totals for the seven (7) most commonly used exemptions were, in order:
- Four hundred and eight (408) under subsection 19(1) – personal information;
- Two hundred and forty-three (243) under paragraph 21(1)(a) – information related to advice or recommendations developed by or for a government institution or a minister of the Crown;
- Two hundred and forty (240) under subsection 15(1) – information related to international affairs and defence of Canada;
- One hundred and eighty-one (181) under paragraph 21(1)(b) – consultations or deliberations related to operations of government;
- One hundred and sixty-six (166) under subsection 16(2) – information related to the security of facilities, computer systems, and communications systems;
- One hundred and twenty-nine (129) under section 23 – Solicitor-client privilege;
- Ninety-three (93) under section 14 – federal-provincial affairs.
The use of these exemptions is consistent with the role of PCO and the content of the records it controls, both of which involve confidential consultations, deliberations and advice provided to the Government on issues of national and international scope.
4.3 Exclusions
The ATIA does not apply to certain information described by section 68 of the ATIA (published material) or to confidences of the King’s Privy Council pursuant to section 69. The application of exclusions under subsection 69(1) reflects the role of PCO in providing advice and information to the Prime Minister as well as to Cabinet and its decision-making structures.
Totals for the six (6) most commonly used exclusions were, in order:
- One hundred and seventy-seven (177) under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (a) – information relating to memoranda to Council;
- One hundred and thirty-four (134) under paragraph 69(1)(e) - briefings for Council;
- One hundred and fourteen (114) under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (e) – information relating to briefings for Council;
- One hundred and thirteen (113) under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (c) – information relating to the agenda or deliberations of Council;
- Eighty-four (84) under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (d) – information relating to communications between Ministers; and
- Sixty (60) under paragraph 69(1)(a)– memoranda to Cabinet.
4.4 Format of information released
Of the requests for which records existed and were disclosed in whole or in part, five hundred and forty-eight (548) requests were released in electronic form. Another thirty-five (35) requests were released on paper, up from twenty-four (24) in 2022-2023. Requesters have the option of receiving a paper response by mail or by picking it up in person. The majority of replies were sent to the requester by email in 2023-2024.
4.5 Complexity
4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper, e-record and dataset formats
A total of 176,996 relevant pages were processed in 2023-2024. For requests which were “all disclosed” or “disclosed in part”, 116,018 pages were disclosed.
In compliance with changes made to the ATIA in 2019-2020, PCO now proactively discloses briefing note titles, transition material for the Prime Minister and Ministers, reference numbers of memoranda received by Ministers, and Deputy Heads, and committee binders. There are not captured in the relevant pages processed but require a significant amount of resources.
4.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper, e-record and dataset formats by size of requests
PCO completed six hundred and twenty-nine (629) requests in 2023-2024 that contained responsive records. The breakdown of the number of requests processed by disposition and by number of pages processed is as follows:
- Four hundred and thirty-two (432) (68.7%) contained less than 100 pages:
- Thirty-eight (38) (6%) were all disclosed;
- Three hundred and fifty-two (352) (56%) were partially disclosed;
- Ten (10) (1.6%) were all exempted;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all excluded; and
- Thirty-two (32) (5.1%) were abandoned.
- One hundred and sixteen (116) (18.4%) contained between 100-500 pages:
- Nine (9) (1.4%) were all disclosed;
- One hundred and four (104) (16.5%) were partially disclosed;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all exempted;
- Three (3) (0.5%) were all excluded; and
- Zero (0) (0%) were abandoned.
- Thirty-six (36) (5.7%) contained between 501-1000 pages:
- Three (3) (.5%) were all disclosed;
- Thirty-two (32) (5.1%) were partially disclosed;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all exempted;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all excluded; and
- One (1) (.1%) were abandoned.
- Thirty-nine (39) (6.2%) contained between 1001 to 5000 pages:
- Two (2) (.3%) were all disclosed;
- Thirty-seven (37) (5.9%) were partially disclosed;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all exempted;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all excluded; and
- Zero (0) (0%) were abandoned.
- Six (6) (0.9%) contained over 5000 pages.
- Two (2) (.3%) were all disclosed;
- Four (4) (.6%) were partially disclosed;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all exempted;
- Zero (0) (0%) were all excluded; and
- Zero (0) (0%) were abandoned.
Note that the number of pages processed is not an accurate gauge of the time required to process an access to information file. A request of many pages may involve basic records that require relatively little time to review, while small requests of a few pages could contain a complex combination of high-level content from several departments, requiring in-depth analysis and consultation. Additionally, approximately 14% of requests received by PCO were from one requester, many of which were broad in scope, and with no specific topics identified (i.e. on all topics), resulting in a production of large volumes of records. This diverts attention and resources from responding to other requesters.
4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats
PCO did not process any relevant minutes for audio formats.
4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests
PCO did not process any relevant minutes for audio formats.
4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats
PCO did not process any relevant minutes for video formats.
4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests
PCO did not process any relevant minutes for video formats.
4.5.7 Other complexities
Other complexities that impacted PCO’s ability to respond to requests include consultations and seeking legal advice. As an aggregator of information, PCO receives information from numerous sources, including other government departments and third parties.
As a result, PCO needs to conduct consultations to obtain advice from subject matter experts in the originating institutions. Of the seven hundred and seventy-eight (778) requests completed in 2023-2024, consultations were required for two hundred and two (202) requests. Consultations often require extensions in order to complete requests within legislated timeframes. Of these requests, six (6) were disclosed in full, one hundred and ninety-four (194) were disclosed in part, and two (2) were all exempted.
Furthermore, a large volume of information under the control of PCO contains information subject to Cabinet confidences. Government institutions are required to consult legal services in all instances where information may qualify as a Cabinet confidence. PCO also consults legal services when records contain information that may be subject to solicitor-client privilege. There were twenty-one (21) requests requiring PCO to seek legal advice on the application of s. 23 (solicitor-client privilege). It is essential that PCO seek legal advice on the application of s. 23 in order to prevent any accidental disclosure of privileged information.
TBS requires that requests be counted only once. As a result, requests are divided into the categories that best apply to them. Several files required both consultations and seeking legal advice. Consequently, the total number of requests that fall in these categories may be greater than as presented.
4.6 Closed requests
4.6.1 Requests closed within legislated timelines
In this reporting period, five hundred (500) requests were closed within legislated timelines.
4.7 Deemed refusals
4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines
In 2023-2024, two hundred and seventy-eight (278) access to information requests were completed past the deadline, or in “deemed refusal”: ninety-three (93) requests were completed past the deadline due to an interference with operations/workload; forty-eight (48) were not completed within the legislated timeline due to external consultations; eighty-eight (88) were not completed within the legislated timeline due to internal consultations; and the remaining forty-nine (49) requests were not completed within the legislated timeline due to the teleworking legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in operational challenges with processing classified documents.
4.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extensions taken)
In 2023-2024, thirty-one (31) requests were closed past legislated timelines where no extension was taken, and two hundred and forty-seven (247) requests were closed past legislated timelines where an extension was taken.
4.8 Requests for translation
Pursuant to subsection 12(2) of the ATIA, which states that “where access to a record or a part thereof is to be given under this Part and the person to whom access is to be given requests that access be given in a particular official language, a copy of the record or part thereof shall be given to the person in that language, (a) if the record or part thereof already exists under the control of a government institution in that language; or (b) within a reasonable period of time, if the head of the government institution that has the control of the record considers it to be in the public interest to cause a translation to be prepared”. No translations were requested during the reporting period.
Part 5 – Extensions
5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests
Subsection 9(1) of the ATIA sets out circumstances under which the initial 30-day time limit for response may be extended. Extensions may be taken for the following reasons:
- if 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;
- if consultations are necessary with other government institutions, other governments or informally with third parties, and it cannot be completed within 30 days; or,
- if notice is to be given to a third party (pursuant to subsection 27(1)) of the pending release of information or trade secrets of that third party.
In 2023-2024, PCO took six hundred and eight (608) extensions in total. There were two hundred and fifteen (215), or 35.3% extensions under paragraph 9(1)(a) for interference with operations due to the volume of records, versus two hundred and thirty-three (233) the previous year. Third-party notifications required thirty-two (32) extensions under paragraph 9(1)(c), one (1) more than the thirty-one (31) extensions for the same reason for the previous fiscal year.
Consultations were another significant driver of extensions during the reporting period. A total of two hundred and forty-seven (247) extensions for consultations on Confidences of the King’s Privy Council, and one hundred and fourteen (114) extensions to consult other institutions (three hundred and sixty-one (361) extensions combined) were taken under paragraph 9(1)(b). Extensions for consultations increased from the three hundred and forty-five (345) extensions taken in 2022-2023.
Consultations remain inherent to processing the often complex, interdepartmental records under the control of PCO. When PCO sends a consultation request to another federal institution, it first contacts the department to obtain an estimated response time.
These efforts provide requesters with a more accurate estimate of when they will receive a response. Contacting the institution being consulted to mutually determine how long the consultation will take is considered a best practice by the OIC.
5.2 Length of extensions
For the requests closed during the 2023-2024 reporting period, PCO sought a total of six hundred and eight (608) extensions. The breakdown of the number of extensions taken by length are follows:
- One hundred and sixty-two (162) (26.7%) were for 30 days or less;
- Ninety-eight (98) (16.1%) were for 31 to 60 days;
- One hundred and ninety-one (191) (31.4%) were for 61 to 120 days;
- Ninety-eight (98) (16.1%) were for 121 to 180 days;
- Forty-one (41) (6.7%) were for 181 to 365 days;
- Eighteen (18) (3%) were for 365 days or more.
Reporting requires that separate extensions are recorded under each column. These statistics can be considered representative of PCO's consultative requirements and the department’s heavy workload. PCO remains committed to the responsible use of extensions under the ATIA, consistent with operational demands.
Part 6 – Fees
In accordance with the Interim Directive on the Administration of the ATIA, issued on May 5, 2016, and the changes to the ATIA that came into force on June 21, 2019, PCO waives all fees prescribed by the Act and Regulations, other than the $5 application fee set out in paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Regulations.
The fees collected during the reporting period totaled at $5,215.00 on one thousand and forty-three (1,043) requests, up from $3,240.00 in 2021-2022 and $2,180.00 in 2021-2022. In 2023-2024, PCO waived or refunded thirty-six (36) requests with an amount totaling $180.00.
Part 7 – Consultations received from other institutions and organizations
7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations
PCO received three hundred and eighty (380) consultations during the reporting period, including three hundred and seventy-three (373) consultations from Government of Canada institutions and seven (7) consultations from other organizations.
7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions
Consultations continue to account for a significant portion of the workload and make demands on both ATIP resources and on the PCO records authorities who provide consultative guidance.
In 2023-2024, PCO received three hundred and eighty (380) consultations and eighty-one (81) consultations were carried over from the previous fiscal year.
Text version - Volume of consultations received by year
| 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | 257 | 345 | 404 | 380 |
PCO responded to three hundred and fifty-eight (358) consultations from other Government of Canada institutions. The breakdown is as follows:
- One hundred and fifty-six (156) (43.6%) were completed within 30 days or less;
- One hundred and four (104) (29%) were completed between 31 to 60 days;
- Eighty-four (84) (23.5%) were completed between 61 to 120 days;
- Seven (7) (2%) were completed between 121 to 180;
- Four (4) (1.1%) completed between 181 to 365 days;
- Three (3) (.8%) in greater than 365 days.
PCO received thirty-six (36) requests from other government of Canada institutions that were carried over with negotiated timelines, while fifty-eight (58) were carried over beyond the negotiated timeline.
7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada
A total of nine (9) consultation requests from third-party organizations were received by PCO during 2023-2024. Four (4) were completed in 30 days or less, four (4) were completed in 31 to 60 days, and one (1) was completed in 121 to 180 days.
Part 8 – Completion time of consultations on Cabinet confidences
8.1 Requests with legal services
Note that in regard to ATIP, PCO consults only with the Privy Council Office Legal Services Sector (PCO LSS). Therefore, no data appears in the table entitled “Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences - Requests with Legal Services.”
8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office
ATIP consulted PCO LSS on two hundred and fourteen (214) of the requests that were closed in the reporting period, down from two hundred and sixty-five (265) in 2022-2023.
This figure represents consultations where the request was completed in the reporting period and excludes both active consultations and completed consultations in ongoing requests, which will be carried forward into the next reporting period.
Part 9 – Investigations and reports of finding
9.1 Investigations
In the 2023-2024 reporting period, two hundred and twelve (212) complaints were submitted to the OIC. These complaints were made on requests received in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, as well as previous fiscal years. This is an increase from the one hundred and fifty-eight (158) complaints that were received in the 2022-2023 reporting period.
In the 2023-2024 reporting period, complaints related to a range of issues, including the exemptions invoked or exclusions cited on records, and extensions taken to complete consultations and meet PCO operational requirements.
9.2 Investigations and reports of finding
In the 2023-2024 reporting period, PCO received fifty-two (52) section 37(1) initial reports of finding from the Officer of the Information Commissioner. Initial reports include the results of their investigation and set out recommendations or orders that the Commissioner intends to make. Receipt of an initial report requires PCO to give notice whether our institution will implement their forthcoming order or recommendation.
PCO also received seventy-two (72) section 37(2) final reports that includes the results of their investigation and any orders or recommendations from the Information Commissioner. Last fiscal year, PCO received four (4) recommendations and twenty-six (26) orders.
Part 10 – Court action
In 2023-2024, no court actions involving PCO were initiated by the OIC or were ongoing concerning the ATIA.
Part 11 – Resources related to the Access to Information Act
11.1 Allocated costs
Salary costs associated with administration of the ATIA were $3,056,708 for 2023-2024, an increase from $2,815,503 in 2022-2023. Overtime costs totaled $70,619 for 2023-2024, which is an increase from $63,937 in 2022-2023. Goods and services amounted to $45,671. This amount is down from $61,933 from 2022-2023. Total costs were $3,172,998, up from $2,941,373 in 2022-2023.
11.2 Human resources
It remains a challenge to attract and retain ATIP personnel, given the shortage of qualified analysts across the federal government. Currently, PCO uses various staffing methods to fill vacancies, including working with other departments to staff from pools of qualified candidates as well as running our own staffing processes. PCO offers a supportive work environment and growth opportunities for staff in an effort to retain qualified ATIP personnel. Moreover, the Professional Developmental Program launched in the 2017-2018 fiscal year boosts the retention of employees by encouraging them to learn and grow within the team, progressing from the PM-01 level to the PM-04 level. Coupled with the successful hiring of students, the program will contribute to the recruitment and professional development of qualified analysts within the ATIP team for years to come.
Organizationally, the ATIP division is located within the Data and Information Services directorate of Corporate Services Branch. The co-location of ATIP with other information and data services fosters partnership, collaboration, and cohesive support to the department. It also enables a data first approach in ATIP to find efficiencies, make decisions on where to dedicate resources to create the biggest impact, and help collaborators better understand their current and upcoming workloads for better planning.
In 2023-2024, ATIP had a personnel complement of 23.4 FTEs. Of those, 19.4 FTEs were dedicated to activities related to the administration of the Access to Information Act.
Appendices
Appendix A: Delegation orders
Access to Information Act
The Prime Minister, as head of the Privy Council Office and pursuant to section 95(1) of the Access to Information Acta, hereby designates the officers or employees holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, and any persons acting in those positions, to exercise or perform the powers, duties and functions of the Prime Minister as the head of a government institution under the sections of the Act and the regulations opposite each position in the schedule.
This delegation order supercedes all previous delegation orders.
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau
October 2, 2020
a R.S. 1985, c. A-1
Schedule
| Position | Sections of the Access to Information Acta | Sections of the Access to Information Regulationsb |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. | Full delegation. | Full delegation. |
| 2. Any senior management position within the Privy Council Office that reports directly to the position set out in paragraph 1 above. | Full delegation. | Full delegation. |
| 3. All Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Deputy Ministers within the Privy Council Office. | Full delegation. | Full delegation. |
| 4. Any management position that is responsible for a unit within the Privy Council Office and that reports directly to a position covered by paragraph 2 above other than the Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services Branch. | Full delegation. | Full delegation. |
| 5. Coordinator of Access to Information within the Privy Council Office. | 7; 8(1); 9; 10; 11(2); 12(2)(b); 12(3)(b); 13; 19; 20; 27(1); 27(4); 28(1)(b); 28(2); 28(4); 33; 37(4); 43(2); 44(2). | 6(1); 8. |
| a R.S. 1985, c. A-1 b SOR/83-507 |
||
Appendix B: 2023-2024 Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act
Name of institution: Privy Council Office
Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
Section 1 - Requests under the Access to Information Act
1.1 Number of requests
| Number of requests | |
|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 1,079 |
| Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 457 |
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 262 |
| Outstanding from more than one reporting period | 195 |
| Total | 1,536 |
| Closed during reporting period | 778 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 758 |
| Carried over within legislated timeline | 372 |
| Carried over beyond legislated timeline | 386 |
1.2 Sources of requests
| Source | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| Media | 313 |
| Academia | 64 |
| Business (Private sector) | 13 |
| Organization | 84 |
| Public | 263 |
| Decline to identify | 342 |
| Total | 1,079 |
1.3 Channels of requests
| Source | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| Online | 1,035 |
| 38 | |
| 6 | |
| In person | 0 |
| Phone | 0 |
| Fax | 0 |
| Total | 1,079 |
Section 2 - Informal requests
2.1 Number of informal requests
| Number of requests | |
|---|---|
| Received during reporting period | 804 |
| Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 0 |
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 0 |
| Outstanding from more than one reporting period | 0 |
| Total | 804 |
| Closed during reporting period | 804 |
| Carried over to next reporting period | 0 |
2.2 Channels of informal requests
| Source | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| Online | 788 |
| 16 | |
| 0 | |
| In person | 0 |
| Phone | 0 |
| Fax | 0 |
| Total | 804 |
2.3 Completion time of informal 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 |
| 757 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 804 |
2.4 Pages released informally
| 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 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2.5 Pages re-released informally
| 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 |
| 464 | 13,336 | 230 | 53,949 | 46 | 29,451 | 59 | 94,461 | 5 | 36,164 |
Section 3 - Applications to the Information Commissioner on declining to act on requests
| Number of requests | |
|---|---|
| Outstanding from previous reporting period | 2 |
| Sent during reporting period | 0 |
| Total | 2 |
| 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 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 54 |
| Disclosed in part | 0 | 45 | 58 | 80 | 156 | 97 | 93 | 529 |
| All exempted | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| No records exist | 0 | 131 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 140 |
| Request transferred | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Request abandoned | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 33 |
| Neither confirmed or denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 23 | 202 | 76 | 95 | 170 | 103 | 100 | 778 |
4.2 Exemptions
| Section | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| 13(1)(a) | 77 |
| 13(1)(b) | 14 |
| 13(1)(c) | 24 |
| 13(1)(d) | 3 |
| 13(1)(e) | 0 |
| 14 | 93 |
| 14(a) | 3 |
| 14(b) | 1 |
| 15(1) | 240 |
| 15(1) - I.A. | 0 |
| 15(1) - Def. | 0 |
| 15(1) - S.A. | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(i) | 26 |
| 16(1)(a)(ii) | 0 |
| 16(1)(a)(iii) | 0 |
| 16(1)(b) | 19 |
| 16(1)(c) | 39 |
| 16(1)(d) | 1 |
| 16(2) | 166 |
| 16(2)(a) | 0 |
| 16(2)(b) | 0 |
| 16(2)(c) | 4 |
| 16(3) | 1 |
| 16.1(1)(a) | 3 |
| 16.1(1)(b) | 0 |
| 16.1(1)(c) | 0 |
| 16.1(1)(d) | 0 |
| 16.2(1) | 0 |
| 16.3 | 0 |
| 16.31 | 0 |
| 16.4(1)(a) | 0 |
| 16.4(1)(b) | 0 |
| 16.5 | 1 |
| 16.6 | 0 |
| 17 | 7 |
| 18(a) | 4 |
| 18(b) | 19 |
| 18(c) | 0 |
| 18(d) | 9 |
| 18.1(1)(a) | 1 |
| 18.1(1)(b) | 1 |
| 18.1(1)(c) | 0 |
| 18.1(1)(d) | 0 |
| 19(1) | 408 |
| 20(1)(a) | 11 |
| 20(1)(b) | 52 |
| 20(1)(b.1) | 0 |
| 20(1)(c) | 52 |
| 20(1)(d) | 25 |
| 20.1 | 1 |
| 20.2 | 0 |
| 20.4 | 0 |
| 21(1)(a) | 243 |
| 21(1)(b) | 181 |
| 21(1)(c) | 62 |
| 21(1)(d) | 24 |
| 22 | 4 |
| 22.1(1) | 0 |
| 23 | 129 |
| 23.1 | 0 |
| 24(1) | 29 |
| 26 | 0 |
4.3 Exclusions
| Section | Number of requests |
|---|---|
| 68(a) | 13 |
| 68(b) | 0 |
| 68(c) | 0 |
| 68.1 | 0 |
| 68.2(a) | 0 |
| 68.2(b) | 0 |
| 69(1) | 6 |
| 69(1)(a) | 60 |
| 69(1)(b) | 1 |
| 69(1)(c) | 33 |
| 69(1)(d) | 47 |
| 69(1)(e) | 134 |
| 69(1)(f) | 19 |
| 69(1)(g) re (a) | 177 |
| 69(1)(g) re (b) | 1 |
| 69(1)(g) re (c) | 113 |
| 69(1)(g) re (d) | 84 |
| 69(1)(g) re (e) | 114 |
| 69(1)(g) re (f) | 45 |
| 69.1(1) | 0 |
4.4 Format of information released
| Paper | Electronic record | Data set | Video | Audio | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 548 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
4.5 Complexity
4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper, e-record and dataset formats
| Number of pages processed | Number of pages disclosed | Number of requests |
|---|---|---|
| 176,996 | 116,018 | 629 |
4.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper, e-record and dataset formats by size of requests
Disposition |
Less than 100 pages processed | 101-500 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 | 38 | 585 | 9 | 2,601 | 3 | 2,171 | 2 | 5,198 | 2 | 11,735 |
| Disclosed in part | 352 | 9,082 | 104 | 25,195 | 32 | 22,287 | 37 | 68,436 | 4 | 28,194 |
| All exempted | 10 | 152 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 3 | 713 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 647 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 432 | 9,819 | 116 | 28,509 | 36 | 25,105 | 39 | 73,634 | 6 | 39,929 |
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 |
| Decline 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 |
| Decline 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 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Disclosed in part | 194 | 20 | 0 | 214 |
| All exempted | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 202 | 21 | 0 | 223 |
4.6 Closed requests
4.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
| Number of requests closed within legislated timelines | 500 |
|---|---|
| Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) | 64.3% |
4.7 Deemed refusals
4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated deadline
| Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines | Principal reason | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interference with operations / Workload | External consultation | Internal consultation | Other | |
| 278 | 93 | 48 | 88 | 49 |
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 | 0 | 18 | 18 |
| 16 to 30 days | 3 | 31 | 34 |
| 31 to 60 days | 6 | 47 | 53 |
| 61 to 120 days | 1 | 54 | 55 |
| 121 to 180 days | 2 | 19 | 21 |
| 181 to 365 days | 4 | 21 | 25 |
| More than 365 days | 15 | 57 | 72 |
| Total | 31 | 247 | 278 |
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 request
| 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 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Disclosed in part | 178 | 239 | 101 | 32 |
| All exempted | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| All excluded | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Request abandoned | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| No records exist | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 215 | 247 | 114 | 32 |
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 | 142 | 2 | 13 | 5 |
| 31 to 60 days | 41 | 9 | 26 | 22 |
| 61 to 120 days | 13 | 151 | 23 | 4 |
| 121 to 180 days | 5 | 70 | 22 | 1 |
| 181 to 365 days | 9 | 15 | 17 | 0 |
| 365 days or more | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Total | 215 | 247 | 114 | 32 |
Section 6 - Fees
| Fee type | Fee collected | Fee waived | Fee refunded | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of requests | Amount | Number of requests | Amount | Number of requests | Amount | |
| Application | 1,043 | $5,215.00 | 32 | $160.00 | 4 | $20.00 |
| Other fees | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
| Total | 1,043 | $5,215.00 | 32 | $160.00 | 4 | $20.00 |
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 reporting period | 373 | 18,574 | 7 | 128 |
| Outstanding from the previous reporting period | 79 | 35,745 | 2 | 636 |
| Total | 452 | 54,319 | 9 | 764 |
| Closed during the reporting period | 358 | 15,567 | 9 | 764 |
| Carried over within negociated timelines | 36 | 5,562 | 0 | 0 |
| Carried over beyond negociated timelines | 58 | 33,190 | 0 | 0 |
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 | 32 | 16 | 27 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| Disclose in part | 56 | 45 | 70 | 64 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 248 |
| Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Consult other institution | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Total | 91 | 65 | 104 | 84 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 358 |
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 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Disclose in part | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
Section 8 - Completion time of consultations on Cabinet Confidences
8.1 Requests with Legal Services
| Number of days | Less than 100 pages processed | 101-500 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 | 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 |
8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office
| Number of days | Less than 100 pages processed | 101-500 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 | 8 | 137 | 2 | 227 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 to 30 | 8 | 213 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 to 60 | 32 | 650 | 5 | 213 | 1 | 431 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 to 120 | 102 | 1,339 | 19 | 1,934 | 1 | 287 | 1 | 2,843 | 0 | 0 |
| 121 to 180 | 13 | 176 | 2 | 118 | 3 | 303 | 1 | 2,371 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 to 365 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 639 | 1 | 279 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| More than 365 | 3 | 74 | 4 | 583 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 167 | 2,589 | 39 | 3,714 | 6 | 1,300 | 2 | 5,214 | 0 | 0 |
Section 9 - Investigations and reports of finding
9.1 Investigations
| Section 32 Notice of intention to investigate |
Sebsection 30(5) Ceased to investigate |
Section 35 Formal representations |
|---|---|---|
| 212 | 86 | 92 |
9.2 Investigations and reports of findings
| 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 |
| 52 | 13 | 39 | 72 | 4 | 26 |
Section 10 - Court action
10.1 Court actions on complaints
| Complainant (1) | Institution (2) | Third party (3) | Privacy Commissioner (4) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)
| Section 44 - under paragraph 28(1)(b) |
|---|
| 0 |
Section 11 - Resources related to the Access to Information Act
11.1 Allocated costs
| Expenditures | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries | $3,056,708 | |
| Overtime | $70,619 | |
| Goods and services | $45,671 | |
| • Professional services contracts | $29,496 | |
| • Other | $16,175 | |
| Total | $3,172,998 | |
11.2 Human resources
| Resources | Person years dedicated to Access to Information activities |
|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 23.419 |
| Part-time and casual employees | 3.771 |
| Regional staff | 0.000 |
| Consultants and agency personnel | 0.000 |
| Students | 8.436 |
| Total | 35.626 |
Appendix C: Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act
Name of institution: Privy Council Office
Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
Section 1: Open requests and complaints under the Access to Information Act
1.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods
| Fiscal year open request was received | Open request within legislated timeline as of March 31, 2024 | Open request beyond legislated timeline as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Received in 2023–2024 | 348 | 206 | 556 |
| Received in 2022–2023 | 20 | 67 | 87 |
| Received in 2021–2022 | 1 | 42 | 43 |
| Received in 2020–2021 | 0 | 37 | 37 |
| Received in 2019–2020 | 0 | 30 | 30 |
| Received in 2018–2019 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Received in 2017–2018 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Received in 2016–2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Received in 2015–2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Received in 2014–2015 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 372 | 386 | 758 |
1.2 Enter the 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 2023–2024 | 155 |
| Received in 2022–2023 | 35 |
| Received in 2021–2022 | 15 |
| Received in 2020–2021 | 17 |
| Received in 2019–2020 | 9 |
| Received in 2018–2019 | 8 |
| Received in 2017–2018 | 9 |
| Received in 2016–2017 | 4 |
| Received in 2015–2016 | 5 |
| Received in 2014–2015 or earlier | 1 |
| Total | 258 |
Section 2: Open requests and complaints under the Privacy Act
2.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods
| Fiscal year open request was received | Open request within legislated timeline as of March 31, 2024 | Open request beyond legislated timeline as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Received in 2023–2024 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Received in 2022–2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Received in 2021–2022 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Received in 2020–2021 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Received in 2019–2020 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Received in 2018–2019 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 21 | 21 |
2.2 Enter the 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 2023–2024 | 1 |
| Received in 2022–2023 | 2 |
| 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 | 3 |
Section 3: Social Insurance Number
| Has your institution begun new collection or 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 |
|---|
Appendix D: Exemptions and exclusions
Exemptions and exclusions
The total numbers of requests for which specific exemptions were invoked during the 2023-2024 reporting period are as follows:
- 77 under paragraph 13(1)(a) - information obtained in confidence from the government of a foreign state or institution;
- 14 under paragraph 13(1)(b) - information obtained in confidence from an international organization of states or an institution;
- 24 under paragraph 13(1)(c) – information obtained in confidence from the government of a province or institution;
- 3 under paragraph 13(1)(d) – information obtained in confidence from a municipal or regional government;
- 93 under section 14 – information related to federal-provincial affairs;
- 3 under subsection 14(a) - information on federal-provincial consultations or deliberations;
- 1 under subsection 14(b) - information on strategy or tactics adopted or to be adopted by the Government of Canada relating to the conduct of federal-provincial affairs;
- 240 under subsection 15(1) – information related to international affairs;
- 26 under subparagraph 16(1)(a)(i) – information obtained on the detection, prevention or suppression of crime;
- 19 under paragraph 16(1)(b) – information relating to investigative techniques or plans for specific lawful investigations;
- 39 under paragraph 16(1)(c) – information on the enforcement of any law of Canada or a province or the conduct of lawful investigations;
- 1 under paragraph 16(1)(d) – information the disclosure of which could compromise the security of penal institutions;
- 166 under subsection 16(2) – information related to security methods;
- 4 under paragraph 16(2)(c) - information which could facilitate the commission of a crime such as the vulnerability or methods employed to protect particular buildings, structures, or systems;
- 1 under subsection 16(3) – policing services of the RCMP for the provinces and the municipalities;
- 3 under paragraph 16.1(1)(a) – records related to investigations by the Auditor General of Canada;
- 1 under section 16.5 – records related to a disclosure under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act;
- 7 under section 17 - safety of individuals, including the identity of police informants and the victims of violence or acts of threats or intimidation;
- 4 under paragraph 18(a) – trade secrets or financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that belongs to the Government of Canada;
- 19 under paragraph 18(b) – information which could prejudice the competitive position of a government institution;
- 9 under paragraph 18(d) - information materially injurious to the financial interests of a government institution or to the economic interests of Canada;
- 1 under paragraph 18.1(1)(a) – records related to the economic interests of the Canada Post Corporation;
- 1 under paragraph 18.1(1)(b) - records related to the economic interests of Export Development Canada;
- 408 under subsection 19(1) – personal information;
- 11 under paragraph 20(1)(a) – trade secrets of a third party;
- 52 under paragraph 20(1)(b) – financial, commercial, scientific or technical information supplied to a government institution in confidence by a third party;
- 52 under paragraph 20(1)(c) – information that could result in material financial loss or gain to a third party;
- 25 under paragraph 20(1)(d) – information which could interfere with the negotiations of a third party;
- 1 under section 20.1 – third party investment information obtained by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board;
- 243 under paragraph 21(1)(a) – advice or recommendations developed by or for a government institution or minister;
- 181 under paragraph 21(1)(b) – consultations or deliberations related to operations of government;
- 62 under paragraph 21(1)(c) – positions or plans developed for negotiations by the Government of Canada;
- 24 paragraph 21(1)(d) – plans relating to the management of personnel or the administration of a government institution that have not yet been put into operation;
- 4 under section 22 – information relating to testing or auditing procedures or techniques;
- 129 under section 23 – information subject to solicitor-client privilege; and
- 289 under subsection 24(1) – information restricted by or pursuant to any provision set out in Schedule II of the ATIA;
Exemptions not invoked
The following exemptions were not invoked by PCO during the 2023-2024 reporting period:
- Paragraph 13(1)(e) – information obtained in confidence from an aboriginal government;
- Subsection 15(1) I.A. – information relating to communications and the conduct of international affairs;
- Subsection15(1) Def. – information related to communications and the defence of Canada;
- Subsection 15(1) S.A. – information that could compromise the prevention of subversive activities;
- Subparagraph 16(1)(a)(ii) – government records related to the enforcement of any law of Canada or a province;
- Subparagraph 16(1)(a)(iii) - information obtained on activities suspected of constituting threats to the security of Canada within the meaning of theCanadian Security Intelligence Service Act;
- Paragraph 16(2)(a) – information which could facilitate the commission of a crime such as crime methods or techniques;
- Paragraph 16(2)(b) – information which could facilitate the commission of a crime such as technical information relating to weapons or potential weapons;
- Paragraph 16.1(1)(b)- records related to investigations by the Commissioner of Official Languages for Canada;
- Paragraph 16.1(1)(c) - records related to investigations by the Information Commissioner;
- Paragraph 16.1(1)(d) – records related to investigations by the Privacy Commissioner;
- Subsection 16.2(1) – information related to an investigation conducted by or under the authority of the Commissioner of Lobbying;
- Section 16.3 – records related to investigations under the Canada Elections Act (Chief Electoral Officer);
- Paragraph 16.4(1)(a) – records related to investigations under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act for the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner;
- Paragraph 16.4(1)(b) – records from a conciliator related to investigations under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act for the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner;
- Section 16.6 – records related to the National Security and Intelligence Committee;
- Paragraph 18(c) – scientific or technical information obtained through research by an officer or employee of a government institution;
- Paragraph 18.1(1)(c) – records related to the economic interests of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board;
- Paragraph 18.1(1)(d) – records related to the economic interests of VIA Rail Canada Inc;
- Paragraph 20(1)(b.1) – third party information related to emergency management plans;
- Section 20.2 – third party investment information obtained by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board;
- Section 20.4 – performance contracts with the National Arts Centre Corporation;
- Subsection 22.1(1) – information containing a draft report of an internal audit of a government institution;
- Section 23.1 – records related to patents or trademark privilege.
- Section 26 - records which will be published by a government institution within ninety days after the request is made.
Exclusions cited
The total numbers of requests for which specific exclusions were cited during the 2023-2024 reporting period are as follows:
- 13 under paragraph 68(a) – published material;
- 6 under subsection 69(1) – confidences of the King’s Privy Council for Canada;
- 60 under paragraph 69(1)(a) – memoranda to Cabinet;
- 1 under paragraph 69(1)(b) – discussion papers;
- 33 under paragraph 69(1)(c) – agenda and records of Cabinet deliberations;
- 47 under paragraph 69(1)(d) – records of communication between Ministers;
- 134 under paragraph 69(1)(e) – records used to brief ministers of the Crown;
- 19 under paragraph 69(1)(f) – draft legislation;
- 177 under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (a) – records that contain information about records referred to in paragraph 69(1)(a);
- 1 under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (b) – records that contain information about records referred to in paragraph 69(1)(b);
- 113 under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (c) – records that contain information about records referred to in paragraph 69(1)(c);
- 84 under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (d) – records that contain information about records referred to in paragraph 69(1)(d);
- 114 under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (e) – records that contain information about records referred to in paragraph 69(1)(e);
- 45 under paragraph 69(1)(g) re (f) – records that contain information about records referred to in paragraph 69(1)(f).
Exclusions not cited
The following exclusions were not cited by PCO during the 2023-2024 reporting period:
- Paragraph 68(b) – museum or library material;
- Paragraph 68(c) – material donated to Canadian museums or archives;
- Section 68.1 – journalistic, creative or programming records of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation;
- Paragraph 68.2(a) – administrative records of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Paragraph;
- 68.2(b) – operational records of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited;
- Subsection 69.1(1) – disclosure prohibited by a certificate under the Canada Evidence Act.
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