Thursday, April 13, 2017

The Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans has the honour to present its

SIXTH REPORT

Your committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Thursday, April 14, 2016, to study Maritime Search and Rescue activities, including current challenges and opportunities, respectfully requests funds for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, and requests, for the purpose of such study, that it be empowered to:

(a)  travel outside Canada.

Pursuant to Chapter 3:06, section 2(1)(c) of the Senate Administrative Rules, the budget submitted to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the report thereon of that committee are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

................Page Break................

STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS

Study on Maritime Search and Rescue activities, including current challenges and opportunities

APPLICATION FOR BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2018

Extract from the Journals of the Senate of Thursday, April 14, 2016:

The Honourable Senator Manning moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Wells:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans be authorized to examine and report on Maritime Search and Rescue activities, including current challenges and opportunities; and

That the Committee report from time to time to the Senate, but no later than November 30, 2017, and that the Committee retain all powers necessary to publicize its findings for 180 days after the tabling of the final report.

After debate,

The question being put on the motion, it was adopted.

................Page Break................

SUMMARY OF BUDGET

The above budget was approved by the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

The undersigned or an alternate will be in attendance on the date that this budget is considered.

................Page Break................

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

A budget authorization request in connection with this special study was adopted during the First Session of the Forty-second Parliament for travel Activity 1 in Nova Scotia, which occurred in October during the fiscal year 2016-17, and Activity 2 in Newfoundland and Labrador, which occurred in March during the fiscal year 2016-17. A total amount of $260,245 was approved for both activities.

GENERAL ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE SPECIAL STUDY

Pursuant to Chapter 3:06, section 2(2) of the Senate Administrative Rules.

The Committee submits the present budget authorization request in connection with this special study for the fiscal year 2017-18 in the amount of $426,156. The total estimated cost for the entire study amounts to $686,401.

................Page Break................

APPENDIX (B) TO THE REPORT

Thursday, April 13, 2017

The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has examined the budget presented to it by the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans for the proposed expenditures of the said committee for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, for the purpose of its special study on Maritime Search and Rescue activities, including current challenges and opportunities, as authorized by the Senate on Thursday, April 14, 2016. The approved budget is as follows:

(includes funds for a fact-finding mission; includes funds for 5 senators to travel; decision on Activity 1 and 3 deferred)

The budgets approved by the Senate for each travel activity are the maximum amount that can be spent for that activity;

Budgets normally include funds for the full membership of the committee to travel;

In general, a reduced delegation actually travels and efforts are made to find additional savings;

Therefore, actual expenditures are expected to be considerably below the approved budget, and they will be reported to the Senate;

................Page Break................

In keeping with the claw back process that is already in effect, any unexpended funds allocated in this budget for travel will be returned to the central committees’ budget at the end of October 2017, to ensure that funds are not tied up unnecessarily. These funds will be made available for redistribution to all committees for travel in the Fall of 2017, upon application to the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration.

Any surplus funds remaining at the conclusion of a travel activity will be clawed-back and can be made available for allocation to committees for other activities.

Respectfully submitted,