Proceedings of the Standing Committee on
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
Issue 3 - Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Reports
Tuesday, February 4, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
EIGHTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends the adoption of Supplementary Estimates (B) of $ 639,000 for the fiscal year 2002- 2003.
These Supplementary Estimates are needed to meet the following requirements:
to meet the Senate's 30 per cent share of additional funding requested by the Joint Inter-Parliamentary Council;
to provide the necessary funds required for the increased expenditures of the Office and Research Expenses Budget.
Respectfully submitted,
Thursday, February 13, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
NINTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends that the following funds be released for fiscal year 2002-2003.
|
Foreign Affairs (Legislation) |
|
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 1,750 |
|
Transport and Communications |
$ 500 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 500 |
|
Total |
$ 2,750 |
Scrutiny of Regulations (Joint Committee)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 40,800 |
|
Transport and Communications |
$ 1,350 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 1,770 |
|
Total |
$ 43,920 |
Your Committee recommends that the following additional funds be released for fiscal year 2002-2003.
National Security and Defence
(Special Study on National Security Policy)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 0 |
|
Transport and Communications |
$ 36,000 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 36,000 |
Respectfully submitted,
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
TENTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends that the following additional funds be released for fiscal year 2002-2003.
Aboriginal Peoples
(Special Study on Urban Aboriginal Youth)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 5,000 |
|
Transport and Communications |
$ 0 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 5,000 |
Banking, Trade and Commerce (Special Study on Financial Systems)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 0 |
|
Transport and Communications |
$ 22,700 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 22,700 |
Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources
(Special Study on emerging issues related to mandate)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 0 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 24,900 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 24,900 |
National Security and Defence
(Special Study on National Security Policy)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 20,000 |
Transport and Communications |
$ 24,000 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 44,000 |
Respectfully submitted,
Thursday, March 20, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
ELEVENTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends a 2.8 per cent economic increase to unrepresented employees of the Senate Administration effective April 1, 2003.
Respectfully submitted,
Thursday, March 20, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
TWELFTH REPORT
The current travel policy for Senate committees includes the following:
Members of a travelling committee and their staff are entitled, for travel within and outside Canada, to a per diem equivalent to the Treasury Board rate or actual expenses accompanied by original receipts.
This policy was adopted in the 38th Report of the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration on March 29, 1990. It was adopted by the Senate on May 1, 1990.
The current policy has no upper limit or restrictions, seriously compromising accountability.
Your Committee recommends that the policy be amended as follows, to bring in it line with Treasury Board policy:
Where a traveller incurs meal costs that are higher than the established meal allowances in situations outside the traveller's control, the actual and reasonable expenses incurred shall be reimbursed, based on original receipts.
Such a change would improve the policy by allowing a reasonable level of flexibility, while increasing accountability.
Respectfully submitted,
Wednesday, April 2, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
THIRTEENTH REPORT
Your Committee adopted a Revised Policy on Equipment, Furniture and Furnishings and recommends its adoption.
The amendments will serve to update the Policy on Equipment, Furniture and Furnishings, originally passed by the Senate on November 19, 1997, to respond to current needs.
Respectfully submitted,
Wednesday, April 2, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
FOURTEENTH REPORT
Your Committee adopted a Revised Policy on Telecommunications and recommends its adoption.
The amendments will serve to update the Policy, originally passed by the Senate on November 7, 1989, which became obsolete due to new technologies.
Respectfully submitted,
Thursday, April 3, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has the honour to present its
FIFTEENTH REPORT
Your Committee recommends that the following funds be released for fiscal year 2003-2004.
Aboriginal People (legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 10,000 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 500 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 700 |
|
Total |
$ 11,200 |
Banking, Trade and Commerce (legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 23,000 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 0 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 9,500 |
|
Total |
$ 32,500 |
Energy, Environment and Natural Resources
(legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 7,500 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 500 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 3,000 |
|
Total |
$ 11,000 |
Foreign Affairs (legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 3,500 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 750 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 750 |
|
Total |
$ 5,000 |
Legal and Constitutional Affairs (legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 35,500 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 9,807 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 1,000 |
|
Total |
$ 46,307 |
(includes $ 15,000 for professional advice including legal advice. It must be noted that any person hired by the Committee to provide assistance to it can not be given the title of Legal Counsel to the Senate or to the Committee, since the Senate Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel is Legal Counsel to all Senate committees.)
National Finance (legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 25,500 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 6,000 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 31,500 |
(includes some funding for conferences)
Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 10,000 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 500 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 0 |
|
Total |
$ 10,500 |
Scrutiny of Regulations (Joint Committee)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 2,790 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 2,250 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 2,505 |
|
Total |
$ 7,545 |
(includes some funding for conferences)
Social Affairs, Science and Technology (legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 2,500 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 0 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 500 |
|
Total |
$ 3,000 |
Transport and Communications (legislation)
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 20,000 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 200 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 1,000 |
|
Total |
$ 21,200 |
Your Committee recommends that there be a strict claw back process, whereby any funds remaining following the conclusion of an activity, in particular travel for public hearings and/or fact-finding, will be returned to the central budget for redistribution by the Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. This will be done in such a way that committees will not have to volunteer the return of funds.
Your Committee intends to reconvene in the fall to undertake a review of the financial situation and to consider the release of additional funds. The release recommended in this report will enable committees to plan their work at least through the early fall.
Respectfully submitted,
LISE BACON
Chair