Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Access to Information Act — April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024

Contents

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 About Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • 1.2 Purpose of the Access to Information Act
• 2. Organizational structure
  • 2.1 Governance
  • 2.2 Operations Unit — Mandate and Organizational Structure
  • 2.3 Completion time of informal requests
  • 2.3 Proactive publication – organizational structure
• 3. Delegation of authority
• 4. Performance
  • 4.1 Overview
  • 4.2. ATIP operations
  • 4.3 Access to Information Act performance and statistics for 2023-2024
• 5. Training and awareness
  • 5.1 Departmental access to information training
• 6. ATIP operations policies, guidelines and procedures
• 7. Proactive publication under Part 2 of the ATIA
  • 7.1 Proactive disclosure
  • 7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions
  • 7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada
• 8. Initiatives and projects to improve access to information
• 9. Summary of key issues and actions taken on complaints
• 10. Reporting on access to information fees for the purposes of the Service Fees Act
• 11. Monitoring compliance
• 12. Conclusion
• 13. Annex A —Access to Information Act designation order, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• 14. Annex B — delegation of authority instrument for the administration of the Access to Information Act
• 15 Annex C — Statistical report on the Access to Information Act

1. Introduction

The Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) presents to Parliament its Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act (ATIA)for fiscal year April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. This report is prepared and tabled in accordance with section 94 of the ATIA and section 20 of the Service Fees Act.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office is responsible for the administration of Access to Information and Privacy Acts and related matters within the department. The department is committed to openness and transparency, making every reasonable effort to assist Canadians to access records held within AAFC — while protecting privacy, security and confidentiality.

AAFC did not have any non-operational (“paper”) subsidiaries during this reporting period.

About Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

AAFC supports the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector through initiatives that promote innovation and competitiveness. The department provides information, research and technology, policies, and programs to help Canada’s agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based product sectors compete in markets at home and abroad, manage risk, and embrace innovation.

The activities of the department extend from the farmer to the consumer, from the farm to global markets, through all phases of sustainably producing, processing, and marketing of agriculture and agri-food products.

Purpose of the Access to Information Act

The ATIA gives Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada the right to access information contained in federal government records, subject to certain specific and limited exceptions and provides a mechanism for redress under independent review. The ATIA is intended to complement existing means of obtaining information from, and enable public debate on, its democratic institutions.

2. Organizational structure

2.1 Governance

Administration of the ATIA and the Privacy Act (collectively referred to as “the Acts”) is the primary responsibility of the AAFC ATIP Office, which is part of the department’s Public Affairs Branch (PAB). The ATIP Office processes all requests for information and coordinates all activities related to the Acts, along with associated regulations, directives and guidelines.

The ATIP Office consists of two units — the Operations Unit and the Privacy Compliance Unit (PCU). The Operations Unit works together closely with AAFC officials to process ATIP requests, such as Access requests, Privacy requests, Access Informal requests, Access Consultation requests and Proactive Publications; whereas the Privacy Compliance Unit supports AAFC officials on privacy‑related matters, such as compliance measures, privacy impact assessments and general inquiries.

2.2 Operations Unit — mandate and organizational structure

The ATIP Operations unit is responsible for the management, monitoring and processing of various request types, including access to information, privacy requests, consultation requests, informal requests and proactive disclosure. The unit manages and oversees the monitoring and measurement of departmental performance related to access to information in accordance with legislative timeframes and responds to access to information and privacy complaint investigations.

The AAFC ATIP Office is composed of a variety of positions that help to support the mandate and operations of both units within the Office. When fully staffed, these include:

• Director (1)
• Manager, Access to Information and Privacy Operations (1)
• Manager, Privacy Compliance (1)
• Senior ATIP Analyst (1)
• ATIP Analysts (3)
• Junior ATI Analyst (2)
• Privacy Analyst (2)
• ATIP Officer (1)
• Administrative Support (1)
• Contractor supporting ATIP Operations full-time (1)
• Contractor supporting Privacy Policy part-time (1)
• Students (2)

The cost of administering the ATIP Office (for access to information operational matters as recorded in the statistical reports) during the reporting period was $787,987 which included 5.75 full-time employees, 0.32 part-time/casual employees and 0.56 students (or $549,214 in salaries and $221,036 for professional services).

AAFC does not currently have any service agreement under section 96 of the ATIA, however the office did provide advisory services to the Canadian Dairy Commission, Canadian Grain Commission and Farm Products Council of Canada.

2.3 Proactive publication – organizational structure

The ATIP Office works closely with the Parliamentary Relations Office, the Strategic Policy Branch, Programs Branch and the Deputy Minister’s Office as well as PAB’s Digital Communications and Translations units to ensure proactive publications are completed and submitted as per the legislation. The directors for these units each take responsibility for their part in ensuring the proactive publications requirements are met.

3. Delegation of authority

Subsection 95(1) of the ATIA provides for the Minister of AAFC to delegate the powers, duties and functions designated by the ATIA.

The delegation of authority for the administration of the ATIA includes the PAB Assistant Deputy Minister, the Director General, Communications Services, and the Director of ATIP and Translation Services, who have full delegated authority to approve exemptions in accordance with the delegation of authority instrument approved by the Minister in October 2023. Certain functions are also delegated to the ATIP Office managers to enhance efficiency in request processing requests.

The delegation of authority instrument for the administration of the ATIA is appended hereto at Annex A and Annex B.

4. Performance

4.1 Overview

AAFC’s ATIP Office has taken important steps over the past year to continue work responding to a previously commissioned Advisory Audit. Building on the work that was done in the previous fiscal year, the ATIP Office also aligned its priorities with the recommendations from the Treasury Board Secretariat Report to Parliament on the Review of the ATIA, which covered thcitees to improve access to information and privacy services to Canadians.

In this reporting period, the ATIP Office continued working on priorities addressing three different components — Our People, Our Work and Our Relationships. Over the past fiscal year, these components have included staffing to meet workload needs, continued investment and progression of candidates in the ATIP Analyst Development Program as well as continued work preparing for the transition to a new case management system.

4.2. ATIP operations

During the 2023-2024 reporting period, the operations unit processed 531 requests (137 access requests, 333 informal requests and 61 consultation requests). This represents an increase of 140 requests from the previous reporting year and demonstrates the public’s continued interest in AAFC’s information.

Topics of primary interest in 2023-2024 included supply chains, funding agreements, horse exportation for the purpose of slaughter, carbon pricing, fertilizer emissions reduction targets and Grocery Code of Conduct.

Departmental context for 2023-2024

Fiscal year 2023-2024 brought new challenges as AAFC adopts an even stronger focus on innovation to drive a profitable, productive and sustainable agri-food industry that can meet growing global demand for sustainable food.

AAFC has identified priorities that focus on achieving results through initiatives, programs, and services to help create an effective, resilient and thriving sector. These efforts support the delivery of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food’s mandate letter commitments and broader Government of Canada priorities, including in the areas of policy development and program delivery, support for Canada’s food system, sustainable growth, and climate resiliency.

In 2023-2024 AAFC:

• Continued working with its partners on the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to deliver on sectoral needs in the following areas: trade and expanding markets, innovation and sustainable growth, and the support of diverse and dynamic, evolving sectors;
• Delivered key funding initiatives to agri-sectors across Canada; and
• Continued building on thematic priorities for clean technology programs and innovations, while maintaining industry engagement.

Adjustments to the mandate surrounding in-office presence for public servants resulted in a different approach to hybrid work arrangements during the reporting period. The ATIP Office equipped its employees to work effectively both from home and at the office. Another factor impacting AAFC during this reporting period was the Public Service Alliance of Canada members labour strike during Q1 of 2023-2024. Basic operations continued during the strike and legislated deadlines were impacted as a result of resource constraints.

4.3 Access to Information Act performance and statistics for 2023-2024

This section provides an overview of key data on the institution’s performance regarding ATIP Operations for the year, as reflected in the institution’s Statistical Report for 2023-2024 available below in Annex C.

Description of the above image

Informal access request trends

	number
2020-2021	68
2021-2022	114
2022-2023	131
2023-2024	333
2020-2021	68

The ATIA is intended to complement and not replace existing procedures for access to government information, to this end:

• 6 requests for information were resolved informally, and the number of pages was not captured in our reporting.
• A total of 320 requests for previously released material were received and 327 were responded to during this reporting period, including 19 which had been outstanding from a previous reporting period.
• 147 informal requests were closed within 15 days of receipt; 131 were closed within 16 to 30 days; 45 were closed within 31 to 60 days; 2 were closed within 61 to 120 days; 5 were closed within 121 to 180 days; and 3 were closed within 181 to 365 days. Twelve (12) were carried over into the next reporting period.
• A total of 57,869 pages were re-released in 2023-2024.
• All of the informal requests were received electronically.

Caseload and carry forward

Number of ATI requests

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Access to information requests outstanding, received, completed and carried forward, 2020–2021 to 2023–2024

	Outstanding	Received	Completed	Carried forward
2020-2021	22	131	117	36
2021-2022	35	107	104	38
2022-2023	38	134	101	71
2023-2024	70	131	137	64

In this reporting period, AAFC-ATIP had a total of 201 active ATI requests. Of this total, 131 were new ATI requests received in 2023-2024 while 66 were outstanding requests from the previous 2022-2023 reporting period and 4 were outstanding from beyond that. ATIP carried over 64 files to the 2024-2025 fiscal year; 23 of which were received in 2022-2023, and 2 in 2021-2022, which are currently active and remain within legislated timelines (including extensions).

Access to information requests pages processed and disclosed, 2020–2021 to 2023–2024

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Relevant pages processed and disclosed, 2020–2021 to 2023–2024

	Number of pages processed	Number of pages disclosed	Release ratio (%)
2020–2021	57,395	51,514	90
2021-2022	18,516	13,691	74
2022-2023	29,618	19,383	65
2023-2024	47,919	30,971	65

Source of requests under the Access to Information Act

Of the 131 received in 2023-2024, 100% were received electronically, either from the ATIP online portal or by email. Media accounted for 18% of the ATI requests received, followed by the public (50%), academia (4%), private sector businesses (12%) and other organizations (6%). Finally, there were 10% of requesters who declined to identify themselves in a category.

Processing time for requests

AAFC-ATIP responded to 137 requests during this reporting period:

• 57 requests were completed within 30 days.
• 26 requests were completed within 60 days; 36 within 120 days; 10 within 180 days.
• 8 requests were completed within 365 days, and none took more than 365 days.

Extensions

During the reporting period, 77 of the 137 closed requests required time extensions due to the volume of relevant records requiring review, or in order to undertake consultations with third parties or other government departments.

Consultations completed from other institutions

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Number of pages to review for consultations, 2020–2021 to 2023–2024

	Outstanding	Received	Completed	Carried forward
2020-2021	649	1957	2417	189
2021-2022	189	1988	2048	129
2022-2023	129	2776	2886	338
2023-2024	338	2138	2437	39

For this reporting period, AAFC completed a total of 61 consultation requests — 60 from other federal institutions and 1 from other levels of government. Three consultation requests were carried forward to the next fiscal year with negotiated timelines.

The number of consultation files processed this reporting period was lower (from 79 in 2022-2023), as were the number of pages reviewed by AAFC for other institutions, totalling 2,437 this year, having decreased from 2,905 in 2022-2023. 

Disposition of completed requests

Of the total caseload, AAFC completed 137 access requests for the 2023-2024 reporting period:

• 8.76%, or 12 files, were “all disclosed” and 67.15%, or 92 files, were “disclosed in part”. 
• 1 file was “all exempted” and none were “all excluded”.
• “No records exist” responses were provided for 24 requests, or 17.52%.
• No requests were transferred to other federal institutions.
• 5.84%, or eight requests, were abandoned by the applicants.

There were no files with the following dispositions:

• “Neither confirmed nor denied”; or
• “Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner”.

Exemption or exclusions invoked

Since 2019-2020, the three exemptions most commonly used by AAFC during the reporting period were subsection 19(1) (personal information), paragraph 20(1)(b) (confidential third-party information) and section 21 (operations of government, advice, etc.).

The ATIA does not apply to published material, material available to the public for purchase, or for public reference (section 68), nor does it apply to confidences of the King’s Privy Council (section 69). Requests containing proposed exclusions under section 69 require consultation with the Department of Justice and, in some cases, the Privy Council Office.

In 2023-2024, there were no requests that contained records deemed as confidences of the King’s Privy Council.

Complaints

The ATIA provides a system of review to help ensure federal institutions comply with their obligations. Under this system of review, a requester may file a complaint with the Information Commissioner of Canada who will investigate the matter on behalf of the requester. These investigations relate to matters such as exemptions invoked on records, extensions to the original 30-day time frame and potential missing records. After the complaint investigation is carried out, the Commissioner issues a finding on the matter and determines whether an institution handled the request appropriately and whether further action is required. The Commissioner may also issue an Order pursuant to Section 37 to a department to address issues following an investigation.

One new complaint (Section 32 Notice of Intention to Investigate) was received in 2023-2024.

One order was issued by the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) in 2023-2024 pursuant to Sections 37(1) and 37(2) regarding a complaint from the 2021-2022 reporting period. 

AAFC’s ATIP Office continued to work collaboratively with the OIC to resolve complaint investigations. The new complaint received during this reporting period was ultimately abandoned by the requester.

One complaint received in 2022-2023 was carried forward to the 2024-2025 reporting period.

One court action was initiated in response to the Order issued from the Information Commissioner noted above. The court action has since been discontinued as the department complied with the Order. This will be reflected in the 2024-2025 reporting period.

Translations

No translations were required to respond to requests in 2023-2024.

Format of information released

Of the requests that were fully or partially disclosed, all 104 were released as electronic copies as per the ATIP Office’s paperless processes using E-post.

5. Training and awareness

5.1 Departmental access to information training

The ATIP Office continues to invest in its people and is focused on enhancing departmental capacity by offering a wide range of ATIP-related training courses. These offerings ensure that staff and management understand their roles and responsibilities with respect to the Acts and related policies, including closely linked subjects such as information management.

Regular course offerings are available to AAFC employees throughout the year in individual or group sessions.

During the 2023-2024 reporting period, 8 training sessions were delivered to the department, reaching a total of 146 employees. There were 7 fewer sessions offered in this reporting period, compared to the last reporting period. The revised training materials also allowed for a more robust training program to be delivered this year, including a presentation to AAFC Governance reaching senior leadership.

An employee engagement plan was designed and began implementation in 2022-2023 and continued into this reporting period. It consists of three areas — updating and implementing the AAFC Employee Training Program, launching an Awareness Campaign and strengthening the network of various AAFC groups (for example, Officers of Primary Interest (OPIs), Legal, Information Management, etc.). The ATIP Office was successful in the implementation of its Awareness Campaign and strengthened networks across the department. Moving forward into next fiscal year, the ATIP Office is working to provide on-demand training services through its Agri-Campus platform to further support employee training needs.

ATIP Analyst Development Program

The ATIP Office continued to support the development of our employees through the ATIP Analyst Recruitment and Development Program, aimed at expanding opportunities within AAFC-ATIP and retaining talent and expertise within the department. The goal of the program is to have a capable workforce that can grow within the AAFC ATIP Office. Entry-level participants receive training in both ATIP operations and privacy policy and can become eligible for promotion as qualifications and experience are gained over a set period of time.

6. ATIP operations policies, guidelines and procedures

The ATIP Office streamlined processes and approvals in order to improve efficiencies and timeliness for OPIs, clients and requesters from the general public. Examples of some of these improvements are:

• Implementing and evaluating internal control measures;
• Streamlining the ATIP branch intake and recommendations process;
• Preparing for a new case management system;
• Creating an awareness campaign for ATIP training; and
• Designing and implementing updated processes for complaints and issues management.

7. Proactive publication under Part 2 of the ATIA

7.1 Proactive disclosure

While implementing the proactive disclosure requirements of the ATIA, the ATIP Office has continued to engage with and provide support to departmental stakeholders at all levels to ensure compliance and to create necessary procedures and guidelines where and when applicable. Departmental contracts over $10,000, Parliamentary Committee appearance binders, briefing note titles, grants and contributions, question period cards, reclassifications of positions, transition books as well as travel and hospitality information are posted to AAFC’s Transparency and corporate reporting page..

Summaries of AAFC’s completed access to information requests may be found on the Government of Canada’s Open Government website in compliance with TBS requirements.

Proactive publication requirements table

The following table identifies which requirements AAFC is responsible for with respect to each of the proactive disclosure requirements. The last column has a link to where the information is published.

Legislative requirement	Section	Publication timeline	Institutional lead
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	Yes
Hospitality expenses	83	Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement	Yes
Reports tabled in Parliament	84	Within 30 days after tabling	Yes
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	Yes
Grants and contributions over $25,000	87	Within 30 days after the quarter	Yes
Packages of briefing materials prepared for new or incoming deputy heads or equivalent	88(a)	Within 120 days after appointment	Yes
Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared for a deputy head or equivalent that are received by their office	88(b)	Within 30 days after the end of the month received	Yes
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	Yes
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 (that is, government institutions for which Treasury Board is the employer)
Reclassification of positions	85	Within 30 days after the quarter	Yes
Ministers
Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for new or incoming ministers	74(a)	Within 120 days after appointment	Yes
Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared by a government institution for the minister that are received by their office	74(b)	Within 30 days after the end of the month received	Yes
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 Decciteber	Yes
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	Yes
Travel expenses	75	Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement	Yes
Hospitality expenses	76	Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement	Yes
Contracts over $10,000	77	Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter	Yes
Ministers’ offices expensesEndnote 1	78	Within 120 days after the fiscal year	No

For this reporting period, AAFC met the legislated timelines with 100% compliance for each of the above noted proactive disclosure requirements.

AAFC currently has a decentralized model for meeting the proactive disclosure requirements across the department. Each branch lead is responsible for meeting the legislated timelines for their respective areas of responsibility that have associated proactive disclosure requirements under the ATIA. Where the ATIP Office provides advice or redaction services, the disclosure timelines are tracked and monitored. For some other requirements directly managed by individual branches, the leads will send an advisory notice to the ATIP Office when the publication is complete. The department is currently revising its compliance and monitoring process to create a more centralized tracking system moving into next fiscal year.

7.2 Parliamentary questions, motion papers, audits and publications

The AAFC ATIP Office has a role in promoting access to government data and information for all citizens and protecting personal information. Through this lens, the ATIP Office provided advice on and reviewed two motions for the production of papers in 2023-2024.

Eight audit reports were reviewed in this reporting period, which is a similar number to the previous reporting period.

8. Initiatives and projects to improve access to information

AAFC strives to be a leader in innovative, effective technology, and develop intelligent business practices and has been at the forefront of pilot testing new technologies for ATI requests.

Innovating the client experience meant adding more value to the client's relationship with the ATIP Office. While there are many ways to do this, the ATIP Office’s focus during this reporting period has been to foster a stronger connection with internal clients through kick-start meetings and other methods, making meeting the department’s legislative requirements under the ATIA more efficient and timelier.

Digital processing of ATIP requests

Building off the work that started in 2020 with the digitization of its business and operations across the department, the ATIP Office continues to find innovative solutions to meet the call to action from the President of the Treasury Board’s Report to Parliament on the review of the Access to Information Act, Improving Service for Canadians.

During this reporting period, the ATIP Office has procured ATIP Xpress as the new case management and redaction solution. The intent is to further streamline the processing of ATIP requests, while leveraging technology to improve accuracy.

The ATIP Office is working closely with information technology counterparts and is engaged in various working groups to prepare a smooth transition. A change management strategy will be implemented to reduce impacts on operations throughout the department.

The planning and development for this project was completed in 2022-2023 and its implementation will be reported on in the 2024-2025 reporting period.

Access to Information and Privacy Online Request System

Following the TBS-run pilot for “ATIP Online Version 3” in the previous fiscal year, AAFC fully adopted and successfully transitioned to this portal in July 2022. This new system has been an important step in AAFC streamlining and modernizing its ATIP operations for the long-term. The ATIP Office is now looking to the improved functionality of version 5 with the ability to communicate securely with requesters within the system.

Development program

As reported on in 2022-2023, the ATIP Office introduced the ATIP Analyst Recruitment and Development Program, aimed at expanding opportunities within AAFC-ATIP and retaining talent and expertise within the department. This past year has been successful in onboarding two new recruits and completing one promotional appointment through the program. The program continues to be a valuable staffing and development tool with further onboarding and promotional appointments planned for the next fiscal year.

9. Summary of key issues and actions taken on complaints

As described in section 4.3, AAFC-ATIP worked closely with the OIC to resolve the majority of the outstanding complaints, leaving one remaining complaint that was carried over into 2024-2025.

The department received one new complaint during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which was discontinued.

The one active complaint for which AAFC received an Order from the Information Commissioner, and for which AAFC filed for review with the Federal Court, was ultimately discontinued as AAFC complied with the Commissioner’s Order. This will be reflected in the 2024-2025 reporting period.

10. Reporting on access to information fees for the purposes of the Service Fees Act

The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by the institution. With respect to fees collected under the ATIA (as recorded in Annex C), the information below is reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act.

• Enabling authority: ATIA
• Fee payable: $5.00 application fee is the only fee charged for an ATI request
• Total revenue: $630.00
• Total fees waived: $25.00
• Cost of operating the program: $787,987

11. Monitoring compliance

The Operations unit uses an automated system to monitor the processing of ATIP requests. The workflow case management tool tracks all actions and due dates, stores relevant records requiring review, maintains audit logs, promotes the use of standard templates, allows extensive search capability to facilitate analysis, and generates progress and statistical reports.

Senior management is kept apprised of the Access to Information activities through a weekly status report that is prepared by the ATIP Office and shared with various OPIs and governance bodies. This report and related discussions serve to remind branches of their pending due dates for records retrieval, and flags:

• New requests received;
• The lead branch responsible;
• Request- and action-specific due dates;
• Requests due in the coming 2 weeks; and
• Areas where advice and direction can be provided by the ATIP Office.

12. Conclusion

Fiscal year 2023-2024 was a year that continued to produce many engagement opportunities for AAFC’s ATIP Operations unit, and saw the ongoing implementation of changes that were initiated in the previous fiscal years.

The ATIP Analyst Development program was utilised in a more substantive way in this reporting period and has resulted in strong additions to the ATIP Office team. Additionally, investments in upgrading the systems that support ATIP operations continue to require investment and are expected to reap benefits for AAFC and its clients as we move into 2024-2025.

AAFC continues to be committed to both the spirit and the intent of the ATIA to enhance the accountability and transparency of Government to promote an open and democratic society and to enable public debate on the conduct of all federal institutions. To this end, all requests were responded to within established service standards of 90% compliance.

Looking forward, the AAFC ATIP Office will continue to streamline processes, implement digital strategies and support the department to meet the call to action from the Information Commissioner, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and President of the Treasury Board, to fulfill its commitment toward legislative requirements, openness and the protection of personal information.

13. Annex A — Access to Information Act designation order, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act, hereby designates the persons of the department holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution under the sections of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This Designation Order supersedes all previous Designation Orders.

Date

Name

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

14. Annex B — delegation of authority instrument for the administration of the Access to Information Act

Sections of the Access to Information Act	Powers, duties or functions	Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada	Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Affairs Branch	Director General, Communications Services	Director, ATIP and Translation Services
	All powers, duties and functions under the Access to Information Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. A-1 (prior to and following June 21, 2019) and related regulations (prior to and following June 21, 2019).	X	X	X	X
4 (2.1)	Responsibility of government institutions.	X	X	X	X
6.1(1)	Reasons for declining to act on request	X	X	X	-
6.1(1.3), (1.4), (2)	Notice — suspension, end of suspension.	X	X	X	-
7 (a)	Notice where access is requested.	X	X	X	X
7 (b)	Giving access to records	X	X	X	X
8(1)	Transfer of request	X	X	X	X
9	Extension of time limits.	X	X	X	X
11(2)	To waive requirement for payment or to refund.	X	X	X	X
12(2)(b)	Language of access.	X	X	X	X
12(3)(b)	Access in an alternative format.	X	X	X	X
13	To exempt information obtained in confidence.	X	X	X	X
13(2)	To disclose with consent of the other government.	X	X	X	X
14	To exempt information re: federal–provincial affairs.	X	X	X	X
15	To exempt information re: International affairs and defense.	X	X	X	X
16	To exempt information re: Law enforcement and investigations.	X	X	X	X
16.5	To exempt information re: Public Servant Disclosure Act	X	X	X	X
17	To exempt information re: Safety of individuals.	X	X	X	X
18	To exempt information re: Economic interests of Canada.	X	X	X	X
19	Personal information.	X	X	X	X
20	To exempt third party information.	X	X	X	X
21	To exempt information re: Operations of Government.	X	X	X	X
22	To exempt information re: Testing procedures, tests and audits.	X	X	X	X
22.1	To exempt information re: Internal Audits	X	X	X	X
23	Protected information — solicitors, advocates and notaries.	X	X	X	X
23.1	Protected information — patents and trademarks.	X	X	X	X
24	To exempt information re: Statutory prohibitions.	X	X	X	X
25	Severability	X	X	X	X
26	Refusal of access where information is to be published.	X	X	X	X
27(1)	To notify third party of intent to disclose.	X	X	X	X
27(4)	To extend time limit for third party notification process.	X	X	X	X
28(1)(b)	Review representations of third parties.	X	X	X	X
28(2)	To waive the requirement of third parties providing representations in writing.	X	X	X	X
28(4)	To notify third party of decision.	X	X	X	X
33	Notice to Information Commissioner of notices to third parties.	X	X	X	-
35(2)(b)	Right to make representations to the Information Commissioner.	X	X	X	-
37(1)(c)	Notice to the Commissioner to implement an order or recommendation.	X	X	X	-
37(4)	To provide access to complainant pursuant to Information Commissioner’s recommendation.	X	X	X	-
41(2)	Review by Federal Court — government institution.	X	X	X	-
43(2)	Service of notice of application to Federal Court for review.	X	X	X	-
44(2)	Notice to requester of application for review by third party	X	X	X	-
52(2)(b), (3)	Special rules for hearing	X	X	X	-
82	Proactive disclosure, travel expenses	X	X	X	-
83	Proactive disclosure, hospitality	X	X	X	-
84	Proactive disclosure, reports tabled in Parliament	X	X	X	-
85	Proactive disclosure, reclassification of positions	X	X	X	-
86	Proactive disclosure, contracts	X	X	X	-
87	Proactive disclosure, grants and contributions	X	X	X	-
88	Proactive disclosure, briefing materials	X	X	X	-
90	Proactive disclosure, publication not required	X	X	X	-
94	Annual report	X	X	X	-
96(3)	Notice of provision of services related to access to information	X	X	X	-
96(4)	Fees for services	X	X	X	-
96(5)	Spending authority	X	X	X	-
6(1)	Transfer of request	X	X	X	X
7(2)	Search and preparation fees	X	X	X	-
7(3)	Production and programming fees	X	X	X	-
8	Providing access to record(s)	X	X	X	X
8.1	Limitation in respect of format	X	X	X	X

15 Annex C — Statistical report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Reporting period: 3/1/2023 to 3/31/2024

Section 1: Requests under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of requests