Table of contents

• Introduction
  • Administration of the Privacy Act
  • Organization and mandate of Statistics Canada
  • Delegation instrument
  • Resources
  • Statistical report
• Implementation: Privacy
  • Privacy requests
  • Other requests
  • Disposition of completed requests
  • Completion time and extensions
  • Exemptions invoked
  • Costs
• Training initiatives for privacy
• Policies, guidelines and procedures
• Complaints and investigations
• Monitoring of the requests
• Privacy breaches
• Privacy impact assessments
  • Human Resources Analytics Management Dashboard
  • Closed Circuit Television Use in Statistics Canada's Virtual Federal Research Data Centre at Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC): A Virtual Data Laboratory Prototype
  • Live chat on Statistics Canada's website
  • Statistics Canada – Canada School of Public Service Skills Inventory
  • Authorized Workspace Use in Statistics Canada's Virtual Federal Research Data Centre at Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC): A Virtual Data Laboratory Prototype
  • Security Video Surveillance in Statistics Canada's Secure Access Points
  • Statistics Canada's Microdata Access Portal: Researcher online registration and project application
  • Supplement: Census Program / 2019 Census Test
  • Supplement: Survey on Sexual Misconduct at Work
• Microdata linkage
• Types of disclosure under subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act
• Appendix A: Delegation instrument
• Appendix B: Statistical report
• Appendix C: Microdata linkages

Introduction

The Privacy Act gives Canadian citizens and people living in Canada the right to access their personal information being held by federal government institutions. The Act also protects against unauthorized disclosure of that personal information and it strictly controls how the government collects, uses, stores, discloses, and disposes of any personal information.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Privacy Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 72 of the Act, and it covers the period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Administration of the Privacy Act

The Privacy Act, which concerns itself with personal information, stipulates that government institutions can collect personal information only if it relates to the operation of programs or activities of these institutions. In the case of Statistics Canada, the Statistics Act provides the authority to collect personal information for statistical purposes. The privacy legislation demands that government institutions inform those from whom information is collected about the purpose of the collection. In addition, institutions are required to protect the collected information from disclosure.

The administration of the privacy legislation within Statistics Canada and the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator for the Agency is the Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination (formerly Information Management Division), who is also the ATIP Coordinator.

Organization and mandate of Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada's mandate derives primarily from the Statistics Act. The Act requires that the Agency collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information on the economic, social, and general conditions of the country and its citizens. The Act also requires that Statistics Canada coordinate the national statistical system, in particular, to avoid duplication in the information collected by government. To this end, the Chief Statistician may enter into joint data collection or sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies, as well as with federal, provincial and territorial government departments, pursuant to provisions of the Act.

The Statistics Act specifically requires Statistics Canada to conduct a Census of Population and a Census of Agriculture every five years. The Act also gives the Agency substantial powers to request information for statistical purposes through surveys of Canadian businesses and households. Under the Act, the Chief Statistician determines whether a survey will be mandatory or voluntary. Statistics Canada has generally made voluntary household data collection other than the Census of Population and the Labour Force Survey, as the latter produces key economic data. The Census of Agriculture and most other business surveys are mandatory. Refusal to participate in a mandatory survey is subject to legal penalties.

By law, Statistics Canada can also access administrative records, including personal and business tax data, credit information, customs declarations, and birth and death records. Such records are critical sources of statistical information that enable the Agency to reduce the reporting burden on businesses and individual respondents. Statistics Canada is considered a leader among the world's statistical agencies in reducing reporting burden by using administrative data.

These mechanisms help Statistics Canada to fulfill its commitment to ensuring that Canadians have all the key information on Canada's economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision-makers in a rapidly evolving world.

Delegation instrument

The delegation instrument exercises the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution, pursuant to section 73 of the Privacy Act. The current detailed list of authorities under the Privacy Act has been formally delegated by the Minister of Industry (Appendix A) as of November 2017 and provides full delegated authority to the Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination (formerly the Information Management Division) and the Chief, Statistical Agreement, Legislation and Licensing Section.

Resources

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office operates within an allocation of 2.07 persons/year. The Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination and the Chief, Statistical Agreement, Legislation and Licensing Section have been delegated all the responsibilities. The Chief and Senior Statistical and Legal Analysts are dedicated part-time to the administration of the ATIP Office.  A Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Manager and a Senior Access to Information analyst work are assigned on a full-time basis to this responsibility.

Statistical report

The statistical report provides aggregate data on the application of the Privacy Act. This information is made public annually in an Info Source Bulletin, and is included with the annual report. The following includes the statistical report on privacy for the current reporting period (Appendix B).

Implementation: Privacy

The Privacy Act has a substantial impact on Statistics Canada, but the impact cannot be measured only by the number of requests processed. Although society seeks a broader range of detailed information, it also demands more accountability on the part of government about the collection of personal information and the purposes served by the information. The Agency has taken a number of initiatives to address the privacy challenges this dichotomy raises.

Statistics Canada has internal directives that reflect the basic principles found in the Privacy Act. The Agency's Directive on Informing Survey Respondents requires that all respondents be informed of the expected use of the statistics produced from the survey results, the authority under which the survey is taken, their obligation to respond, the confidentiality protection given to all information collected under the Statistics Act, and any data-sharing arrangements pursuant to provisions of the Statistics Act.

Statistics Canada also developed the Directive on Microdata Linkage to respond to concerns of both respondents and privacy advocates on the potential of matching an individual's information gathered from a variety of sources.

These two directives not only support compliance with the letter and the spirit of the Privacy Act, but also demonstrate the Agency's commitment to the protection and appropriate use of the personal information under its control, while still meeting its mandate.

Privacy requests

The Agency received 1,012 new requests in 2018/2019 and 10 requests were carried over from the previous reporting period. During this period, 1,007 requests were completed and 15 requests were carried forward to the next reporting period.

For 300 requests, information was disclosed completely or in part.  For 173 requests, the information did not exist, and 534 requests were abandoned by the requestors. The public is the largest privacy client group for Statistics Canada.

In addition to requests from the general public, the Agency receives requests from current and former federal public servants regarding personal or staff relations issues. Statistics Canada responds to a number of requests for personal information through its pension search program. This program provides members of the public with information from their own census records, and from the 1940 National Registration records, to support their applications for pensions, citizenship, passports and other services when other administrative records—such as birth certificates—are required, but no longer exist or were never issued.  Census records are also being requested as a supporting document to assist those Canadians who are applying to enrol in the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation.

There was a notable increase in privacy requests as a result of Canadians inquiring about their credit information held by Statistics Canada.

Responding to privacy requests involved reviewing more than 15,000 pages, of which over 13,500 were released. Thirty-two (32) requestors received information electronically on CD-ROM and two hundred and sixty-eight (268) requestors received the information in paper format.

Privacy requests

Fiscal Year	Requests Received	Requests Completed	Number of Pages Processed	Number of Pages Released
2018/2019	1,012	1,007	15,244	13,595
2017/2018	157	148	20,216	10,886
2016/2017	112	115	24,628	17,320
2015/2016	115	111	11,058	7,518
2014/2015	55	55	1,748	1,293

Other requests

During this period, Statistics Canada did not receive any Privacy Act consultation requests from other departments.

Disposition of completed requests

The disposition of the 1,007 requests completed in 2018/2019 was as follows:

• 268 were fully disclosed (27%)
• 68 were disclosed in part (3%)
• 173 had no existing information (17%)
• 534 were abandoned by applicants (53%)

Completion time and extensions

In 2018/2019 the number of privacy requests completed increased to 1,007 for an average of 290 over the last five years. All 1,007 requests processed in 2018/19 were all within the time period and as prescribed by the Act. Several factors contributed to the timely response, information sessions with officials and sector contacts and a streamlined delegation order. There were no extensions taken, however 226 requests were placed on hold pending clarification or a requirement for additional information in order to process a request.

The 1,007 requests completed in 2018/2019 were processed in the following time frames:

• 228 within 1 to 15 days (22%)
• 553 within 16 to 30 days (56%)
• 225 within 31 to 60 days (22%)

Exemptions invoked

In 2018/2019, exemptions were invoked as per specific sections of the Privacy Act, the exemptions were as follows:

• Section 22 (1) (b): Law enforcement and investigation (7)
• Section 26: Exempting personal information about individuals other than the requestor (27)

Costs

In 2018/2019, the ATIP Office incurred an estimated $69,966 in salary costs and $4,273 in costs related to administering the Privacy Act.

Training initiatives for privacy

In 2018/2019, the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office provided informal one-on-one training as needed.

Individual training assisted staff in understanding their obligations under the Act, as well as informing them about policies and directives related to personal information at Statistics Canada.  These sessions are available to all staff across the Agency.

Statistics Canada's Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination offers courses on a variety of subjects related to the Statistics Act and the Privacy Act as well as supporting policies and directives. These include sessions on “Privacy Impact Assessment” and “Privacy and Confidentiality”, with a focus on personal information collected about employees of Statistics Canada, clients or the public, and appropriate use of such personal information. Given the lack of demand for in-class training, no sessions were provided during the current reporting period.

Statistics Canada also requires employees to complete computer-based courses on confidentiality. A mandatory course for new employees provides them with a brief overview of confidentiality, illustrating its importance at Statistics Canada. A second course with similar content must be completed by Statistics Canada employees for renewal of their identification card. For most employees, this occurs every three years. In the current reporting period, a total of 1,583 employees completed these courses.

Policies, guidelines and procedures

The ATIP Office has a variety of tools in place to ensure that ATIP sector contacts are well informed about their roles and responsibilities for coordinating privacy requests. These tools include checklists on the steps to follow when providing records for privacy requests and on the availability of the ATIP team throughout the process. There are also a variety of directives and policies provided by Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada about the protection of personal information. Personal information is protected by the Privacy Actand will only be disclosed as permitted by that Act.

Given its unique position in the federal government in collecting personal information solely for statistical and research purposes, Statistics Canada has determined that the privacy issues associated with its statistical activities undertaken under the authority of the Statistics Act could be addressed by means of a generic Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).

Although the Generic PIA is comprehensive and reflects the vast majority of Statistics Canada's operations, in the instance of extraordinary activities, specific PIA are conducted with input from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.  Statistics Canada prepares supplements to the Generic PIA for all new and significantly redesigned surveys and statistical programs involving the collection, use or disclosure of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality or security risks.

Complaints and investigations

Three new complaints against Statistics Canada were lodged with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), and fourteen complaints had been carried over from the previous fiscal year.  Of these, eleven complaints were discontinued and closed.  From the 14 carried over complaints, eleven came from the same client.  Three other requests were closed as they were deemed not substantiated or not well founded.  Three complaints have been carried over.

The Privacy Commissioner launched an investigation into the pilot request for financial banking information from the banking sector, as well as, the credit information project. Statistics Canada is collaborating with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to complete the investigation.  The pilot project, which is considered necessary to better meet policy needs in a digital society, as well as the credit information project, have been placed on hold until the investigation has been completed.  Statistics Canada invited the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to help address the concerns expressed by Canadians prior to proceeding with the projects.

Monitoring of the requests

At Statistics Canada, the ATIP Office processes and monitors requests by registering them in a comprehensive system known as Privasoft – Access Pro Case Management. An acknowledgement of the request is sent to the client and a retrieval form is forwarded to the relevant program area, Office of Primary Interest (OPI). If the OPI and/or the ATIP Office need to clarify the request, the ATIP Office contacts the client.

The retrieval form was created by the ATIP Office at Statistics Canada and is based on the Policy on Privacy Protection and the Directive on Privacy Practices from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada. The form includes the text of the request, the name of the ATIP Officer and his/her phone number, and the date by which records are required (normally 5 to 10 days). The form states that the ATIP Office is required to report annually on the administrative costs related to requests and thus information is needed on the level(s) and group(s) of those involved in the retrieval and the amount of time spent working on the request (including time for search, retrieval, internal review (relevant or not to the request) and photocopying). The individuals providing the records are asked to identify any records which may be sensitive in nature (e.g., personal information, legal issues) and the Director or Director General of the program area signs the form.

The ATIP Office assists the program areas with the retrieval of records from day one. As 5 to 10 days are allowed for the retrieval, a follow-up is made on the fifth day. If additional time is required for the retrieval, this is when the program area is to notify the ATIP Office. An additional 1 to 5 days may be granted depending on the amount of work remaining. Once the documents are received from the OPI, the ATIP Office ensures the form is duly completed and that it has been signed by the appropriate manager. The ATIP Office takes 5 to 10 days to review and process the records. Once the work from the ATIP Office is completed, the final version is released to the client. The OPI and management are very aware of the importance of ATIP requests.

Privacy breaches

A standard template is used to document incidents. This template incorporates the elements suggested in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's guidelines on how to respond to a privacy breach. The template has been approved by the Agency's senior management. At a minimum, the incident report will contain the following information:

• a description of the incident (who, what, when, where, why, how)
• the actions already taken and planned for the future
• a description of the risks/impacts
• any other information that might be helpful in locating any lost item or in assessing the consequences of loss or compromise
• recommendations for reducing or eliminating the risk of the event reoccurring in future
• information on whether the individuals or organizations whose information was breached were informed of the incident
• indication if the individuals, Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) and Treasury Board Secretariat will be informed of the incident and if not, rationale for not informing them.

"Best practices" to eliminate or reduce future recurrences that are identified during an investigation must be communicated to other employees to prevent a recurrence of the breach.

There were 10 privacy breaches at Statistics Canada during the reporting period, of which four were material in nature. A total of 102 people were affected by these 10 breaches. Amongst the 102 people affected, 90 were a result of two incidences that were not material in nature.

Four material breaches were reported to the OPC, affecting a total of 4 individuals:

• A T4 was sent in a double envelope to the home of the wrong employee.
• A screen shot (name, address and banking information) of a pay equity settlement deposit was sent to the wrong former employee (same first name and last name).
• A completed Declaration Card from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) was found and brought to the security reception by a public servant of another department working in the same building as Statistics Canada.
• A mid-year assessment found in a washroom was left un-sealed on the employee's desk.

In all the material breach cases, all individuals impacted were informed and told of their ability to submit a complaint to the OPC, with the exception of one. In this case, despite exhaustive efforts to try to find current contact information for the impacted individual, we were unable to locate the person. Given that the breach occurred in close proximity to the Statistics Canada building and the information was recovered, the risk to the impacted individual is considered low.  None of the breaches are known to have led to criminal activity.

Additional measures, specific to the areas which experienced a breach, were implemented, including the following:

• training for employees on the protection of personal/protected information
• conducting regular security sweeps to ensure proper storage of confidential information

Privacy impact assessments

The Statistics Canada Directive on Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) specifies the roles and responsibilities of its senior managers and privacy specialists with regard to the collection, use and dissemination of personal information. This directive applies to all statistical and non-statistical programs that engage in the collection, use or dissemination of personal information.

Statistics Canada's Generic PIA covers all aspects of the Agency's statistical programs that collect, use and disseminate information in support of the mandate under the Statistics Act. The Generic PIA addresses the ten privacy principles, and includes a threat and risk assessment for various collection and access modes.

Supplements to the Generic PIA are produced for new and significantly redesigned collections, uses or disclosures of personal information that raise unique or additional privacy, confidentiality or security risks. The Generic PIA and its supplements are posted on the Statistics Canada website: Generic privacy impact assessment.

Specific PIAs are also conducted for new or redesigned administrative programs and services that involve the collection, use and disclosure of personal information that are not addressed in the Generic PIA. Summaries of completed privacy impact assessments can be found on the Statistics Canada website: Privacy impact assessments.

In the current reporting period, one PIA and three supplements were approved and submitted to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Treasury Board Secretariat. The following are brief descriptions:

Statistics Canada Young Professionals Network Challenges and Contests

A PIA for Statistics Canada's Young Professionals Network (SYPN) challenges and contests was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality and security issues associated with these challenges and contests, and if so, to make recommendations for their resolution or mitigation. The purpose of the SYPN contests and challenges is to engage participants and give them an opportunity to create innovative products with Statistics Canada data to enhance the public awareness of Statistics Canada's programs and services. Participants are required to register online and are asked to provide basic personal information. The use of participants' information is strictly limited to the purposes of the specific challenges and contests.  The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Supplement: Acquisition of Financial Transactions Data

A supplement to the generic PIA was conducted to describe the additional safeguards being implemented for the planned collection, processing and use of payment and income history information due to the highly sensitive nature of these data. The payments and income history information would be used to create a statistical database in support of various statistical programs in the economic and socio-economic fields. Under no circumstances would the information obtained from financial institutions be used to perform credit, expenditure or income checks on individual Canadians. This assessment concluded that, with the safeguards in place, any remaining risks would be such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk. The pilot project has been placed on hold until the Office of the Privacy Commissioner investigation previously noted, has been completed.

Supplement: Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population

A supplement to the generic PIA was conducted for the new Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population to demonstrate the statistical need for this information and to describe specific measures being implemented due to the sensitivity of the questions asked. The survey will fill a gap in estimates of sexual harassment, victimization and discrimination based on gender and sexuality in the postsecondary student population. The results will be used in support of the Government of Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence. Given the sensitive nature of the questions, respondents will be provided with information to reach support services and resources for victims of sexual violence, and Statistics Canada interviewers will also have received specialized training prior to collection. This assessment concluded that, with the safeguards in place, any remaining risks would be such that Statistics Canada is prepared to accept and manage the risk.

Supplement: Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform

A supplement to the generic PIA was conducted for the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP) to describe this new data environment and to clearly illustrate the need for this use of personal information. The ELMLP provides secure access to anonymized longitudinal information about college and university students and registered apprentices, to better understand their pathways through the postsecondary education system and how their education and training affects their career prospects in term of earnings. Research using data from the ELMLP will address a wide range of policy questions pertaining to student and apprentice persistence, completion, mobility and pathways. The assessment did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Microdata linkage

As outlined in Statistics Canada's Directive on Microdata Linkage, linkages of different records pertaining to the same individual are carried out only for statistical purposes and only in cases where the public good is clearly evident. One of the primary objectives of these linkages is to produce statistical information that facilitates a better understanding of Canadian society, the economy and the environment.

All microdata linkage proposals must satisfy a prescribed review process as outlined in the directive. In addition to demonstrating the public benefit, each submission must provide details of the output. The public dissemination of any information resulting from microdata linkage, like all other statistical information, is only at an aggregate level which protects the confidentiality of the information of individuals.

In 2018/2019, there were 23 approved microdata linkages that involved personal information. A summary of these record linkages is found in Appendix C.

Types of disclosure under subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act

Subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act describes the circumstances under which personal information may be disclosed without the consent of the individual to whom the information pertains. Although this disclosure of personal information is discretionary, it is subject to any other Act of Parliament. In the case of Statistics Canada, the Statistics Act provides a statutory prohibition against disclosure of identifiable information, without the knowledge and consent of the individual concerned. Therefore, personal information collected under the Statistics Act cannot be disclosed pursuant to subsection 8(2).

In the case of personal information, in records held by Statistics Canada, and subject only to the Privacy Act (i.e., those of employees and contractors), disclosures under subsection 8(2) can occur in certain circumstances: for the purpose for which information is obtained or compiled by the institution, for a use consistent with the purpose described in personal information banks registered to Statistics Canada, or for the purpose of complying with subpoenas, warrants, court orders and rules of court.

Paragraph 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act allows for disclosures of personal information in the public interest, and Paragraph 8(2)(e) allows for disclosures of personal information “to an investigative body…for the purpose of enforcing any law.” During the reporting period, Statistics Canada did not disclose any personal information under subsections 8(2)(e) or/and 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act.

Appendix A

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This designation replaces all previous delegation Orders.

Schedule

Schedule

Position	Access to Information Act and Regulations	Privacy Act and Regulations
Chief Statistician of Canada	Full authority	Full authority
Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Statistician	Full authority	Full authority
Director, Information Management Division	Full authority	Full authority
Chief, Statistical Agreements, Legislation and Licensing Section	Full authority	Full authority
Senior Statistical and Legal Analyst, Statistical Agreements, Legislation and Licensing Section	Sections: 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1) Regulations: Sections: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1	Sections: 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70 Regulations: Sections: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14
Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Manager	Sections: 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1) Regulations: Sections: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1	Sections: 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70 Regulations: Sections: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14
Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Officer	Sections: 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1) Regulations: Sections: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1	Sections: 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70 Regulations: Sections: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14

The original version was signed by
The Honourable Navdeep Bains
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
November 1, 2017

Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2018-04-01 to 2019-03-31

Part 1: Requests Under the Privacy Act

Requests Under the Privacy Act

	Number of Requests
Received during reporting period	1012
Outstanding from previous reporting period	10
Total	1022
Closed during reporting period	1007
Carried over to next reporting period	15

Part 2: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

2.1 Disposition and completion time

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	42	65	161	0	0	0	0	268
Disclosed in part	4	22	6	0	0	0	0	32
All exempted	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
No records exist	60	56	57	0	0	0	0	173
Request abandoned	122	410	1	1	0	0	0	534
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	228	553	225	1	0	0	0	1007

2.2 Exemptions

Exemptions

Section	Number of Requests
18(2)	0
19(1)(a)	0
19(1)(b)	0
19(1)(c)	0
19(1)(d)	0
19(1)(e)	0
19(1)(f)	0
20	0
21	0
22(1)(a)(i)	0
22(1)(a)(ii)	0
22(1)(a)(iii)	0
22(1)(b)	7
22(1)(c)	0
22(2)	0
22.1	0
22.2	0
22.3	0
22.4	0
23(a)	0
23(b)	0
24(a)	0
24(b)	0
25	0
26	27
27	0
28	0

2.3 Exclusions

Exclusions

Section	Number of Requests
69(1)(a)	0
69(1)(b)	0
69.1	0
70(1)	0
70(1)(a)	0
70(1)(b)	0
70(1)(c)	0
70(1)(d)	0
70(1)(e)	0
70(1)(f)	0
70.1	0

2.4 Format of information released

Format of information released

Disposition	Paper	Electronic	Other formats
All disclosed	262	6	0
Disclosed in part	6	26	0
Total	268	32	0

2.5 Complexity

2.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed

Relevant pages processed and disclosed

Disposition of Requests	Number of Pages Processed	Number of Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests
All disclosed	8985	8985	268
Disclosed in part	6259	4610	32
All exempted	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0
Request abandoned	0	0	534
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0
Total	15244	13595	834

2.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests

Relevant pages processed and disclosed 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 Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed
All disclosed	268	8985	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Disclosed in part	21	474	6	1436	4	2206	1	494	0	0
All exempted	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Request abandoned	534	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	823	9459	6	1436	4	2206	1	494	0	0

2.5.3 Other complexities

Other complexities

Disposition	Consultation Required	Legal Advice Sought	Interwoven Information	Other	Total
All disclosed	0	0	0	0	0
Disclosed in part	0	0	0	0	0
All exempted	0	0	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0	0	0
Request abandoned	0	0	0	0	0
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0	0	0

2.6 Deemed refusals

2.6.1 Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline

Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline

Number of Requests Closed Past the Statutory Deadline	Principal Reason
	Workload	External Consultation	Internal Consultation	Other
0	0	0	0	0

2.6.2 Number of days past deadline

Number of days past deadline

Number of Days Past Deadline	Number of Requests Past Deadline Where No Extension Was Taken	Number of Requests Past Deadline Where An Extension Was Taken	Total
1 to 15 days	0	0	0
16 to 30 days	0	0	0
31 to 60 days	0	0	0
61 to 120 days	0	0	0
121 to 180 days	0	0	0
181 to 365 days	0	0	0
More than 365 days	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0

2.7 Requests for translation

Requests for translation

Translation Requests	Accepted	Refused	Total
English to French	0	0	0
French to English	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0

Part 3: Disclosures Under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

Disclosures Under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

	Paragraph 8(2)(e)	Paragraph 8(2)(m)	Subsection 8(5)	Total
Disclosures	0	0	0	0

Part 4: Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Disposition for Correction Requests Received	Number
Notations attached	0
Requests for correction accepted	0
Total	0

Part 5: Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

Disposition of Requests Where an Extension Was Taken	15(a)(i) Interference With Operations	15(a)(ii) Consultation		15(b) Translation or Conversion
		Section 70	Other
All disclosed	0	0	0	0
Disclosed in part	0	0	0	0
All exempted	0	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0	0
No records exist	0	0	0	0
Request abandoned	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0	0

5.2 Length of extensions

Length of extensions

Length of Extensions	15(a)(i) Interference with operations	15(a)(ii) Consultation		15(b) Translation purposes
		Section 70	Other
1 to 15 days	0	0	0	0
16 to 30 days	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0	0

Part 6: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

6.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

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 the reporting period	0	0	0	0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0	0
Closed during the reporting period	0	0	0	0
Pending at the end of the reporting period	0	0	0	0

6.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

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
All disclosed	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Disclosed in part	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All exempted	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All excluded	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	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

6.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations

Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations

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
All disclosed	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Disclosed in part	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All exempted	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All excluded	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	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Part 7: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

7.1 Requests with Legal Services

Requests with Legal Services

Number of Days	Fewer 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

7.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Requests with Privy Council Office

Number of Days	Fewer 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

Part 8: Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

	Section 31	Section 33	Section 35	Court action	Total
Complaints and Investigations Notices Received	3	0	0	0	3

Part 9: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)

9.1 Privacy Impact Assessments

Number of PIA(s) completed: 1

Part 10: Resources Related to the Privacy Act

10.1 Costs

Costs

Expenditures	Amount
Salaries	$69,966
Overtime	$0
Goods and Services	$4,273
Professional services contracts	($4,273)
Other	($0)
Total	$74,239

10.2 Human Resources

Human Resources

Resources	Person Years Dedicated to Privacy Activities
Full-time employees	1.01
Part-time and casual employees	0.00
Regional staff	0.00
Consultants and agency personnel	0.00
Students	0.00
Total	1.01

Appendix C: Microdata linkages

Approved record linkages containing personal information

Estimating labour market indicators on reserves using the Census programs and administrative data (006-2018)

Purpose: The objective of this program is to fill a data gap in labour market information for the population living on reserve by calculating labour market indicators pertinent to the development of labour market policies and programs.

The linkage between the Census programs, the Longitudinal Workers File, the T4 Files and the T1 Family Files will be used to calculate yearly labour market indicators for those living on reserve as well as those living in adjacent communities.  The linkage will also be used to perform research on specific issues related to labour market indicators.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) will use the non-confidential labour market estimates as well as the research results to develop labour market policies regarding Aboriginal persons and persons living on reserves.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregated data estimates, which conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linkage of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) to Mortality, Cancer, Hospital Administrative Files, and tax data (007-2018)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create a series of outcome files resulting from the CCHS survey files (annual and theme) being linked to a health outcomes including hospitalizations, mortality and cancer. These linked files will facilitate the study of the impact of a broad range of social determinants of health (i.e. socioeconomic status, ethnicity, risk factors and disease states) on health outcomes at the population level.  T1FF information for both the individual as well as the different family members will provide information on change of income over time to assess the economic impact of health conditions on the population.

Output: Access to the linked microdata files will be restricted to Statistics Canada personnel (including Statistics Canada deemed employees) whose work activities require access. Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Analytical datasets will be placed in the Research Data Centres (RDCs) and access will be granted following standard RDC approval process. The source datasets will be anonymized and will respect variable restrictions in effect for the source datasets (e.g., hospital, vital statistics, cancer, tax files). Major findings will be used to create research papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at workshops and conferences.

Surrey Opioid Data Collection and Community Response Project: Linking Surrey Opioids data with income, health and immigration data (008-2018)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to build the capacity for identifying the primary risk factors and the sub-populations at greatest risk of an overdose in Surrey BC.  It will create a better understanding of the characteristics of those individuals at the heart of the opioid crisis-particularly for those individuals using and dying in their residence.  This work is being conducted for Public Safety Canada and the city of Surrey to assist them in identifying the root of the illicit drug epidemic and the individuals most at risk of overdose, as well as deriving a typology for the classification of incidents and individuals at risk of opioid related overdose.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that will not result in the identification of an individual person, business or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada. High-level findings may be reported in the form of presentations to various Public Safety Canada partners.

Integrated Criminal Court Survey (ICCS) data linkage project (010-2018)

Purpose: Understanding the characteristics of those who come in contact with the criminal court system is of importance to a variety of different individuals, including different levels of government, policy makers, legal professionals and the public. The proposed record linkage project will benefit Canadians by providing new data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of accused persons who are before the criminal courts, by examining them in relation to case/charge characteristics and outcomes. It will also provide new data related to the different health situations of these individuals (e.g. substance abuse, disability issues), including their interactions with the health care system, with a particular focus on mental health. This project will also allow Justice Canada to generate specific metrics of marginalization and overrepresentation across the criminal justice system that were identified in the framework endorsed by federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for Justice and Public Safety.

This study will link data from the Integrated Criminal Court Survey (ICCS) to the Census/National Household Survey (NHS), the Discharge Abstract database (DAD), the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS) and the T1 Family File (T1FF) in order to gain information on the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of accused persons involved in the criminal court system.

Output: All access to the linked microdata will be limited to Statistics Canada employees and Statistics Canada deemed employees whose work activities require access. Only aggregate data that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada. This will likely be in the form of analytical reports, or presentations to criminal justice stakeholders.

2016 Census of Population linkage to income tax files and benefits records to monitor tax filing behaviour and take-up rate of various benefit programs (011-2019)

Purpose: The purpose of this linkage is to obtain information on possible barriers to families and individuals receiving various benefits programs, and to provide more direct evidence on the take-up rate for these programs. Receipt of many government benefits is contingent upon filing an income tax return.  This project will provide analysis of T1 tax filing profile and take-up rates of various benefits programs according to socio-demographics characteristics, analysis of the incidence of benefit take-up and the benefit receipts according to income levels, and analysis of the characteristics of the non-filers or those who do not receive the grants.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregated tables, conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Confidentiality rules for the Census would be applied to all products before release.

Financial Capability, Employment and Income Database (FCEID): Mapping between Self-Reported and Objective Measures of Financial Performance (012-2018)

Purpose: The aim of this initiative is to create a database to facilitate research on topics related to financial literacy, financial choice and management, life-cycle saving and investing, and retirement preparedness. The proposed linkage will combine data on financial literacy, spending and budgeting strategies, sources of financial advice used, and wealth accumulation from the Canadian Financial Capability Survey (CFCS) with a wide set of longitudinal information on earnings and income dynamics, returns on investments, tax-planning performance, and life-cycle savings behaviour from taxation- and employment-based administrative files.

Output: Analytical findings from these linked datasets will be used to prepare research papers for publication and dissemination at research conferences and seminars. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics that cannot result in the identification of an individual, person, business, or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Tobacco Litigation Research Using the New Brunswick Smoking Record Linkage Environment (014-2018)

Purpose: Statistics Canada has created a record linkage environment for the New Brunswick Tobacco Litigation Project called the New Brunswick Smoking Record Linkage Environment (NBSRLE). This environment will hold de-identified Statistics Canada survey data and New Brunswick administrative health data.

The purpose of this project is to create analysis files from the de-identified files for use by litigant experts.  There are two areas of study proposed by this record linkage project for the ongoing litigation.  First, a study of the relationship between smoking behavior and the cost of health care in New Brunswick. Second, this file may be used to substantiate or refute evidence presented during the litigation process.

Statistics Canada has removed all personal identifiable information and a unique anonymous identifier was assigned to the administrative records for each person during the development of the linkable files (RL-085-2016) for this project.  Common linking keys based on the identifiers have been created for the share-link Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and National Population Health Survey (NPHS) and de-identified versions of the administrative files and the survey files were placed in the Research Data Center (RDC) environment where they can be merged to create analytical datasets (RL-016-2017).  The common linking key allows the litigant's experts to merge de-identified files within the NBSRLE to achieve their research objective.

Output: Outputs will be vetted for confidentiality prior to being released from the RDC.

No identifiable personal information will be released from the NBSRLE.

Furthermore, during a five-year period of exclusive access, which may be extended based on requirements of the litigation, use of these files may only be carried out as part of a research agenda initiated by the designated representatives (litigant experts) from the province of New Brunswick or the Signing Defendants under contract with Statistics Canada.

Elections Canada Data Quality Confirmation Study of the National Register of Electors (016-2018)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to evaluate the coverage, accuracy and currency of the National Register of Electors (the Register) maintained by Elections Canada. Certain data elements from the Register will be linked to Canadian Vital Statistics – Death records, Census of Population 2016 long-form respondent records and Labour Force Survey respondent records to conduct the evaluation and produce estimates at a variety of geographic levels (Canada, province/territory, electoral district). The results of the study will inform Elections Canada on the quality of the Register.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregated data and an analytical report that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada to Elections Canada.

Characteristics of repeated contact with the Ontario criminal justice system: Linking Ontario re-contact data with income, health and immigration data. (017-2018)

Purpose: Repeat contact, or re-contact, with the justice system has been identified as a key justice priority by Deputy Ministers responsible for Justice and Public Safety, as well as other policy makers and justice administrators. Until recently, the lack of information on the nature and extent of repeat contact with, and pathways through, the justice system represented one of the more conspicuous gaps in our understanding of crime in Canada.

In an effort to address this data gap, the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS), in cooperation with representatives of the National Justice Statistics Initiative (NJSI), undertook a project aimed at the creation and ongoing delivery of high-quality indicators of re-contact with the justice system. Whereas a contact is defined as an official intervention by police, courts, or corrections, a re-contact is defined as a subsequent contact with the police, courts, or corrections signifying a new, official intervention.

The purpose of the project is to establish baseline information about individuals who have had contact with the Ontario Justice system. This data will then be used to generate additional information about their involvement with Ontario's other social services, namely education, health and those in other social sectors.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregate statistics and analyses that will not result in the identification of an individual person, business or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada. High-level findings may be reported in the form of presentations to various NJSI partners.

Creation of the Research Analysis Files Using the British Columbia Smoking Record Linkage Environment (018-2018)

Purpose: Statistics Canada has created a record linkage environment for the British Columbia Tobacco Litigation Project called the British Columbia Smoking Record Linkage Environment (BCSRLE). This environment will be used to link Statistics Canada survey data to British Columbia administrative health data using a common unique, anonymized identifier, created as part of Record Linkage 024-2017.

The purpose of this linkage is to build analytical research files from the linkable survey and administrative files placed in the Research Data Centre (RDC) for the British Columbia Tobacco Litigation Project.

Personal identifiers were removed and a unique anonymous identifier was assigned to the administrative records for each person. Furthermore, common linking keys based on the identifiers have been created for the share-link Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and de-identified linkable versions of the administrative files and the survey files were placed in the RDC environment (RL-024-2017).

The purpose of this project is to allow the litigant experts to create de-identified analysis files for use in the litigation using the linkable files previously placed in the RDC. There are three areas of study proposed by this record linkage project. First, researchers will address the question of the comparability of smoking attributable fraction (SAF) estimates derived from the Public Use Microdata File of the CCHS to estimates derived from the share-link file of the CCHS. Second, this project seeks to extend the estimation model to additional aspects of health care utilization (i.e. beyond hospital and physician care) and to examine the comparability of SAFs derived from self-report versus 'administrative' measures of health care utilization. Third, these file may be used to substantiate or refute evidence presented during the litigation process.

Output: Linked analysis files, statistical models, tabulations, and other analytical products will be created as part of this record linkage. Output files will contain the anonymous BCSRLE identifier and analysis variables for the share-link CCHS and British Columbia administrative datasets previously linked to the BCSRLE (record linkage number RL-024-2017) will be used in the RDCs identified by the Province of British Columbia. No identifiable personal information will be released from the BCSRLE.

Research projects to access and link the BCSRLE output files in the RDC will be approved on a study-by-study basis. Furthermore, during a five-year period of exclusive access, research using these files may only be carried out as part of a research agenda initiated by the designated representatives (litigant experts) from the province of British Columbia or the Signing Defendants under contract with Statistics Canada. A summary of each approved study will be posted on the Statistics Canada website.

Radon-progeny exposure and lung cancer risk: The Newfoundland Fluorspar Miners Cohort Study update (021-2018)

Purpose: This linkage of the Newfoundland Fluorspar Miners Cohort to the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR), National Cancer Incidence Reporting System (NCIRS), and Canadian Vital Statistics Deaths (CVSD) will be used to examine the long-term health outcomes of the miners who were exposed to radon gas while working in the fluorspar mines of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland from the 1930s to 1978.

The study will provide a better understanding of how radon gas affects Canadians' long-term health, as radon gas may be found in many homes. This information is valuable for not only Canadian stakeholders, but international stakeholders for decision-making relating to regulation of exposure to radon gas.

Output: The linked datasets will be available to deemed employees to use in a Research Data Center (RDC). All data and analytical products to be released outside of Statistics Canada and the RDC will conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. These file will be retained in accordance with the Directive on the Management of Statistical Microdata Files.

The impact of public pension benefits on low-income among senior immigrants using linked data from Census and the Longitudinal Administrative Databank (LAD). (023-2018)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to study the importance of public pensions for the economic well-being of elderly immigrants. The project will also provide methodological information on differences in family structure for elderly immigrants in Census and administrative data sources, and evaluate the importance of these differences for studies of low income.

Output: Article in Statistics Canada's Insights on Canadian Society publication; and possible peer-reviewed journal article and data visualization products (such as heat maps and interactive dashboards for conference and web presentations).

Postsecondary education and employment/earnings dynamics (025-2018)

Purpose: The aim of this initiative is to create a database to facilitate research on topics related to choice of postsecondary education and program, timing of post-secondary attendance during the life-cycle, retraining following layoffs, and outcomes and mobility of international students in Canada. The proposed linkage will combine data on postsecondary education from the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), and data on temporary and permanent residence status, with longitudinal information on earnings and employment dynamics from the Longitudinal Worker File (LWF), a tax-based administrative database.

Output: Analytical findings from these linked datasets will be used to prepare research papers for publication and dissemination at research conferences and seminars. Only non-confidential aggregate statistics that cannot result in the identification of an individual, person, business, or organization will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Creation of the Longitudinal Immigration Statistical Environment (LISE) (026-2018)

Purpose: The purpose of the LISE is to comprehensively encapsulate the outcomes of immigrants to Canada using existing administrative and survey data. Using the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) as its base, the LISE will include health, labour, community, housing, social, and educational outcomes to the existing economic outcomes of the IMDB without incurring any additional response burden.

Output: The final series of keys will be made available in the Research Data Centre (RDC) for researchers, as well as any outcome files that are required for the linkage. No linked microdata files will be available in the RDC. All statistical tables and analytic outputs will be vetted, to ensure conformity to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, by Statistics Canada employees before being removed from Statistics Canada premises. Users will require access to any and all databases required for the linkage, as well as the keys necessary to link them all. No direct identifiers will be included in any of the files. In accordance with the Directive on the Management of Statistical Microdata Files, the analysis file will be retained until no longer required, at which time it will be destroyed.

Non-confidential aggregate statistical tables will be produced for MCI yearly. On request, ad-hoc statistical tabulations may be produced for MCI.

Linkage of Federal Skills Training Programs (028-2018)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to understand the characteristics and outcomes of those participating in federal skills training programs. Understanding these characteristics will assist the federal government in the development of policies to support an adaptable and inclusive workforce capable of meeting labour market demands now and in the future.

Output: Only non-confidential aggregated statistics and analytical output that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Studying the relationship between worker mobility and child birth using the Workplace Employee Survey and administrative data (031-2018)

Purpose: The researchers wish to examine the links between child birth and female worker job mobility, and ultimately the gender earnings gap. The study will have implications for the development of human resource policies and practices in firms that are seeking to reduce female representation gaps at different levels in their workforce.

Output: Security measures for the linking keys, identifiers and linked analysis file will conform to Statistics Canada's policies and standards. All direct business and employee identifiers will be removed from the analysis file once linkage is complete. External researchers can only access the linked data in the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research, on Statistics Canada premises, and under the Directive on the Use of Deemed Employees. The linked file will be retained in accordance with the Directive on the Management of Statistical Microdata Files, until no longer required, at which time it will be destroyed.

Linkage of Business Accelerators and Incubators to the Linkable File Environment (LFE) (032-2018)

Purpose: Announced in Budget 2016, the government committed to developing a Performance Measurement Framework for Business Accelerators and Incubators (BAIs) in partnership with leading BAIs. As a core component of this measurement framework, this project proposes to link the firm data collected from BAIs to the LFE in order to enable the production of key performance indicators of the impact BAIs have on their client firms. Active partners from the BAI community have been heavily engaged in the development and execution of this initiative and expectations are high in terms of the value that will be added through this partnership with the Government.

The proposed project will link the 2017 firm data to Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment to build a profile of BAIs client firms. To do so, researchers from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Small Business Branch will arrange for BAIs firm data to be provided to Statistics Canada's Centre for Special Business Projects for the linkage.

Output: A custom analytical report, based on the customized research database extracted from Statistics Canada's Linkable File Environment, will be produced by deemed employees of Statistics Canada.

Only non-confidential aggregate statistical outputs and analysis that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linkage of provincial and territorial social and affordable housing administrative data to T1 Family File and Census of population data (036-2018)

Purpose: The purpose of this record linkage is to construct two microdata files that will be used by Statistics Canada's employees for the production of custom tabulations available to provincial and territorial managers of social and affordable housing programs and to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. These aggregated data will inform important topics related to the demographics and income of those living in social and affordable housing, as well as some characteristics of the dwellings as they relate to various social and affordable program parameters.

Output: Only non-confidential, aggregated tables, conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, will be released.

The impact of Intellectual Property on the Canadian Economy (003-2019)

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to examine the role individuals play in the generation of intellectual property, in the leveraging of that intellectual property to drive firm performance, and in the diffusion of the skills for innovation across the economy. The project will inform the Government of Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan and Intellectual Property Strategy, particularly in the areas of skills development, the diffusion of knowledge, and intellectual property awareness among individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds.

Output: Security measures for the linking keys, identifiers and linked analysis file will conform to Statistics Canada's policies and standards. All direct business and individual identifiers will be removed from the analysis file once linkage is complete. External researchers can only access the linked analysis file in the Canadian Centre for Data Development and Economic Research, on Statistics Canada premises, and under the Directive on the Use of Deemed Employees. The linked file will be retained in accordance with the Directive on the Management of Statistical Microdata Files, until no longer required, at which time it will be destroyed.

LASS 2016 to Census 2016, Census 2011 and NHS 2011 Linkage (004-2019)

Purpose: The resulting data from this microdata linkage will be used by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation to better understand the housing, dwelling and other complementary characteristics of a cohort of Canadian veterans, who have been identified as an at-risk population in the latest national housing strategy.

Output:The resulting aggregated data will be disseminated in a tabular format. Only non-confidential aggregated statistics and analytical output that conform to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act and any applicable requirements of the Privacy Act will be released outside of Statistics Canada.

Linkage of the National Dose Registry to cancer and mortality outcomes, an update (005-2019)

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to the update the linkage of the National Dose Registry to the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR) and the Canadian Vital Statistics Death (CVSD) database with the aim to continue to assess long-term health effects that may be related to occupational exposure to radiation. Occupational health and safety legislation establishes thresholds for occupational exposure, as well as workplace and personal protective measures, in order to minimize the hazards related for those whose work includes exposure to radiation. The effects of occupational exposure to radiation are not always apparent in the short term and may take several years to manifest themselves. As such, it is important that epidemiological studies are performed to help establish any long term health effects that may be linked to radiation exposure.

Output: The linked de-identified data will be available to deemed employees of Health Canada within the Federal Research Data Centre (FRDC) and to other researchers within the Research Data Centers (RDC). Results of the study will serve to better inform the general public on cancer and mortality outcomes related to occupational exposure to radiation and will provide policymakers, employers and employees with information that may be used to guide health and safety legislation or workplace practices relating to occupational radiation exposure.

Adding Gender to the Corporations Returns Act (CRA) database (007-2019)

Purpose: The Corporations Returns Act (CRA) program was identified as a potential source of information regarding gender diversity on corporate boards. Although the CRA does compile information on board governance and control, it does not collect information on the gender profile of the directors. The results of a record linkage between the CRA data and the Social Data Linkage Environment (SDLE) combined with imputation methods permit the integration of a sex field onto the CRA database. Statistics on the composition of corporate boards and more specifically on women having a governance role on boards of directors can then be produced. While information of this nature is produced by the private sector, their observations focus on boards of publicly traded corporations. The CRA provides information on board composition of public, private and government businesses. The CRA data compiles this detailed information at the enterprise level but also at the legal entity level. This provides further insight into the overall gender distribution of governance roles within the entire corporate structure and not solely from the top executive board of the enterprise.  This initiative is aligned with the priorities of the Government regarding a diverse and inclusive Canada and also contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as part of achieving gender equality.

Output: Only aggregate statistical outputs and analyses will be released, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. Disclosure control rules will be applied in order to safeguard the privacy of individual Canadians' personal information. Data validation processes will be established in order to ensure the accuracy of all disseminated materials, including tabulations and analytical products.

Indian Register linked to tax data, (Longitudinal Indian Register Database (LIRD)) (009-2019)

Purpose: By combining the Indian Register (IR) with annual tax data, this database would allow First Nations governments and organizations, analysts, and government departments to better understand the income trends of the Registered Indian population, as well as the impact of various policies. Due to its longitudinal design, this database is able to provide economic indicators over time, accompanied by various socio-demographic characteristics that add depth and nuance to analyses. Specific cohorts can be followed and the effects of policies or programs can be more accurately measured. Since this database combines administrative data sources, response burden is reduced compared to a survey with similar content. Furthermore, administrative databases, such as this one, are not affected by sample size limitations and are able to produce reliable estimates at a detailed level.

Output: Only aggregate statistical outputs and analyses will be released, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act. Disclosure control rules will be applied in order to safeguard the privacy of individual Canadians' personal information. Data validation processes will be established in order to ensure the accuracy of all disseminated materials, including tabulations and analytical products.

While the database is being developed and tested, and its analytical potential is being explored, preliminary statistical outputs will be shared for discussion and engagement purposes only. During this feasibility phase, outputs will be released to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) / Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), as well as to First Nations Governments, communities, and organizations, either on request or as part of planned engagement activities. Subsequent broader release of finalized statistical outputs will be considered in collaboration with stakeholders.

2016 Census of Population linkage to income tax files and benefits records to monitor tax filing behaviour and take-up rate of various benefit programs (011-2019)

Purpose: The purpose of this linkage is to obtain information on possible barriers to families and individuals receiving various benefits programs, and to provide more direct evidence on the take-up rate for these programs. Receipt of many government benefits is contingent upon filing an income tax return. This project will provide analysis of T1 tax filing profile and take-up rates of various benefits programs according to socio-demographics characteristics, analysis of the incidence of benefit take-up and the benefit receipts according to income levels, and analysis of the characteristics of the non-filers or those who do not receive the grants.

Output:Only non-confidential aggregated tables, conforming to the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act, will be released outside of Statistics Canada. Confidentiality rules for the Census would be applied to all products before release.

Table of contents

• Introduction
  • Administration of the Access to Information Act
  • Organization and mandate of Statistics Canada
  • Delegation instrument
  • Resources
  • Statistical report
• Implementation: Access to Information
  • Access to information requests
  • Types of records requested
  • Other requests
  • Trends in the disposition of completed requests
  • Completion time and extensions
  • Exemptions and exclusions invoked
  • Fees
  • Costs
• Training initiatives for Access to Information
• Policies, guidelines and procedures
• Complaints and investigations
• Monitoring of the requests
• Appendix A: Delegation instrument
• Appendix B: Statistical report

Introduction

The Access to Information Act establishes the principle that the general public has the right to access information controlled by federal government institutions, and that exceptions should be limited and specific.

The Annual Report on the Administration of the Access to Information Act is prepared and submitted, in accordance with section 72 of the Act, and covers the period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019. The report is tabled in Parliament.

Administration of the Access to Information Act

By virtue of section 24 of the Access to Information Act, which is a mandatory provision, information collected under the Statistics Act, and protected by section 17 of that Act, cannot be made available to anyone attempting to obtain it using the Access to Information Act. This exception enables the Agency to continue giving a clear and unqualified assurance to its respondents that the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act are preserved by the Access to Information Act.

The administration of the access to information legislation within Statistics Canada and the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator for the Agency is the responsibility of the Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination, (formerly Information Management Division), who is also the ATIP Coordinator.

Organization and mandate of Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada's mandate derives primarily from the Statistics Act. The Act requires that the Agency collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information on the economic, social, and general conditions of the country and its citizens. The Act also requires that Statistics Canada co-ordinate the national statistical system, specifically to avoid duplication in the information collected by government. To this end, the Chief Statistician may enter into joint data-collection or data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies, as well as with federal, provincial, and territorial government departments pursuant to provisions of the Act.

The Statistics Act specifically requires Statistics Canada to conduct a Census of Population and a Census of Agriculture every five years. The Act also gives the Agency substantial powers to request information for statistical purposes through surveys of Canadian businesses and households. Under the Act, the Chief Statistician determines whether a survey will be mandatory or voluntary. Statistics Canada has generally made voluntary household data collection other than the Census of Population and the Labour Force Survey, as the latter produces key economic data. The Census of Agriculture and most other business surveys are mandatory. Refusal to participate in a mandatory survey is subject to legal penalties.

By law, Statistics Canada can also access administrative records, including personal and business tax data, credit information, customs declarations, and birth and death records. Such records are critical sources of statistical information that enable the Agency to reduce reporting burden on businesses and individual respondents. Statistics Canada is considered a leader among the world’s statistical agencies in reducing reporting burden by using administrative data.

These mechanisms help Statistics Canada fulfill its commitment to ensuring that Canadians have all the key information on Canada’s economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision makers in a rapidly evolving world.

Delegation Order

The delegation order exercises the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of a government institution, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act. The current detailed list of authorities under the Access to Information Act was formally delegated by the Minister of Industry (Appendix A) as of November 2017 and provides full delegated authority to the Director of the Office of Privacy Management and Information Coordination and the Chief, Statistical Agreements, Licensing and Legislation Section.

Resources

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office operates within an allocation of 2.07 persons/year. The Director of Information Management Division has been delegated all the responsibilities. The Chief and Senior Statistical and Legal Analysts are dedicated part-time to the administration of the ATIP Office., A Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Manager and a Senior Access to Information and Privacy analyst are assigned on a full-time basis to this responsibility.

Statistical report

The statistical report provides aggregate data on the application of the Access to Information Act (Appendix B). This information is made public annually in an Information about Programs and Information Holdings (formerly Info Source) Bulletin and is included with the annual report.

Implementation: Access to Information

Access to Information requests

During the reporting period, from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, Statistics Canada received 154 new access to information requests. In addition, 12 requests were carried forward from the previous reporting period, for a total of 166 requests. Of the total, 128 requests were completed; leaving 38 to be carried forward to the next reporting period.

Media and the public were the largest client groups, as they represented 116 of the 154 requests that were received during the reporting period.

For the completed requests, all records were either disclosed in full or in part for 66 requests, the information was fully exempted/excluded for 22 requests, no records existed for 31 requests, 9 requests were abandoned by the requestors.

In responding to the formal access to information requests, approximately 6,000 pages were reviewed and almost 5,500 pages were released. A total of 43 requestors received information electronically on CD-ROM, and the rest were provided in paper format.

The following table shows the latest five-year trend of the Agency's processing of access to information requests.

Statistics Canada processing of access to information requests, 2012/2013 - 2018/2018

Fiscal Year	Requests Received	Requests Completed	Number of Pages Processed	Number of Pages Released
2018/2019	154	128	6,020	5,467
2017/2018	115	116	10,254	7,222
2016/2017	222	212	12,571	10,026
2015/2016	146	144	11,365	4,542
2014/2015	128	130	9,727	8,398

Types of records requested

The substance of the requests covered the entire range of matters pertaining to Statistics Canada's role and included:

• data from statistical programs or background information relating to statistical programs and information on the availability of data from standard CANSIM tables;
• records related to the administration of the Agency (most records were released with minimal exemptions);
• census information;
• IT security policies, procedures and techniques;
• clients wishing to access their personal information;
• requests from trustees or estate administrators.

In these cases, the regulations permit duly authorized representatives to act on behalf of a minor or an incompetent person to administer their affairs or estate. To do so, the trustees and estate administrators seek personal information from the census or from 1940 national registration records of deceased individuals, minors, or dependent adults. In the case of the deceased, the administrator of the estate may exercise these rights, but only for the purposes of estate administration.

Other requests

From April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, Statistics Canada also received 126 Access to Information Act consultation requests from other departments. The Agency was asked to review 1,581 pages of information. The Access to Information and Privacy Office processed 113 of the consultation requests this fiscal year. One hundred and five (105) consultations were completed within 1-15 days, five (5) consultations were completed within 16-30 days, and three (3) consultations were completed within 31-60 days. Thirteen (13) consultations have been carried forward to the next reporting period.

Summaries of completed Access to Information Act requests are available on the "Open Government Portal". Requests for copies of these completed requests, as well as requests not processed under the Act, are classified as informal requests. This past fiscal year, 30 requests were processed informally, totalling approximately 8,037 records.

The ATIP Office acted as a resource for Statistics Canada officials, offering advice and guidance on the provisions under the legislation. The office was consulted on the disclosure and collection of data on a wide range of matters, including:

• publications to be posted on the open government portal;
• proactive disclosure on travel and hospitality;
• Management Accountability Framework assessments;
• security of information;
• reviews of audits to be posted on the Internet;
• reviews of parliamentary questions and responses;
• updates to the ATIP internet and intranet sites;
• reviews of and updates to ATIP business practices and procedures.

Trends in the disposition of completed requests

The disposition of the 128 requests completed in 2018/2019 was as follows:

• 30 were fully disclosed (24%)
• 36 were partially disclosed (28%)
• 22 were exempt/excluded in entirety (17%)
• 9 were abandoned by applicants (7%)
• 31 had no existing records (24%)

In 2018/2019 the number of requests completed has increased to 128 for an average of about 146 over the last five years.

Completion time and extensions

All completed requests in 2018/19 were processed as prescribed by the Act and within the time required for all of them. Several factors contributed to Statistics Canada’s timely response rate over the past year, information sessions with officials, and a streamlined delegation order.

The requests were completed as follows:

• 63 within 1 to 15 days (49%)
• 41 within 16 to 30 days (32%)
• 15 within 31 to 60 days (12%)
• 7 within 61 to 120 days (6%)
• 2 within 121 to 180 days (1%)

Out of the 128 requests processed, an extension was taken in 32 cases either for "Interference with operations of the department," to consult with other federal institutions and/or to consult with Legal Services for Cabinet confidences.

Exemptions and exclusions invoked

The Access to Information Act allows and in some case requires certain data to not be released. In 2018/2019 the following sections of the Act were invoked:

14(a) – Federal-provincial consultations or deliberations (1)

15(1) – International Affairs (1)

Section 16(2)(c) – Records containing information on vulnerability of systems, including computer or communications systems (9)

Section 18(a) – Financial information that belongs to the Government of Canada (3)

Section 18(b) – Information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to prejudice the competitive position of a government institution or to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of a government institution (2)

Section 19 – Records containing personal information (27)

Section 20 – Records containing third-party business information (28)

Section 21 – Records containing information relating to internal decision-making (39)

Section 24 – Records that have a statutory prohibition against disclosure (7)

Section 68(a) – Records containing published material or material available for purchase by the public (15)

Section 69 – Cabinet Confidences (1)

Fees

Application fees are applied as described in the Access to Information Act. During the reporting period, $550 was collected in application fees. There were no search fees and no fees were collected for reproduction and preparation time. The Agency waived $220 worth of fees, specifically application fees in cases where the requested information was, or was to be, published or could have been obtained through a custom data request where fees apply. Fees were also waived for those individuals who were making a request for their own personal information.

Costs

During 2018/2019, the ATIP Office incurred an estimated $85,355 in salary costs and $2,849 in administrative costs to administer the Access to Information Act.

Training initiatives for Access to Information

In 2018/2019, the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office did not provide formal instruction to Agency staff on the Act.  Informal one-on-one training was provided as needed.

Individual training assisted staff in understanding their obligations under the Act, as well as informing them about policies and directives related to personal information at Statistics Canada. These sessions are available to all staff across the Agency.

Policies, guidelines and procedures

The ATIP Office has a variety of tools in place to ensure that ATIP contacts are well informed about their roles and responsibilities for coordinating ATIP requests. These tools include checklists on the steps to follow when providing records for access to information requests and on the availability of the ATIP team throughout the process.

In 2018/2019, no new or revised governing instruments related to ATI were implemented at Statistics Canada.

Complaints and investigations

Two complaints were lodged against Statistics Canada with the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada during the current reporting period. One complaint was about exemptions, and the other pertained to an extension. Two complaints have been carried over to the current fiscal year.

Five complaints were closed this reporting period that had been carried over from previous years. Of these, four complaints were well-founded and resolved, and one complaint was settled by agreement between parties.

Monitoring of the requests

At Statistics Canada, the ATIP Office processes and monitors requests by registering them in a comprehensive system known as Privasoft – Access Pro Case Management. An acknowledgment of the request and of the application fee of $5.00 is sent to the client and a retrieval form is forwarded to the relevant program area (Office of Primary Interest (OPI)). If the OPI and/or the ATIP Office need to clarify the request, only the ATIP Office contacts the client, unless prior approval is provided by the client. Client names are always kept confidential.

The retrieval form provided to the OPI was created by the ATIP Office at Statistics Canada and is based upon the Policy on Access to Information and the Directive on the Administration of Access to Information from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada. The form includes the text of the request, the name of the ATIP Officer and his/her phone number, and the date by which records are required (normally 5 to 10 days). It is noted on the form that the ATIP Office is required to report annually on the administrative costs related to requests and thus information is needed on the level(s) and group(s) of those involved in the retrieval, the amount of time spent working on the request (this includes time for search, retrieval, internal review (relevant or not to the request) and photocopying). The individuals providing the records are asked to identify any records which may be sensitive in nature (e.g., legal issues, Cabinet confidences, personal information, company information, advice to the Minister), which may require consultations, and/or which may generate media interest. The Director or Director General of the program area sign-off the form.

The ATIP Office assists the program areas with the retrieval of records from day one. As 5 to 10 days are allowed for the retrieval, a follow-up is made on the fifth day. If additional time is required for the retrieval, this is when the program area is to notify the ATIP Office. An additional 1 to 5 days may be granted depending on the amount of work remaining. Once the documents are received from the OPI, the ATIP Office ensures the form is duly completed and that it has been signed by the appropriate manager. The ATIP Office then takes 5 to 10 days to review and process the records. If sensitive issues are identified in the submitted materials, 1-3 days prior to the release of the final version to the client, an e-mail is sent to Strategic Communications and Outreach Branchand to any other relevant programs to inform them of the release. The OPI and management are very aware of the importance of ATIP requests.

Appendix A: Delegation Instrument

Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order

The Minister of Industry, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers and functions of the Minister as the head of Statistics Canada, under the section of the Act set out in the schedule opposite each position. This designation replaces all previous delegation Orders.

Schedule

Schedule

Position	Access to Information Act and Regulations	Privacy Act and Regulations
Chief Statistician of Canada	Full authority	Full authority
Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Statistician	Full authority	Full authority
Director, Information Management Division	Full authority	Full authority
Chief, Statistical Agreements, Legislation and Licensing Section	Full authority	Full authority
Senior Statistical and Legal Analyst, Statistical Agreements, Legislation and Licensing Section	Sections 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1) Regulations: 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1	Sections 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70 Regulations: Sections 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14
Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Manager	Sections 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1) Regulations: Sections 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1	Sections 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70 Regulations: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14
Senior Access to Information and Privacy Project Officer	Sections 7(a), 8(1), 9, 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), 11(5), 11(6), 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27(1), 27(4), 28(1)(b), 28(2), 28(4), 68, 69, 71(1) Regulations: Sections 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8, 8.1	Sections 8(2)(j), 8(2)(m), 10, 14, 15, 17(2)(b), 17(3)(b), 18(2), 19(1), 19(2), 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 70 Regulations: 9, 11(2), 11(4), 13(1), 14

The original version was signed by
The Honourable Navdeep Banes
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Dated, at the City of Ottawa
November 1, 2017

Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Statistics Canada

Reporting period: 2018-04-01 to 2019-03-31

Part 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of requests

Number of requests

	Number of Requests
Received during reporting period	154
Outstanding from previous reporting period	12
Total	166
Closed during reporting period	128
Carried over to next reporting period	38

1.2 Sources of requests

Sources of requests

Source	Number of Requests
Media	30
Academia	14
Business (private sector)	19
Organization	5
Public	86
Decline to Identify	0
Total	154

1.3 Informal requests

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
Informal requests	26	1	2	1	0	0	0	30
Note: All requests previously recorded as "treated informally" will now be accounted for in this section only. TBS/SCT 350-63 (Rev. 2011/03)

Part 2: Decline to act on vexatious, made in bad faith or abuse of right requests

Decline to act on vexatious, made in bad faith or abuse of right requests

Types	Number of Requests
Outstanding from previous reporting period	0
Sent during reporting period	0
Total	0
Approved by the Information Commissioner during reporting period	0
Declined by the Information Commissioner during reporting period	0
Carried over to next reporting period	0

Part 3: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

3.1 Disposition and completion time

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	8	10	2	3	1	0	0	24
Disclosed in part	7	5	4	4	18	5	0	43
All exempted	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2
All excluded	13	5	0	1	0	0	0	19
No records exist	27	6	5	0	0	0	0	38
Request transferred	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Request abandoned	5	1	0	1	0	0	0	7
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commisioner	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	62	28	11	9	19	5	0	134

3.2 Exemptions

Exemptions

Section	Number of Requests
13(1)(a)	0
13(1)(b)	0
13(1)(c)	0
13(1)(d)	0
13(1)(e)	0
14	0
14(a)	0
14(b)	0
15(1)	1
15(1) - I.A.	0
15(1) - Def.	0
15(1) - S.A.	0
16(1)(a)(i)	0
16(1)(a)(ii)	0
16(1)(a)(iii)	0
16(1)(b)	1
16(1)(c)	0
16(1)(d)	0
16(2)	0
16(2)(a)	0
16(2)(b)	0
16(2)(c)	11
16(3)	0
16.1(1)(a)	0
16.1(1)(b)	0
16.1(1)(c)	0
16.1(1)(d)	0
16.2(1)	0
16.3	0
16.4(1)(a)	0
16.4(1)(b)	0
16.5	0
17	0
18(a)	1
18(b)	1
18(c)	0
18(d)	0
18.1(1)(a)	0
18.1(1)(b)	0
18.1(1)(c)	0
18.1(1)(d)	0
19(1)	23
20(1)(a)	7
20(1)(b)	13
20(1)(b.1)	0
20(1)(c)	8
20(1)(d)	1
20.1	0
20.2	0
20.4	0
21(1)(a)	9
21(1)(b)	10
21(1)(c)	1
21(1)(d)	0
22	2
22.1(1)	0
23	0
23.1	0
24(1)	1
26	0
I.A.: International Affairs Def.: Defence of Canada S.A.: Subversive Activities

3.3 Exclusions

Exclusions

Section	Number of Requests
68(a)	9
68(b)	0
68(c)	0
68.1	0
68.2(a)	0
68.2(b)	0
69(1)	0
69(1)(a)	0
69(1)(b)	0
69(1)(c)	1
69(1)(d)	0
69(1)(e)	3
69(1)(f)	0
69(1)(g) re (a)	3
69(1)(g) re (b)	0
69(1)(g) re (c)	2
69(1)(g) re (d)	0
69(1)(g) re (e)	3
69(1)(g) re (f)	0
69.1(1)	0

3.4 Format of information released

Format of information released

Format	Number of requests
Paper	24
Electronic	42
Other	1

3.5 Complexity

3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed

Relevant pages processed and disclosed

Disposition of Requests	Number of Pages Processed	Number of Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests
All disclosed	5031	3748	95

3.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests

Relevant pages processed and disclosed 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 Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed
All disclosed	23	504	5	973	0	0	0	0	0	0
Disclosed in part	26	636	15	1919	2	540	0	0	0	0
All exempted	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All excluded	19	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Request abandoned	7	72	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	77	1212	16	1996	2	540	0	0	0	0

3.5.3 Other complexities

Other complexities

Disposition	Consultation Required	Assessment of Fees	Legal Advice Sought	Other	Total
All disclosed	20	0	0	0	20
Disclosed in part	33	0	8	0	41
All exempted	2	0	0	0	2
All excluded	14	0	0	0	14
Request abandoned	2	0	0	0	2
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0
Total	71	0	8	0	79

3.6 Closed requests

3.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines

Motifs du non respect du délai statutaire

	Requests closed within legislated timelines
Number of requests closed within legislated timelines	112
Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%)	83.6

3.7 Deemed refusals

3.7.1 Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline

Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline

Number of Requests Closed Past the Statutory Deadline	Principal Reason
	Interference with Operations/Workload	External Consultation	Internal Consultation	Other
22	5	10	0	7

3.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

3.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

Number of Days Past Deadline	Number of Requests Past Deadline Where No Extension Was Taken	Number of Requests Past Deadline Where An Extension Was Taken	Total
1 to 15 days	6	3	9
16 to 30 days	0	0	0
31 to 60 days	4	2	6
61 to 120 days	1	5	6
121 to 180 days	1	0	1
181 to 365 days	0	0	0
More than 365 days	0	0	0
Total	12	10	22

3.8 Requests for translation

Requests for translation

Translation Requests	Accepted	Refused	Total
English to French	0	0	0
French to English	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0

Part 4: Extensions

4.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

Disposition of Requests Where an Extension Was Taken	9(1)(a) Interference With Operations	9(1)(b) Consultation		9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
		Section 69	Other
All disclosed	5	1	0	0
Disclosed in part	21	7	0	1
All exempted	0	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0	0
No records exist	1	0	0	0
Request abandoned	1	0	0	0
Total	28	8	0	1

4.2 Length of extensions

Length of extensions

Length of Extensions	9(1)(a) Interference With Operations	9(1)(b) Consultation		9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
		Section 69	Other
30 days or less	2	2	0	0
31 to 60 days	4	2	0	1
61 to 120 days	21	4	0	0
121 to 180 days	1	0	0	0
181 to 365 days	0	0	0	0
365 days or more	0	0	0	0
Total	28	8	0	1

Part 5: Fees

Fees

Fee Type	Fee Collected		Fee Waived or Refunded
	Number of Requests	Amount	Number of Requests	Amount
Application	118	$590	23	$115
Other fees	0	$0	0	$0
Total	118	$590	23	$115

Part 6: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

6.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations

Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations

Consultations	Other Government of Canada Institutions	Number of Pages to Review	Other Organizations	Number of Pages to Review
Received during reporting period	103	2465	3	323
Outstanding from the previous reporting period	8	127	1	3
Total	111	2592	4	326
Closed during the reporting period	103	2465	3	42
Pending at the end of the reporting period	5	151	1	284

6.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

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	42	13	25	7	2	0	0	89
Disclose in part	4	3	2	0	0	0	0	9
Exempt entirely	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	4
Exclude entirely	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Consult other institution	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	48	17	29	7	2	0	0	103

6.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations

Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations

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	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	3
Disclose in part	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
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	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	3

Part 7: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

7.1 Requests with Legal Services

Requests with Legal Services

Number of Days	Fewer 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	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
16 to 30	4	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
31 to 60	3	7	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	8	19	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

6.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Requests with Privy Council Office

Number of Days	Fewer 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

Part 8: Complaints and Investigations

Complaints and Investigations

	Section 32 Notice of intention to investigate	Subsection 30(5) Ceased to investigate	Section 35 Formal representations	Section 37 Reports of finding received	Section 37 Reports of finding containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner	Section 37 Reports of finding containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner
Complaints and Investigations	3	1	0	0	0	0

Part 9: Court Action

9.1 Court actions on complaints received before June 21, 2019 and on-going

Court actions on complaints received before June 21, 2019 and on-going

	Section 41 (before June 21, 2019)	Section 42	Section 44	Total
Court Actions	0	0	0	0

9.2 Court actions on complaints received after June 21, 2019

Court actions on complaints received after June 21, 2019

	Complainant (1)	Institution (2)	Third Party (3)	Privacy Commissioner (4)	Total
Court Actions	0	0	0	0	0

Part 10: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

10.1 Costs

Costs

Expenditures	Amount
Salaries	$181,430
Overtime	$0
Goods and Services	$3,539
(Professional services contracts)	($0)
(Other)	($0)
Total	$184,969

10.2 Human Resources

Human Resources

Resources	Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities
Full-time employees	1.73
Part-time and casual employees	0.00
Regional staff	0.00
Consultants and agency personnel	0.00
Students	0.00
Total	1.73
Note: Enter values to two decimal places.