Source: http://bst.gc.ca/eng/publications/aip/2017/info2016-2017.asp
Timestamp: 2017-09-26 14:25:45
Document Index: 347443862

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 15', 'art 8', 'art 73975', 'art 34', 'art 42', 'art 11', 'art 3']

Annual report to Parliament on the application of the Access to Information Act 2016-2017 - Publications - Transportation Safety Board
Annual report to Parliament on the application of the Access to Information Act 2016-2017
Minister of Democratic Institutions and
In accordance with section 72 of the Access to Information Act, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is pleased to submit to Parliament this report on its activities relating to the application of the Act for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.
Pursuant to section 72 of theAccess to Information Act, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is pleased to table in Parliament this report on its activities relating to the application of the Act. The report covers the period from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.
During 2016–17, the General Counsel had the responsibilities of the ATIP Coordinator. The remainder of the ATIP Office consisted of five full-time positions, one term position and a casual position.
The majority of access to information requests made to the TSB pertains to transportation occurrences. Such requests present many challenges for the TSB ATIP Office. In many cases, requests are for a copy of the complete investigation file. Depending on the nature and scope of the investigation, there may be many thousands of often complex records in a variety of media. For example, an investigation file can contain data records, voice recordings, witness statements, laboratory reports, and third-party records of the transport operator, the manufacturer of components, maintenance logs for engines and pilots' logs, etc. Considering the volume of records and required consultations, the time required to process such requests is extensive. The status of the investigation itself also affects the access to records and when information may be released under the Act.
As required by the legislation, a delegation of authority is in place. For the purposes of the Access to Information Act, the "head of the institution" as defined in section 3 of the Act is the Chair of the TSB. The incumbents of the positions of General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer and the Senior ATIP Analyst have been delegated powers by the Chair deemed appropriate for the effective administration of the Act. These employees ensure that the TSB meets all its obligations fairly and consistently. The delegation authority was updated in 2016–17. A copy of the Delegation Order is attached as Appendix A.
One hundred and nineteen (119) new requests were received under the Access to Information Act in 2016–17 and twenty-four (24) requests were brought forward from the previous fiscal year, for a total of hundred and forty-three (143) active requests. Of these, one hundred and nineteen (119) requests were completed during the current reporting period, and twenty-four (24) were carried forward to the next fiscal year. The following table shows the increase in workload over the past few years.
Received during reporting period 73 72 89 119
Outstanding from previous period 24 30 29 24
Total requests in-process during reporting period 97 102 118 143
Completed during reporting period 67 75 94 119
Carried over to next reporting period 30 27 24 24
Of the one hundred and nineteen (119) requests completed during the current reporting period, records were fully disclosed to sixteen (16) applicants. Records did not exist for eight (8) requests, one (1) request was transferred to another institution, while twenty-two (22) requests were abandoned by their requester at various stages of the process. Records pertaining to sixty-six (66) requests were released with some portions exempted, and records for six (6) requests were fully exempted.
A breakdown of the exemptions and exclusions exercised in the reporting period is as follows:
13 Obtained in confidence from other levels of government 23
15 International affairs and defence 1
16 Law enforcement & investigation (Security) 16
18 Economic interest of Canada 4
19 Personal information 64
20 Third-party information 76
21 Operations of government 37
22 Testing procedures 1
23 Solicitor–client privilege 7
68 Published material 5
As shown in the chart below, sixty-five (65) new requests came from business/legal firms representing clients affected by or involved in transportation occurrences. Other requesters are: twenty-seven (27) members of the public, fourteen (14) media sources, nine (9) organizations, three (3) academia, and finally one (1) requester declined to identify his category.
The number of new requests received in 2016–17 increased by thirty-three percent (33%) compared to the previous reporting period. These new requests were mainly generated by high profile investigations such as the Lac-Mégantic train derailment and the ORNGE air ambulance helicopter crash.
The ATIP Office makes every possible effort to process requests within the 30-day time limit as required by legislation. However, many of the requests received by the TSB involve a large volume of records and also pertain to third-party information, which requires consultations, both domestically and internationally, before the information can be released.
The TSB increased the human resources dedicated to ATIP in 2016–17 by 0.4 full time–employee compared to 2015-16. The number of completed requests in 2016–17 also increased by twenty-five (25) to a total of one hundred and nineteen (119), or 27% more than in the previous fiscal year 2015–16. The TSB was able to respond within 30 days or less in 71 (60%) of the 119 completed cases. The completion times for the remaining requests are depicted in the table below. It is important to note that the deadlines for many of these requests were legally extended under the Act.
Table 1. Requests by completion time,
fiscal years 2014–15, 2015–16, and 2016–17
30 days or less 42% 70% 60%
31–60 days 11% 9% 17%
61–120 days 11% 3% 8%
121–180 days 9% 3% 6%
181–365 days 16% 10% 3%
Over 365 days 11% 5% 6%
The average time taken to process a request during the 2016–17 reporting period was 82 calendar days, compared with last year's average of 75 calendar days. The longer processing time is primarily explained by a number of requests that involved a larger number of records.
During this period, the ATIP Office was involved in the search, preparation and review of 121,224 pages of information (73,983 pages in 2015-16) and the reproduction and release of 60,571 pages of information (43,724 pages in 2015-16), including reprints of photographs, video and audio recordings.
The TSB collected $440 in fees during 2016–17 and waived $145 in application fees. The TSB maintains the right to waive the application fees.
The ATIP Office incurred an estimated $501,737 in costs to administer the Access to Information Act in 2015–16. These costs include salaries, overtime, goods and services, and professional services contracts for temporary help staff but do not include the resources expended by other areas of the TSB to meet the requirements of the Act.
The ATIP Office received twenty-two (22) consultation requests from other departments and agencies in 2016–17, compared with nineteen (19) in 2015–16. This 16% increase in the number of consultation requests received represents a significant increase in the number of pages reviewed, (1746 pages) this fiscal year compared to (384 pages) in 2015-16.
Twenty-five (25) informal requests were also received during the reporting period, compared with fifty-two (52) last year. These figures do not include other information requests responded to directly by the Communications Branch, the Operational Services Branch, and other areas of the TSB. In addition, many publications—such as investigation reports, safety studies, statistical reports, occurrence database extracts, communiqués, investigation updates, and annual reports, including ATIP reports to Parliament—are readily available on the TSB website.
The TSB has an orientation program in place for new employees, which includes training on ATIP awareness. In addition, the TSB has now made it mandatory for all staff to attend more comprehensive ATIP training sessions given by the ATIP Office. During 2016–17, the ATIP Office provided twelve (12) standalone training sessions to one hundred and eighteen (118) employees at headquarters and regional offices. Further, two (2) sessions were offered as part of the new employee orientation program to nineteen (19) participants. The ATIP Office also continues to provide advice and guidance upon request to individuals and small groups of employees.
Given the responsibilities and knowledge requirements of the TSB ATIP Office, there is a long learning curve for its staff. Continuous on-the-job training is provided to ATIP staff to ensure sound and current knowledge of ATIP requirements and procedures, as well as TSB operations. In this context, ATIP staff attended two (2) ATIP Community Meetings organized by the Treasury Board Secretariat. These Community Meetings provided ATIP staff with valuable information on trends and best practices within the ATIP circle, updates on recent complaints and court cases, and tools to help improve service standards within the field. Additionally, an outside authority on the Act shared his considerable experience on the application of exemptions and exclusions within the context of the TSB.
There was no change to the policies, guidelines, and procedures for 2016–17.
Four (4) new complaints were received by the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) during 2016–17 and two (2) complaints were outstanding from a prior year. Two (2) complaints were closed during 2016–17.
One of the complaints received by the OIC alleges that the TSB has improperly applied exemptions, so as to unjustifiably deny access to records, or portions thereof, requested under the Access to Information Act. The TSB provided records to the OIC, and the complaint is pending.
The other three (3) complaints allege that records should exist but, the TSB had no records related to these specific requests. The TSB provided a copy of the processing file to the OIC, and the complaints are awaiting decisions.
A complaint received in 2015-16 by the OIC alleged that the TSB had improperly applied exemptions, so as to unjustifiably deny access to records, or portions thereof, requested under the Access to Information Act. The complaint also alleged that the TSB failed to respond within the time frame set out by the Act. The complaint was investigated by the OIC during 2016–17. Following discussion with the OIC investigator, the TSB disclosed additional information to the requester, but also maintained protections on portions of the records being requested. The OIC recorded the complaint to be well-founded and resolved.
Finally, a complaint received within the reporting period by the OIC alleged that the TSB had improperly applied exemptions, so as to unjustifiably deny access to records, or portions thereof, requested under the Access to Information Act. The complaint was investigated by the OIC during the reporting period. Following discussion with the OIC investigator, the TSB disclosed additional information to the requester, but also maintained protections on portions of the records being requested. The OIC recorded the complaint to be well-founded and resolved.
The TSB monitors the time to process access to information requests, through weekly bilateral meetings between the General Counsel (ATIP Coordinator) and the Senior ATIP Analyst during which the status of outstanding requests are reviewed. Any significant issues, such as the need for assistance in processing a particularly complex request, are raised and discussed with the Chief Operating Officer on an ad hoc basis.
This designation replaces the designation date 1 June 2015.
Senior ATIP Analyst Section 8(1) - transfers
Section 9 - extensions
Appendix B – Statistical report on the
Received during reporting period 119
Outstanding from previous reporting period 24
Closed during reporting period 119
Carried over to next reporting period 24
Business (private sector) 65
Decline to Identify 1
15 4 1 4 1 0 0 25
All disclosed 7 8 1 0 0 0 0 16
Disclosed in part 15 13 17 10 6 3 2 66
All exempted 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 6
No records exist 2 5 1 0 0 0 0 8
Request abandoned 12 3 1 0 1 0 5 22
Total 42 29 20 10 7 4 7 119
13(1)(a) 9
13(1)(b) 2
13(1)(c) 8
13(1)(d) 4
15(1) 1
15(1) - Def.* 1
15(1) - S.A.* 1
16(1)(a)(i) 1
16(2) 2
16(2)(c) 5
18(b) 2
19(1) 64
20(1)(a) 11
20(1)(b) 37
20(1)(c) 26
21(1)(a) 4
21(1)(b) 30
68(a) 5
All disclosed 1 15 0
Disclosed in part 8 58 0
Total 9 73 0
All disclosed 2332 2332 16
Disclosed in part 73975 52092 66
All exempted 90 0 6
Request abandoned 44827 6147 22
All disclosed 12 223 3 849 0 0 1 1260 0 0
Disclosed in part 34 917 14 2029 4 2352 9 9116 5 37678
All exempted 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 17 0 0 0 1 558 2 773 2 4816
Total 69 1140 17 2878 5 2910 12 11149 7 42494
All disclosed 3 0 1 0 4
Disclosed in part 42 1 1 0 44
All exempted 1 0 0 0 1
Request abandoned 9 0 0 0 9
Total 55 1 2 0 58
1 to 15 days 3 0 3
31 to 60 days 0 2 2
61 to 120 days 0 3 3
181 to 365 days 1 1 2
More than 365 days 2 4 6
Total 6 10 16
All disclosed 0 0 0 1
Disclosed in part 11 0 23 17
Request abandoned 5 0 4 3
Total 16 0 27 21
30 days or less 5 0 4 13
31 to 60 days 4 0 10 4
61 to 120 days 4 0 12 4
121 to 180 days 3 0 1 0
Application 88 $440 29 $145
Total 88 $440 29 $145
Received during reporting period 22 1746 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 1 3 0 0
Total 23 1749 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 22 687 0 0
Pending at the end of the reporting period 1 1062 0 0
Disclose entirely 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 13
Disclose in part 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
Total 20 2 0 0 0 0 0 22
Disclose entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Salaries $477,653
Goods and Services $24,084
• Professional services contracts $1,923
• Other $22,161
Total $501,737
Full-time employees 6.18
Part-time and casual employees 0.15
Total 6.33