Introduction
This Annual Report for 2020-2021 is presented to Parliament in accordance with section 72 of the Privacy Act, which requires government institutions to report annually on their administration of the Act.
The legislation to establish the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) received Royal Assent in June 2017. The Committee is composed of up to eleven members, no more than three of whom may be from the Senate and no more than eight of whom may be from the House of Commons. Each member must hold a Top Secret security clearance.
The mandate of the Committee is to review:
- the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative, and financial framework for national security and intelligence;
- any activity carried out by a department or agency that relates to national security or intelligence, unless the activity is an ongoing operation and the appropriate Minister determines that the review would be injurious to national security; and
- any matter relating to national security or intelligence referred to it by a minister of the Crown.
In order to fulfill its mandate, the Committee is entitled to have access to any information, with few exceptions, that is under the control of a department and that is related to the fulfillment of the Committee’s mandate.
The Committee is required to submit to the Prime Minister an annual report of the reviews it conducted during the preceding year. It may also issue a special report at any time on any matter related to its mandate. A declassified version of those reports must be laid before both Houses of Parliament (in certain cases, the Committee may decide to include only a summary of a special report in its annual report). There are two categories of information that may be redacted from the report on the direction of the Prime Minister: information which would be injurious to national security, national defence or international relations if disclosed; and information that is subject to specific legal privileges, most commonly solicitor-client privilege.
Through its public reports and its outreach activities to non-governmental organizations, academics and university students, the Committee aims to provide as much information to the public as possible, within the parameters of the NSICOP Act.
In 2020-21, the Committee submitted its 2020 Annual Report to the Prime Minister, which included a comprehensive overview of the main national security threats facing Canada. The 2020 Annual Report was tabled in Parliament on April 12, 2021 and is available on the Committee’s website.
Organizational structure
The Secretariat of the NSICOP was established pursuant of NSICOP Act.
The Executive Director of the Secretariat is appointed by the Governor in Council. The Executive Director is the chief executive officer of the Secretariat and has the control and management of the Secretariat and all matters connected with it. The Secretariat applies the policies and guidelines of the Treasury Board on access to information and privacy.
Delegation Order
The Minister heading each government institution is responsible for the implementation of the Privacy Act within his or her institution. The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (LGHC) is the Minister responsible for the Secretariat.
A Delegation Order was signed by the LGHC in 2021. The persons holding the position or acting in the position of Executive Director and the Director of Operations have full delegation to exercise or perform any of the powers, duties and functions under the Privacy Act.
Performance 2020-2021
Section 22.4 of the Privacy Act specifies that the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians “shall refuse to disclose personal information requested under subsection 12(1) that was obtained or created by it or on its behalf in the course of assisting the Committee in fulfilling its mandate”.
During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the Secretariat did not receive any requests for records under the Privacy Act nor was it the subject of any complaints. This performance reflects the trend established since the creation of the NSICOP Secretariat in 2017.
There has been no significant impact of COVID-19 related measures on the Secretariat’s ability to fulfill its obligations under the Privacy Act. Any request or consultation request would be handled to the best of its ability within the set timelines.
Training and awareness
All Secretariat employees are aware that the Secretariat is subject to the Privacy Act and are aware of their obligations pursuant to s.22.4 of the Privacy Act.
Policies, guidelines, procedures and initiatives
Pursuant to s. 20 of the NSICOP Act, the Committee adopted comprehensive internal procedures for the Committee and the Secretariat to follow in the exercise of the Committee’s powers or the performance of its duties and functions. Those procedures refer to the obligations of the Secretariat in processing Privacy Act requests.
Summary of key issues and actions taken on complaints or audits
There were no complaints, audits or investigations during the reporting period.
Monitoring compliance
There is no requirement for specific monitoring of Privacy Act requests. The Executive Director and the Director of Operations are made aware of all requests as soon as received and closely monitor their progress.
Privacy breaches, impact assessments and public interest disclosures
There were no privacy breaches during the reporting period. There was no disclosure made pursuant to subsection 8(2)(m) of the Privacy Act during the reporting period. There were no privacy impact assessments completed during the reporting period.
Annex A - Delegation Order
Privacy Act
The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, as the Minister responsible for the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, and pursuant to section 73 of the Privacy Acta, hereby designates the officers holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto, and any persons acting in those positions, to exercise or perform the powers, duties and functions of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons as the head of a government institution under the sections of the Act and the regulations opposite each position in the schedule.
This delegation order supercedes all previous delegation orders.
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
2 February 2021
a R.S. 1985, c. P-21
Schedule
| Position |
Sections of the Privacy Acta |
Sections of the Privacy Regulationsb |
|---|
| Executive Director, Secretariat |
Full delegation. |
Full delegation. |
| Director of Operations, Secretariat |
Full delegation. |
Full delegation. |
Annex B - Statistical report
Reporting period: 2020-04-01 to 2021-03-31
Section 1 - Requests under the Privacy Act
1.1 Number of requests
| |
Number of requests |
|---|
| Received during reporting period |
0 |
|---|
| Outstanding from previous reporting period |
0 |
|---|
| Total |
0 |
|---|
| Closed during reporting period |
0 |
|---|
| Carried over to next reporting period |
0 |
|---|
Section 2 - Requests closed during the reporting period
2.1 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 |
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 |
| No records exist |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Request abandoned |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Neither confirmed or denied |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2.2 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) |
0 |
| 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 |
0 |
| 27 |
0 |
| 27.1 |
0 |
| 28 |
0 |
2.3 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
| Paper |
Electronic |
Other |
|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
2.5 Complexity
2.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed
| Number of pages processed |
Number of pages disclosed |
Number of requests |
|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
2.5.2 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 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|---|
| Disclosed in part |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|---|
| Neither confirmed nor denied |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|---|
| Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|---|
2.5.3 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 Closed requests
2.6.1 Number of requests closed within legislated timelines
| |
Requests closed within legislated timelines |
|---|
| Number of requests closed within legislated timelines |
0 |
|---|
| Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) |
0 |
|---|
2.7 Deemed refusals
2.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines
| Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines |
Principal reason |
|---|
| Interference with operations / Workload |
External consultation |
Internal consultation |
Other |
|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)
| Number of days past legislated timelines |
Number of requests past legislated timelines where no extension was taken |
Number of requests past legislated timelines 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 |
2.8 Requests for translation
| Translation requests |
Accepted |
Refused |
Total |
|---|
| English to French |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| French to English |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Section 3 - Disclosures under subsection 8(2) and 8(5)
| Paragraph 8(2)(e) |
Paragraph 8(2)(m) |
Subsection 8(5) |
Total |
|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Section 4 - Requests for correction of personal information and notations
| Disposition for correction requests received |
Number |
|---|
| Notations attached |
0 |
| Requests dor correction accepted |
0 |
| Total |
0 |
Section 5 - Extensions
5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of request
| Number of requests where an extension was taken |
15(a)(i) Interference with operations |
15(a)(ii) Consultation |
15(b) Translation purposes or conversion |
|---|
| Further review required to determine exemptions |
Large volume of pages |
Large volume of requests |
Documents are difficult to obtain |
Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) |
External |
Internal |
|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5.2 Length of extensions
| Length of extensions |
15(a)(i) Interference with operations |
15(a)(ii) Consultation |
15(b) Translation purposes or conversion |
|---|
| Further review required to determine exemptions |
Large volume of pages |
Large volume of requests |
Documents are difficult to obtain |
Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) |
External |
Internal |
|---|
| 1 to 15 days |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 16 to 30 days |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 31 days or greater |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
| Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Section 6 - Consultations received from other institutions and organizations
6.1 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 |
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
| 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 |
|---|
| Disclose in part |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|---|
| All exempt |
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
| 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 exempt |
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 |
|---|
Section 7 - Completion time of consultations on Cabinet confidences
7.1 Requests with Legal Services
| Number of days |
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 |
|---|
| 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
| Number of days |
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 |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
Section 8 - Complaints and investigations notices reveived
| Section 31 |
Section 33 |
Section 35 |
Court action |
Total |
|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Section 9 - Privacy Impact Assesments (PIA) and Personal Information Banks (PIB)
9.1 Privacy Impact Assesments
| Number of PIA(s) completed |
0 |
|---|
9.2 Personal Information Banks
| Active |
Created |
Terminated |
Modified |
|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Section 10 - Material privacy breaches
| Number of material privacy breaches reported to TBS |
0 |
|---|
| Number of material privacy breaches reported to OPC |
0 |
|---|
Section 11 - Resources related to the Privacy Act
11.1 Costs
| Expenditures |
Amount |
|---|
| Salaries |
$0 |
|---|
| Overtime |
$0 |
|---|
| Goods and services |
$0 |
|---|
| • Professional services contracts |
$0 |
|
|---|
| • Other |
$0 |
|
|---|
| Total |
$0 |
|---|
11.2 Human resources
| Resources |
Person years dedicated to Privacy activities |
|---|
| Full-time employees |
0.000 |
| Part-time and casual employees |
0.000 |
| Regional staff |
0.000 |
| Consultants and agency personnel |
0.000 |
| Students |
0.000 |
| Total |
0.000 |
| Note: Enter values to three decimal places. |
