Question Period Notes
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In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
The question period notes may be partially or fully redacted in accordance with the legislation; for example, if the notes contain information related to national security or personal information. (Learn more about exemptions and exclusions.)
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• Budget 2021 committed $30M over 2 years, for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to address gaps in pediatric cancer research and ensure sustainable funding in this area.
• Non-governmental organizations, members of Parliament and concerned Canadians have pressed Health Canada to ban cosmetic animal testing. Since April 2021, the Department has received approximately 69,000 correspondence items about banning cosmetic animal testing in Canada.
• The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) is Canada’s key statute to prevent pollution and protect the environment and human health. The Act has not been substantially amended since 1999.
• On February 9, 2022, the Government introduced in the Senate Bill S-5: Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act to amend CEPA to better protect Canadians and their environment.
• Mandate letters issued to both the Minister of Health and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change reaffirm the Government’s commitment to strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and to recognize the right to a healthy environment.
• Vaccine use in children under 12 years of age.
• Health Canada is using agile regulatory processes to expedite the review of COVID-19 clinical trials for vaccines and treatments.
• In October 2016, Health Canada launched the multi-year Healthy Eating Strategy, which consists of a suite of initiatives that aim to improve the food environment and help make the healthier choice the easier choice for all Canadians. Recognizing that a healthy population is key to reducing vulnerability to health events, the 2021 Minister of Health mandate letter included a commitment to promote healthy eating by advancing the Healthy Eating Strategy. This includes finalizing front-of-package nutrition labelling and supporting restrictions on the commercial marketing of food and beverages to children.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges to Canada’s healthcare system, and there is a need for treatments to support the response.
• Six COVID-19 vaccines are currently authorized by Health Canada and others are under review.
• Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide globally. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) published its final re-evaluation decision document for pesticides containing glyphosate, on April 28, 2017, allowing its continued use in Canada (marketed under brand names such as Roundup and Vision). Several Notices of Objection (NoOs) were filed at the time, and following a review of stakeholders’ concerns, the Department confirmed that issues raised in these NoOs were not scientifically supported.
• The decision not to strike a review panel was appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) by some of the stakeholders that filed one of the original NoOs. On February 2, 2022, the FCA ruled that Health Canada’s PMRA must now reconsider striking a review panel. Health Canada is currently reconsidering the information provided in the NoOs.
• Concurrently, PMRA is also advancing on its Transformation Agenda that will strengthen its oversight and its protection of human health and the environment. The transformation process will ensure the pesticide review process meets the expectations of Canadians in the areas of transparency and sustainability.
• Pesticides are stringently regulated in Canada to ensure they pose minimal risk to human health and the environment. As part of the assessment process before a pesticide can be used on a food product, Health Canada scientists determine whether the pesticide residues that may be found in or on food will be a concern to human health, and determine the safe levels of residues, called Maximum Residue Limits, or MRLs.
• Health Canada sets science-based MRLs to ensure the food Canadians eat is safe. The MRLs for each pesticide-crop combination are set at levels well below the amount that could pose a health concern. If it is determined that a risk exists, the product will not be permitted for sale or use in Canada.
• During the summer of 2021, Health Canada received extensive comments during consultations for proposed changes to MRLs, in particular for proposals to raise the MRL for glyphosate on certain crops. Changes to glyphosate MRLs are paused as extensive consultation comments are reviewed.
• The Pest Control Products Act (2002) provides robust protection of human health and the environment. However, some provisions of the Act now warrant review to ensure the pesticide approval process meets the expectations of Canadians in the area of transparency and sustainability.
• In addition to the targeted review of the Pest Control Products Act announced on August 4, 2021, Health Canada has paused decisions on increases to all MRLs until at least spring 2022. Health Canada is currently reviewing the extensive comments received during MRL consultations in 2021. The announcement also included funding that will allow the creation of a new science advisory committee to provide advice, as appropriate, prior to evidence-based decisions on pesticides, including on MRLs.
• By June 30th, 2022, PMRA will complete broad public consultations on key ways to modernize and strengthen the Pest Control Products Act to ensure it supports transparency, use of independent scientific evidence and input to the decision-making process. The MRL process will benefit from these broad public consultations and resulting improvements to PMRA’s policies and practices.
• The Government of Canada has paused all proposed increases to Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). MRL proposals will be published after Health Canada has completed reviewing the extensive comments received during MRL consultations in 2021.
• Health Canada’s MRL decisions, as for any other pesticide decisions, will remain science-based.