Question Period Note: Supplementary Estimates (B) 2023-24

The 2023-24 Supplementary Estimates (B) are scheduled to be tabled in Parliament during the week of November 6, 2023 and represents a total net increase in funding of $196.6 million for Canadian Heritage.

• From the $196.6 million in funding received by Canadian Heritage in the 2023-24 Supplementary Estimates B, $55 million in grants and contributions is received to support initiatives in the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028.
 

The President of the Treasury Board tables the Supplementary Estimates in order to obtain Parliament’s authority to adjust the government's expenditure plan, as reflected in the Estimates for that fiscal year.

The Supplementary Estimates seek authority to revise spending levels, which Parliament will be asked to approve in an Appropriation Act. They inform Parliament of changes to the estimated expenditures that will be made under the authority of statutes previously passed by Parliament.

The net funding increase for the Official Languages programs under the department of Canadian Heritage
includes:
• $55 million in grants and contributions
• $0.4 million for operating expenditures
• $0.1 million in statutory authorities for employee benefits

An amount of $0.3 million is also received for corporate services supporting those programs, such as information technology, finance and human resources functions.

This funding is composed of the following elements:

New funding

Funding to support intergovernmental collaboration on official languages – Total: $55,717,378 (excluding EBP)

Canadian Heritage is receiving funding of $679.2 million over five years, starting in 2023–2024, to support six initiatives in the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: $148.2 million for minority-language education; $120.9 million for post-secondary education in the minority language; $242.7 million for second-language learning; $50.3 million for the construction and renovation of community educational infrastructure; $16.3 million for teacher recruitment and retention; and $100.8 million for the delivery of provincial and municipal services in the minority language and promotion of the Francophonie.

Statutory appropriation – Total: $99,265

Adjustment to account for contributions to employee benefit plans.

None