Health committee  I might disagree that the European standards for food are significantly different than they are in Canada. Certainly among all countries, one finds modest differences. But the reality is that our European colleagues work very closely with us in the area of food standards under the United Nations Committee Codex Alimentarius, the international standard-setting body for foods.

Health committee  The question you pose on promotion, prevention, and protection is not a question solely for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, because all the agencies represented here have and play an active role in that regard. As Canada's largest regulator, we at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are particularly focused on the prevention and protection elements of the framework.

Health committee  Thank you. Let me start with the second in terms of import control. The focus on strengthening Canada's import controls stems from the interests that Canadians have expressed in greater assurance that foods imported into Canada meet Canadian requirements. So the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been enhancing its activities in terms of import control as a direct response to that interest expressed by Canadians.

Health committee  Thank you very much for the question. As the minister noted in her remarks, the framework focuses on promotion, prevention, and protection. Those three elements together reflect the work of not just the Canadian Food Inspection Agency but our colleagues in Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, in terms of an overall focus on strengthening Canada's already excellent food safety system.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Minister. The inspection verification teams will complement and support front-line inspection by doing two important things: first, they will confirm the effectiveness of an establishment's food safety controls when they arrive and undertake their in-depth review; second, they will overview the alignment of our inspection staff's activity to those food safety controls.

Agriculture committee  They will have the full suite of authorities available to inspectors. That means they will be able to halt production, detain product, and compel records. They will have all the tools necessary to probe any issue that they believe might be indicative of a weakness in food safety control.

Agriculture committee  Again, thank you very much. Animal welfare overall is an important area of responsibility. Federally, the CFIA holds two specific areas of responsibility in the context of animal welfare, the safe transportation of animals and the humane treatment of animals slaughtered in federally registered establishments.

Agriculture committee  The simple and quick answer is that we are in a consultative process with the intent of bringing forward a regulatory proposal in the Gazette.

Agriculture committee  Certainly. Thank you for the question. The initiative on importer licensing, which is part of the government's food and consumer safety action plan, responds directly to the increase we've seen in terms of imported foods and imported inputs processed into foods and our commitment in terms of the protection of Canadians.

Agriculture committee  That's correct. So contingent with the licensing is the requirement to have that preventive control plan in place. That's the benefit side. The licence also, of course, gives us the opportunity to better identify the players in that sector.

Agriculture committee  Thank you. With respect to CFIA's role, it is the same as with other animal-related activities in Canada, including our animal health responsibilities with respect to the horses involved, should there be outbreaks of disease. As well, the Health of Animals Act provides assurance for the welfare of all animals when transported in Canada.

Agriculture committee  —related to the veterinarians.

Agriculture committee  Certainly. Quite briefly, the CFIA focus in the context of traceability has been the collaborative work with stakeholders to provide the regulatory backstops. We've worked closely with the department in advancing the development of the traceability systems, and, as my colleague said, some of that has been supported by funding direct from the department.

Agriculture committee  I can't speak to specific veterinarians. What I can speak to is the increase in our inspection staff, that increase of 676 employees as reflected on our website, between March 2006 and 2012.

Agriculture committee  I would have to undertake to communicate to the committee on that specific question—