Questions and responses All Sessions January 17, 1994, to present

With regard to the horse slaughter industry in Canada: (a) what is the government’s policy on requiring medical history on equine identity documents (EID) only for the last six months of a horse’s life, and not for an entire lifespan; (b) does the government have information on what happened to the meat from the racehorse Backstreet Bully, who had been administered several courses of a variety of banned medications throughout its lifetime, prior to being sold into the slaughter pipeline, and what are the details of Backstreet Bully’s EID and all other traceability documents and records; (c) does the government have information on what happened to the meat from the racehorse Silky Shark, who had been administered the drug phenylbutazone prior to being sold into the slaughter pipeline, and what are the details of Silky Shark’s EID and all other traceability documents and records; (d) what system is in place for owners to report the history of banned drugs they have administered to a horse that they previously owned, when they discover that a subsequent owner has sold that horse into the slaughter pipeline; (e) when such instances as mentioned in (d) are reported, and it is found that the meat was sold as human food, what system is in place to recall that meat from domestic and international retailers, (i) how many such instances have been reported, (ii) what were the results of the government’s investigations into these reports; (f) how does the government keep count of the number of horses being imported from the United States (U.S.) for slaughter; (g) how does the government explain the discrepancy between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)/Agriculture Canada and U.S. Department of Agriculture figures; (h) what were the findings of the government’s investigation into the large numbers of emaciated horses arriving from the U.S. in 2011 destined for Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation slaughter plant, and what system has the government put in place to quell these importations; (i) what system has the government put in place to quell the loading and importation of near-term pregnant mares arriving into Canada from the U.S.; (j) what actions or procedures were taken by the government to address the potential biohazard noted in the June 2011 Verification Report by the plant inspector at Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation slaughter plant, namely, that not only was blood visible to the naked eye but that there were improperly cleaned saw blades upon the resumption of horse slaughter following the slaughter of cattle; (k) how many racehorses (thoroughbreds and standardbreds) were processed at Canadian abattoirs in each of the years between 2007 to 2013, and how many of these horses were pregnant; (l) what number or percentage of horses currently being slaughtered have been raised expressly for human consumption, broken down by (i) Canadian horses, (ii) U.S. horses; (m) what is the overall value to the Canadian economy in terms of job numbers and contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by (i) the horse slaughter industry, (ii) the equine industry; (n) is there any regulatory requirement for veterinarians, prior to administering medications to horses, to question owners about the likelihood of them being sold into the slaughter pipeline for human consumption; (o) has the government engaged in discussions with U.S. officials with a view to implementing an equine passport or other system to record the medical history of all U.S horses beginning at birth and, if so, (i) what was the outcome of these discussions, (ii) on what dates did these discussions occur; (p) how many equine fatalities and injuries have occurred during the live shipment of horses from Canada to Japan while loading the animals onto aircraft or in flight, and what were the circumstances surrounding these fatalities and injuries, for the period January 1, 2008 to August 30, 2013; and (q) is it the government’s policy to make publicly available the names of all meat-processing companies that are licensed to export horsemeat, as well as the countries they are licensed to export to?

With regard to the horse slaughter industry in Canada: (a) what was the reason for the temporary halt, initiated by European Union (EU) officials, to horse meat imports from Canada on October 12, 2012; (b) has Canada participated in talks with EU officials regarding the safety of horse meat from Canada since that time, (i) if so, what topics were discussed, (ii) what conclusions were reached; (c) what restrictions effective in 2013 will be imposed upon the Canadian horse meat industry by the EU, (i) what is the anticipated impact of these restrictions on the frequency and type of drug residue testing on horse meat in Canada as well as on the data required on Equine Information Documents (EIDs), (ii) will the restrictions on prohibited/non-permitted drugs be further tightened; (d) is there any oversight by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on transport drivers and horse meat dealers listed on EIDs as current owners to check for a history of violations of the United States Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Transport, or CFIA transport regulations, (i) does the CFIA enhance its scrutiny of such violators or conduct follow-up investigations on those who have been flagged for violations, (ii) is this information shared with any other inter-connected government agency either in Canada or in the United States; (e) how often do CFIA inspectors do a visual inspection of the transports that arrive at the slaughter plants to ensure that the horses have been transported safely; (f) how many transport violations concerning horse slaughter transportation have been issued to transport drivers within the last five years, (i) how many warnings of violations have been issued, (ii) if the warnings have been ignored, how does the CFIA restrict or prohibit those transport drivers from conducting business in Canada; (g) how often does the CFIA conduct inspections of feedlots and how many warnings or violations were imposed in the last five years because of these inspections; (h) in the last five years, how many times has the CFIA conducted audits of processes and procedures regarding the export shipments of live horses to foreign countries, (i) how many audit reports were prepared, (ii) how many warnings were issued to shippers; (i) how does the CFIA ensure that e-coli or the potential for e-coli is properly erased from horses and horse meat during and after the slaughter process; (j) how often are in-house video cameras scrutinized in plants and does the CFIA keep these videos to scrutinize at a later date, and how does the CFIA address inappropriate behaviour by slaughter plant personnel that may be uncovered in video recordings; (k) after conditions at Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation were revealed in 2011, were structural changes instituted at that slaughter facility and, if so, which ones, and were changes concerning the safe use of a rifle rather than captive bolt gun instituted and, if so, did the CFIA see a reduction in the number of horses regaining consciousness after switching from captive bolt gun to rifle; (l) what accountability measures are taken towards recorded owners of horses whose carcasses were condemned for reasons of disease, malnourishment or other abuse; (m) are the carcasses of horses that test positive for prohibited drugs used for rendering, and if not, how does the CFIA oversee the safe disposal of contaminated carcasses and ensure that condemned carcasses are not combined in any way with normal rendering; (n) how often does the CFIA inspect slaughter house feedlots and out buildings for dead or downer horses, (i) are there any reports kept by plant personnel regarding dead or downer horses, (ii) if so, does the CFIA inspect these reports at any time, (iii) how many dead or downer horses have been involved since January 1, 2010, and what were the circumstances surrounding these cases; (o) what protocols are in place to ensure that equine blood and other body fluids are being properly diverted from municipal town water systems; (p) does the CFIA conduct audits or oversee EIDs when obvious erroneous information is listed by the recorded owner and is the slaughter plant required to flag these EIDs for scrutiny by the CFIA when there are obvious or deliberate errors or omissions; (q) what do slaughterhouses do with registration papers that may accompany thoroughbreds, standardbreds, quarter horses or other breeds to slaughter facilities; (r) does the CFIA compile statistics on breeds that are most likely to have been administered prohibited drugs; (s) what are the “animal well-being program” and “program to monitor animal slaughter” mentioned in the response to written question Q-714 on September 17, 2012, and what results have been seen from the use of these programs; (t) are horse slaughter facilities checking with ID scanners for microchips, (i) if not, does the CFIA plan to implement a microchip ID program and if so, when is the deadline for its implementation; (u) has a database been developed for Equine Information Documents and who is responsible for oversight and maintenance of the database; and (v) how many horse fatalities and serious injuries have occurred during loading or air transport of slaughter horses to Japan and any other countries, between January 1, 2008, and April 1, 2013, (i) what reasons were recorded for the fatalities or injuries, (ii) how was each case resolved?

With regard to the horse slaughter industry in Canada: (a) what was the reason for the temporary halt, initiated by European Union (EU) officials, to horse meat imports from Canada on October 12, 2012; (b) has Canada participated in talks with EU officials regarding the safety of horse meat from Canada since that time, (i) if so, what topics were discussed, (ii) what conclusions were reached; (c) what restrictions effective in 2013 will be imposed upon the Canadian horse meat industry by the EU, (i) what is the anticipated impact of these restrictions on the frequency and type of drug residue testing on horse meat in Canada as well as on the data required on Equine Information Documents (EIDs), (ii) will the restrictions on prohibited/non-permitted drugs be further tightened; (d) is there any oversight by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on transport drivers and horse meat dealers listed on EIDs as current owners to check for a history of violations of the United States Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Transport, or CFIA transport regulations, (i) does the CFIA enhance its scrutiny of such violators or conduct follow-up investigations on those who have been flagged for violations, (ii) is this information shared with any other inter-connected government agency either in Canada or in the United States; (e) how often do CFIA inspectors do a visual inspection of the transports that arrive at the slaughter plants to ensure that the horses have been transported safely; (f) how many transport violations concerning horse slaughter transportation have been issued to transport drivers within the last five years, (i) how many warnings of violations have been issued, (ii) if the warnings have been ignored, how does the CFIA restrict or prohibit those transport drivers from conducting business in Canada; (g) how often does the CFIA conduct inspections of feedlots and how many warnings or violations were imposed in the last five years because of these inspections; (h) in the last five years, how many times has the CFIA conducted audits of processes and procedures regarding the export shipments of live horses to foreign countries, (i) how many audit reports were prepared, (ii) how many warnings were issued to shippers; (i) how does the CFIA ensure that e-coli or the potential for e-coli is properly erased from horses and horse meat during and after the slaughter process; (j) how often are in-house video cameras scrutinized in plants and does the CFIA keep these videos to scrutinize at a later date, and how does the CFIA address inappropriate behaviour by slaughter plant personnel that may be uncovered in video recordings; (k) after conditions at Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation were revealed in 2011, were structural changes instituted at that slaughter facility and, if so, which ones, and were changes concerning the safe use of a rifle rather than captive bolt gun instituted and, if so, did the CFIA see a reduction in the number of horses regaining consciousness after switching from captive bolt gun to rifle; (l) what accountability measures are taken towards recorded owners of horses whose carcasses were condemned for reasons of disease, malnourishment or other abuse; (m) are the carcasses of horses that test positive for prohibited drugs used for rendering, and if not, how does the CFIA oversee the safe disposal of contaminated carcasses and ensure that condemned carcasses are not combined in any way with normal rendering; (n) how often does the CFIA inspect slaughter house feedlots and out buildings for dead or downer horses, (i) are there any reports kept by plant personnel regarding dead or downer horses, (ii) if so, does the CFIA inspect these reports at any time, (iii) how many dead or downer horses have been involved since January 1, 2010, and what were the circumstances surrounding these cases; (o) what protocols are in place to ensure that equine blood and other body fluids are being properly diverted from municipal town water systems; (p) does the CFIA conduct audits or oversee EIDs when obvious erroneous information is listed by the recorded owner and is the slaughter plant required to flag these EIDs for scrutiny by the CFIA when there are obvious or deliberate errors or omissions; (q) what do slaughterhouses do with registration papers that may accompany thoroughbreds, standardbreds, quarter horses or other breeds to slaughter facilities; (r) does the CFIA compile statistics on breeds that are most likely to have been administered prohibited drugs; (s) what are the “animal well-being program” and “program to monitor animal slaughter” mentioned in the response to Order Paper Q-714 on September 17, 2012, and what results have been seen from the use of these programs; (t) are horse slaughter facilities checking with ID scanners for microchips, (i) if not, does the CFIA plan to implement a microchip ID program and if so, when is the deadline for its implementation; (u) has a database been developed for Equine Information Documents and who is responsible for oversight and maintenance of the database; and (v) how many horse fatalities and serious injuries have occurred during loading or air transport of slaughter horses to Japan and any other countries, between January 1, 2008, and April 1, 2013, (i) what reasons were recorded for the fatalities or injuries, (ii) how was each case resolved?

With regard to genetically modified seeds, crops and food: (a) what were the findings or conclusions in the reviews conducted by the government on each of the following scientific studies and reports, (i) Aziz Arisa, Samuel Leblanc. “Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada”. Reproductive Toxicology (2011), doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2011.02.004; [http://www.uclm.es/Actividades/repositorio/pdf/doc_3721_4666.pdf], (ii) T. Watanabe, T. Iwase. “Developmental and dysmorphogenic effects of glufosinate ammonium on mouse embryos in culture”. Teratog Carcinog Mutagen 1996;16:287-299; [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9178451], (iii) G.S. Johal, D.M. Huber. “Glyphosate effects on diseases of plants”. European Journal of Agronomy (2009) 31:144-152; [http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/services/huber-glyphosates-2009.pdf], (iv) Aaron J. Gassmann, Jennifer L. Petzold-Maxwell, Ryan S. Keweshan, Mike W. Dunbar. “Field-Evolved Resistance to Bt Maize by Western Corn Rootworm”. (2011) PLoS ONE 6(7): e22629. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.002269 [http://www.plosone.org/article/citationList.action;jsessionid=04DCC2DA2B1593F5B13D0D0E3FA50476?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0022629], (v) Bruce Tabashnik and Fred Gould. “Delaying Corn Rootworm Resistance to Bt Corn,” Journal of Economic Entomology - Entomological Society of America” (2012); [http://www.entsoc.org/press-releases/larger-refuges-needed-sustain-success-transgenic-corn], (vi) A. Pusztai. “Can science give us the tools for recognizing possible health risks of GM food?” Nutrition and Health (2002) 16:73-84; [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12102369], (vii) J.A. Magana-Gomez, A.M. de la barca. “Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health” Nutrition Reviews (2009) 67:1-16; [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19146501], (viii) Andrea Borchers, Suzanne S. Teuber, Carl L. Keen, M. Eric Gershwin. “Food safety”. Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology (2010) 39:95–141; [http://www.alergia.org.ar/profesionales/emc/prodaai2011/web/material/13_parisi/03.pdf], (ix) Gilles-Eric Séralini, Robin Mesnage, Emilie Clair, Steeve Gress, Joël S de Vendômois and Dominique Cellier. “Genetically modified crops safety assessments: Present limits and possible improvements”. Environmental Sciences Europe (2011), 23:10 DOI:10.1186/2190-4715-23-10. [http://www.enveurope.com/content/23/1/10], (x) Gilles-Eric Séralini, Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, Dominique Cellier, Charles Sultan, Marcello Buiatti, Lou Gallagher, Michael Antoniou, Krishna R. Dronamraju. “How Subchronic and Chronic Health Effects can be Neglected for GMOs, Pesticides or Chemicals”. International Journal of Biological Sciences (2009) 5:438-443; [http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0438.htm], (xi) Appenzeller LM, Munley SM, Hoban D, Sykes GP, Malley LA, Delaney B. “Subchronic feeding study of grain from herbicide-tolerant maize DP-O9814O-6 in Sprague-Dawley rats”. Food and Chemical Toxicology (2009) 47:2269-2280; [http://www.enveurope.com/content/23/1/10], (xii) IV Ermakova. “Influence of soy with gene EPSPS CP4 on the physiological state and reproductive functions of rats in the first two generations”. Russian Academy of Natural Sciences - Modern problems of science and education No. 5, (2009). UDC: 612.82, 57.02, (xiii) Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, François Roullier, Dominique Cellier, Gilles-Eric Séralini. “A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health”. International Journal of Biological Sciences (2009); 5(7):706-726. [http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm], (xiv) Artemis Dona, Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis. “Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods”. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2009); 49:164–175; [http://www.somloquesembrem.org/img_editor/file/Dona&Arvanitoyannis2009.pdf], (xv) Jack A. Heinemann. “Report on animals exposed to GM ingredients in animal feed”. (2009) Gendora / Commerce Commission of New Zealand; [https://senate.aph.gov.au/submissions/comittees/viewdocument.aspx?id=bc216ec5-64ed-4033-9ac7-65eed8eaa488], (xvi) Laura M Appenzeller, Linda Malley, Susan A MacKenzie, Denise Hoban, Bryan Delaney. “Subchronic feeding study with genetically modified stacked trait lepidopteran and coleopteran resistant (DAS-O15O7-1xDAS-59122-7) maize grain in Sprague-Dawley rats”. Food and Chemical Toxicology (2009) 47:1512-1520, (xvii) LM Appenzeller, SM Munley, D Hoban, GP Sykes, LA Malley, B Delaney. “Subchronic feeding study of herbicide-tolerant soybean DP-356O43-5 in Sprague-Dawley rats”. Food and Chemical Toxicology (2008) 46:2201-2213, (xviii) Mae Wan Ho. “GM DNA Does Jump Species: Antibiotic Resistance not the Only Risk”. Institute for Science in Society (2010) ISIS Report 14/06/10 [http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMDNA_Does_Jump_Species.php], (xx) A Velimirov, C Binter, J Zentek. “Biological effects of transgenic maize K603xMON810 fed in long term reproduction studies in mice”. (2008) Report, Forschungsberichte der Sektion IV, Band 3. Institut für Ernährung, and Forschungsinttitut für biologischen Landbau,Vienna, Austria [http://www.biosicherheit.de/pdf/aktuell/zentek_studie_2008.pdf], (xxi) Manuela Malatesta, Federica Boraldi, Giulia Annovi, Beatrice Baldelli, SeraWna Battistelli, Marco Biggiogera, Daniela Quaglino. “A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean: Effects on liver ageing”. Histochem Cell Biol (2008) 130:967–977 DOI 10.1007/s00418-008-0476-x; [http://www.somloquesembrem.org/img_editor/file/fetgeratessojaMalatesta2008(2).pdf], (xxii) M Malatesta, F Perdoni, G Santin, S Battistelli, S Muller, M Biggiogera. “Hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells as a model for investigating the effects of low concentrations of herbicide on cell structure and function”. Toxicology In Vitro (2008) 22:1853-1860, (xxiii) B Cisterna, F Flach, L Vecchio, SM Barabino, S Battistelli, TE Martin, M Malatesta, M Biggiogera. “Can a genetically-modified organism-containing diet influence embryo development? A preliminary study on pre-implantation mouse embryos”. European Journal of Histochemistry (EJH). (2008) 52:263-7, (xxiv) A Finamore, M Roselli, S Britti, G Monastra, R Ambra, A Turrini, E Mengheri. “Intestinal and peripheral immune response to MON810 maize ingestion in weaning and old mice”. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2008) 56:11533-11539, (xxv) A Kilic, MT Akay. “A three generation study with genetically modified Bt corn in rats: Biochemical and histopathological investigation”. Food and Chemical Toxicology (2008): 46(3): 1164-1170, (xxvi) S Kroghsbo, C Madsen, M Poulsen, M Schrøder, PH Kvist, M Taylor, A Gatehouse, Q Shu, I Knudsen. “Immunotoxicological studies of genetically modified rice expressing PHA-E lectin or Bt toxin in Wistar rats”. Toxicology (2008) 12: 245:24-34, (xxvii) Massimo Trabalza-Marinucci, Giorgio Brandi, Cristina Rondini, Luca Avellini, Camilla Giammarini, Silva Costarelli, Gabriele Acuti, Chiara Orlandi, Giovanni Filippini, Elisabetta Chiaradia, Manuela Malatesta, Silvia Crotti, Chiara Antonini, Giulia Amagliani, Elisabetta Manuali, Anna Rita Mastrogiacomo, Livia Moscati, Mohamed Naceur Haouet, Alberto Gaiti, Mauro Magnani. “A three year longitudinal study on the effects of a diet containing genetically modified Bt176 maize on the health status and performance on sheep”. Livestock Science (2008)113:178–190; [http://www.somloquesembrem.org/img_editor/file/Trabalzaetal2008Bt176ovejas.pdf], (xxviii) Y Sakamoto, Y Tada, N Fukumori, K Tayama, H Ando, H Takahashi, Y Kubo, A Nagasawa, N Yano, K Yuzawa, A Ogata. “A 104-week feeding study of genetically modified soybeans in f344 rats”. Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zassh. Journal of the Food Hygienic Society of Japan. (2008) 49(4):272-82, (xxix) GE Séralini, D Cellier, JS de Vendomois. “New analysis of a rat feeding study with a genetically modified maize reveals signs of hepatorenal toxicity.” Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (2007) 52:596-602, (xxx) SA MacKenzie, I Lamb, J Schmidt, L Deege, MJ Morrisey, M Harper, RJ Layton, LM Prochaska, C Sanders, M Locke, JL Mattsson, A Fuentes, B Delaney. “Thirteen week feeding study with transgenic maize grain containing event DAS-O15O7-1 in Sprague-Dawley rats”. Food and Chemical Toxicology. (2007) 45:551-562, (xxxi) GG Guerrero, WM Russel, L Moreno-Fierros. “Analysis of the cellular immune response induced by Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxins in mice: Effect of the hydrophobic motif from diphtheria toxin”. Molecular Immunology (2007); 44:1209-1217, (xxxii) José L. Domingo. “Toxicity studies of genetically modified plants: A review of the published literature”. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 47:721–733 (2007); [http://www.biosafety.ru/ftp/domingo.pdf], (xxxiii) Joe Cummins. “Glyphosate resistance in weeds: The Transgenic Treadmill”. Institute for Science in Society, (2010) ISIS Report 03/03/10. [http://www.i-sis.org.uk/glyphosateResistanceTransgenicTreadmil.php], (xxxiv) A Pusztai, S Bardocz. “GMO in animal nutrition potential benefits and risks. In: Biology of Nutrition in Growing Animals”. (ed. Mosenthin, R. Zentek, J.and Zebrowska, T.) Elsevier Limited (2006), pp. 513-540, (xxxv) Gilles-Eric Séralini, Robin Mesnage, Emilie Clair, Steeve Gress, Joël S de Vendômois, Dominique Cellier. “Genetically modified crops safety assessments: present limits and possible improvements”. Environmental Sciences Europe (2011), 23:10 doi:10.1186/2190-4715-23-10 [http://www.enveurope.com/content/23/1/10], (xxxvi) Nora Benachour and Gilles-Eric Séralini. “Glyphosate formulations induce apoptosis and necrosis in human umbilical, embryonic, and placental cells”. Chemical Research in Toxicology (2009) 22: 97–105; [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx800218n], (xxxvii) G Gasnier, C Dumont, N Benachour, E Clair, MC Changon, GE Séralini. “Glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell lines”. Toxicology (2009) 21:262:184-191, (xxxviii) Michael Antoniou, Paulo Brack, Andrés Carrasco, John Fagan, Mohamed Habib, Paulo Kageyama, Carlo Leifert, Rubens Onofre Nodari, Walter Pengue. “GM Soy: Sustainable? Responsible?” GLS Gemeinschaftsbank eG www.gls.de / ARGE Gentechnik-frei (2010) [http://www.gmwatch.eu/images/pdf/gm_full_eng_v15.pdf], (xxxiv) P. Jost, D. Shurley, S. Culpepper, P. Roberts, R. Nichols, J. Reeves, and S. Anthony. “Economic comparison of transgenic and nontransgenic cotton production systems in Georgia”. Agronomy Journal (2008) 100, 42-51. (doi:10.2134/agronj2006.0259); [http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/17545/PDF], (xl) Olivier De Schutter. “Report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food” United Nations A/HRC/16/49 General Assembly Sixteenth session, Agenda item 3 (20 December 2010) [http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/officialreports/20110308_a-hrc-16-49_agroecology_en.pdf], (xli) ZD Zhang, S Weissmann, M Snyder. “What is a gene, post-ENCODE? History and updated definition”. Genome Research 2007; 17:669-681; [http://genome.cshlp.org/content/17/6/669.full], (xlii) Joe Cummins. “Glyphosate resistance in weeds: The Transgenic Treadmill”. Institute for Science in Society, ISIS Report, 03 March 2010. [http://www.i-sis.org.uk/glyphosateResistanceTransgenicTreadmil.php], (xliii) Brett Cherry. “GM crops increase herbicide use in the United States”. Institute for Science in Society Report, ISIS Report 18/01/10. [http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMcropsIncreasedHerbicide.php], (xliv) Ismail Cakmak, Atilla Yazici, Yusuf Tutus, Levent Ozturk. “Glyphosate reduced seed and leaf concentrations of calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron in non-glyphosate resistant soybean”. European Journal of. Agronomy (2009); 31:114-119; [http://stopogm.net/webfm_send/54], (xlv) MR Fernandez, RP Zentner, P Basnyat, D Gehl, F Selles, and DM Huber. “Glyphosate associations with cereal diseases caused by Fusarium spp. in the Canadian Prairies” European Journal of Agronomy (2009) 31:133-143 [http://www4.agr.gc.ca/abstract-resume/abstract-resume.htm?lang=eng&id=15979000000229], (xlvi) T Yamada, RJ Kremer, PR Camargo e Castro, BW Wood. “Glyphosate interactions with physiology, nutrition, and diseases of plants: Threat to agricultural sustainability?” European Journal of Agronomy (2009) 31:111-113; [http://stopogm.net/webfm_send/131], (xlvii) IJ Mauro, SM McLachlan. “Farmer knowledge and risk analysis: Postrelease evaluation of herbicide-tolerant canola in Western Canada”. Risk Analysis (2008) 28:463-76, (xlviii) IJ Mauro, SM McLachlan, RC Van Acker. “Farmer knowledge and a priori risk analysis: Pre-release evaluation of genetically modified Roundup Ready wheat across the Canadian prairies” Environmental Science and Pollution Research International (2009); 16:689-701, (xlix) S Bott, T Tesfamariam, A Kania, B Eman, N Aslan, V Roemheld, G Neumann. “Phytotoxicity of glyphosate soil residues re-mobilised by phosphate fertilization”. Plant Soil (2011) 315:2-11. DOI 10, 1007/s11104-010-06989-3, (li) RJ Kremer, NE Means. “Glyphosate and glyphosate-resistant crop interactions with rhizosphere microorganisms”. European Journal of Agronomy. (2009). 31:153-161, (lii) Miranda M. Hart, Jeff R. Powell, Robert H. Gulden, David J. Levy-Booth, Kari E. Dunfield, K. Peter Pauls, Clarence J. Swanton, John N. Klironomos and Jack T. Trevors. “Detection of transgenic cp4 epsps genes in the soil food web”. Agronomy for Sustainable Development (2009); Volume 29, Number 4, 497-501, DOI: 10.1051/agro/2009020, (liii) JS de Vendômois, D Cellier, C Vélot, E Clair, R Mesnage, GE Séralini. “Debate on GMOs Health Risks after Statistical Findings in Regulatory Tests”. International Journal of Biological Science (2010) 6:590-598, (liv) Mae Wan Ho. “Scientists discover new route for GM-gene “Escape””. Institute for Science in Society Report (2011), ISIS Report 02/03/11. [http://www.i-sis.org.uk/new_route_for_GM_gene_escape.php]; (b) what actions has the government taken as a result of their reviews on these studies; (c) will the government make any changes to the regulations governing genetically modified crops and food as a result of these scientific studies; (d) what is the government’s process for reviewing (i) independent and (ii) industry science on genetically engineered seeds, crops and food; and (e) to what extent does the government rely on scientific data provided by the companies seeking approvals for new products?

With regard to the government's approval and analysis of the safety of genetically engineered corn for human consumption: (a) how does the government’s policy address the need to restrict the use of genetically engineered (GE) traits to non-sweetcorn varieties and/or request a new data package submission in order to evaluate the safety of GE traits in sweetcorn, given the fact that GE traits were initially approved for use in corn before GE sweetcorn varieties were commercialized, and based on assumptions of consumption patterns dominated by processed corn products and animal feed, versus consumption of sweetcorn as a fresh vegetable; (b) what studies or analysis has the government undertaken or reviewed pertaining to the question of human health effects from eating GE sweetcorn; and (c) will the government carry out a re-evaluation of GE traits for use in sweetcorn?

With regard to the government's review and analysis of genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa: (a) what studies has the government undertaken or reviewed pertaining to the potential economic impact of the introduction of GE alfalfa in Canada; (b) what actions has the government taken as a result of these findings; and (c) is the government assessing whether to carry out a comprehensive study of the potential economic impacts of GE alfalfa on Canada's various agricultural and food sectors?

With regard to the horse slaughter industry in Canada: (a) how soon after killing must condemned carcasses or dead-on-arrival horse carcasses be rendered; (b) has the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) determined a maximum size (weight, backside width, and height) for horses permitted for slaughter at all Canadian plants slaughtering equine; (c) what specific changes have been instituted at Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation since the CFIA became aware of July 2011 investigation evidence showing issues within the plant; (d) what procedures are in place regarding thoroughbreds and/or standardbreds and/or other branded/tattooed horses and/or horses accompanied with registration papers, to ensure that these horses have been legitimately consigned to the slaughter plant; (e) were any carcasses condemned at Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation between July 11 and July 20, 2011, (i) what were the circumstances/reasons for condemning the carcasses, (ii) on what dates did this occur, (iii) what were the identification (tattoo/tag) numbers on the horses in question; (f) in the period from June 1, 2005, to June 1, 2012, inclusively, on what dates were inspections carried out at Viandes Richelieu, Bouvry Export Calgary, Canadian Premium Meats, Les Cerfs de Boileau and Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation to ensure that these operations comply with federal laws and regulations governing the environmental effects of horse slaughter operations on the air, ground, and water in surrounding areas, (i) what findings were included in inspection reports; (g) on what dates were environmental inspections conducted on all Canadian equine feedlots or holding areas, (i) what were the findings included in inspection reports; (h) what reports or evaluations exist regarding the adequacy of the screening, testing, identification, and treatment histories of horses slaughtered in Canada for human consumption; (i) on what dates in the period from June 1, 2005, to the present did the government inspect Natural Valley Farms (Natural Meat Company) for suspected violations of environmental laws and/or regulations, (i) what were the findings included in each inspection report; (j) what guarantees does the government require from United States authorities regarding the accuracy of the Equine Identification Document for horses imported by Canada to be slaughtered; (k) on what dates were discussions or negotiations held between Canadian government officials and United States authorities regarding the European Union’s Final Audit Report of December 6, 2012, (i) what agreements were reached as a result of these negotiations; (l) what substances are banned in Canada for use in horses to be slaughtered for human consumption, (i) how is the ban enforced, (ii) how many violations or infractions has the government issued penalties for in each of the years between 2005 to the present; (m) what are the titles and dates of all government-commissioned reports and evaluations regarding the adequacy of the screening and testing, identification, and treatment histories of horses slaughtered in Canada for human consumption between 2005 to the present; and (n) what guarantees does the government require from United States authorities regarding the accuracy of Equine Identification Documents for horses imported by Canada destined for slaughter for human consumption?

With regard to the horse slaughter industry in Canada: (a) does the government know whether third party monitoring of video footage is occurring at Viandes Richelieu and Bouvry Exports and, if so, (i) what is the monitoring criteria, (ii) who is monitoring the footage, (iii) what actions, if any, have been taken as a result of observations, (iv) is footage monitoring to be a daily practice at this and other Canadian horse slaughter plants, (v) how many hours have been monitored, (vi) is footage archived and for how long, (vii) does the recording continuously loop over previous footage; (b) which tissue types and/or bodily fluids are targeted by the government when testing for phenylbutazone and other drugs in horsemeat, (i) what percentage of drug testing is performed on equine organs (particularly kidney and liver) as opposed to other tissues, such as muscle, (ii) what is the exact methodology and what are the specific testing mechanisms used to detect phenylbutazone and other drugs in horsemeat; (c) what surveys or studies has the government undertaken or relied on to determine the number of overall horse owners and keepers that have administered to horses under their care, even once in the horse's lifetime, substances that are banned for human consumption, in (i) Canada, (ii) the United States (US); (d) what surveys or studies encompassing the overall horse population has the government undertaken or relied on to determine the percentage of veterinarians who routinely administer to horse patients under their care, at any time in the horse's lifetime, substances that are banned for use in food animals, in (i) Canada, (ii) the US; (e) what was the ratio between the number of horses and the number of prescriptions of substances banned for use in food animals at any time in their lifetime, issued by veterinarians to the overall horse population in (i) Canada, (ii) the US; (f) what were the results of European Commission audits of federally-inspected Canadian equine slaughter plants in 2010; (g) does the government have any plans to adopt a policy similar to that of the European Union which stamps new passports on horses over the age of six months as ineligible for the food supply; (h) are the Equine Identity Documents (EID) being kept on record by the slaughter plants; (i) are the EID records being audited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; (j) what were the results of the most recent audit of the EIDs; (k) has a database been started that can track the EIDs; (l) how many times has the information provided on the EIDs for horses imported from the US been investigated and verified by the slaughterhouse owners, (i) how many slaughterhouse investigations into information on US-sourced EIDs led to horses being rejected as unsuitable for human consumption, (ii) how were the US horses deemed unsuitable for human consumption following EID investigations disposed of by the slaughterhouses; (m) how many times has the information provided on the EIDs for horses acquired from Canadian sources been investigated and verified by the slaughterhouse owners, (i) how many investigations on Canadian horses led to their rejection as unsuitable for human consumption, (ii) how were Canadian horses deemed unsuitable for human consumption disposed of by the slaughterhouses, (iii) how many slaughterhouse investigations into the EID information on Canadian-sourced horses led to them being rejected as unsuitable for human consumption; (n) as a result of information provided on the EIDs, how many horses were quarantined (i) from US sources, (ii) from Canadian sources; (o) how many downer horses were discovered by slaughterhouses in trucks arriving with shipments of equines from (i) US sources, (ii) Canadian sources; (p) for in each case in (n), how were the downer horses and their carcasses and meat disposed of; (q) in response to the findings of the February 2010 undercover investigations at Bouvry Exports and Viandes Richelieu, what changes have been made in the regulations, operations, inspections and infrastructure at federally-inspected facilities that slaughter equines; and (r) in what ways was the individual and management held accountable by the government or in the courts for the incident revealed in the 2010 undercover footage of an employee hitting a horse in the face multiple times?

With regard to federal funding under the Canada Economic Action Plan in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior, for fiscal year 2008-2009 to date: (a) how many and what projects received funding from a department or agency over this period; and (b) what was the value of the projects that received funding from a department or agency over this period?

With regard to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's programs AgriStability, AgriInvest, AgriRecovery and AgriInsurance: (a) what is the total amount of program funds dispersed to producers since 2004, broken down by program and (i) year, (ii) province and year, (iii) riding and year, (iv) sector and year, (v) commodity and year; (b) how many producers have made use of each of these programs since 2004, broken down by program and (i) year, (ii) province and year, (iii) riding and year, (iv) sector and year, (v) commodity and year; (c) broken down by program, province and year, for each year since 2004, what was the staff complement for each program; (d) broken down by program, province and year, for each year since 2004, what was the field staff complement for each program; (e) broken down by program and year, for each year since 2004, what was the ratio of program administration to producer funding; (f) broken down by program, what commodities are currently not covered by these programs; (g) broken down by program, what commodities have been added since each program's inception; (h) how much has been spent by each program on outside consultants since 2004, broken down by program and by (i) year, (ii) individual contract description, contracted company and amount; (i) for each program, what benchmarks are used to measure; (j) what benchmarks have been achieved, broken down by program and year, for each year since 2004; and (k) what benchmarks have not been achieved, broken down by program and year, for each year since 2004?

What is the total amount of government funding, since fiscal year 2006-2007 up to and including the current fiscal year, allocated within the constituency of British Columbia Southern Interior, specifying each department or agency, initiative and amount?

With respect to the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food’s (AAFC) Advance Payments Program (APP) and its Western Canadian administrators, for each fiscal year since 2006-2007, up to and including the current fiscal year: (a) what amount of funding did AAFC advance to each of the APP administrators and how much of that funding was (i) interest-free, (ii) interest bearing; (b) what are the names of the APP administrators with whom the Minister entered into Advance Guarantee Agreements (AGAs), identifying those administrators who complied with their AGAs; (c) when was the government first made aware of breaches of AGAs by APP administrators; (d) how and by whom was the information in (b) communicated to the administrators; (e) what are the names of all applicants who applied to fill positions as APP administrators but were declined, (i) what criteria informed each rejection, (ii) who collected and reviewed this criteria, (iii) by whom, when and how was the applicant notified of the rejection, (iv) by whom, when and how were existing APP administrators notified of the rejected application; (f) what activities has the government undertaken to address the accessibility of advances to producers; (g) what correspondence has the government received addressing the issue in (f), how was this information communicated and by whom; (h) what activities has the government undertaken to ensure producers receive all of the accrued interest from the holdback; (i) how much interest was claimed through the Claim for Reimbursement of Interest; (j) how much money has the government spent on information technologies for the APP’s online system; (k) how much money has the government spent on resolving the problem of duplicate and triplicate APP Identification Numbers; (l) pursuant to section 12.6.2 of the APP Administrative Guidelines, how much interest was paid by each administrator to the Minister for (i) failure to reimburse the loan on the next business day following the day on which the administrator received payment, in whole or in part of those advances, (ii) failure to reimburse its liability within 15 business days following the day of learning of a producer defaulting; (m) how much money has the government spent on dealing with APP administrators who are past the allowable 45 days to submit the End of Production Period report; (n) for each administrator, what was the holdback percentage specified (i) in each AGA, (ii) on each producer application to an administrator; (o) if any of the correlated amounts in (n) differ, what was the justification given in each case for the difference; (p) what percentage of producers have all-perils insurance documentation; (q) what correspondence did AAFC receive from existing APP administrators with regard to proposed new APP administrators, how was this information communicated and by whom; (r) what steps has the government undertaken, when and by whom to ensure that (i) documentation of creditworthiness is included in producer files, (ii) producer and witness signatures are authentic and valid; (s) what amount of funds has been paid to the Receiver General for Canada for the interest AAFC has already paid on advances under $100,000.00; (t) what amount of interest owed to the Receiver General for Canada is delinquent or past the allowable 45 business days of the End of Production Period; (u) which administrators are delinquent on the End of Production Period Reports and for how many Production Periods; (v) what steps has the government undertaken to rectify the “System Default” situation with the APP online system; (w) how much money from all government departments, aside from the APP funds, have the administrators received and from which programs; (x) when were AAFC audits of the administrators conducted and by whom; (y) when and how were the results of the audits in (x) communicated to the Minister; (z) what actions has the government undertaken to ensure that the APP is efficiently managed by AAFC; (aa) what specific criteria does the Minister of Agriculture apply when assessing organizations pursuant to (i) paragraph (2)(1)(b) of the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act, (ii) paragraph (2)(1)(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act; (bb) what steps does the Minister take to ensure that all applicants have been provided a transparent and equal opportunity to apply for and be considered for the designation as an administrator while assessing organizations as in (aa); (cc) what steps does the Minister take to ensure that APP administrators currently under contract have complied with the terms of the AGA; and (dd) what steps has the government taken to ensure that the Minister and AAFC do not enter into new AGAs with administrators that are in breach of a prior AGA?

With regard to agrofuels: (a) what studies or reports has the government prepared, reviewed or commissioned to examine the effectiveness of using agrofuels as part of a greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy in (i) Canada, (ii) throughout the world; (b) what studies or reports has the government prepared, reviewed or commissioned to examine the link between the displacement of local peoples and the production of agrofuels in the global South; (c) from which countries is the government purchasing or intending to purchase biomass for the production of agrofuels; (d) what are the current regulations in regard to importing agrofuels and biomass for the production of agrofuels from countries in the global South; (e) what is the government’s policy concerning imports of agrofuels and biomass for the production of agrofuels from countries in the global South; (f) what studies or reports has the government prepared, reviewed or commissioned regarding any links between agrofuels production and food security; (g) how much federal funding from all sources has been directed to agrofuels in Canada in the last 10 years; (h) what studies or reports has the government prepared, reviewed or commissioned regarding the economic viability and cost effectiveness of agrofuels; and (i) what specific actions has the government undertaken or does it plan to undertake to respond to the five observations attached by the Senate to Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, which came into force on September 28, 2009?

With regard to the sale, financing and ownership of Canadian farmland: (a) what is the amount of funding that Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has advanced to non-farming corporations for the purpose of purchasing farmland; (b) what are the names of the non-farming corporations to which FCC has provided funding for the purchasing of farmland; (c) what is the total amount of farmland acres that have been purchased with FCC funding by non-farming corporations; (d) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by non-farming corporations; (e) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by foreign investment companies; (f) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by domestic investment companies; (g) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by non-Canadian individuals and corporations; (h) what is the percentage of total Canadian farmland that is owned by non-Canadian individuals and companies; (i) what is the government’s policy regarding the acquisition of Canadian farmland by foreign individuals and corporations; (j) is it the government’s intention to institute policies that will limit the acquisition of Canadian farmland by foreign individuals and corporations; and (k) what is the government’s policy in regards to foreign ownership of farmland as it relates to national security?

With respect to genetically engineered CDC Triffid flax that was found contaminating Canadian flax exports in 2009: (a) when was the government first made aware that there was CDC Triffid contamination in Canadian flax exports, how was this communicated to them and by whom; (b) what activities has the government undertaken to address the problem of contamination, including inter-departmental meetings and meetings with industry and trading partners; (c) how much federal money from all sources has been spent to date to repair the damage caused by this contamination to our trading relationship with Europe and for what activities; (d) how much federal money from all sources has been spent to date to clean the system of CDC Triffid flax and assist the industry or farmers to recover from the market loss resulting from this contamination; (e) when was CDC Triffid first made legal to sell in Canada; (f) when was CDC Triffid made illegal to sell in Canada; (g) why did the government consider it necessary to make CDC Triffid illegal; (h) when was the government first made aware of flax farmers’ concerns that the approval for sale in Canada of CDC Triffid could result in the closure of European markets to Canadian flax should any amount of contamination by CDC Triffid ever be discovered in their export shipments, how was this communicated to them and by whom; (i) what steps did the government take to address the concerns in (h); (j) what steps did the government take to ensure that all CDC Triffid was taken off the market and removed from the system once the decision was made to make CDC Triffid illegal to sell in Canada; (k) how long did it take the government to clean the system of CDC Triffid once the decision was made to make it illegal; (l) what steps did the government undertake in each of the years following CDC Triffid flax's removal from the market to ensure that Canadian flax remained uncontaminated by it; and (m) has the government ever been made aware of or discovered evidence that CDC Triffid flax might still be in the system in the years subsequent to its being made illegal to sell in Canada?

With respect to the government’s involvement in Recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology in each of the years from 1996 to 2010: (a) how much federal funding, from all sources, has the government spent on (i) research and development in the agricultural sector, (ii) research and development in the forestry sector, (iii) marketing and international or domestic promotion of rDNA technology in agriculture, (iv) marketing and international or domestic promotion of rDNA technology in forestry; (b) what percentage of funding has been allocated to conduct risk assessments on (i) human health impacts, (ii) ecosystem impacts and other consequences for flora and fauna, (iii) socio-economic factors associated with the introduction and use of rDNA technology; and (c) what public opinion polling has the government commissioned to enquire about public attitudes regarding the use of rDNA technology to genetically engineer food, seeds, trees, fish and animals and what were the results of each poll?

With regard to Canadian participation in the Joint Strike Fighter program: (a) what has been spent on the project, broken down by year and program component; (b) what have been industrial regional benefits associated with the program, by year and project component; and (c) what would be the future costs of becoming a level two participant in the program?

With regard to National Defence Public Affairs: (a) for the previous 12 months, what is the total number of media requests received; (b) what is the average time of response to questions; (c) what is the total number of questions which did not receive a response; and (d) what number of requests came from international media?

With regard to the Joint Supply Ship program: (a) what is the total amount of spending to date on the project; (b) what is the current staffing level of the project; and (c) what are the expected costs of a possible cancellation?

With respect to the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program and the AgriStability program in each of the participating provinces and in each of the program years from 2003 to 2007: (a) what were the number of applications received; (b) what were the number of payment files; (c) what was the average of all benefit payments below $500,000; (d) how many payment files were greater than $500,000; (e) what percentage of applicants received actual payments; (f) what was the farm type associated with each recipient of a payment of $500,000 or greater; (g) what was the average reference year margin of all participants by farm type; (h) what were the contributing reasons for the reduced payment percentage in 2007; (i) what were the contributing reasons for the reduced average reference year margins in 2007; and (j) what was the rationale or intended purpose of implementing the mandatory accrual reference year margin?