Report on Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences 2016-17

As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on the total annual expenditures for each of travel, hospitality and conference fees for the Department of Public Safety Canada for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. It also provides the variance explanations from the previous fiscal year in each of these areas.

This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conference fees incurred by Public Safety Canada are in support of its mandate and Government priorities.

Public Safety Canada plays a key role in discharging the Government's fundamental responsibility for the safety and security of its citizens. Legislation governing the Department sets out two essential roles:

  1. support the Minister's responsibility for all matters, except those assigned to another federal minister, related to public safety and emergency management including national leadership; and
  2. coordinate the efforts of Public Safety Canada's Portfolio agencies as well as provide guidance on their strategic priorities.

The Department provides strategic policy advice on: national security, border strategies, countering crime, and emergency management. The Department also delivers a number of grant and contribution programs related to emergency management and community safety and national security.

For more detailed information on Public Safety Canada's mandate, including roles and responsibilities, please refer to the Department's 2016-17 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) and the 2016-17 Departmental Results Report (DRR).

Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences of Public Safety Canada
(in thousands of dollars)

Expenditure Category

Expenditures for the Year Ending
March 31, 2017
($000)

Expenditures for the Previous Year Ending
March 31, 2017
($000)

Change
($000)

Travel: Public Servants

2,601

2,649

(48)

Travel: Non-Public Servants[1]

447

409

39

Total Travel

3,049

3,058

(9)

Hospitality

506

237

269

Conference Fees

88

79

9

Total

3,642

3,373

269

International Travel by Minister and Minister's Staff[2]

14

36

(22)

[1] International travel incurred by the Minister and Minister's staff is included in Travel: Non-Public Servants. It is also reported separately for information purposes at the bottom of the table.

[2] Includes international travel that is part of the Department's program.

Travel, Hospitality and Conferences (THC) expenditures by initiative in 2016-17
(in thousands of dollars)
Significant Government of Canada Initiatives THC Actuals ($000)
First Nations, National Security, and Cyber Security Consultations[1] 347
Fifth Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas hosted in 2017 by the Government of Canada[2] 225
Total Significant Government of Canada Initiatives 572
Departmental THC 3,070
Total 3,642

[1] Consistent with government priorities and mandate, Public Safety engaged in significant consultations with First Nations and consultations with stakeholders on national security and cyber security matters.

[2] The Fifth Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas, hosted by the Government of Canada in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), brought together some 1,000 delegates from 35 countries and 20 territories in the Americas. Ministers, public officials, governmental and non-governmental, private sector, academics and Indigenous representatives discussed opportunities to reduce disaster risks in the Americas and to meet commitments set in the United Nations' Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030).

Significant Variances Compared With the Previous Fiscal Year

Overall, the travel, hospitality and conferences expenditures increased by $269K or 8% compared to 2015-16.

Travel

Compared to fiscal year 2015-16, departmental travel expenditures by public and non-public servants decreased by $9K or 0.3%. This decrease is in line with continued efforts to ensure that travel expenditures are managed in the most effective and economical manner by promoting the use of available technologies such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing.

Public Servants

Compared to fiscal year 2015-16, departmental travel expenditures by public servants decreased by $48K or 2%. This decrease is in line with continued efforts to ensure that travel expenditures are managed in the most effective and economical manner.

Non-Public Servants

Compared to fiscal year 2015-16, departmental travel expenditures by non-public servants increased by $39K or 9%. This increase is mainly due to travel related to stakeholder engagement activities.

Hospitality

Compared to fiscal year 2015-16, departmental hospitality expenditures increased by $269K or 113%. This increase is mainly due to hospitality costs related to the Fifth Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas which was hosted by the Government of Canada in 2017 and brought together hundreds of delegates from across the Americas to discuss efforts to reduce disaster risks posed by natural and human-induced hazards.

Conference Fees

Compared to fiscal year 2015-16, departmental conference expenditures increased slightly by $9K to $88K.

Minister and Minister's Staff

Compared to fiscal year 2015-16, departmental international travel expenditures by the Minister and his staff decreased by $22K or 62%. This decrease is due to lessened requirement for international travel and participation in international events for the Minister and Minister's staff in fiscal year 2016-17.


Approved by the Chief Financial Officer

Patrick Amyot as acting CFO on behalf of Caroline Weber
Chief Financial Officer and
Assistant Deputy Minister,
Corporate Management Branch
Public Safety Canada
Ottawa, Canada

October 23, 2017

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