User Fees, Regulatory Charges and External Fees
| Fee name | Fees charged for the processing of requests submitted pursuant to the Access to Information Act |
Fee type |
Other Products and Services |
Fee-setting authority |
Access to Information Act |
Year introduced |
1983 |
Year last amended |
Not applicable |
Performance standard |
The Department strives to respond to 90% of requests within the legislated timeframes established by the Access to Information Act. |
Performance results |
The Department responded to 100% of requests made under the Access to Information Act within the legislated timeframes. |
Other information |
On March 31, 2015, the Federal Court of Canada issued its judgment and reasons in Information Commissioner v Attorney General of Canada (http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/108985/index.do). The Federal Court ruled that electronic records (i.e. Word documents, emails, etc.) are computerized records, and as such, search and preparation fees cannot be charged for the processing of those records. On May 5, 2016, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat established an Interim Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act. The directive directs federal officials to waive all fees prescribed by the Access to Information Act and Regulations apart from the $5 filing fee. https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=18310 |
| Forecast revenue | Actual revenue |
Full cost |
|---|---|---|
1,350 |
1,520* |
818,854 |
*Actual revenue figure reflect all fees collected in 2015-16. The fees reported in the Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Access to Information Act reflect the fees collected on requests that were completed in 2015-16, and hence are not the same as the numbers reflected in this table
| Planning year | Forecast revenue |
Estimated full cost |
|---|---|---|
2016–17 |
1,700 |
850,000 |
2017–18 |
1,750 |
900,000 |
2018–19 |
1,800 |
900,000 |
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