Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures - For the period ending March 31, 2021
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, except for information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by ISC relate to activities that support the department's mandate and the government's priorities.
ISC's travel, hospitality and conference expenditures support the delivery of the following core programs and services to Canada's Indigenous people (i.e. First Nations, Inuit and Métis) to:
- Improve access to high-quality services;
- Support and empower Indigenous peoples to control the delivery of those services; and
- Improve the socio-economic conditions, quality of life, and safety in their communities.
| Expenditure category | Expenditure for year ended March 31, 2021 ($ thousands) |
Expenditure for year ended March 31, 2020 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$287,959 | $339,740 | ($51,781) |
Key stakeholders |
$33 | $3,178 | ($3,145) |
Internal governance |
$7 | $427 | ($420) |
Training |
$140 | $1,728 | ($1,588) |
Other |
$384 | $2,912 | ($2,528) |
| A. Total Travel | $288,523 | $347,985 | ($59,462) |
| B. Hospitality | $4 | $156 | ($152) |
| C. Conference fees | $41 | $188 | ($147) |
| Total [A+B+C] | $288,568 | $348,329 | ($59,761) |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $0 | $7 | ($7) |
Significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
The variance decrease for travel, hospitality and conference expenditures from 2019-20 to 2020-21 is $59.8 million due primarily to the decrease of travel expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The travel decrease of $59.5 million is due to the decreased in travel expenditures in programs such as Mental Wellness and the Supplementary Health Benefits programs of $77.5 million and offset by an increase of $18 million in the Clinical and Client Care program related to chartered air flights to transport medical staff as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister and Minister's Staff: In 2020-21, the minister and his staff did not travel internationally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recommended international travel restrictions.