About this Committee

Mandate

Like other standing committees, the Standing Committee on Health is appointed under the Standing Orders of the House of Commons for the life of a specific Parliament. It was first established in this form in 1994 to reflect the fact that the Department of Health and Welfare had been separated into two components: Health and Human Resources Development. By November 1995, this departmental restructuring was formally recognized in Bill C-95 (Department of Health Act).

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Health is empowered to study and report on all matters relating to the mandate, management, and operation of Health Canada. This includes its responsibilities for the operations of the internal body called the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).

The Committee is also responsible for the oversight of five agencies that report to Parliament through the Minister of Health:

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR);
• Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB);
• Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission (HMIRC);
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC);
• Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC)

The mandate of the Standing Committee on Health also includes reviewing and reporting on matters referred to it by Orders of Reference from the House of Commons relating to Health Canada and its associated agencies.