Sitting of Tuesday, 21 October 2025

Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

1. 1 Opening Announcements: Global Breast Cancer Awareness Month 1 speeches ▸
2. 2 Papers Presentation of Papers and Committee Reports 6 speeches ▸
3. 3 Petitions Petitions Presented to Parliament 7 speeches ▸
4. 4 Procedural Parliamentary Business and Disaster Management Discussion 6 speeches ▸
5. 5 Procedural Point of Order on Foreign Affairs Statement 7 speeches ▸
6. 6 Oral question Oral Question 2 (825/2025): Ministry of Health - Purchase of Medicines 6 speeches ▸
7. 7 Oral question Oral Question 3 (859/2025): Agriculture - Stand Down 3 speeches ▸
8. 8 Oral question Oral Question 4: Occupants of State Lands in Manmunai Pattu DS Division 6 speeches ▸
9. 9 Oral question Oral Question 5: Ceylon Electricity Board Regional Offices 20 speeches ▸
10. 10 Oral question Oral Question 7: Safeguard of Interests of Farmers, Traders and Consumers 9 speeches ▸
11. 11 Oral question Oral Question 8 (1313/2025): Stand Down 3 speeches ▸
12. 12 Oral question Oral Question 9: First Prison in Sri Lanka and Prison Conditions 6 speeches ▸
13. 13 Oral question Oral Question 10: Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Land at Deniyaya 4 speeches ▸
14. 14 Oral question Oral Question 11: University Faculty Enrolment (Answer Tabled) 2 speeches ▸
15. 15 Oral question Oral Question 12: Religious Activities in Wildlife Conservation Areas (Answer Tabled) 2 speeches ▸
16. 16 Oral question Question by Private Notice (SO 27(2)): Health Services and Drug Shortages 8 speeches ▸
17. 17 Oral question Question by Private Notice (SO 27(2)): Department of Pensions Services 5 speeches ▸
18. 18 Opening Ministerial Statement: Teacher Vacancies and Development Officers 4 speeches ▾
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB

      AI summary Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya provided detailed figures on teacher vacancies as of 31 May 2025, noting 1,501 vacancies in National Schools and 36,178 in Provincial Schools, and outlined planned recruitments in priority subject areas, including foreign languages. She said some recruitment processes, including in-service graduate appointments and Dharmacharya-qualified teacher appointments, have been delayed by court orders, fiscal controls, vacancy limitations, and pending Cabinet or Public Service Commission directions. She also stated that no programme has been implemented to return Development Officers posted to schools to other state institutions, and that action will depend on pending court cases. On Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine, she said UGC and other committee reports are being considered, while clinical training has begun following the establishment of professorial units and assignment of staff.

      EducationParliamentary ProcedureEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of Opposition SJB

      AI summary Sajith Premadasa raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the Dharmacharya examination process, noting delays from the 2019 written examination to the 2024 release of results, and called for appointments to be made based on the 2019 results before conducting new examinations. He urged implementation of a court settlement to absorb 16,600 Development Officers who served in schools into the teacher service, and asked why reported teacher vacancies could not be filled by them and unemployed graduates. He also called for urgent action on alleged curriculum irregularities and infrastructure deficiencies at GWUIM, including lecture halls, laboratories and residential facilities.

      Justice & Human RightsEducationEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB

      AI summary The Prime Minister clarified that the 2024 disclosure of 2019 examination results was made through an RTI request and was not inconsistent with her earlier answer. Regarding Development Officers, she said the Government is awaiting court processes and Public Service Commission guidance, seeking to expedite long-pending cases with the Justice Minister’s advice, and will resolve the issue under the teacher service constitution. She also stated that a report on GWUIM has been requested and that action will be taken according to its recommendations.

      EducationParliamentary ProcedureJustice & Human Rights Full speech →
19. 19 Opening Ministerial Statement: Fair Prices for Paddy 2 speeches ▸
20. 20 Opening Ministerial Statement: Tamil Translations of Holy Qur'an 8 speeches ▸
21. 21 Papers Presentation of Bills: Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Bill 6 speeches ▸
22. 22 Debate Debate: Regulations under National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act No. 5 of 2015 67 speeches ▸
23. 23 Debate Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill - Committee Stage 4 speeches ▸
24. 24 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability 17 speeches ▸