Sitting of Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 22638 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Parliament Opening and Stage Play Announcement 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Presentation of Reports and Petitions 7 speeches
- 3 Oral question Oral Question: Ceylon Electricity Board Restructuring (Q.1/2025) 7 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Investigations into Assassinations, Abductions or Assaults of Journalists Since 2010 (Q.2/2025) 7 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Post of Public Health Midwife - Vacancies (Q.3/2025) 9 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question: Warehouses of Paddy Marketing Board in Ampara District (Q.8/2025) 8 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: 100,000 Kilometres Alternative Roads Programme in Kalutara District (Q.9/2025) 5 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: Fish Death in Beira Lake (Q.10/2025) 2 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question: Oil Palm Cultivation and Imports (Q.11/2025) 2 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question: Q.7/2025 - Deferred Answer 3 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Question: Mannar Water Supply Project (Standing Order 27(2)) 5 speeches
- 12 Papers Ministerial Statements: Poverty Alleviation and Industry Development 7 speeches
- 13 Debate Ministerial Statement and Debate: Power Generation Policy (Minister of Energy) 46 speeches
- 14 Papers Ministerial Statements: Flood Relief and Defence Updates 4 speeches
- 15 Procedural Procedural Motions: Exemptions and Sitting Hours 2 speeches
- 16 Debate Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 1) 11 speeches
- 17 Debate Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) 64 speeches
- 18 Procedural Procedural Motion: Approval of Rules and Order 1 speeches
- 19 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Promote Early Detection of Breast Cancer 21 speeches
- The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB
AI summary Moved the adjournment of Parliament. The motion was then proposed for consideration.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasinghe JJB
AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasinghe moved an Adjournment Motion marking Global Breast Cancer Awareness Month, citing rising breast cancer incidence in Sri Lanka and the need for earlier detection through improved awareness. She proposed systematizing early-detection methods and conducting nationwide awareness programmes with the Ministry of Health, women’s organizations, and state and non-state institutions. She emphasized improving women’s health literacy, encouraging self-examination, and addressing social attitudes by involving families and wider society in prevention and support.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasinghe JJB
AI summary Mrs. Samanmali Gunasinghe highlighted the financial and social impact of cancer on families, noting that stigma can prevent women from discussing symptoms or seeking help. She called for changing attitudes to encourage early testing, including self-examinations and referrals to appropriate medical institutions, and tabled related information.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Seconding the Motion on preventing breast cancer, the member highlighted the high incidence and mortality among women in Sri Lanka, citing 5,447 cases in 2021, around 15 new cases daily, and three deaths daily. She emphasized that early detection can lead to near-complete cure rates and called for awareness and screening efforts to begin in Parliament and expand across public and private institutions. She also acknowledged awareness initiatives by the Indira Cancer Trust, Roshan Mahanama Trust, and school-based programmes such as pink ribbon campaigns and TLC—Touch, Look, Check.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB
AI summary The Prime Minister thanked Parliament for holding an awareness programme and Adjournment debate on breast cancer, linking the issue to personal and family experiences. She emphasized that breast cancer is often treatable when detected early and urged women to undertake regular screening, including self-examinations and clinical checks, beginning from young adulthood and certainly by age 35. She noted that services are available through government hospitals, clinics, and NGOs, and called for continued public awareness to save lives.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa, speaking during Global Breast Cancer Awareness Month, noted that Sri Lanka records over 5,000 new breast cancer cases annually and faces higher mortality due to delayed diagnosis, treatment delays, and limited access to diagnostics and therapies. He called for strengthened public education, training of primary healthcare staff, expanded district-level diagnostic facilities, timely referrals, and increased radiotherapy and oncology capacity across provinces. He urged the Government to prioritize physical and human resource allocation for breast cancer prevention and care, while stating the Opposition’s readiness to support such measures.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj - Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB
AI summary October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Minister highlighted that breast cancer accounts for 26% of female cancers in Sri Lanka, with about 15 new cases and three deaths daily, while stressing that early detection can make it preventable or curable. She noted the higher risk among women aged 40–69, the presence of male cases, and urged women over 20 to practise TLC self-examinations and seek clinical assessment through Suwanari clinics. She also acknowledged the Indira Cancer Trust, the National Cancer Control Programme, and Parliament for supporting awareness initiatives and patient services.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB
AI summary Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper supported the Motion on breast cancer awareness, emphasizing low awareness of early detection in Tamil-speaking communities, including Tamils, Muslims and Hill Country Tamils. He requested that educational material, including self-examination guidance, be made available in Tamil and urged male MPs and men generally to discuss breast cancer openly with women in their families, encourage examination after age 20 and especially after 40, and help reduce stigma around treatment such as mastectomy. He called for continuous community awareness-raising and stressed that breast cancer is treatable.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. (Ms.) Krishnan Kalaichelvi JJB
AI summary Hon. (Ms.) Krishnan Kalaichelvi highlighted that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Sri Lanka and is curable if detected early, noting the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She said awareness is inadequate among estate-sector women in Nuwara Eliya, including due to the lack of Tamil-language material, and called for targeted awareness programmes in hill-country estates with civil and women’s organizations. She urged education on symptoms, risks, and self-examination for women over 20 to help reduce the disease’s impact.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan ITAK
AI summary Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan supported the Adjournment Motion on breast cancer, stressing the need for early screening, symptom awareness, and reducing stigma so that cancer is not seen as an automatic death sentence. He linked rising cancer incidence to lifestyle and dietary changes, particularly increased consumption of processed and chemical-laden foods, and urged families to re-examine habits. He called for a sustained awareness campaign, including among schoolchildren, and for confidence-building messages that cancer can be treated and overcome.
- The Hon. Presiding Member procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa highlighted Sri Lanka’s high burden of non-communicable diseases and cancers, noting about 33,000 new cancer cases annually and 10–15 breast cancer diagnoses daily, often at advanced stages. He said the Government is expanding treatment capacity, including five additional linear accelerators, while prioritizing early detection through self-examination, Suwanari and Suwa Divi clinics, and new Arogya Health and Wellness Centres serving defined local populations. He stated that the National Health Policy 2026–2035 and a 10-year Strategic Master Plan will support cancer control through proactive screening, timely referral for diagnostics, and access to surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy.
- 20 Procedural Parliament Adjourned 1 speeches