Mr. Speaker

¶ 01 Announcements

¶ 02 Procedure on Placing Questions for Oral Answers in the Order Paper

¶ 03 Hon. Members, I wish to clarify the statement made by Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri, MP, on 21st November 2025 regarding the procedure currently followed for placing Questions for Oral Answers in the Order Paper.

¶ 04 The present procedure was formulated because, under the method previously followed, only a few Members were able to obtain opportunities to ask questions on any sitting day, thereby denying equal opportunity to other Members who had submitted questions. This concern was raised by twenty-two (22) Members of the Ninth Parliament through a written appeal addressed to the Hon. Speaker, which was brought to the special attention of the Committee on Parliamentary Business at its meeting held on 16.03.2022.

¶ 05 Accordingly, at the said meeting, the Committee on Parliamentary Business studied in depth and at length the proposal on the present procedure for placing Questions for Oral Answers in the Order Paper, and approved it unanimously. I emphasize that the procedure is not designed to give any Member representing any party an undue advantage, nor has any official intervened in a partisan manner.

¶ 06 In view of the success of this procedure for Oral Questions, and considering the request made by Hon. Members, the Committee on Parliamentary Business at its meeting held on 18.11.2025 decided to adopt the same basis when including “Private Members’ Motions” in the Order Paper.

¶ 07 Therefore, I inform the House that the statement made by Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri alleging partisan conduct by officials in implementing the current procedure for placing Questions for Oral Answers in the Order Paper is false and entirely without foundation.

¶ 08 Auditor-General’s Report

¶ 09 Under Article 154(6) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, I lay on the Table Part XXX of the Second Volume and Part 20/11 of the Ninth Volume of the Auditor-General’s Report for the financial year 2024.

¶ 10 Question put, and agreed to.

¶ 11 Ordered that the Report be printed.