Hon. Bimal Rathnayake
2026-02-19
Hon. Bimal Rathnayake raised a procedural matter requesting the Speaker's intervention regarding compliance with guidelines governing responses to questions under Standing Order 27(2). He noted that the guidelines, approved on 18th November, stipulate that answers should be delivered within five minutes, but that the response given that day by Hon. Anil Jayantha significantly exceeded this limit. He requested that the Speaker instruct all Ministries and Secretaries to adhere to the prescribed guidelines and that the guidelines be formally circulated.
Hon. Speaker, I request your intervention. The guidelines to be followed when answering Questions under Standing Order 27(2) were approved on 18th November. Today, Hon. Anil Jayantha is answering a Question asked on 11th November. Please instruct all Ministries and Secretaries that Answers under Standing Order 27(2) should be prepared so that they can be delivered within five minutes, as per the guidelines. The time taken today was far longer. Kindly circulate the guidelines.