Subject Ministers must be present to answer questions – Speaker

By Saman Indrajith

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said yesterday that subject ministers should be present in the House to answer questions raised by Opposition members. They in so doing would honour the Parliament, he said.

 The Speaker made this observation after the government asked for additional time to answer ten out of 15 questions raised by the Opposition yesterday.

Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga, raising a point of order, said that the subject ministers should be present in the House at question time to respond to the Opposition.

MP Amaratunga pointed out that now it had become a habit for Chief Government Whip, Water Supply and Drainage Minister, to read out answers sent by ministers to the House.