The Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena informed the House in a special statement this morning (20) that no outsiders are allowed to enter the meeting rooms during the parliamentary select committee meetings.Thus, Abeywardena pointed out that except for the members of the committees or other MPs who are not committee members but attend the meeting with proper approval of the committee’s chairman and the officials of external institutions summoned before the committees, if an outsider is to attend any Parliamentary Select Committee meeting prior written approval of the Speaker must be obtained.The Speaker, who expressed that he has received information regarding various occasions of committee chairpersons going beyond their scope of work in the respective committee, emphasized that all committee chairpersons are bound by parliamentary standing orders to act in a manner that preserves the long-standing traditions of the Parliament.Furthermore, he informed that it must be ensured that the press releases are issued include only the matters approved by the relevant committees, and in a manner that the government officials of various ministries, departments, and statutory or non-statutory bodies called before the committees, are not inconvenienced.The Speaker of the House further affirmed that official letterheads should not be utilized for any personal or political errands under any circumstances.The Speaker’s special statement comes in the aftermath over the controversy surrounding the participation of COPE chairman Prof.

Ranjith Bandara’s son, Kanishka Bandara, during the recent Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) meeting held with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials.