Speaker concerned about food safety in Parliament, appoints committee

• Stresses that food safety is vital since meals are served to MPs, diplomats, state officials, security forces, and staff

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

The committee on Housekeeping in Parliament has decided to appoint a team of officials to recommend proposals to enhance the safety of food and beverages served in the parliamentary cafeterias, a statement from the communication unit in the House said yesterday.  
The decision was made when the Housekeeping Committee met recently with Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne in the chair.  
An official from the House who did not wish to be named told Daily Mirror that the move is an initiative of the Speaker, who has been associated with the health sector officials and is aware of food safety.  
“There have been no reports on an issue pertaining to food and beverages served in Parliament during the past years,” he added.  

However, the media reported in 2022 that a fairly long piece of thread used for sackcloth was found in sprat curry served at the press canteen in the house, while two policemen fell ill after consuming contaminated fish also in the year 2022.  
Following the request of the Speaker, a team of Public Health Inspectors led by the Medical Officer of Health, Battaramulla, conducted inspections last April of the kitchens and other locations within the Parliamentary premises related to the preparation of food and beverages. Accordingly, the Public Health Inspectors submitted to the House Committee a detailed report, inclusive of their observations.  
Expressing his views on this occasion, the Battaramulla Medical Officer of Health, Y.B. Indika, stated that although food safety inspections had been carried out in approximately 150 state institutions within the Battaramulla area lately and this was the first time that such an inspection regarding the safety of food had been conducted in the House.  
He also expressed gratitude to the Speaker for facilitating this intervention. He noted that a report of the inspection carried out on the procurement of raw materials, food production, storage, and serving processes in Parliament had been handed over to the Speaker.  
The Speaker emphasised the necessity of ensuring the safety of food and beverages in Parliament, since they are provided to Members of Parliament, foreign diplomats, state officials, members of the security forces, and the staff. Accordingly, he said that this Committee will be appointed in order to prepare proposals to promptly address the shortcomings in the existing infrastructure facilities, as well as other issues prevailing in the food and beverages sector of Parliament.  
It was proposed that this Committee should comprise the Medical Officer of Health in charge of the area, Public Health Inspectors and an engineer/architect with expertise in kitchen work from the State Engineering Corporation, Director of Catering and Housekeeping Services of Parliament and Coordinating Engineer of Parliament.  
In addition, the House Committee also paid attention to matters concerning the service and maintenance activities of the official residences of Members of Parliament at Madiwela. The Speaker instructed the relevant officials to take steps to urgently resolve the existing shortcomings in this regard.