Speaker-Led Parliamentary Delegation from Sri Lanka Undertakes Official Visit to the United Kingdom

A Parliamentary delegation led by Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne MP, Speaker of the Parliament concluded a successful visit to the United Kingdom from 26 to 29 October 2025, at the invitation of Speaker of the House of Commons, The Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle. Organised by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and funded by UK International Development, the visit aimed to strengthen the long-standing partnership between the Parliaments of Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, providing an opportunity for Sri Lankan legislators to gain first-hand insights into the UK Parliament’s efforts in promoting anti-corruption, transparency, and good governance.

The delegation also comprised Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa MP; Minister of Justice and National Integration and President of the UK–Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association Harshana Nanayakkara MP; Minister of Women and Child Affairs and Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Saroja Savithri Paulraj MP and Assistant Secretary General of Parliament Hansa Abeyratne.

A key focus of the visit was to explore institutional frameworks and parliamentary practices in the United Kingdom, with particular attention to post-legislative scrutiny (PLS). The delegation examined how PLS serves as a mechanism to promote transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption within democratic governance.

Key engagements during the visit included a courtesy call on The Rt. Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons; meetings with Ms Seema Malhotra MP, Minister for the Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); Dr Zubir Ahmed, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, Innovation and Safety; Lord Hannett, UK Trade Envoy to Sri Lanka; Sir Max Hill, Former Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr Andrew Snowden MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sri Lanka and its members. Meetings also took place with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, senior officials and Board Members of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and Chairs of the Procedure Committee and the Petitions Committee of the House of Commons to understand parliamentary mechanisms.

Additionally, Minister of Women and Child Affairs and Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus met with Rt Hon. Baroness Harriet Harman, UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Women and Girls, for a focused discussion on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment through parliamentary action as well as Minister of State for Children and Families Josh MacAlister.

The delegation also attended a discussion with the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS), University of London, on technical assistance to enhance post-legislative scrutiny capacity within the Sri Lankan Parliament. The programme included a visit to the National Theare and a meeting with Mr Hiran Abeysekera, a Laurence Olivier Award-winning actor currently playing Hamlet at the National Theatre.

On 27 October, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London organised an interactive dialogue for Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Mass Media, with over 50 health and medical professionals in the UK including Sri Lankan doctors to discuss current healthcare challenges and collaborative opportunities.

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom Nimal Senadheera and the diplomatic officers of the High Commission were associated with the delegation at the meetings.

This visit marked the first official visit by Sri Lanka’s current administration to the United Kingdom and reaffirmed the commitment of both Parliaments to strengthening institutional cooperation and promoting good governance and deepening bilateral relations.

High Commission of Sri Lanka

United Kingdom

07.11.2025