PARLIAMENT

Hon. Ravindra Bandara,—To ask the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education,— (1)

(a) Will she inform this House —

(i) whether she is aware that money has been provided to various individuals by the President’s Fund for completing a PhD or other higher education programmes at foreign universities under the strict condition that they must return to Sri Lanka and serve this country;

(ii) whether money has been provided accordingly by the President’s Fund to the children, relatives and friends of the former Presidents, Ministers and Members of Parliament after 2005;

(iii) if so, of the number of individuals to whom money has been provided in this manner, their names and the names of the respective politicians to whom they are related, separately;

(iv) out of the above-named individuals, of the number of those who have returned to Sri Lanka after completing their PhDs and the number of those who have not returned to Sri Lanka, separately;

(v) of the action that has been taken regarding the individuals who have not returned to Sri Lanka;

(vi) whether legal action has been taken against them; and

(vii) whether the money spent by the government on their behalf has been recovered from them?

(b) If not, why?