The issue had been taken up at the meeting of Cabinet of ministers and is under consideration of being implemented, Minister Jayasena said.

The Minister said so participating in the committee stage debate on budget 2015 under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

She said that the matter had been discussed in the Party Leaders’ meeting and most probably the increment could be granted with effect from the next year.

The minister said so responding to a query raised by Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga, who requested the government to increase the health insurance provided for the MPs. Health expenses of MPs have increased as they had to seek treatment from private hospitals where the cost for a single day treatment would come around Rs 250,000.

He also requested the government to take action to upgrade the Medical Centre in the parliamentary premises so that some medical tests such as blood and urine tests could be carried out there.

Minister Jayasena said that arrangements could be made to enable the MPs to obtain such services from the Parliamentary Medical Centre but it would not feasible to set up Medical Laboratory inside parliament premises as some of the scan machines used to certain tests could not be brought in. (Special Reporter/HC)