Other Parliamentary Papers
Parliamentary Debates
Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), House of Commons. Official Report.
MICRO FICHE 759 (4 X 6), (1667-1694); MICRO CARD 180 (1066-1967/68);
J 301 K22 Ser. 5 QEII Bookstacks (1967/68-1984/85); MICRO FICHE 4388 (4 X 6), (1984/85-1994/95)
The official, verbatim record of Commons and Lords debates is popularly known as Hansard, in honour of the family that reported them during the nineteenth century. Records pre-dating the nineteenth century contain summarized accounts or even a history of proceedings when the former are not available. Until the late 1800's, Hansard continued providing condensed accounts. These were derived mainly from newspapers which probably revealed the bias of their owners. Publication of an official, verbatim record did not begin until 1909. It is also from this year that the debates of the two Houses were reported separately.
The text is divided into two columns per page, with the columns being numbered rather than the pages. In the Commons Hansard, written answers are collected together at the end of each volume with the column numbering in italics. As users often overlook this distinction, written answers are distinguished by a conspicuous 'w' in the index entries from 1984 on.
Indexing is more thorough in name/title access than in subject coverage. For example, a debate pertaining to environmental issues is located under the entry - 'Protection of the Environment Bill' and not 'Environment'. Abbreviated references, such as `2R' for Second Reading, indicate a bill's passage through the legislative procedure.
Before 1984, index entries refer to questions unless identified as 'Debate'. When both entries are present, questions precede debates. From 1984, the process is reversed; debates precede questions, and if either entry appears singly, it is specified accordingly.
Note that the index in microfiche set 759, covering the years 1667-1694, is handwritten and only offers rough subject access at best.
Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), House of Lords. Official Report.
MICRO CARD 180 (1066-1908); MICRO CARD 180/1 (1909-1963/64);
J 301 J22 QEII Bookstacks (1919-22, 1932/33, 1951/52, 1963/64-1979/80);
MICRO FICHE 3800 (4 X 6), (1980/81- 1994/95)
This is arranged in the same manner as the Commons Hansard except that written questions do not occur in the Lords.
Parliamentary Debates - Websites
Provides the Commons Hansard from November 1988 onwards and the Lords Hansard from November 1995 onwards. Note as well the links in the left column to the historic Hansard from the early 1800s - 2005.
Parliamentary Debates
Points to several official and unofficial sources for the Commons and Lords, covering various time spans ranging from the 16th century to 2005.
Journals
Journals of the House of Commons.
MICRO CARD 178 (1547-1900)
The Journals are sometimes mistaken for Hansard. They do not present a verbatim account of what is said in Parliament but serve as a concise, official record of its activities and the papers laid before it. They are compiled daily from Votes and Proceedings and the minute books of the clerk.
This microcard set numbers 155 volumes. There is an index in each sessional volume as well as a separate series of indexes in the last box. Papers are identified by subject headings and also by type of document. Thus, a bill about lighting can be searched under 'Electric lighting' or even under the heading 'Bills' itself. The entry - 'Bills' - is divided into several sub-sections: Bills withdrawn, put off, laid aside; Bills passed with unusual expedition; Bills sent to the Lords returned with amendments; Bills brought from the Lords returned with amendments, etc. The bills are then arranged by subject under the categories mentioned above.
Journals Websites
Journals of the Commons and the Lords
Available only to MUN Students and Faculty
Access the Journals of both houses from 1688-1834
Votes and Proceedings
Points to Commons Votes and proceedings from November 2006.
Stationery Office Catalogues
Citations for parliamentary bills, debates, local and public acts, Standing Committee minutes of proceedings, etc. can be obtained from the annual catalogues. (Z 2009 G82 QEII Reference 1986-). There are also cumulative indexes that cover 1894-1970 (Z 2009 G85 1971 QEII Reference)
The Stationery Office website is at: http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?. Note the links to legislation and Parliamentary papers in the blue subject list at lower left.
Bibliography
For further information about statutes and parliamentary papers, ask at the Information Services Desk or consult the following:
Bond, Maurice F. Guide to the Records of Parliament. London: Her Majesty's Stationery
Office, 1971. CD 1063 B63 1971 QEII Reference
British House of Commons Papers at Memorial Library (University of Wisconsin-Madison) [guide on-line]; available from http://www.library.wisc.edu/guides/govdocs/british/compap.htm. Internet: accessed October 26, 2005.
Butcher, David. Official Publications in Britain. 2nd ed. London: Library Association
Publishing Ltd., c1991. J 301 A1 B88 1991 QEII Reference
Ford, P. and Ford, G. A Guide to Parliamentary Papers: what they are, how to find them,
how to use them. 3rd ed. Totowa, New Jersey: Rowman and Littlefield, 1972
J 301 A1 F69 1972 QEII Reference
Pemberton, John E. British Official Publications. 2nd ed. Oxford: Pergamon Press, c1973.
J 301 A1 P46 1973 QEII Reference
Rodgers, Frank. A Guide to British Government Publications. New York: The H. W.
Wilson Company, 1980. J 301 A1 R63 1980 QEII Reference
Hardcopy and Electronic Holdings of Statutory and Parliamentary Papers at the QEII Library
The emphasis is less on providing complete citations than on identifying different categories, the period covered and the type of format.
Statutes
| Titles | Period | Call No. & Format |
|---|---|---|
| The Laws of the Earliest English Kings | 6th - 10th centuries. Exact dates are not known | KD 543 G74 1963 QEII Bookstacks |
| De priscis Anglorum legibus libri...(Anglo-Saxon text with Latin translation) | 449-1066 | Available online via the library catalogue |
| A Dictionary of the Norman or Old French language to which are added the laws of William the Conqueror | 1066-1087 | PC 2891 K35 1978 QEII Reference |
| No Statutory Holdings for this Period | 1087-1225 | |
| The Statutes of the Realm... | 1225-1713 | MICRO FICHE 1125 (3 X 5) |
| The Statutes at Large... | 1225-1806 | MICRO FICHE 1124 (4 X 6) |
| UK Statutes | 1867(vol.2)-1876,1878-1880, 1884-1886,1891, 1893-1910,1912-1914, 1916-2001 |
KD 124 G74 QEII Bookstacks |
| 1801-1809, 1819-1826, 1829-1832, 1877, 1882,1888-1890,1892 | KD 130 G74 QEII Rare |
|
| 1801-1922 | MICRO FICHE 4928 | |
| 1988 onwards, and partial datasets from 1801-1987. | http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/original |
Sessional Papers
| Titles | Period | Call No & Format |
|---|---|---|
| House of Commons Sessional Papers | 1715 - 1800 1715 onwards: |
J 301 K625 QEII Oversize Online Access to MUN students, faculty and staff only. |
| House of Lords Sessional Papers | 1714-1805 |
J 301 J2 QEII Oversize |
| Indexes for 1714-1885 | J 301 M4 1976 QEII Reference |
Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).
(Regular reporting for both houses did not begin until the early 19th century. The official, verbatim record commenced as recently as 1909 when the debates of the two Houses were reported separately.).
Commons Debates
| Period | Call No & Format |
|---|---|
| 1667-1694 | MICRO FICHE 759 (4 X 6) |
| 1066-1967/68 (see "Note" at bottom of table) | MICRO CARD 180 |
| 1967/68-1984/85 | J 301 K22 Ser. 5 QEII Bookstacks |
| 1984/85-1994/95 | MICRO FICHE 4388 |
| 1988-2016 |
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons |
| 1803-2005 | http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/ |
Lords Debates
| Period | Call No & Format |
|---|---|
| 1066-1908 (see "Note" at bottom of table) | MICRO CARD 180 |
| 1909-1963/64 | MICRO CARD 180/1 |
| 1919-22, 1932/33, 1951/52, 1957/58- 1958/59, 1963/64- 1979/80 |
J 301 J22 QEII Bookstacks |
| 1980/81-1994/95 | MICRO FICHE 3800 (4 X 6) |
| 1995/1996 onwards |
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/lords/ |
| 1803-2005 | http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/ |
Journals
| Title | Period | Call No & Format |
|---|---|---|
| Journals of the House of Commons | 1547-1900 | MICRO CARD 178 |
| Journals of the House of Commons | 1547-1699 and 1830 | www.british-history.ac.uk/search/series/commons-jrnl |
| Journals of the House of Commons | 1688-1834 | Online Access to MUN students, faculty and staff only. |
| Journals of the House of Lords | 1509-1793 and 1830-2 | www.british-history.ac.uk/search/series/lords-jrnl |
| Journals of the House of Lords | 1688-1834 | Online Access to MUN students, faculty and staff only. |
NOTE (Commons & Lords debates)
The period from 1066 - February 1820 is taken from Cobbett's Parliamentary History of England and Cobbett's Parliamentary Debates and comprises more of a parliamentary history than reportage as we know it today. Not surprisingly, the historical record for the earliest years is brief but grows in detail towards the late middle ages. The Hansard stamp first appears in April 1820 with the official verbatim debates commencing in 1909.