British Official Documents
in the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
- HOUSE OF COMMONS SESSIONAL PAPERS
- HOUSE OF LORDS SESSIONAL PAPERS
- DEBATES
- GUIDES TO BRITISH DOCUMENTS
- BRITISH GOVERNMENT ONLINE
HOUSE OF COMMONS SESSIONAL PAPERS
Sessional Papers (more recently "Parliamentary Papers") is the collective name for documents issued by and published for the House of Commons and separately for the House of Lords of the British Parliament. Because a large percentage of British government reports are reissued by Parliament, Sessional Papers are a particularly rich source of information on social, economic, and political history.
Publications included in the Sessional Papers
PUBLIC BILLS, which relate to public policy, are first numbered when introduced, and each amended version receives a new number. PRIVATE BILLS, introduced for the particular interest of individuals, public bodies, or local authorities, are not officially printed until they become Acts and do not appear in the Sessional Papers.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES may be generated by the House of Commons sitting as a Committee of the Whole, or by Select Committees (with a membership of Commons members only), or Joint Select Committees (with a membership of both Houses of Parliament). Reports cover the subject matter and texts of proposed legislation as well as the minutes of Committee meetings.
RETURNS are administrative or executive reports issued periodically or special reports that are required by an Act of Parliament.
ACT PAPERS are similar to RETURNS but are mostly from non-departmental agencies, such as national boards, corporations, and authorities established by Parliament.
ROYAL COMMISSION PAPERS AND REPORTS are reports of specially appointed commissions of investigation, not created by Parliament but by Royal Warrant. They may include state papers on foreign affairs, reports issued on the authority of a government department, reports from ad hoc committees, and statistical returns. Many are issued as COMMAND PAPERS (described below).
COMMAND PAPERS are reports sent to Parliament through the initiative of the government minister or by Royal Warrant rather than required by an Act of Parliament. They include:
State papers (Treaty Series, Country Series, Miscellaneous)
Policy papers (or White papers)
Some annual reports
Reports of royal commissions
Reports of departmental committees
Reports of tribunals and commissions of inquiry
Statistical reportsCommand Papers are numbered consecutively and have been published thus far in five series, distinguished by letter prefixes:
| First Series 1- 4222 1833-69 Second Series C.1 -C.9550 1870-99 Third Series Cd.1 -Cd.9239 1900-18 Fourth Series Cmd.1 -Cmd.9889 1919-56 Fifth Series Cmnd.1- 1956- |
Eighteenth Century Papers
1. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
Journals of the House of Commons. v.1-155; 1547-1900.
BGIC MICROPRINT G4Reprints many of the Commons' reports prior to the 19th Century. References are cited in the Journal's own indexes and in Hansard's Catalogue and Breviate (entry 11).
2. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
General index to the reports from committees of the House of Commons, 1715-1801; forming the series of fifteen volumes of reports. BGIC Microform Index Area J301.K5 Index 1803a
3. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
British Sessional papers. 1731-1800. BGIC MICROPRINT G5
Excludes those papers appearing in the House of Commons Journal (entry 1). The papers are arranged in four sequences: Accounts and Papers, Catalogue of Papers, Bills, and Reports. The Catalogue has a chronological listing of the contents and includes an index by subject.
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Papers
TopEach session of Parliament usually lasts one year. There may be over 50 volumes of Parliamentary Papers for each session. The order of papers, until 1968/69, is as follows:
PUBLIC BILLS, arranged alphabetically by their titles
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES, arranged by subject or name of committee
REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONERS, etc., arranged by subject. Many Command Papers included here.
ACCOUNTS AND PAPERS, arranged in a traditional order, by which Finance comes first, followed by Security, Defense, the Civil Estimate, Trade and Navigational Accounts, Treaties, and International Agreements.
SESSIONAL INDEX, lists Bills, Papers, Command Papers, and Reports separately in numerical order and includes a detailed alphabetical index to all Sessional Papers. Refers to volume number and page if the pages in each volume were numbered.
Beginning with the session of 1969/70, there are only two sequences:
PUBLIC BILLS, arranged alphabetically but with the minutes of proceedings of committees placed immediately after the bill to which they refer.
REPORTS, ACCOUNTS AND PAPERS, in a single alphabetical subject arrangement.
SESSIONAL INDEX, same as above.
4. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
British Sessional papers. 1801-present. BGIC MICROPRINT G5 (covers 1801-1979); BGIC MICROFICHE (covers 1980-present).
An index is published for each session. Also indexed by subject in Government Publications (see entry 9 below).
General Indexes to Sessional Papers
Top5. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
General alphabetical index to the bills, reports, estimates, accounts and papers. 1801-1899.
BGIC Microform Index Area J301.K6 Index 1853a (covers 1801-1852); BGIC Microform Index Area J301.K6 Index 1909 v.1 and v.2 (covers 1852-1899).
Arranged by broad subject heading. Each heading has a table of contents listing specific subjects and types of documents included. Citations give the year of the session, a paper number in parentheses, Roman numeral for the volume number of that session, and a page number. The paper number in parentheses is not needed to locate the document.
6. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
General index to the bills, reports and papers ...and to the reports and papers presented by command. 1900-1948/49. BGIC Microform Index Area J301.K6 Index 1960
Arranged alphabetically by subject. For each paper, citation is given to the year of the session, a paper number in parentheses, Roman numeral for the volume number of that session, and page number. The paper number given in parentheses is not needed to locate the document.
7. Great Britain. Stationery Office.
Annual catalogues of British official and parliamentary publications. 1894-1919.
BGIC Z2009.G82 (covers 1894-1909); BGIC Z2009.G83 (covers 1910-1919).
8. Great Britain. Stationery Office.
Catalogues and indexes of British government publications, 1920-1970. BGIC Z2009.G84 v. 1-5.
9. Great Britain. Stationery Office.
Government publications; consolidated list. 1971- London: H.M. Stationery Office. BGIC Z2009.G85
Annual list of all British government publications with annual cumulation. Provides a subject and numerical approach to current Bills, Reports, Accounts and Papers.
9a. Index to British parliamentary papers. New Canaan, CT: NewsBank/Readex, 1989-present. BGIC CD-ROM 007 (ask the staff to retrieve and load this disc).
CD-ROM index to the British parliamentary papers, including the House of Commons sessional papers, the House of Lords sessional papers and Hansard's debates.
10. Irish University Press.
Checklist of British parliamentary papers in the Irish University Press 1000-volume series. 1801-1899. Shannon. Ireland [1972]. Main Library Z2019.I73
Selective Indexes to Sessional Papers
11. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
Hansard's Catalogue and breviate of Parliamentary Papers. 1696-1834. Oxford. Blackwell, 1953. BGIC Microform Index Area J301.K62 1953
Lists Commons papers by broad subject category. Citations are made to the House of Commons Journal (entry 1) and the Sessional Papers (entry 4). Indexed by author and detailed subject. A separate chart lists relevant House of Lords papers not reprinted by the House of Commons.12. DiRoma, Edward.
A numerical finding list of British Command Papers published 1833-1961/62. New York: New York Public Library. 1967. Main Library Z2009.D5
Lists the five series of Command Papers by individual number, providing the year, volume number and page on which it appears in the Sessional Papers (see entry no. 4 above).
13. Ford, Percy.
Select list of British Parliamentary papers. 1833-1899. Shannon, Ireland: Irish University Press, 1969. BGIC Microform Index Area J301.M3 1953
Subject listing of selected Commons papers and Lords papers not reprinted by the House of Commons. Provides for each report a citation to the Sessional Papers.
14. Ford, Percy.
A breviate of Parliamentary papers. 1900-1916. Oxford: Blackwell, 1957. Main Reference JN549.F59 1969
Lists selected Commons and Lords Sessional Papers by broad subject heading. Provides citation to the complete text and an abstract of each document. Indexed by author and keyword-in-title.
Top15. Ford, Percy.
A breviate of Parliamentary papers. 1917-1939. Oxford: Blackwell. 1951. BGIC Microform Index Area JN549.F6 1969
Lists selected Commons and Lords Sessional Papers by broad subject heading. Provides citation to the complete text and an abstract of each document. Indexed by author and keyword-in-title.
16. Ford. Percy.
A breviate of Parliamentary papers. 1940-1954. Oxford: Blackwell. 1961. BGIC Microform Index Area JN549.F62
Lists selected Commons and Lords Sessional Papers by broad subject heading. Provides citation to the complete text and an abstract of each document. Indexed by author and keyword-in-title.
17. McBride. Elizabeth A.
British command papers: a numerical finding list. 1962/63-1976/77. Atlanta, Ga. : Emory General Libraries, Emory University. 1982. Main Library Z2009.D51. Supplements: A Numerical Finding List of British Command Papers Published 1833-1961/62 (see entry no.12 above).
18. Morgan. Annie Mary.
British Government publications: an index to chairmen and authors. 1941-1966. London: Library Association, Reference. Special and Information Section in association with Birmingham Public Libraries, 1969. Main Library Z2009.M64
19. Rodgers. Frank.
Serial publications in the British Parliamentary papers. 1900-1968; a bibliography. Chicago: ALA, 1971. Main Library Z2009.R63
Lists by issuing agency all serials that have appeared in the House of Commons Sessional Papers during the twentieth century and briefly indicates their publishing history. Also provides a key to the subject headings used in the principal indexes of parliamentary papers.
20. Temperley, Harold William Vazeille.
A century of diplomatic blue books. 1814-1914. Cambridge, England: The University Press. 1938. Main Library Z2009.T28 1966
Lists papers relating to British foreign affairs appearing in the House of Commons Sessional Papers, House of Commons Journals, and House of Lords Sessional Papers. Arranged chronologically with indexes by subject and country.
21. Vogel, Robert.
A breviate of British diplomatic blue books. 1919-1939. Montreal: McGill University Press, 1963. Main Library Z2009.V6
Lists chronologically all Bills, Papers and Command Papers on British foreign affairs appearing in the House of Commons Sessional Papers. Indexed by country and subject.
HOUSE OF LORDS SESSIONAL PAPERS
Publications Included:
Like their House of Commons counterpart, House of Lords Sessional Papers include Bills, Reports, Accounts and Papers; Command Papers were included from 1833-1870. While much of the Lords material is duplicated in the Commons Sessional Papers (see entry no 4 above), the Lords versions of Bills, Peerage Cases, Procedural Papers and early 19th century Reports from Committees are unique.
Publishing Arrangement:
Each session of Parliament usually lasts one year. The arrangement of volumes for the early 19th Century varied with the individual set. Between the 1830s and the early 20th century, each session's papers were grouped as follows:
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
MANUSCRIPTS
BILLS
REPORTS OF SELECT COMMITTEES
ACCOUNTS AND PAPERS
SESSIONAL INDEXES (1886-1920 only)
Beginning with the 1920s, the House of Lords Sessional Papers appear in just two sequences:
PUBLIC BILLS, arranged alphabetically by subject
MISCELLANEOUS, papers arranged alphabetically by type of document or subject
22. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords.
Sessional papers. BGIC MICROPRINT G5 (covers 1940-1976); BGIC MICROFICHE (uncataloged; covers 1979-present). Holdings omit the years 1977-78.
An index appears for each session. Also indexed by subject in Government Pub1ications (see entry 9 above).
If UNR does not own a particular paper from the House of Lords, first check the House of Commons for its inclusion in the latter set indexes (entries 5-6 above). If the Lords publication has not been reprinted by the Commons, and was printed between 1860-1924, see Winifred Gregory's List of Serial Publications of Foreign Governments, 1815-1931 Main Reference Z7164.G7L7, p. 311, to identify libraries owning and loaning the material.
Indexes
TopThe various bibliographies by Percy Ford (entries 13-16 above) provide a subject approach to selected Papers from the House of Lords, 1833-1974, while Government Publications (entries 8-9 above) provides a comprehensive subject and numerical approach to Lords Bills and Papers, from 1920 to present. For a listing of Lords Papers prior to 1801, consult Hansard's Catalogue and Breviate (entry 11 above).
DEBATES
The Parliamentary Debates (often referred to as "Hansard" after Thomas Curson Hansard, printer to the House of Commons) present an accurate and dispassionate record of what is said in Parliament. The names of Members who address the House are given without party labels, Ministers are identified by the names of the posts they hold and back benchers by the names of the constituencies they represent.
The Debates are published daily. The final reprint of the reports, incorporating approved corrections, appears in permanent bound volumes. The Debates are indexed under the names of the Members who addressed the House, the subjects they spoke about and the subjects covered by written answers.
23. Great Britain. Parliament.
The parliamentary history of England from the earliest period to the year 1803, from which last-mentioned epoch it is continued downwards in the work entitled "Hansard's parliamentary debates" [see entries below]. v.1-36; 1066/1625-1801/03. London, printed by T.C. Hansard [etc.] 1806-20. [New York: Readex Microprint, 1961] BGIC MICROPRINT G2
Title varies: 1066/1625-1741/43, Cobbett's parliamentary history of England, from the Norman conquest in 1066 to the year 1803, from which last-mentioned epoch it is continued downwards in the work entitled "Cobbett's parliamentary debates." Appendix 1 to v.6 (1702/14) is "Proceedings in the Parliament of Scotland from the meeting of the new Parliament upon the 6th of May, 1703 to the union with England, in the year 1707." Superseded by Cobbett's parliamentary debates, later the Parliamentary debates (authorized edition) of the Parliament of Great Britain.
The Debates from 1803 have been published in five series:
1st series: November 1803--February 1820
2nd series: April 1820--July 1830
3rd series: October 1830--August 1891
4th series: February 1892--December 1908
5th series: February 1909--Debates in the House of Lords have been reported and published separately since 1909; before then a summary had been published in the same volumes as the Commons Debates.
24. Great Britain. Parliament.
The parliamentary debates (Authorized edition). London, Wyman [etc.] [New York: Readex Microprint, 1961] BGIC MICROPRINT G3
Supersedes the Parliamentary history of England from the earliest period to the year 1803 (see entry no. 23 above). Title varies: 1803/04-Mar./May 1812, Cobbett's parliamentary debates; May/July 1812-Feb./Mar. 1829, The parliamentary debates; Mar./June 1829-July/Aug. 1891, Hansard's parliamentary debates.
BGIC holdings of the 5 debate series are as follows:
1st series (41v.): V.1-41, Nov. 22, 1803--Feb. 28, 1820
2nd series (25v.): V.1-25, Apr. 1820--July 1830
3rd series (356v.): V.45-356, Feb. 5, 1839--Aug. 5, 1891 [V.1-44 of this series are covered by the bound volumes listed in entry no.25 below]
4th series (199v.): V.1-151, Feb. 9, 1892--Aug. 10, 1905. [V.152-199 of this series are covered by the bound volumes listed in entry no.25 below]
5th series (111v.): V.1-111, Feb. 16, 1909--Nov. 21, 1918. [Years from 1916-1979 are included in the bound volumes listed in entry 26 below. This microprint series covers only House of Commons debates. For House of Lords debates, see entry 27 below]
Bound volumes of the debates are located in the Main Library Stacks. Holdings are listed below:
25. Great Britain. Parliament.
The parliamentary debates (Authorized edition). BGIC J301.H22 Ser. 3, V.1-44 (covers Oct. 26, 1830--Aug. 16, 1838); BGIC J301 .H225, V.152-199 (covers Feb. 13, 1906-Dec. 21, 1908). Gaps in these holdings are covered by the BGIC MICROPRINT G3 holdings listed in entry 24.
26. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
Parliamentary debates (Hansard) official report. London: H.M. Stationery Office. BGIC J301.J22 (covers Feb. 15, 1916-May 25, 1979. Holdings are mostly complete, with large gaps in the years 1932-35 and 1942-45). Years from 1909-1918 are covered by BGIC MICROPRINT G3 Series 5.
27. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords.
Parliamentary debates (Hansard) official report. London: H.M. Stationery Office. BGIC J301.J22 ser.5 , V.274-403 (covers Apr. 18, 1966-Dec. 20, 1979).
General Indexes to Debates
Top28. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Library.
A bibliography of parliamentary debates of Great Britain. London: H.M. Stationery Off., 1956. Main Library Z2009.G7
Indexes also appear for each session of Parliament in both the microprint and bound editions of the Debates series.
GUIDES TO BRITISH DOCUMENTS
Top29. Butcher, David.
Official publications in Britain. London: Bingley, 1983. Main Library Z2009.B87 1983
30. Ford, Percy.
A guide to Parliamentary Papers: what they are, how to find them, how to use them. 3rd ed. Shannon, Ireland: Irish University Press, 1972. Main Library Z2009.A1F6 1972a
A detailed guide to finding House of Commons and Lords debates, proceedings, and Sessional Papers.
31. Olle, James Gordon Herbert.
An introduction to British government publications. 2nd ed., fully revised and enlarged. London: Association of Assistant Librarians, 1973. Main Library Z2009.O4 1973
32. Pemberton, John E.
British official publications. 2d rev. ed. Oxford: Pergamon Press [1973]. Main Library Z2009.P45 1973
33. Richard, Stephen.
Directory of British official publications: a guide to sources. 2nd ed. London; New York: Mansell Pub., 1984. Main Library Z2000.9.R42 1984
34. Rodgers, Frank.
A guide to British government publications. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1980. Main Library Z2009.R62
Encyclopedic history and description of non-Parliamentary and Parliamentary British documents, including debates, votes, and statutes.
35. Vandercook, Sharon.
A guide to British documents and records in the University of Virginia Library. Charlottesville: Reference Dept., University of Virginia Library, 1972. Main Library Z2009.V3
BRITISH GOVERNMENT ONLINE
36. BritainUSA (British Embassy).Includes press releases and links to many official British websites in the U.K.
37. Houses of Parliament Home Page.
Includes a search engine and site map.
38. BOPCRIS :British Official Publications Collaborative Reader Information Service
Search for British official publications issued from 1688 through 1995.
This guide prepared by P. Bochnig/ J. Guyton / P. Ragains.
Information Resources for Political Science and Government Information
Please direct questions to Patrick Ragains
Updated 10 August, 2008
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