RESEARCH USING HANSARD

October 2012

Official word-for-word report of proceedings of House of Commons and House of Lords.

Also includes votes, written ministerial statements and written answers to parliamentary questions.

When Commons and Lords are sitting, reports of latest proceedings published roughly three hours after live event and updated throughout sitting.

Following (working) day this becomes Official Report (Hansard), published on UK Parliament website by 6am.

WHAT IS HANSARD?

Can follow single Bill from start to end - useful background information to passing of Bill and appropriate context.

Debates by MPs and Peers - controversial or contentious aspects discussed, amendments tabled. Much useful information– drafting disagreements, contemporary public issues, relevant news stories, official reports or statistics, issues raised by pressure groups, companies, charitable organisations, individuals via local MPs etc.

Can be used to trace history of health service, economy, political changes and developments, world wars etc.

Possible to follow every word a certain politician has said during their parliamentary career.

WHY IS HANSARD USEFUL?

UK Parliament website (official) –http://www.parliament.uk/ Commons debates can be read back until November

1988, Lords debates until 1995-96.

Historic Hansard - http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/ Debates from both the Commons and Lords from

1803-2005.

HOW DO I ACCESS HANSARD?

Browse by… Today’s Commons debates (three hours delay) Today’s Written Ministerial statements (made by Ministers on policy or

government action) This week's Public Bill & General Committee debates (when Committees are

sitting, reports of their latest proceedings updated throughout week) Public Bill Committee debates (arranged by session and Bill committee name) General Committee debates (arranged by session and committee name) By date (debates, statements and written answers by date since November

1988) By MP (debates, statements and questions by MP back to 2006-07)

Use Advanced Search - http://www.parliament.uk/search/advanced/ Search by keyword, phrase Narrow down by Document Type (Business Papers, Debates & Answers,

Committees & Reports, Bills & Legislation) Refine by MP name, PQ (Parliamentary Questions) number or date

HOW DO I SEARCH HANSARD(COMMONS)?

Browse by… Today’s Lords debates (three hours delay) By date (debates, statements and written answers by date since

November 1995) By Lord (debates, statements and questions by Lord back to 2006-

07) By category (bills, delegated legislation, statements, questions,

introductions, general debates, divisions)Use Advanced Search -

http://www.parliament.uk/search/advanced/ Search by keyword, phrase Narrow down by Document Type (Business Papers, Debates &

Answers, Committees & Reports, Bills & Legislation) Refine by MP name, PQ (Parliamentary Questions) number or date

HOW DO I SEARCH HANSARD(LORDS)?

Historic Hansard is a prototype digitisation project by the Libraries of both Houses.

Currently no Search mechanism in place

Browse by… Date Volume Monarch MP Act

HOW DO I SEARCH HANSARD(HISTORIC HANSARD)?

Public Bill Committee debates for the session in which Act was passed (for example, 2009-10 for Bribery Act 2010) Listed alphabetically by Bill name Includes Committee members and staff; full transcripts of all

sittings; associated memoranda including written submissions by outside bodies and individuals; timeline of Bill progress with links to each reading/sitting

By date Find session in which Bill was passed Check Index to Hansard volumes for discussion on Bill in question

– listed alphabetically by topic

FINDING HANSARD DEBATES ON SPECIFIC ACT (COMMONS)

Lords: Lords debates by category (Bills) for session in which Act was

passed (2009-10 for Bribery Act 2010) Listed alphabetically by Bill name Includes full transcript of debate; information on which Peer

tabled Bill; copy of Bill as tabled; explanatory notes; Commons amendments

By date Find session in which Bill was passed Check Index to Hansard volumes for discussion on Bill in question

– listed alphabetically by topic

FINDING HANSARD DEBATES ON SPECIFIC ACT (LORDS)

Full breakdown of Act (from 2006-2007 only): Parliamentary Business -> Bills & Legislation by session Listed alphabetically by Bill name – key indicates Bill’s progress Includes summary of Bill; full text of legislation passed; type and

sponsor(s) of Bill; full transcripts of all sittings; associated memoranda including written submissions by outside bodies and individuals; timeline of Bill progress with links to each reading/sitting

FINDING HANSARD DEBATES ON SPECIFIC ACT

(PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS)

Alerts for updates on Bills currently before Parliament RSS feeds Email alerts

Email alert bulletins - http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/email-alerts/ Parliament Week bulletins Bills & Legislation before Parliament Hansard Committees House of Commons House of Lords Jobs at Parliament Parliament on Social Media

HANSARD ALERTS AND UPDATES

Caroline Ball, Subject Librarian for Law & Criminology

Ext. 1760 / c.ball@derby.ac.uk

Subject Resources for Law:https://ulib.derby.ac.uk/library/hero/

melange2subject_intermediary.php?subject=Law

CONTACTS & REFERENCES