The Boundary Commission for England conducts boundary reviews of UK Parliament constituencies in England. Its web site has information primarily on the current (2018) review, with some historic information on previous reviews accessible via links to archives.
The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland reviews all UK Parliament constituencies in Northern Ireland. Its web site includes information on the current (2018) and previous reviews, constituency maps and links to legislation.
The Boundary Commission for Scotland is responsible for reviews of constituencies in Scotland for the UK Parliament. (It also had responsibility for reviewing Scottish Parliament boundaries up to 18 May 2017, when this passed to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland.) Its web site includes information on the current review (2018) and previous reviews, current and historic boundary maps, and links to legislation.
The Boundary Commission for Wales conducts periodic boundary reviews of all UK Parliament constituencies in Wales. Its web site includes information on the current (2018) and previous reviews, 1954 onwards.
This Hansard corpus contains nearly every speech given in the British Parliament from 1803-2005. The database allows very sophisticated word searches. For example, a user can: look at how the use of a word decreases, increases in use over time or how words spike in frequency of use; see the changing meaning of words and the context words are used in over a given period of time; and find out how individual MPs use language and what words are commonly used by an MP.
Erskine May is often referred to as ‘the Bible of parliamentary procedure’. The 25th edition, 2019, is now online and free to use. It can be searched by word, phrase or paragraph reference. There is an option to browse the digital version using either parts and chapters or via the index.
The Government Whips’ Office, led by the Chief Whip, is responsible for the management of the Government’s legislative programme in the House of Lords. Its web site provides information on current and forthcoming business. Part of the site is available only to Peers (upon registration).
Full text of Hansard, the official report of all parliamentary debates in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, from 1802 to date.
Includes: Commons Hansard 1802 onwards; Standing Committee Debates and Public Bill Committee Debates 1997/98 onwards; Select Committee publications and recent Select Committee press notices; Early Day Motions database 1989-1990 session onwards; Register of Members’ Interests; selected HC Papers; Weekly Information Bulletin (1996-2011); and Sessional Information Digest (1995-1996 to 2010-2012.) Votes and Proceedings from 2008 are under “Publications & records”, then “Commons business papers”.
Includes: Lords Hansard 1803 onwards; Select Committee Reports; full text House of Lords judgments archive 14 November 1996 to 30 July 2009; and Appeal Committee Reports 1997-1998 to 2005-2006. The Companion to Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords, current and previous editions, are under “Publications & records.”
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) sets and regulates MPs’ salaries, pensions, business costs and expenses. It was created by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. Information on its web site includes the Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses, Annual Reports and Accounts, and guidance for MPs.
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly which since May 2007 has had power to make primary legislation in certain areas. These include education, the environment, health and social care, housing, social welfare, transport and others. Site content includes records of proceedings; Standing Orders; a guide to the legislative process; details of Assembly Acts, Bills and subordinate legislation (all with links to texts); and a link to the Government of Wales Act 2006.
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland, with power to legislate in a wide range of areas. It was established in 1998 as part of the Belfast Agreement. The site includes a directory of members; Official Report (Hansard) 1998 onwards; Bills 1999 onwards; and tables showing progress of Statutory Rules. The site also includes Minutes of Departmental and Standing Committee meetings.
The Leader of the House of Commons is the Cabinet minister responsible for arranging government business, including the introduction of government Bills, in the House of Commons. Information here on the GOV.UK web site includes the Business Statements, made each Thursday when the House is sitting and announcing the business for the following week and provisional business for the subsequent week.
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) consists of a specialised team of lawyers with support staff, whose main work is drafting government Bills for introduction into Parliament and related Parliamentary business. Forming part of the Cabinet Office, it was formerly known as the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO). In this section of the GOV.UK site there is information on the OPC’s role and links to various publications such as the OPC’s guidance on drafting.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Health Service Ombudsman (two separate posts, held by the same individual) investigate complaints about government departments and agencies and certain other public bodies in the UK, and the National Health Service in England. The site contains information on the complaint procedure, links to relevant legislation, and documents, including reports and press releases.
Parliamentary Archives is the official archive of the UK’s House of Commons and House of Lords. Its web site has information for prospective visitors and details of its collections and services. For information on parliamentary records and resources both current and historical which are available online, with links, select Online Resources.
Produced by researchers from the Scottish Parliament Project based in the School of History at the University of St Andrews, RPS contains the proceedings of the Scottish parliament from the first surviving Act of 1235 to the union of 1707. The proceedings, which include the text of statutes, may be browsed by date (based on the reigns of monarchs) and are also fully searchable. Documents may be viewed as they appear in the manuscript (original language/spelling), or in standardized modern English versions.
The Scottish Parliament was re-established in 1999 after an interval of 292 years during which the UK Parliament legislated for Scotland. Its web site contains the Official Report of proceedings and written Questions and Answers, 1999 onwards, standing orders (governing parliamentary procedure), information on Bills in progress, committee papers, members’ biographies and frequent news releases.
TheyWorkForYou is a fully searchable independent site, run by the charity mySociety, which takes data and information from official parliamentary sources and adds features which make it easier to understand. Coverage includes the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly, and content includes debates, written answers and MPs’ voting records. Coverage start dates vary, with Commons debates currently extending back to December 1918.
The UK Parliament site has information on the activities, membership and publications of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. There are quick links on the home page to each House, and also to Hansard, Bills, Committees and Brexit. Other sections of the site include News, “What’s On”, “Publications & records”, and an A-Z index of topics.
Alphabetical index of links to Parliamentary information and sites.
This section of the UK Parliament web site contains research produced by the Libraries of both Houses and by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.
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