Summary
PARLIAMENTS/PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS
Typical questions
• Can I get a list of MPs who voted against the recent Student Finance Bill?
• I want to trace all the parliamentary debates and bills relating to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Points to consider
• The internet has made it possible to find a wealth of information on parliaments worldwide. Typical information found on parliamentary websites includes:
— lists of current MPs
— information on parliamentary committees. These often include useful scrutiny of Acts of Parliament and the performance of the government in certain policy areas
— information on the legislative process. This can include lists and the texts of bills being debated
— the official reports of proceedings. Often these are called Hansard. They include records of voting in the House
— useful factsheets which explain the parliamentary procedure of the nation concerned.
They may also have statistics and summaries of recent bills. However, do remember to check when the website was last updated!
Where to look
UK
Dods Parliamentary Companion
www.dodsshop.co.uk
Available in print or online. Well respected annual listing of MPs and parliamentary committees. Includes biographical information on individuals and statistics on the composition of Parliament.
House of Commons Library Research papers
www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/research-papers
Can be really useful for summarising clearly how parliament works and the content of recent parliamentary bills.
Hansard 1803–2005
hansard.millbanksystems.com
Website of the Hansard Digitization Project, led by the Directorate of Information Services of the House of Commons and the Library of the House of Lords. Searchable by date, keyword or MP.
Theyworkforyou.com
www.theyworkforyou.com
Project of UK Citizens Online Democracy (registered charity) which aims to help citizens keep tabs on UK parliamentary activity. Look up an MP and see their expenses claims, recent attendance in Parliament and how they voted.
UK Parliament website
www.parliament.uk
Official website. Includes Parliament TV (live broadcasts), plus the full text of Hansard from session 1988–89 onwards. Use the advanced search form to quickly locate specific references.
International
International Parliamentary Union (IPU)
www.ipu.org/english/home.htm
International organization of parliaments. Key starting-point for tracing the names, addresses and websites of national and regional parliaments worldwide. A section contains statistics on the representation of women in national parliaments. Also offers free access to the PARLINE database, www.ipu.org/parline-e/parlinesearch.asp, which has information on the structure and working of several hundred parliaments.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries , pp. 281 - 292Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2011