How to find official publications
This page explains how to find official publications in our library and online. This is the name given to the large volume of material published by government, parliament and associated bodies.
They are usually published in distinct series, for example, statutes, statutory instruments and bills, which have their own ‘How to’ guides. This guide is for some of the the other main series of official publication that we hold.
Command papers
Command papers are used to inform parliament about government information and decisions. They were first published as their own series in 1833. Before this they were included in the House of Commons Journal.
Where to find command papers
Our library holds command papers from 1833 to 2016 on microfiche and from approximately 1900 onward on the subscription database, Public Information Online (PIO). The exact date range of content in PIO depends on the type of material.
To find the correct microfiche:
- before the 1979/80 session you will need the volume and page number, which can be found in the Index to the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (ask library staff)
- after 1979/80 they have their own separate microfiche sequence in numerical order
If you do not know the command paper number, use the Index to the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers or ask the library for help.
If the command paper is a treaty it may be listed in the Indexes to Treaties in bay G6. Bowman and Harris, also in bay G6, lists multilateral treaties, and the Index of British Treaties in bay G6 lists treaties involving the UK. They both have subject indexes.
Recent command papers may be available on www.GOV.UK.
Numbering of command papers
Since command papers were first published in 1833 there have been several series. These are distinguished by different prefixes abbreviating the word ‘command’, as shown below.
| Numbering | Years |
| 1 to 4222 (no prefix) | 1833 to 1869 |
| C 1 to C 9550 | 1870 to 1899 |
| Cd 1 to Cd 9239 | 1900 to 1918 |
| Cmd 1 to Cmd 9889 | 1919 to 1956 |
| Cmnd 1 to Cmnd 9927 | 1956 to November 1986 |
| Cm 1 | November 1986 onward |
Hansard
Parliamentary debates that take place on the floor of the House of Commons (HC) or the House of Lords (HL) are reported in the Official Report, commonly known as Hansard
Where to find Hansard
Our library holds hard copies of both the HC and HL Hansard from 1803 to 2006 and from 1909 onward on the PIO subscription database.
HC and HL Hansards are available online from 1988 (HC) and 1995 (HL) onward.
Numbering of Hansard
Hansard is published in two series: the HC and HL series. They are arranged by volume number, and within each volume, by column.
An example Hansard reference would be: HL Vol. 576 col. 122.
House of Commons papers
House of Commons (HC) papers are the result of work of the House of Commons and its committees. These include:
- committee papers (not the debates, see below for Committee Debates)
- minutes of proceedings
- some annual reports and accounts
How to find HC papers
The library holds all HC papers from 1801 to 2016 on microfiche and from 1901 onward on the PIO subscription database.
To find the correct microfiche:
- before the 1979/80 session you will need the volume and page number, which is on the Index to the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (ask library staff)
- after 1979/80 they have their own separate microfiche sequence in numerical order
If you do not know the HC number, ask staff for help.
There are also indexes of HC papers in the library at bay N7.
Numbering of HC papers
HC papers are numbered from 1 at the beginning of each parliamentary session.
An example reference would be: HC 166 1998/99.
House of Lords Papers
House of Lords (HL) papers are the result of the House of Lords work. They include:
- reports of select committees
- minutes of proceedings
- evidence heard by committees
Where to find HL papers
The library holds HL papers from the 1984/85 session to 2016 on microfiche and from 1901 onward on the PIO subscription database.
If you do not know the HL number, ask staff for help.
Numbering of HL papers
HL papers are numbered from 1 at the beginning of each parliamentary session.
An example reference would be: HL 25 2002/03.
Standing Committee and Public Bill Committee Debates
After the second reading of a bill comes the committee stage in which clauses are examined in detail.
The proceedings of these committees are published in the Standing Committee Debates. These were renamed Public Bill Committee Debates after the 2006/07 session.
Where to find Standing Committee and Public Bill Committee Debates
Our library holds hard copies of these debates from the 1967/68 session to 2016 and from 1919 onwards on the PIO subscription database.
These debates are also available from the 1997/98 session onward in full text, along with other committee debates, on the UK Parliament website.
Contact us
If you have any questions, get in touch with our librarians.
Email: library@lawsociety.org.uk
Call: 020 7320 5946
You can contact us from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.