HeinOnline is excited to partner with Dandy Booksellers to bring comprehensive coverage of UK Parliamentary papers into our fully indexed, browsable, and searchable interface. With a subscription to UK Parliamentary & Government Publications (Public Information Online), users will have access to two platforms for the price of one, giving you a variety of options for browsing and searching through this extensive collection. Watch this short video or keep reading to learn more.
Understanding the UK Parliamentary Papers
The UK Parliamentary papers, also known as parliamentary documents, are an essential resource for understanding the functioning of the British parliamentary system, which has had a profound impact over the course of world history.
These papers illuminate various aspects of governance, provide transparency, and aid in historical research of not just the countries of the United Kingdom, but the nature of Britain’s foreign affairs throughout centuries. By studying these documents, researchers can understand the legislative process that has shaped the laws of the United Kingdom, gain insights into the political, social, and economic developments of its countries, and dive deeper into the nation’s diplomatic history. UK Parliamentary & Government Publications (Public Information Online) is the only place where users can search across all parliamentary and key United Kingdom government documents, allowing them to stay informed on government decisions that had, and continue to have, local and global reach and have influenced the direction of world events.
This collection stands unparalleled in its comprehensive coverage of UK Parliamentary documents, including House of Commons Papers, House of Lords Papers, Command Papers, bills and amendments, explanatory notes, and much more.
Why Researchers Rely Upon UK Parliamentary & Government Publications (Public Infomation Online)
Other Factors:
What Sets UK Parliamentary & Government Publications (Public Information Online) Apart?
| FEATURES | UK PARLIAMENTARY & GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS (PUBLIC INFORMATION ONLINE) | OTHER PARLIAMENTARY PRODUCTS |
|---|---|---|
| Parliamentary coverage | YES Includes UK, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Ireland documents | YES Includes just UK documents |
| House of Lords Papers/Bills | YES Coverage from 1901 to current | YES Coverage from 1800 to 1910 |
| House of Commons Papers | YES Coverage from 2006/07 to current | YES Coverage from 18th to 21st centuries |
| Hansard | YES Coverage from 1803 to current, scanned directly from bound volumes | YES Coverage from 1803 to 2005, scanned from freely available XML |
| Command Papers | YES Coverage from 1900 to current, but will soon be available back to 1870 | YES Coverage from 1833 to current |
| Non-Parliamentary material | YES | NO |
| Standing Committee Debates | YES Dating back to 1919, rare and exclusive to this collection | NO |
| Public General Acts | YES Dating back to 1900 | NO |
| Database updated daily | YES | NO |
| Full-color PDFs | YES | NO |
| Customers are entitled to copies of all subscribed session content | YES | NO |
| PDFs created with top-quality scanners | YES | NO |
Featured Content
COMMAND PAPERS: ILLUMINATING THE HISTORY OF PARLIAMENT
Dating back to 1900
The Command Papers illustrate a rich history of policy proposals and government reports. The name derives from the formula that was carried on the papers: “Presented to Parliament….by the command of Her (or His) Majesty.” These documents contain information or decisions to which the Sovereign wishes to draw Parliament’s attention.
The main types of Command Papers within PIO consist of:
- State papers
- White papers
- Government replies to committee reports
- Reports of Royal Commissions
- Reports of major committees
- Annual reports, statistics, etc.
- Some consultative documents (sometimes called Green Papers)
HANSARD: THE CORNERSTONE OF PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Dating back to 1900
House of Commons: Dating back to 1803
House of Lords: Dating back to 1909
The Hansard papers are the official reports of the proceedings of Parliament, published daily. The documents consist of everything said and done in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, detailing debates, discussions, and conversations on issues that have shaped history. Trace parliamentary debates on essential subjects such as the elimination of slavery in the British Empire, the Parliament Act of 1911, the Suez Canal, the European Union, foreign affairs, colonization, and much more with precision and detail.
Other Featured Content
WESTMINSTER PARLIAMENT (Click to view coverage)
- House of Commons Papers (2006 onwards)
- House of Lords Papers/Bills (1901 onwards)
- Command Papers (1900 onwards)
- House of Commons Bills & Bill Amendments (1919 onwards)
- House of Lords Bills & Bill Amendments (1901 onwards)
- Explanatory Notes to Bills (1998 onwards)
- Standing and Public Bill Committees (1919 onwards)
- Public General Acts (PGA) (1901 onwards)
- PGA Explanatory Notes (1999 onwards)
- Draft Statutory Instruments and Statutory Instruments (1985 onwards)
- Amending Statutory Instruments for all UK Acts
- House of Commons Hansard (Bound: 1803-2007; Daily: 2007 onwards)
- House of Lords Hansard (Bound: 1803-2007; Daily: 2007 onwards)
- Local Acts (1991 onwards)
- Church Measures (1932 onwards)
- Votes and Proceedings (2009 onwards)
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT (Click to view coverage)
All Scottish Parliament material is from Session 3 onwards and includes:
- Parliament Bills
- Explanatory Notes
- Memoranda
- Marshalled Lists
- Parliament Business Bulletins
- Statutory Instruments (1999 onwards)
- Parliament Official Reports
- Minutes of Proceedings
- Committee Debate Reports
- Acts
- And more!
NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY (Click to view coverage)
All Northern Ireland Assembly content is from Session 3 onwards and includes:
- Assembly Bills
- Explanatory Notes
- Memoranda
- Marshalled Lists
- Notices of Amendments
- Statutory Instruments (1996 onwards)
- Groupings
- Committee Papers
- Official Report Hansard
- Acts
- And more!
WELSH PARLIAMENT (SENEDD) (Click to view coverage)
- Measures of the National Assembly (2008-2011)
- Mesurau Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru (2008-2011)
- Explanatory Notes to Measures (2008-2011)
- Nodiadau Esboniadol i’r Mesurau (2008-2011)
- Acts of the National Assembly for Wales (2012 onwards)
- Deddfau Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru (2012 ymlaen)
- Explanatory Notes to Acts (2012 onwards)
- Nodiadau Esboniadol i Ddeddfau (2012 ymlaen)
- Statutory Instruments (1999 onwards)
- Bills (2011 onwards)
- Explanatory Memorandum (2011 onwards)
- Notice of Amendments (2011 onwards)
- Marshalled List of Amendments (2011 onwards)
- Groupings of Amendments (2011 onwards)
- Committee Reports (Related to Bills) (2011 onwards)
Prior to 2011, Acts of the National Assembly for Wales were called Measures.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT (Click to view coverage)
- People, Communities, and Living
- Agriculture
- Arts, Heritage, and Recreation
- Education and Skills
- Employment, Jobs, and Careers
- Energy and Fuel
- Environment
- Marine and Fisheries
- Government and Politics
- Health, Well-Being, and Care
- Information and Communication
- Science and Technology
- Business and Industry
- Crime, Law, Justice, and Rights
- Care and Social Work
- Economics and Finance
- Transport and Infrastructure
KEY NON-PARLIAMENTARY CONTENT (Click to view coverage)
- Audit Commission
- Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Office for National Statistics (ONS)
- Competition Commission
- Department for Transport (DfT)
- Forestry Commission
- Law Commission
About Dandy Booksellers & Public Information Online
Dandy Booksellers, based in London, has been providing UK official information to the public for more than 30 years. Initially, they published this information, including House of Commons and Lords papers, bills, and commands, in print, launching their online database, Public Information Online (PIO), in 2006. Public Information Online is not just a database; it’s a historical record, a research tool, and a legislative library all in one. It acts as a searchable archive of Parliamentary and official documents from the parliaments of Westminster, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, along with a variety of non-parliamentary material.
Currently, PIO contains over 12 million pages of content and is utilized by the majority of major academic libraries in the United Kingdom, along with The British Library and the National Library of Wales. Content is current, with new content added daily, and includes a variety of resources that are no longer published in hard copy. Additionally, PIO is the only place where users will find written and oral arguments brought together in consolidated PDFs.
An Essential Source For:
Historians & Researchers
Offering a window into the political past with documents that have shaped the UK’s present.
Legal Professionals
Providing the legislative context and details necessary for informed legal practice.
Educators & Students
Serving as a primary source for understanding the evolution of UK governance.
…Our partnership with HeinOnline…will make all of our data available not only on our PIO platform but also on HeinOnline too—we believe this will open us up to global markets and we expect our customer base to grow. Public Information Online currently contains a comprehensive archive of official documents from Westminster and the devolved administrations, amounting to over 300,000 documents…It also includes key non-Parliamentary and Scottish Government publications, including a broad range of titles from the Office for National Statistics and government departments…The goal now, as it has always been, is to offer a great service and keep customers happy and take PIO global with our new partners HeinOnline.
Pepper v. Hart (Bill-Tracking Tool)
Available as a separate purchase with access provided exclusively within Public Information Online’s platform.
When researchers subscribe to this database, they will receive access to the collection both in HeinOnline and in Public Information Online and will be eligible for a discount on Pepper v. Hart, a search and combine tool located within Public Information Online’s platform through which they can quickly and easily view, search, and save all of the relevant papers for any particular act, including Lords papers, bills, standing committee/public bill committee debates, Hansards, and acts dating back to 1919. Users can search for individual clauses or schedules of interest and follow their discussions throughout the entire legislative process, and then produce a combined document that includes each relevant reference.
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Don’t miss the chance to explore this new database and its capabilities firsthand—request a quote or trial today and unlock a world of possibilities.
