British Government Publications
in the
University of Sydney Library
1. Introduction
2. Directories
3. Parliamentary 3.1 Parliamentary Debates (Hansards) 3.2 Proceedings 3.3 Parliamentary Procedure 3.4 Parliamentary Papers 3.4.1 House of Commons 3.4.1.1 Parliamentary Papers (Sessional Papers) 3.4.1.2 Command Papers 3.4.1.3 Reports from Committees 3.4.2 House of Lords papers 3.4.3 Indexes to Parliamentary Papers 3.4.4 Papers Relating to Australia
4. Acts of Parliament
5. Bills
6. Delegated Legislation
7. Budget Reports
8. Elections
9. Non-Parliamentary
10. Foreigh Relations
11. Domestic Affairs
12. Statistics
13. Census
14. Archives
15. Indexes
16. Bibliography
17. Notes on Terminology
Appendices: Other library publications dealing with government documents. Credits
1. INTRODUCTION
This document is a supplement to the Great Britain Government Internet Guide.
The University of Sydney Library has acquired several large collections of British official publications either in microform sets or bound volumes, and continues to acquire most parliamentary papers, debates, acts, etc., in microform.
This guide mainly refers to items located in the Fisher Library (such as Microform, Audiovisual, Reference, Rare Books) unless otherwise indicated.
In Fisher Library, parliamentary publications have been shelved in a separate sequence on the ninth floor of the Fisher Research Library and arranged by a special classification (location prefix G).
Basically this arrangement is alphabetical by country or state, then alphabetical by type of publication or title, then chronological, eg.:
G for Government publications UK for United Kingdom D for Debates of Parliament
Some of the microform sets of government publications are shelved in the Audio-Visual area (including the extension on Floor 9) and some are located in Storage. All other government publications are located on the main shelves of the Library, mainly in the Fisher Research Library but also in other libraries such as the Law Library.
British government publications are grouped together in the Library's catalogues under the general heading "GREAT BRITAIN", despite the following changes to the official name.
Great Britain after the union of the English and Scottish parliaments.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union 1801.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland after the separation of the Irish Republic in 1922.
Official publications of the individual countries before union, or in other cases where appropriate, are listed under the following headings:
- ENGLAND
- ENGLAND and WALES
- IRELAND
- NORTHERN IRELAND
- SCOTLAND
- WALES
2. DIRECTORIES
R351.205 CIVIL service year book
2 (Great Britain. Cabinet Office)
London: H.M.S.O. 1956/57, 1968+
Lists central government agencies and their regional bodies, Royal Commissions, research councils, etc. Includes information about senior personnel, functions of branches,etc.
R062.025 COUNCILS, committees and boards:
2 A handbook of advisory, consultative, executive and
similar bodieS in British public life, ed. by I.G. Anderson.
Beckenham: C.B.D. Research Ltd., 1977
R328.41073 DOD's parliamentary companion
9 1982
Includes Royal Family, biographies of Members of Parliament, tables of precedence, constituencies and election results, committees of parliament, directory of government and public offices, parliamentary terminology and procedure, etc.
R328.4107 WHO's who of British Members of Parliament:
2 a biographical dictionary of the House of Commons based on
annual volumes of "Dod's parliamentary companion" and other
sources.
Hassocks: Harvester P., 1976-
V.1: 1832-1885
V.2: 1886-1918
V.3: 1919-1945
V.4: 1946-1979
352.041 THE LOCAL government companion
6 Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services, 1974+
MIC941.0025 THOM'S official directory of the United Kingdom of Great
1 Britain and Ireland
Dublin: Irish University Press Microforms, 1904.
R914.2 BRITAIN: an official handbook
59 London: H.M.S.O., 1949/50+
The following journal provides a source for recent changes in government structure and information about new agencies:
351.05 PUBLIC administration 6 (Royal Institute of Public Administration, London) 1923+
3. PARLIAMENTARY
3.1 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARDS)
Reports of Parliament covering the period 1066-1803 are contained in the first work listed below, which was compiled from various sources by William Cobbett and J. Wright. In 1803 Cobbett inaugurated a regular series of reports of the parliamentary debates as part of his Political register. In 1812, he sold his interest to Thomas Hansard and the firm of Hansard continued to publish reports of the debates until 1890. Despite government subsidy, Hansards, and the firms which continued their work lost money on the venture. In 1890 the House of Commons decided to appoint its own reporters and authorized the publication by H.M.S.O. of the Official Report, but the popular title Hansard survived and reappeared on the cover of the official report of debates in 1943.
G.UK GREAT Britain. Parliament 1066-1803
D Parliamentary history of England from
& the earliest period to the year 1803
328.42 (Includes Lords and Commons.)
25
Storage GREAT Britain. Parliament 1803-1908
DST 05686 Parliamentary debates. London 1803-1908.
(A gap [1862-1906] in this set is covered by microprints - see next entry).
XTA 8 1830-1908 on microcard 1830-1908
(Includes Lords and Commons;
Microcard collection: Floor 9 Fisher Research)
Storage GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1909-1972
DST 05687 of Commons. Official reports of
parliamentary debates 1909-1972.
MIC328.4102 1973+ on microfilm 1973+
3
WWW access to House of Commons Hansard
G.UK GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1909-1930
DL of Lords. Official report of
parliamentary debates 1909-1930.
MIC328.4102 1931+ on microfilm 1931+
4
WWW access to House of Lords Hansard
There is an index at the end of each bound volume and a consolidated index at the end of each session, sometimes bound separately. Hansard is in two sequences so the index to it refers to the sequences:
- 1. In ordinary typeface - all proceedings excluding Written Questions and
- Answers. 2. In italic typeface - Written Questions and Answers.
3.2 PROCEEDINGS
Storage GREAT Britain. Parliament. House of Lords Journal. DST 05690 1510-1908 and Index 1510-1963 Storage GREAT Britain. Parliament. House of Commons Journal. DST 05689 1547-1823 (Bound volumes) Storage 1819-1900 (Microcard, includes index). XTA 86
The Journals are compiled from the minute books of the Clerks at the Table and include Statements from the Chair, records of decisions and lists of documents presented. Also included are the full texts of speeches from the throne (Queen's speech) which open and close each session. The following provides a useful compilation of speeches from the throne.
328.4104 CRAIG, FWS
2 The most gracious speeches of parliament, 1900-1976:
statements of government policy and achievements.
London: Macmillan, 1975
The following is a useful guide to the current activities of the House of Commons:
R328.41075 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House of Commons.
1 Sessional Information Digest. London: House of Commons Library,
1983/84+.
It lists business of the session, work of committees, current state of particular Bills, and a subject index to white and green papers.
3.3 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
328.4105 MAY, Sir Thomas Erskine
2 Treatise on the law, privileges, proceedings and
usage of Parliament.
19th ed.
London: Butterworth, 1976.
R328.4203 WILDING, Norman
1 An encyclopaedia of Parliament 4th ed.
London: Cassell, 1972.
R328.41073 DOD'S parliamentary companion
9 Hailsham, 1982.
Rare Book HATSELL, John
Library Precedents of proceedings in the House of Commons,
with observations.
2nd ed.
London: Dodsley, 1785
3.4 PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS
3.4.1 HOUSE OF COMMONS
3.4.1.1. Parliamentary Papers (Sessional Papers)
Includes: - House of Commons Papers, prefixed H.C.
- Command Papers, prefixed C., Cd., Cmd., Cmnd., Cm.
- Bills
XTA7 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1731-1968
of Commons Parliamentary papers
(Microcard; Floor 9 Fisher Research)
Storage GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1965/66
DST 05691 of Commons Parliamentary papers to
(Bound volumes) 1975/76
MIC328.4104 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1976/77+
3 of Commons Parliamentary papers
Cambridge: Chadwick-Healey
(Microfiche)
DSG.UK GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1861-1922
S of Commons. Parliamentary papers
(Bound volumes) (Incomplete set in
Storage)
The following is a facsimile reprint of SELECTED 19th century Sessional papers, grouped by subject:
G.UK IRISH University Press series of British parliamentary papers.
PI Shannon, Irish U.P. Facsimile reprint of selected 19th century
sessional papers grouped by subject.
Subjects covered by these holdings are as follows:
- Anthropology
- Marriage and divorce
- Colonies
- Population
- Crime and punishment
- Slave trade
- Education
- Social problems
- Government
- Trade and industry
- Industrial revolution
- Transport
- Legal administration
- Urban areas
3.4.1.2. Command Papers
DSG.UK GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1961-1980
CMND of Commons Command papers
(Bound volumes: imperfect set in Storage)
Command Papers are also included in the sets of Sessional Papers listed above.
Information about sequences and command paper numbers is in the
Notes on Terminology section below.
3.4.1.3. Reports from Committees
MIC
328.3650941 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1715-1801
1 of Commons.
Reports from committees of the House
of Commons 1715-1801 printed out not
inserted in the Journals of the House
(Microfilm)
DSG.UK GREAT Britain. Parliament. House 1715-1802
P of Commons Reports from Committees.
(Bound volumes; incomplete set in
Storage)
3.4.2 HOUSE OF LORDS PAPERS
GREAT Britain. Parliament. House of Lords.
942 Manuscripts of the House of Lords
UK7 Vols. 1-10, 1693-1714.
Vol. 11, addenda, 1514-1714.
Storage Sessional papers
DST 05692 Bound volumes 1714-1805,
DST 05692 Bound volumes 1965/66,1968-1985/85
MIC Microform 1985/86-2000/2001
328.4104
5
3.4.3 INDEXES TO PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS
There is a sessional index in the last volume of the papers of each session. Cumulated indexes are as follows:
R328.42016 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House of
7 Commons. Hansard's Catalogue and breviate
of parliamentary papers 1696-1834.
Oxford, Blackwell, 1953
1696-1834
MIC
328.3650941 GREAT Britain, Parliament House of
1 Commons. General index to the reports from
committees of the House of Commons
1715-1801 printed but not inserted
in the Journals of the House 1803.
Bishops Stortford UK: Chadwyck-Healey, 1973
(accompanies microfilm of reports)
1715-1801
R328.42016 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House
2 of Commons. [Parliamentary Papers]
& Irish University Press Series of
G.UK British parliamentary papers. Index.
PIZ Shannon, Irish U.P. 1968.
1801-1899
R328.4104 COCKTON, Peter
3 Subject catalogue of the House of Commons
Parliamentary Papers 1801-1900. 5 vols.
Cambridge: Chadwyck-Healey, 1988
1801-1900
R328.42016 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House
10 of Commons. Library. General Index
to the Bills, Reports and Papers
printed by order...
London, H.M.S.O., 1960.
1900-1948/49
R328.42016 GREAT Britain. Parliament. House
12 of Commons. General alphabetical index
to the Bills, Reports and Papers printed
by order...
London, H.M.S.O., [1963]
1950-1958/59
R328.42016 FORD, Percy (comp.)
8A Select list of British parliamentary papers,
1955-1964 3rd ed.
Shannon, Irish U.P., 1970.
1955-1964
R328.42016 FORD, Percy
8B Ford list of British parliamentary papers,
1965-1974.
Nendeln: KTO P, 1979.
1965-1974
R015.416 MALTBY, Arthur
2 The government of Northern Ireland 1922-72:
a catalogue and breviate of parliamentary
papers.
Dublin: Irish University Press, 1974.
1922-1972
R016.32842 GREAT Britain. Parliament.
1 General alphabetical index to the bills, reports,
estimates, accounts and papers printed by order
of the House of Commons and to the papers
presented by command. 1929-69
1929-1969
R016.32842 GREAT Britain. Parliament
2 House of Commons.
Sessional index.
London: H.M.S.O., 1969/70-1977/78
1969/70-1977/78
MIC328.4104 HOUSE of Commons. Sessional Papers Monthly
3 Index.
Chadwyck-Healey, Nov 1985 - Dec 1991
1985/86+
For an index to sessions dated 1991/92 onwards use: CD-ROM index to House of Commons Parliamentary Papers. This is an electronic index available from the Information Desk.
R015.42 CHECKLIST of British Parliamentary Papers in the
18 Irish University Press 1000-Volume Series
& 1801-1899
G.UK Shannon, Irish U.P., 1972.
PIZ 1801-1899
R015.42 CATALOGUE of British Parliamentary Papers in the 1801-1899
18A Irish University Press 1000-Volume Series
& 1801-1899.
G.UK Shannon: Irish U.P., 1977
PIZ 1801-1899
R025.17 LAMBERT, Sheila
4 List of House of Commons Sessional Papers 1701-1750
London: List and Index Society, 1968
1701-1750
Sessional listings of Bills, Reports, Accounts and Papers, and Command Papers found in the Commons Journal or printed separately and have survived.
R
015.4209034 DI ROMA, Edward
4 A numerical finding list of British command papers
published 1833-1961/62
New York, New York Public Library, 1967
This list shows the volume in the collected series of British Sessional Papers in which any particular Command Papers printed from 1833 to 1962 appears.
R015.41 MCBRIDE, Elizabeth, A
20 British Command Papers: a numerical finding list.
1962/63 - 1976/77.
Indexes to Royal Commission reports can be found in the following:
R328.42016 COLE, Arthur Harrison
1 A finding list of British Royal Commission
reports, 1860 to 1935
Cambridge, Harvard U.P., 1935.
R328.42 PEMPERTON, John E
125 British official publications
Oxford, Pergamon, 1971.
(Includes alphabetical list of Royal
Commissions 1900-1969: pp.75-85.
3.4.4 PAPERS RELATING TO AUSTRALIA
The Irish University Press series listed in Section 3.4.1 above includes a 34 volume compilation of nineteenth century House of Commons papers relating to the Australian colonies, together with a 2 volume index to papers on Australia and New Zealand. The location symbol for this set is:
G.UK/PI
The 2 volume index for Australia and New Zealand is:
R016.32841 INDEX to British Parliamentary Papers on
4 Australia and New Zealand 1800-1899
& Dublin, Irish U.P., 1974.
G.UK (For use with the 1000 volume set).
PI
C715
4. ACTS OF PARLIAMENT
GREAT Britain
[Laws, etc.]
346.2 Statutes at large of England and of Great Britain
3 from Magna Carta to the union of the Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland.
London, 1811
346.2 The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great
4 Britain and Ireland 1822-1844
R348.41022 Chronological table to the Statutes 1235-
3 London: H.M.S.O., 1975+
(Latest ed. LAW superseded to Fisher Ref.)
R348.41022 Index to the Statutes 1235-
3A London: H.M.S.O., 1981+
(Latest ed. LAW superseded to Fisher Ref.)
The chronological table and the index cover the period from 1235 to the present.
Law Library Current law statutes annotated
London: H.M.S.O., 1952+
Law Library The Public General Acts and Church Assembly Measures
London: Incorporated Council of Law Reporting,
1847-50, 1866+
Law Library Statutes in force 4th ed.
L/MIC Pleasantville, N.Y.: UNIFO Pubs, 1983+
348.4102 (on microfiche)
2
Statutes incorporating amendments published in subject sequence, updated quarterly.
Using the Library's catalogues to find statutes:a. Card catalogues.
Individual statues held by the Library are listed in the Author/Title Catalogue.
General collections of laws are listed in the Author/Title Catalogue or the Serials Catalogue under the heading:
- Great Britain [Laws, etc.]
Some collections are listed under the heading:
- Great Britain. Laws, statutes, etc.
in the Author/Title Card Catalogue or under the heading ENGLAND-Law in the Subject Catalogue. English laws passed before 1603 are listed in the Serials Catalogue under the heading:
- ENGLAND. Laws, statutes, etc.
b. Online catalogue.
Individual statutes can be found by a title search. General collections of laws are
found by an author search using Great Britain Laws or England Laws.
Works about the law can be found via the subject headings Great Britain Law and England Law.
The following is a subject guide to British laws:
U342.42023 GREAT Britain
3 [Laws, etc.]
& Halsbury's laws of England:
Law Library ed. by Lord Hailsham of St. Marylebone,
Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. 4th ed.
London: Butterworth, 1973-
(updated by current service).
Includes index.
Citing English acts
To December 1962 - Regnal year and Chapter Number, eg.:
7 & 8 Eliz.2.c.73.
Since 1963 - by Calendar year and Chapter Number, eg.:
1960,c.47.
5. BILLS
The texts of Bills and explanatory memoranda presented to the Parliament are included in the Parliamentary Papers. The Sessional Index, the Decennial Index and the Quindecennial Index are included as separate H.C. Papers.
6. DELEGATED LEGISLATION
GREAT Britain
[Laws, etc.]
Law Library Statutory instruments
London: H.M.S.O., 1890+
Law Library List of statutory instruments
London: H.M.S.O., 1967+
Law Library Table of government orders
London: H.M.S.O., 1970+
Annual cumulative table of general legislative
instruments made from the year 1671 onwards.
MIC072.1 LONDON gazette
11 Nov. 16, 1665 - Dec. 30, 1800
Contains a record of the activities of the Crown including proclamations and rules. Since 1893, the Gazette has been the official vehicle for some statutory instruments. (The State Library of N.S.W. holds 1790-1864, 1904+)
7. BUDGET REPORTS
The following are also included in the House of Commons papers (H.C.):
351.72 GREAT Britain. Treasury
19 Financial statement and budget report
London: H.M.S.O., 1961/62+
WWW access to UK Budgets 1995+
MIC336.4105 FINANCE accounts of the United Kingdom
3 London: H.M.S.O., 1801-1966
(On microfilm)
8. ELECTIONS
R328.42 NAMIER, Sir Lewis Bernstein
118 The House of Commons 1754-1790
London: H.M.S.O., 1964
Contains information about elections, constituencies and biographies of M.P.s
R328.20942 THE TIMES guide to the House of Commons.
1 London: Times Newspapers Ltd., 1974.
R324.42 McCALMONT, F.H.
43 Parliamentary poll book: British election results 1832-1918
Brighton: Harvester P., 1971
R329.0234208 CRAIG, F.W.S.
7 British parliamentary election results
1832-1885
R329.0234208 1885-1918
5
R329.0234208 1918-1949
3A
R324.9410857 1950-1973
4
R324.941 1974-1979
3
WWW access to UK Election Results 1997+
R328.41073 DOD'S parliamentary companion
9 1982
9. NON-PARLIAMENTARY
MIC354.41 The Controller's Library collection of Her Majesty's
41 Stationery Officer Publications, 1922-1972:
non-parliamentary
Inverness: Historical Documents Institute.
Originally pub. London: H.M.S.O.
The full texts of all non-parliamentary H.M.S.O. publications 1922-1972 on microfilm, arranged in the same order as they appear in the annual H.M.S.O. catalogues. Thus both the annual catalogues for these years, and the cumulative index 1922-1972 provide subject, title and author access to the collection. The set is accompanied by a Cumulative Index which includes a User's Guide to the microfilm set. The relevant page of the H.M.S.O. Annual catalogue is reproduced before the full texts on the microfilm for that page. Each publication is assigned an item number, thus facilitating location of the text on the microfilm for that page.
10. FOREIGN RELATIONS
In 1968, the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office merged to form the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
341.2 PARRY, Clive
8 The consolidated treaty series 1648+
Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Pub., 1969-
R341.242003 PARRY, Clive
2 An index to British treaties 1101-1968
London: H.M.S.O., 1970
016.32741 GREAT Britain. Foreign Office
1 Index to the correspondence of the Foreign Office
London: H.M.S.O., 1920+
Includes Index to "Green" Secret Papers
327.05 BRITISH and Foreign state papers
13 (Great Britain. Foreign Office)
London 1812-1948
The State papers of earlier periods are listed in the Library's catalogues under:
-
Great Britain. Foreign Office, or
- Great Britain. Public Record Office.
R327.42 WIENER, Joel, H
272 Great Britain: foreign policy and the span of empire,
1689-1971; a documentary history.
New York: Chelsea House, 1972
R327.42016 TEMPERLEY, Harold William Vazeille
1 A century of diplomatic Blue Books, 1814-1914.
London: Cassell, 1966.
R327.42016 VOGEL, Robert
2 A breviate of British diplomatic Blue Books, 1919-1939.
Montreal: McGill U.P. 1963.
11. DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
GREAT Britain. Public Record Office.
The complete state papers. Domestic Series.
MIC 942.055 Elizabeth I 1558-1568
74
MIC 942.055 Elizabeth I 1569-1575
75
MIC 942.055 Elizabeth I 1576-1585
76
MIC 941.05 Elizabeth I 1593-1603
17
MIC 941.061 James I 1603-1608
4
MIC 941.061 James I 1609-1617
5
MIC 941.061 James I 1618-1623
6
MIC 941.062 Charles I 1625-1627
8
12. STATISTICS
R016.3141 GUIDE to official statistics
3 London: Central Statistical Office, 1982
R313.2 GREAT Britain. Central Statistical Office
8 Annual abstract of statistics
London, 1982+
Contains summary tables of general statistics
R314.2 REVIEWS of United Kingdom statistical sources
14 Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1974+
13. CENSUS
338 GREAT Britain. Business Statical Office.
226 Report on the census of production.
London: H.M.S.O., 1958+
332.05 GREAT Britain. Central Statistical Office.
42 Financial statistics.
London: H.M.S.O., 1963+
314.2 GREAT Britain. Central Statistical Office.
9 Monthly digest of statistics.
London: H.M.S.O., 1946+
314.205 GREAT Britain. Office of Population.
2 Censuses and Surveys. Census [reports].
London, Edinburgh. 1801, 1881, 1951, 1961, 1971+
includes Census reports 1801-1851 (facsimile reprint).
REGISTRAR General's statistical review of England and Wales
London: H.M.S.O.
MIC314.205 1921-1965 (microfilm)
3A
314.205 1972 (Hardcopy)
3
Before 1970, the functions of the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys were performed by the General Register Office.
MIC
354.4200816 GREAT Britain. General Register Office
1 Annual Report of the Register General of births, deaths and
marriages in England and Wales.
London: H.M.S.O.
1837-1920 (microfilm)
The reports listed above are also included in the
House of Commons papers.
Census data published by HMSO for the years 1922-1972 can be found in
the microfilm set of publications Controller's Library collection at MIC354.41/41.
14. ARCHIVES
The principal repository for government archives is the Public Record Office, which was established by the Public Record Office Act 1838. Under the Direction of the Lord Chancellor, and courts of law dating from the tenth century, and its Chancery records include parliamentary records prior to 1497. Its responsibilities include records of modern departments, the safe-keeping of the records selected for preservation, and their use by the public. The P.R.O. now has over 75 miles of shelving containing millions of documents from the 10th to the 20th centuries.
Various Record Commissions 1800-1837 preceded the creation of the Public Record Office, and the contents of the State Paper Office were transferred to the P.R.O. in 1854. Guides to various collections are listed below, and numerous collections are listed in the Library's catalogues under the following headings:
- Great Britain. Public Record Office.
- Great Britain. State Paper Office.
- Great Britain. Record Commission.
R025.17 GREAT Britain. Public Record Office Handbook
1 London, 1964+
R015.420904 GREAT Britain. Public Record Office
6 Guide to the contents of the Public Record Office
London: H.M.S.O., 1963-68
R015.420904 GREAT Britain. Public Record Office.
5A Microfilm catalogue 1983.
R026.941/3 GREAT Britain. Public Record Office.
3 Current Guide.
London: 1991+
Current guide to the contents of the Public Record Office. Outlines the history, organization and functions of government departments and courts and provides an index to the records. 1986+
025.17 LIST and Index Society
3 [Publications]
Index to State Papers, Domestic Private Papers, etc.
London: 1965+
Some of the Library's holdings have been shelved in the Fisher Research Library at 942/UK in the same order as they are listed in the following work:
R942 MULLENS, E.C.L.
34 Texts and calendar; an analytical guide to serial publications
London: Royal Historical Society, 1958.
R942 TEXTS and calendars II: an analytical guide to serial
34 publications 1957-1982
London: Royal Historical Society, 1983.
Material relevant to Australia held in the Public Record Office is listed on pages 184-314 of the following work:
R994.0016 MANDER-JONES, Phyllis
9/2 Manuscripts in the British Isles relevant to Australia,
New Zealand and the Pacific.
Canberra: ANU Press, 1972.
All records relating to the Australian colonies that are held in the Public Record Office in London have been microfilmed by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), a joint venture between the National Library of Australia and the Mitchell Library, Sydney. The microfilm set is held in the Mitchell Library. A description of the records which have been microfilmed is contained in the following set of reference books:
R994.0016 NATIONAL Library of Australia.
14 Australian Joint Copying Project handbook.
Canberra: 1972-1980.
15. INDEXES
GREAT Britain. Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Government publications (annual cumulation)
London, 1923+
Published monthly and cumulated annually:
R015.4209047Monthly catalogue
2
R015.4209047Annual catalogue
1
R015.4209047Cumulative index 1922-1972
4 (Also accompanies the microform set at MIC354.41/41).
R011.52 HMSO agency catalogue
1
This lists the publications of international organizations which are distributed by the HMSO.
R015.41 ANNUAL catalogues of British official 1894-1919
6 and parliamentary publications
London: H.M.S.O.
R015.42 CATALOGUES and indexes of British 1920-1970
10 government publications, 1920-1970
Bishops Stortford: Chadwick-Healey, 1974
R015.41053 RICHARD, Stephen
6 British government publications: an index
to chairmen and authors.
London: Library Assoc., 1974, 1982
V.1: 1800-1899 1800-1899
V.2: 1900-1940 1900-1940
V.3: 1941-1978 1941-1978
R015.41 CHECKLIST of British official serial publications
17 British Library, Official Publications Library, 1971+
Includes a list of new, changed and defunct official bodies, with dates of changes.
R015.41053 CATALOGUE of British official publications not published by
3 H.M.S.O.
Cambridge: Chadwyck-Healey, 1981+
R070.595025 RICHARD, Stephen
1 Director of British official publications: a guide to sources
London: Mansell, 1981
Lists official publications detailing the services they offer, the range and type of publication they issue, addresses for obtaining publications, and names of personnel to contact for information. Includes an organization index and a subject index.
16. BIBLIOGRAPHY
R328.42 BOND, Maurice F
136 Guide to the records of parliament
London: H.M.S.O., 1971
R070.5950941BUTCHER, David
1 Official publications in Britain
London: Clive Bingley, 1983
328.41 ENGLEFIELD, Dermot
11 Parliament and information: the Westminster scene
London: Library Association, 1981
R328.42016 FORD, Percy
2A A guide to parliamentary papers: what they are, how to
find them, how to use them.
Shannon: Irish U.P., 1972
R328.42 MENHENNET, David
138 The Journal of the House of Commons: a bibliographical and
historical guide
London: H.M.S.O., 1971
R015.42 PEMBERTON, John E
8 British official publications
Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1973
R015.41053 RODGERS, Frank
1 A guide to British government publications
New York: Wilson, 1980
AVG BRITISH official publications (Slide):
015.42 produced by John E. Pemberton
20 Coventry: University of Warwick, 1972
Uses example for finding out about decimal currency conversion using bills, acts, reports, Hansard, etc.
17. NOTES ON TERMINOLOGY
BLUE BOOKS
A popular term formerly used to describe the larger reports in the
Sessional Papers
COMMAND PAPERS
Form one of the three series in the
Sessional Papers. They are presented by the responsible minister "by
Command of Her Majesty" rather than by order of the House or
pursuant to statute, hence the reports of Royal Commissions and
Committees of Inquiry appear in this series. Also included are annual
reports of some government bodies and
State Papers of the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office.
They have been published in numerical sequences with various
prefixes as follows:
- 1833-1869 [1] to [4222]1st series, stating date and number
- 1870-1899 C.1 to C.9550 C. 2nd series stating date and number
- 1900-1918 Cd.1 to Cd.9239 Cd. stating number only
- 1919-1956 Cmd.1 to Cmd.9889 Cmd. stating number only
- 1956-1986/87 Cmnd.1 to 9927 Cmnd. stating number only
- 1986/87 to date Cm.1 - Cm. stating number only
Note: the Command Numbers of the First Series: Nos. 1-4222 were not printed on the papers themselves. Formerly included in the Sessional Papers of the Lords, since 1900 they have been included only in the Sessional Papers of the Commons to avoid duplication.
GREEN PAPERS
1. The "Green" or Secret Papers of the Foreign Office were
confidential and had only a restricted distribution. They are
now included in the General Correspondence of the Foreign
Office held at the Public Record Office.
2. (term in use only since 1967) The preliminary versions of White Papers. They are discussion papers of proposed policies before they are adopted in their final form, and are sometimes included in the Sessional Papers.
JOURNALS
The Journals of the House of Commons and the House of Lords
record the proceedings of the two houses. Until 1835 a number of
accounts and reports of committees were printed either in the main
bodies of the Journals or in the Appendices.
HANSARD
Named for an early reporter of parliamentary debates, now used to
refer to the Official report of parliamentary debates.
HOUSE OF COMMONS PAPERS
These arise out of the deliberations of the House
and are "ordered by the House of Commons to be printed". They
include the following:
- Reports of Select Committees
- Reports or accounts laid before Parliament under provision of certain Acts.
- Minutes of Proceedings of Standing Committees appointed to examine Bills.
Until 1972, they also included the Annual Reports and Accounts of nationalized industries (these are now published separately by H.M.S.O.). The numbering sequence begins at 1 with the start of each new session of parliament, and the prefix H.C. is used, thus H.C. 257, 1967-70.
HOUSE OF LORDS PAPERS AND BILLS
These contain most of the documents that are found also in the House of Commons set, as bills and reports are considered by both houses. However, especially during the early years of the nineteenth century, the Lords appointed many investigative committees, and their reports are included only in the Lords papers. When they are printed and numbered, the prefix H.L. is used.
PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS
This term is used in two different senses. Generally they include all material emanating from parliament, and comprise three groups:
- Journals, Votes and Proceedings, Debates
- Sessional Papers (bills, reports and papers).
- Acts
The Sessional Papers are often known as "Parliamentary Papers", however "sessional papers" is a more correct description.
SESSIONAL PAPERS
There was no organized collection of parliamentary papers until 1801,
although many were included in the Journals of the
House of Commons and the House of Lords. Since 1801, at the end
of each session, the papers are bound into volumes to form a series
which has become known as the bound sets of Sessional papers.
Prior to 1969/70, the House of Commons Sessional collections of
papers, including House of Commons Papers, Commons Papers and
Public Bills were arranged in five groups as follows:
Group Kind of papers I. Bills Bills II. Reports of House of House of Commons Papers Commons committees III. Reports of Commissioners Command Papers (or House of (i.e. extra-parliamentary Commons Papers when presented committees etc.) under provision of an Act). IV. Accounts and Papers House of Commons or White Papers, memoranda, etc. Command Treaty Series Command Estimates House of Commons (even though presented "by Command") V. Sessional Index From 1969/70 - 1978-9, the documents are arranged in 2 sequences, Bills and other papers, the latter subdivided into broad subject groups. Since session 1979-80 they are arranged as Bills, House of Commons Papers and Command Papers, each group separately in number order.
STATE PAPERS
Documents produced by the Foreign Office until 1968 and by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office after its merger with the Commonwealth Office in 1968. The State Papers of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are divided into the following:
- Treaty series
- Country series e.g. Technical assistance. Sudan No. 1 (1970) Cmnd. 4385
- Miscellaneous series e.g. Safety of life at sea Miscellaneous No. 10 (1970) Cmnd. 438
The State Papers are printed by Command in the Sessional Papers.
STATUTE
Originally signifying of decree of the Sovereign, the term is now
used generally for a Public General Act of Parliament. The term is
especially used for collected editions.
STATUTORY INSTRUMENT
A regulation or order made by the government or a
government department under powers conferred by parliament.
STATUTORY RULES AND ORDERS
The term used for statutory instruments until 1946.
WHITE PAPERS
Departmental policy statements. They sometimes appear
as
Command Papers.
Other library publications dealing with government documents are:
- United States Government Publications
- International Governmental Organizations
- European Union Publications
- Australian Government Publications
- Australian Historical Statistics
- Australian Public Policy
- Australian Parliamentary Reports Index
Credits
This is a guide to the government publications held in the University of Sydney Library. Printed versions of this document can be obtained from the Information Desk at Fisher Library.
The text of this document was written by Ian Duncan in December 1982 and updated by Ray Penn. It is being constantly revised. Any comments or suggestions should be directed to: Ray Penn, Government Publications Librarian at: r.penn@library.usyd.edu.au.
This document is a supplement to the Great Britain Government Internet Guide.
