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

|Top of List|

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:

|Top of List|

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+

|Top of List|

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. 1. In ordinary typeface - all proceedings excluding Written Questions and
  2. Answers. 2. In italic typeface - Written Questions and Answers.

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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

|Top of List|

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:

(Note that this set is not the full 1,000 volume set of the IUP, but a partial set of approximately 600 volumes.)

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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)

|Top of List|

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

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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

|Top of List|

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:

Some collections are listed under the heading:

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:

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.

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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+)

|Top of List|

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)

|Top of List|

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

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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

|Top of List|

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+

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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: 

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.

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|

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:

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:

  1. Reports of Select Committees
  2. Reports or accounts laid before Parliament under provision of certain Acts.
  3. 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:

  1. Journals, Votes and Proceedings, Debates
  2. Sessional Papers (bills, reports and papers).
  3. 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:

  1. Treaty series
  2. Country series e.g. Technical assistance. Sudan No. 1 (1970) Cmnd. 4385
  3. 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.

|Top of List|

Other library publications dealing with government documents are:

|Top of List|

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.

|Top of List|