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Hansard and Official Publications

The three Hansard series, select committee reports, command papers and the Law Commissions.

Hansard

Debates on the floor cite the House, ‘Deb’, the full date, the volume and the column (r 3.7.8). Public Bill committee debates cite the Bill’s title; the old standing committees cite SC Deb and their letter.

1HC Deb 3 February 1977, vol 389, cols 973–76.
2HL Deb 12 November 2009, vol 714, col 893.
3Health Bill Deb 30 January 2007, cols 12–15.

Select committee reports

The committee, the title in italics, then the House, session and paper number in brackets. A joint committee cites both paper numbers, Lords first (r 3.7.8).

1Science and Technology Committee, Genomic Medicine (HL 2008–2009, 107–I).
2Health Committee, Patient Safety (HC 2008–2009, 151–I) paras 173–75.

Command papers

The producing body, the title in italics, then the command number and year. The abbreviation tracks the era — Cd, Cmd, Cmnd, Cm, and CP from 2019 (r 3.7.9).

1Home Office, Report of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (Cmd 8932, 1953) para 53.
2Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, A Pro-innovation Approach to AI Regulation (CP 815, 2023) paras 23–25.

The Law Commissions

Reports take the Law Com, Scot Law Com or NILC number with the year; consultation and discussion papers insert CP or DP before the number (r 3.7.11).

1Law Commission, Reforming Bribery (Law Com No 313, 2008) paras 3.12–3.17.
2Scottish Law Commission, Damages for Psychiatric Injury (Scot Law Com No 196, 2004).

Related Index entries

HansardSelect committee reportCommand paperGovernment publicationLaw Commission report or paper

Last reviewed 7 August 2026