Guide to Parliamentary Work

6. The Department of the Official Report

6.1 Hansard is the popular name for the Department of the Official Report. It is also often used to refer to the official report itself, a verbatim report recording what is said in both Chambers, in Westminster Hall and in general committees, together with the text of Written Ministerial Statements and the answers to written parliamentary questions.

6.2 The Official Report is a full report, set out in the first person, of all speakers alike. The term ‘full report’ is defined as one ‘which, though not strictly verbatim, is substantially the verbatim report, with repetitions and redundancies omitted and with obvious mistakes corrected, but which on the other hand leaves nothing out that adds to the meaning of the speech or illustrates the argument’. The report appears daily (available from early morning and containing details of the previous day’s proceedings), and there is also a weekly version and a definitive green bound volume. These are the archive set and include an index to the whole session (published as the last bound volume).

6.3 It assists the Hansard reporters if they can be given copies of any Ministerial speaking notes before debates and if quick answers can be given to their queries, normally seeking clarification of quotations and spelling of names. Copies of speaking notes should be sent to hansardmes@parliament.uk, cairnsdp@parliament.uk and ferreiram@parliament.uk or delivered directly to the Hansard reporter. During debates, officials in the box may also receive queries from the Hansard reporters via the doorkeepers and should respond to these as quickly as possible. Following a Minister’s appearance in the Chamber, civil servants (normally a Private Secretary), will attend the Hansard Assistant Editors’ Office near the Lower Press Gallery to check copy for amendments. Copy is normally ready within about one and a half hours and needs to be checked before being sent to the printers and publication on the Parliamentary website (approximately three hours after the Minister has sat down.) In committee, timescales will vary and it is always best to check. Hansard has its own house style. There will always be areas of disagreement, whether it is on capital letters or whether the Government ‘are’ or ‘is’. Hansard will always stick to the in-house style. Amendments can be made after the report has gone to the printers for later inclusion in the bound volume, if in the opinion of the Editor the corrections do not substantially alter the meaning of anything that was said in the Chamber.

6.4 Debates in Westminster Hall and General Committees (Public Bill Committees, DL Committees etc.) are taped and then transcribed with the aid of a log kept by the committee sub-editor. Briefs and speaking notes should again be supplied prior to the start of the debate. Westminster Hall debates are read in the Hansard Office on North Bridge and committee reports are read in the Hansard offices on the 5th floor of 7 Millbank.

6.5 Departments should endeavour to send written answers to Hansard no later than 6pm on Monday and Tuesday, 4pm on Wednesday and Thursday and 2pm Friday. Departments with large volumes should send over answers in batches as early as possible. Please ensure that tables for publication are sent in excel or word, not PDF or picture files. Tables may be sent to the following address writtenanswers@parliament.uk. Written Ministerial Statements should also reach Hansard by the same deadlines to ensure publication but it is the practice to issue them much earlier in the day.

6.6 Hansard produces its own guidance for civil servants which is available from the Hansard assistant editors’ office on request.