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British Parliamentary Papers: Debates (Commons)

How to find British Parliamentary Sessional Papers, Debates and other documents.

Debates (Commons)

Images of Debates, 1066-1803

Cobbett's Parliamentary History of England at Oxford Digital Library

Text of Debates, 1559-1601

Sir Simonds d'Ewes's Journals of all the Parliaments at British History Online

Text of Debates, 1589-1601

Townshend's Historical Collections at British History Online

Text of Commons debates, 1653-1659

Burton's Parliamentary Diary at British History Online

Text of Commons debates, 1660-1739

Chandler's History and Proceedings at British History Online

Text of Commons Debates, 1667-1694

Grey's Debates at British History Online

Hansard, 1803-2004

Historic Hansard Prototype (Lords and Commons)
This is a test site using historic data.

Parliamentary debates (Hansard). House of Commons official report (print) Perkins/Bostock Stacks J301.H22 (to 1908); J301.K22 (1908-present)

Text of House of Commons Hansard, November 1988 to present (except Standing/General Committee Hansard)

Parliament website

Text of House of Commons Standing/General Committee Hansard, session 1997-98 to present

Parliament website

Hansard only dates from 1803; all earlier debates are unofficial, collected from various private sources. Also, Hansard was not a complete record of all debates until it became the Official Report in 1909; it was selective. Information on the history, operation and citation of Hansard can be found in the House of Commons Information Office factsheet, The Official Report.   *Indexes are shelved with the Debates.

For more information see Guide to British Government Documents: Debates