LibGuides: Finding Official Publications: Command Papers

What are Command papers?

These are papers which bear the wording, "Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for [name of government department] by Command of Her Majesty". They form into six main groups:

White papers - statements of government policy and proposals for legislation
Green papers - government consultation documents
Reports from Royal Commissions and some other inquiries
State papers, including international treaties
Government responses to some Select Committee reports
Annual reports and statistics from some government bodies.

Parliament's webpage About Command Papers is a useful summary of what Command Papers are and places where they can be found.

Finding Command Papers

The following databases are the main online tools for finding Command Papers:

UK Parliamentary Papers This link opens in a new window
Contains searchable full text of House of Commons Papers, Command Papers, Bills, Reports of Committees and Commissioners. Use this or Lawtel, BOPCRIS, or UKOP.
Public Information Online
Includes Command Papers, House of Commons Papers, House of Lords Papers, Bills of both Houses, Explanatory Notes and Public Bill/Standing Committee Debates. Begins with 2006/07 session and updated daily.

Some examples

The links below provide some examples of Command Papers.