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OSCOLA Referencing

Hansard and Parliamentary Reports

 

The following are examples of how to reference Hansard and parliamentary reports.

 

 

Debates in the House of Commons/House of Lords

 

Cite the House abbreviation (HL or HC), followed by ‘Deb’, then the full date, the volume and the column. Use ‘col’ or ‘cols’ for column(s). In the House of Commons, written answers are indicated by the suffix ‘W’ after the column number; in the House of Lords, they are indicated by the prefix ‘WA’ before the column number.

 

Template (Footnote):

HL Deb OR HC Deb | date, | volume, | column.


Examples:

HC Deb 3 February 1977, vol 389, cols 973–76.

HC Deb 4 July 1996, vol 280, col 505W.

HL Deb 21 July 2005, vol 673, col WA261.

HL Deb 12 November 2009, vol 714, col 893.

Debates in Public Bill Committees of House of Commons

Cite debates in the Public Bill committees of the House of Commons with the title of the Bill, followed by ‘Deb’, followed by the date and the column number. If the Bill title is very long, begin the citation with ‘PBC Deb’, followed by the Bill number in brackets, as in the alternative form shown in the first example. The second example shows how to cite debates in the old standing committees.
 

Examples:

Health Bill Deb 30 January 2007, cols 12–15.

OR

PBC Deb (Bill 99) 30 January 2007, cols 12–15.

SC Deb (A) 13 May 1998, col 345.

Select/Joint Committees of one/both Houses

Give the name of the committee, the title of the report in italics, and then in brackets HL or HC, the session and after a comma the paper number and volume number (the latter in roman numerals). For reports of joint committees, cite both the House of Lords and House of Commons paper numbers, in that order

 

Examples:

Science and Technology Committee, Genomic Medicine (HL 2008–09, 107–I).

Health Committee, Patient Safety (HC 2008–09, 151–I) paras 173–75.

Joint Committee on Human Rights, Legislative Scrutiny: Equality Bill (second report); Digital Economy Bill (2009–10, HL 73, HC 425) 14–16.