briefings

Guides to Commons Library Services

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The House of Commons Library is a research and information service based in UK Parliament.

We provide politically impartial research, analysis, statistics and information resources. Our work helps MPs scrutinise legislation, prepare for debates, develop policies and support their constituents.

Our publications are available to everyone at commonslibrary.parliament.uk

The easiest way to learn about the Commons Library is to book or arrange a ‘Make the most of the Library’ session.

In this one-hour course, you will:

  • Learn about the ready-made research available to you
  • Find out how to use our data-dashboards to access relevant statistics
  • Find out how the Library’s request service works
  • Discover the range of online resources available for both casework and policy research

 

1. Services for Members’ Staff

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/about-us/services/

The Commons Library provides a range of services for MPs and their staff, including impartial research and access to resources and training.

Publications: Our publications offer politically impartial analysis and statistics. We cover legislation, topical issues, policy and constituency issues. Our briefings and data tools are written by our expert staff and are available online. Read about the different types of research: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/the-library/research-briefings-standard-notes-and-debate-packs/

Confidential Request Service: We answer MPs’ questions and requests for bespoke briefings. These tailored and timely responses help MPs fulfil their parliamentary duties and represent their constituents. Our confidential service includes fact-checking, policy development and analysis, and help to answer constituents’ questions.

Information Resources: MPs, their staff and parliamentary staff can access our curated collection of books, journals, databases, news subscriptions and parliamentary material.

Training and events: We offer training, support and talks on topical issues from our subject specialists. Our training and events help MPs, their staff and parliamentary staff get the most from the Library.

Workspace: Members’ Library is a quiet workspace for MPs, and a place to access our books and newspapers, make research requests and pick up printed copies of our publications. MPs’ staff can go into the Members’ Library to submit a research request or take out books on loan.

 

2.  Online resources from the Library

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/resources/

The Commons Library provides books, journals and online resources for MPs, MPs’ staff and parliamentary staff. On this page you can:

  • Browse the Commons Library catalogue
  • Search ejournal articles
  • Find online resources and databases, including Parliament and Government databases
  • Browse news and media subscriptions
  • Find help and guidance

 

3. Training and events

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/about-us/services/training-and-events/

The Commons Library arranges inductions, training and events for MPs, MPs’ staff and parliamentary staff to help you get the best out of the Library:

Make the most of the Library sessions: The easiest way to learn about Library services is to sign up for one of our Introduction to the Library sessions. The course provides you with the tools to:

  • Find the ready-made research available to you
  • Use our data-dashboards to access relevant statistics
  • Make use of the Library’s request service
  • Discover the range of online resources available for both casework and policy research

Events and guest speakers: House of Commons Library subject specialists give occasional talks on topics of interest to Members and their staff and other @parliament.uk users.  They also invite guest speakers from organisations such as the National Audit Office.

Regular training courses: The Library provides regular training courses on parliamentary search, Nexis News, books, journals and more.

Guidance and training on resources and guidance: The Library has prepared guides to the range of online resources and databases available to Parliament, such as news subscriptions, NewsBank, Grantfinder and more. The guides cover:

  • What the resource is
  • Some examples of queries the resource can be used to answer
  • Some key tips on searching
  • What training is available
  • Links to further guidance such as online help, user guides and video tutorials

 

4. Library Loans Service

The Commons Library catalogue contains records of the Library’s collection of hard copy and electronic books, pamphlets, reports, official publications, periodicals (journals), corporate subscriptions and online reference sources. Each record gives details of author, title, publisher, publication date and Library location.

It also provides an inter-library loans service for items not held by the Library (including periodical articles).

You can reserve a book or other stored material using the online catalogue. You can also view the status of your loans, reserve items, and request the loan of an item that you cannot find on the catalogue.

Explore the Commons Library’s extensive collection of online and hardcopy materials: https://commonslibrary.koha-ptfs.co.uk/.

 

5. Request Service

You can contact our team of subject specialists for help with research or information about any area relevant to you.

Whether you’re reviewing or developing policy, preparing for a speech or media appearance, helping a constituent or trying to understand an issue affecting your local area, Library staff can answer your questions in confidence.

It’s helpful to the Library staff to know exactly what you need and when. For example, you may be looking for statistics about your constituency, analysis of government policy, an overview of the law in a particular area or information on the support individuals can expect from public sector organisations. Sharing relevant correspondence or documents will help them understand your request and how we can help.

It may be that the information you’re looking for is already published on the Library’s website. Before submitting a request for information and research from the Library’s team of subject specialists, please do look at the material already published on the Library website: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Specialist research can also be requested: see ParliNet for details.

Our Subject Specialist Directory provides contact details of specialists in each section and includes information on how to submit a request:

6. Commons Library email subscriptions

Get the latest Commons Library research and curated newsletters delivered to your inbox. This includes:

  • Research alerts: Subscribe to receive email alerts every time we publish new research about the topics you’re interested in.
  • In brief: Get business related research from the Commons Library at the start of every week.
  • Current awareness bulletins: Receive topical updates from Library researchers. Bulletins cover a range of topics and include news articles, parliamentary material, Library research, statistics, talks and more.
  • Economic updates: Get weekly economic updates with the latest economic indicators, data releases and briefings.

Sign up to the subscriptions in the link above.

Follow the Library on X: @CommonsLibrary

Research Briefings, Standard Notes and Debate Packs

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Research briefings, Insights, Debate Packs and more

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research/

The Commons Library provides an impartial research and information service for MPs and their staff. It publishes politically-impartial policy analysis and statistical research, free for all to read. Explore quick-read articles, in-depth research, and interactive data visualisations.

The Library also provides research of the weekly business of the House of Commons: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/this-week/.

 

Types of Research

Research briefings: In-depth analysis of bills, legislation, policy and topical issues. Read quick summaries online and download the corresponding PDF documents to access the full analysis.

Insights: Quick-read articles on current issues. These are published in line with topical events and provide need-to-know information on local and global topics.

Debate Packs: Research that is produced in relation to debates taking place in the Commons Chamber and Westminster Hall. They contain background information, parliamentary and press material, and suggested further reading.

Data tools and resources: Browse datasets and interactive dashboard on a range of topics. View our Constituency Dashboard for headline statistics about your constituency, explore parliamentary and elections data, and get the latest data on the economy.

Constituency casework articles: FAQs and quick explainers to help caseworkers with a range of constituent queries.

 

Research by Topic

The Commons Library research can be viewed by topic and sub-topic. The links to these listings can be saved as bookmarks so you can go straight to the subjects you are interested in.

 

Research from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) is a bicameral body within Parliament which produces impartial, timely and peer-reviewed research, on topics such as biology, health, energy, environment and physical and social sciences.

Find out more about POST: https://post.parliament.uk/about-us/.

 

Types of Research

POSTNotes: Four-page research briefings reviewing emerging areas of research.

POSTBriefs: Dynamic and strategic syntheses, produced rapidly in response to current affairs or the work of select committees.

Rapid responses: Rapid response content published within weeks of important research developments, produced to brief parliamentarians.

 

Research by Topic

Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology – POST notes

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The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST, for short) has been producing impartial, non-partisan, and peer-reviewed briefing notes for over thirty years on various subjects which may be of interest to Members and staffers.

POST is the UK Parliament’s in-house source of independent, balanced and accessible analysis of public policy issues related to science and technology.  Their aim is to inform parliamentary debate.

More information and the full list of POSTnotes can be found on the main POST site here: https://post.parliament.uk/

Their work programme covers:

    • Biology and health
    • Energy and Environment
    • Physical and digital science
    • Social Sciences

Their analysis covers:

    • COVID-19
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Food Security
    • Transport and Infrastructure
    • Digital Tech
    • Security and Defence
    • Education
    • Crime and Justice
    • Health and Social Care
    • Science Policy

All publications (since 1995) are available in PDF format.  To sign up for their mailing list, please click here: https://mailchi.mp/email.parliament.uk/post

POST also hosts seminars and training events, details of which can be found here:  https://post.parliament.uk/events/

How to compile a briefing for a roundtable or panel discussion

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As well as writing speeches or looking for facts to use in the Chamber, you may need to support your MP when they are asked to speak on a panel or to be a main speaker at a roundtable discussion.  The former will normally be arranged by a large organisation, perhaps a professional association.  It will probably be similar to Question Time, except that the questions normally last longer.  The latter is a common staple of Party Conference season, or may be arranged by a think tank keen on expanding on a particular issue.

What type of brief are you aiming for?

A speech-style briefing has a beginning, a middle and an end.  This briefing needs to be broad, and not nearly as deep.  You will need to work out:

  1. What your MP is going to focus on
  2. What questions your MP will be asked
  3. What others at the event are likely to say

You will probably need two or three ideas for your MP, ten or more questions you think are likely to be asked by the audience, and a couple of ideas for each of the other speakers at the event.

What is your MP going to say?

Your MP has probably been asked to do this because of past experience and some knowledge of the subject area.  You will need to have two or even three areas to concentrate on.  For each of these you should have:

  1. Background – no more than three sentences
  2. The party line and a comment from a front bencher
  3. A recent comment from the press
  4. A recent comment from at least one independent non-political source
  5. A possible concern and a counter-argument
  6. An interesting or quirky statistic

Your MP will probably appreciate a bit more information on ten or so points which might come up.  For each of these points you should have:

  1. One sentence of background
  2. A comment from a front bencher
  3. A recent comment from the press, or from an independent non-political source

What are others at the event likely to say?

Regardless of whether this is a large roundtable or a panel discussion, your MP will face questions.  You can’t rely on these being follow-up questions to what you have briefed on, so it is important to second guess what might also be discussed.

  1. Find out who is hosting the discussion.  What have they said in the last six months?  Do they have press releases on their website, or have they been quoted in the national newspapers?  Have any other MPs or Peers mentioned the organisation in Hansard?  This will give you an idea of the direction the discussion may follow.
  2. Often an invitation will tell you who else is going to be speaking.  If it doesn’t, the organisation will normally tell you.  Try the same methods as mentioned above to see whether any of these people or the organisations they represent have any particular views.  Your MP will need at least two facts about each person or organisation, and these facts should be either backed up or have a counter-example.
  3. If your MP is not speaking alongside someone from one of the other parties, they may be speaking at another event with the same organisation.  It may be that this event takes place before the event your MP is attending.  If so, this is a valuable resource.  This is very common at Party Conference or with large pressure groups.

Final advice…

Your MP would find a quick sheet of bullet points useful – but staple copies of the articles, reports and various press releases to the back.  This is especially useful if your MP has a train journey before the event.

Concentrate on subjects your MP is familiar with.  It is probably best to check with your MP that you are heading in the right direction.

Ask other MPs, particularly front benchers, for advice.  The same goes for academic institutions, think tanks and pressure groups.  Use Nexis News, accessed via the Commons Library intranet site, to look for comments by members of the press – but ensure your MP agrees with what is said.

JM/May 2007