Guidance and requirements for laying papers before the House of ...

Journal Office Guidance and requirements for laying papers before the House of Commons and their publication: April 2009Act PapersMust not bepublished(including onthe internet)or otherwisereleased beforelaying.CommandPapersCan be laidwhen the Houseis not sittingShould ideallybe part of thenumberedCommand seriesUn-numberedHC PapersMust have a Title Page bearing specific information (seepage 10).Must be A4, portrait.Must be printed in hard copy and must be published byTSO and on the Official Documents website. 4Copies must be available in the Vote Office shortly afterlaying.Should not be reproduced as part of another document.Can only be laid when the House is sitting.Un-numberedMust have a Title Page bearing specific information (seepage 9).Must be A4, portrait.Must be printed in hard copy and should be publishedon the Official Document’s website.Copies must be available in the Vote Office shortly afterlaying.Can be laid when the House is not sitting (but will berecorded as being laid on the next sitting day). 5NumberedHMSO/OPSI administer the Cm. series and have specificformat requirements. Contact details are at the back ofthis booklet.Copies must be printed in hard copy and must bepublished by TSO and on the Official Documentswebsite.Copies must be available in the Vote Office shortly afterlaying.Un-numberedIn some cases a paper is laid “by Command” but is notprinted or published (e.g. Departmental Minutes), or hasa limited distribution.Except for Explanatory Memoranda to StatutoryInstruments, an electronic copy must be e-mailed to theVote Office shortly after laying (Vote_Office@parliament.uk) to be made available to Members.Should be made available for publication on the OfficialDocuments website.4 See para 21. TSO will provide furniture for the document, including an ISBN number and barcode.5 These papers should therefore not be published, or otherwise released, until that sitting day.6