A Command or House Paper
A Command Paper
is a document that is not required by statute to be presented to the House but
is of interest to Parliament.
This can include White Papers, Green
Papers, Treaties, Government Responses to Select Committee Reports, Reports
from major Commissions or Enquiry Reports.
In addition to a title,
Command Papers are part of a numbered series with a prefix, which indicates the
period in which the paper was published:
- C 1 to C 9550 - 1870-1899
- Cd 1 to Cd 9239 - 1900-1918
- Cmd 1 to Cmd 9889 -
1919-1956
- Cmnd 1 to Cmnd 9927 - 1956 to November 1986
- Cm 1
onwards - November 1986 to date.
For example,
Building the National Care Service, can be identified as Cm
7834 2009-10.
A House of Commons Paper is a document formally
published by the House of Commons and is identified by HC #: for example,
The Community Care Grant: Department for Work and Pensions is also known by the paper number followed by
the year of the Parliamentary session, e.g. HC 286 2010-11.
A
House of Lords Paper is one formally published by the House of Lords
and identified as HL #: for example,
Stars and Dragons: the EU and China is also known by the paper number followed by
the year of the Parliamentary session, e.g. HL 76-I 2009-10.