Delivering a Parliamentary Information Service in a Corporate Environment

Abstract

UK companies engaged in financial and related services have long acknowledged the need for some sort of parliamentary affairs information service to underpin their activities and assist them in their work. These companies may develop their own in-house services or may outsource the work to external “public affairs” firms to keep them abreast of such information. Reviews the characteristics of such information services in the context of the work of the Parliamentary Affairs Unit (PAU) at the author’s institution, the Bank of England. Examines the range of available information sources and the ways in which these fit into the work of the Bank, particularly since 1997, when the Bank was granted operational independence from Parliament for setting interest rates. The workings of Parliament are discussed in terms of the activities of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Crown, in order to understand the nature of the information generated. Focuses on the Bank of England’s PAU to illustrate its structure and role; the Parliamentary information that is most relevant; Westminster-based information; legislative-based information; tracking legislation through Parliament; biographical information; backbencher information; Whitehall (Government) information; and political party information. Concludes with notes on how alerting services can be constructed around parliamentary information sources and the importance of currency with this type of information.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alastair J Allan (1990). The myth of government information. London: Library Association Publishing . (Viewpoints in LIS 6).

British Library (1998). Guide to libraries and information units in government departments and other organisations. 33rd edition, Peter Dale (ed). London: British Library Science Reference Information Service . ISBN 0 7123 0845 8; ISSN 9052-5416.

David Butcher (1991). Official publications in Britain.2nd ed. London: Library Association publishing . (Dated but still useful. Supplement by reading the regular ‘SCOOP’ column and relevant articles in Refer, which Butcher edits.)

Susan Child (2002). Politico’s guide to Parliament. 2nd ed. Politico’s Publishing . (A rather less daunting way in to parliamentary procedure than Erskine May.)

Erskine May’s treatise on the law, privileges , proceedings and usage of parliament, 22nd ed Sir Donald Limon and W R McKay eds (1997). London: Butterworths. (The ‘bible’ of parliament and parliamentary procedure.)

Paul Flynn (1997). Commons knowledge: how to be a backbencher. Seren.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2000). Passing legislation in the United Kingdom. (A good, straightforward guide.)

D J Gifford and John Salter (1996). How to understand an Act of Parliament. Cavendish Publishing .

Griffith and Ryle on Parliament: functions, practice and procedures.2nd ed by Robert Blackburn and Andrew Kennon (2003). London: Sweet & Maxwell .

10.

Handbook of House of Commons procedure.4th ed (2003). Vacher Dod Publishing .

11.

House of Lords (2003). Companion to the standing orders and the guide to the proceedings of the House of Lords, 19th ed. London: TSO.

12.

Parliament (1994). 3rd ed. TSO , 1994. (Aspects of Britain series). (A painless introduction to parliament - but your time would be better spent reading Silk - q.v.)

13.

Michael Rush (2001). The role of the Member of Parliament since 1868: from gentlemen to players. London: OUP .

14.

Paul Silk and Rhodri Walters (1998). How Parliament works, 4th ed. London: Longman . (A very useful and short guide to parliament.)