House of Lords Journal guide

What is the House of Lords Journal?

The Journal is the formal record of what happens in the House of Lords.

The Journal contains the attendance of members, the minutes, papers, and divisions (votes) for each day the House sat. The Journal is arranged into volumes, each of which cover one parliamentary session. These volumes are indexed by topic, type of procedure, the names of pieces of legislation, and details on the membership of the House.

The House of Lords Journal dates back to 1509. Older volumes do not contain indexes but do contain the text of some committee reports. 

What can I use the Journal for?

Identifying precedents

When has a certain type of motion been debated or agreed by the House? 

Tracking the stages of a piece of legislation

When did the House debate a particular bill or consider a motion relating to it? 

Finding out when a particular member of the Lords attended or voted or moved a particular motion

When did a certain Lord or Baroness vote on a motion?

Discovering the topics debated by the House

When did the House debate a motion relating to education, housing or the environment? 

Analysing data about the sittings of the House

For how many days did the House sit, and how many hours of sittings were there? 

Indexes

Items of business are normally indexed alphabetically, though certain types of business are brought together under generic headings such as the following:

• Business of the House
• Committees
• Divisions
• Grand Committee
• Measures
• Motions (including amendments to motions)
• Petitions
• Private Bills
• Private notice questions
• Public Bills
• Public Bodies Orders
• Questions for short debate
• Special Procedure Order

Entries relating to members of the House are listed in the separate Membership of the House index.

Older indexes

Indexes to the Journals have changed in their structure and presentation and become more comprehensive over time. 

Older indexes make greater use of abbreviations, including the following:

• 1a; 2a; 3a: First, second, third readings
• CWH: Committee of the Whole House
• DPRRC: Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee
• EAC: Economic Affairs Committee
• EUC: European Union Committee
• GC: Grand Committee
• HC: House of Commons
• HL: House of Lords
• HM: Her Majesty
• HRH: His Royal Highness
• JC: Joint Committee
• JCCB: Joint Committee on Consolidation etc. Bills
• JCHR: Joint Committee on Human Rights
• JCSI: Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
• LCCA: Lords Consideration of Commons Amendments
• Merits: Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee
• RA: Royal Assent
• S&T: Science and Technology Committee
• SC: Select Committee
• SLSC: Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee
• SO: Standing Order
• SOC: Standing Orders (Private Bills) Committee
• SPBC: Special Public Bill Committee
• SRC: Second Reading Committee
• UBC: Unopposed Bill Committee