Navigating Westminster: A Practical Guide to Parliamentary Papers and Resources
What is happening in Parliament next week? Where has a Bill reached? Which amendments will be debated? And where can you find the evidence, answers and documents that matter to your work? Parliament publishes a wealth of information, but knowing where to look – and how to interpret what you find – takes practice. This online workshop will help you navigate Westminster’s official papers and website with greater confidence, so you can spend less time searching and more time using the information that matters. It's designed for people working in politics, Parliament, public affairs and campaigning – and anyone preparing for a career at Westminster.
Tuesday 27 October 2026 | 9:30am–1:30pm | Online via Zoom Early bird: £200 + VAT (£240) with code EARLY20 by 16 October 2026. Standard price: £250 + VAT (£300).
If your work depends on understanding or influencing Parliament, you need to be able to follow more than the headlines. The papers behind parliamentary business help you identify what is coming up, track decisions and scrutinise the detail.
But the information is spread across different documents and parts of Parliament’s website. An amendment paper tells you one thing; the selection and grouping of amendments tells you another. A debate transcript records what was said, while other papers record what the House decided.
This workshop will help you make sense of those distinctions and find your way through the material.
Developed in response to feedback about the difficulties of finding information and keeping pace with parliamentary business, the training brings together practical guidance, procedural explanation and examples drawn from current business in the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Whether you are preparing a briefing, monitoring a Bill, researching a policy issue or planning parliamentary engagement, you will build skills you can put to work.
This training session is particularly relevant to:
Parliamentary and constituency staff supporting MPs’ and peers’ work.
Public affairs and policy professionals monitoring legislation and advising colleagues or clients.
Campaigners and charity staff following issues through Parliament and preparing evidence or briefings.
Political researchers and communications staff who need to find and check parliamentary information.
Journalists, especially aspiring Westminster correspondents, who want to strengthen their parliamentary research skills and prepare for future roles covering Parliament.
People considering a career at Westminster who want a practical understanding of the resources used in parliamentary work.
You will learn how to find, interpret and use key parliamentary papers, and understand how they fit into Westminster’s legislative and scrutiny processes.
Navigate the Order Paper, Future Business and Votes and Proceedings to understand scheduled business and the decisions taken by the House of Commons.
Find parliamentary questions, ministerial statements and Early Day Motions, and understand what each can tell you about an issue.
Locate Bills and their supporting explanatory documents, distinguish between versions, and follow their progress through Parliament.
Learn how to read amendment papers alongside the selection and grouping of amendments, so you can understand which proposals are being considered and how debates are organised.
Locate select committee reports, evidence, correspondence and minutes – and understand how these sources can inform research, briefings and parliamentary engagement.
Make sense of Command Papers, House of Commons papers, deposited papers, “will-write” letters and returns of papers.
Understand the distinctions between these documents and where to look for information that may be difficult to find through a general website search.
The aim is to help you move from “I know this information exists” to knowing where to find it quickly, what it tells you and how to use it.
This four-hour online workshop will take you through key parliamentary documents, website pages and resources, using examples from current parliamentary business.
There will be opportunities to ask questions throughout, so you can clarify unfamiliar terminology and explore points relevant to your work.
Your ticket also includes access to a recording for one month after the event, allowing you to revisit the guidance at your own pace.
The session is delivered by Hansard Society specialists whose work includes our weekly Parliament Matters Bulletin and Podcast and research into parliamentary procedure and legislative scrutiny.
They bring practical experience of finding, interpreting and explaining parliamentary information, alongside the Society’s independent, non-partisan approach.
Matthew England
Matthew drafts the Parliament Matters Bulletin, our weekly guide to forthcoming business in the Commons and Lords, and maintains the Society’s Statutory Instrument Tracker®. His research focuses on delegated powers and the scrutiny of delegated legislation. Before joining the Hansard Society in 2023, he worked as a researcher for an MP, focusing primarily on legislative research. He brings direct experience of using parliamentary papers both inside an MP’s office and to explain Westminster’s work to a wider audience.
Dr Ruth Fox
Ruth is Director of the Hansard Society and co-host of our Parliament Matters podcast. Her work focuses on parliamentary strengthening, legislative scrutiny and constitutional reform. She regularly gives evidence to parliamentary committees and explains parliamentary processes on radio and television. She is co-author of The Devil is in the Detail: Parliament and Delegated Legislation and provided commentary alongside Mark D’Arcy for BBC Parliament’s coverage of the major Brexit votes and prorogation in 2019–20.
Book by 16 October 2026 to save 20%.
Enter EARLY20 when booking to pay £200 + VAT (£240) per person.
The standard ticket price is £250 + VAT (£300) per person. Your ticket includes the live online workshop and access to the recording for one month afterwards.
Use the Book your place button to reserve your ticket. Payment can be made by credit card. If you require a VAT invoice, please email contact@hansardsociety.org.uk.
Tickets are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend live, you will still have access to the session recording for one month after the event.
