EDMs & PQs

Parliamentary Questions (PQs)

MPs can ask the Government questions to be answered in person by a Minister (Oral Questions) or in writing (Written Questions).

Recently tabled Parliamentary Questions and further information can be found at:

http://www.parliament.uk/about_commons/questions.cfm

Early Day Motions (EDMs)

An Early Day Motion, or EDM, is a motion put down ("tabled") by Members of Parliament calling for a debate on a particular subject. In practice, there is rarely time to debate EDMs nowadays and their true modern-day purpose is to enable MPs to draw attention to an issue and to canvass support for their views by inviting other Members to add their signatures in support of the motion.

Here is a link to the Early Day Motion database on the Parliament website where you can search for those relating to disability:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/edmi/

Hansard

The Official Report (Hansard) is the edited verbatim ('word for word') report of proceedings in Parliament.  Commons Hansard covers proceedings in the Commons Chamber, Westminster Hall and Standing Committees.  Lords Hansard covers proceedings in the Lords Chamber and its Grand Committees.

Hansard is available online and is updated the next day at 8 am (Hansard for Friday sittings will be available on the following Monday). 

It can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/hansard/hansard.cfm

The answers to Parliamentary Questions (oral and written) as well as transcripts of debates can be found at this Hansard page: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhansrd.htm 

Hansard can also be searched via its search engine: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/semaphoreserver?DB=semukparl&FILE=search

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