Publications relating to the work of the Scottish Parliament include Bills, Scottish Parliament Papers, the Scottish Parliament Official Report and Scottish Government Papers.
N.B. References to parliamentary materials can vary. For guidance on how to reference materials in your own work refer to a referencing guide:
A Scottish Parliament Bill (SP Bill) is a draft form of an Act. A Bill must pass through various parliamentary stages before it is passed, gains Royal Assent, and becomes an Act. If a Bill falls at any stage it does not become an Act.
SP Bill 29 Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill [As Introduced] Session 3 (2009)
| SP Bill 29 | Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill | [As Introduced] | Session 3 | (2009) |
| Bill number | Title | Printing | Session | Year |
Scottish Parliament Papers (SP Papers) include reports of Committees and other publications resulting from the work of the Parliament.
Justice Committee 10th Report, 2009, Report on Subordinate Legislation (SPP 258)
| Justice Committee | 10th Report, | 2009, | Report on Subordinate Legislation | (SPP 258) |
| Author (Committee) | Report | Year | Title | SPP number |
OR
Justice Committee, Report on Subordinate Legislation (SPP 258, Session 3, 2009)
| Justice Committee, | Report on Subordinate Legislation | (SPP 258, | Session 3, | 2009) |
| Author (Committee) | Title | SPP number | Session | Year |
The Scottish Parliament Official Report provides a record of debates on Bills and other business before the Parliament. Constituent parts include: Meetings of the Parliament, Committee Meetings, and Written Answers.
Debate on the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, Stage 1, SP OR 10 February 2010, Col 23646-23667
| Debate on the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, Stage 1, | SP OR | 10 February 2010, | Col 23646-23667 |
| (name of debate) | Official Report | Date | Column(s) |
Debate on the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, Stage 2, SP OR LGC 24 March 2010, Col 2920-2929
| Debate on the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, Stage 2, | SP OR | LGC | 24 March 2010, | Col 2920-2929 |
| (name of debate) | Official Report | Committee* | Date | Column(s) |
*for a list of committee abbreviations see Guide to Recommended Citations for Scottish Parliament Publications:
Shona Robison, written answer to question from Ken Macintosh, SP WA 11 February 2010, S3O-9481
| Shona Robison, written answer to question from Ken Macintosh, | SP WA | 11 February 2010, | S3O-9481 |
| (description of answer) | Written answers | Date | Question number |
Scottish Government Papers (SG Papers) include publications from the Scottish Government and reports and accounts of devolved agencies and other public bodies. they were formerly published as “Scottish Executive Papers” (or SE Papers).
References to SG Papers
Anniesland College, Report & Accounts 31 July 2008, SG/2009/36
| Anniesland College, | Report & Accounts 31 July 2008, | SG/2009/36 |
| Author (e.g. corporate body) | Title | SG number (Year/Number) |
For information about legislation from the Scottish Parliament refer to out Legislation Guide:
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Scottish Parliament Official Report: Meeting of the Parliament This link opens in a new windowFollow the link to ‘Scottish Parliament’ then , under ‘Categories’, to ‘Official reports’, ‘Written Answers’, or ‘Official Reports of Committee Debates’. Then browse by session and date. (Alternatively, use options in the ‘Advanced Search’ screen.)
Follow the link to the ‘Advanced Search’ screen. Under ‘Categories’ select the relevant source(s) (e.g. ‘Scottish Parliament Official Reports’). Enter terms in the ‘Keywords in document text’ search field.
Follow the link ‘‘Find Official Reports by date’’ then choose a date range, select ‘Browse’ to view relevant documents.
In the ‘Search the Official Report’ box select 'Advanced Search', enter keywords (and choose MSP) select ‘Search’ to display results.
Use the SP Official Report (OR) or Written Answers (WA) reference to locate the debate by series/committee, session, and column.
Current Law Statutes: Annotations at the beginning of an act contains references to debates relating to the Bill.
‘Explanatory Notes’ to Acts of the Scottish Parliament contain references to debates on the related Bill (under ‘Parliamentary History’).
Scottish Parliament Official Report: Meeting of the Parliament
Current Law Statutes
Current Law Statutes comprises annual "bound volumes” and the "Service File”.
This link opens in a new windowThe ‘Bill Tracker’ allows you to follow the progress of a Bill as it goes through the UK or Scottish Parliament.
Documents associated with the passage of the Bill are listed in reverse chronological order (with other sort and search options available).
This page provides links to ‘Current Bills’ and ‘Previous Bills by Session’ where individual Bills are listed. Each Bill’s page lists the stages the Bill has reached with links to associated documents.