Overview
Like United States government documents, not all British documents are published by the official printing office, TSO (The Stationery Office). Privatized in 1996, this office took over the job of HMSO (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office), which was founded in 1786. It is still the major publisher of British documents, including Parliamentary documents, publications of governmental departments, etc.
Yearbooks and other standard reference items of the type familiar to those who have used United States publications are also available for Britain. While many are published by HMSO/TSO, many come directly from other government departments, notably the Office for National Statistics (although even these are typically sold by The Stationery Office)
Catalogs
- Stationery Office Annual CatalogueThe title has undergone a series of name changes, but is still the official catalog of government documents. The various titles are shelved together in the Libraries collections.
- Annual catalogues of British official and parliamentary publications, 1894-1909Reprints of the annuals compiled into a single volume.
- Annual catalogues of British official and parliamentary publications, 1910-1919Reprints of the annuals compiled into a single volume.
- Catalogues and indexes of British government publications, 1920-1970Reprints of the annuals compiled into a multi-volume set.
- Cumulative index to the annual catalogues of Her Majesty's Stationery Office publications, 1922-1972Subject, author, and title index entries with references to the year and page number where the document is listed in the Annual Catalogue.
Handbooks, Yearbooks, and Almanacs
- Annual Abstract of StatisticsGeneral compendium of statistics on population, social conditions, law enforcement, education, employment, armed forces, energy, industry, transportation, and trade. The title has undergone a series of name changes, but the various titles are shelved together in the Libraries collections. Includes a link to some full text.
- Civil Service Year BookSimilar in nature and scope to the United States Government Manual.
- Commonwealth YearbookProfiles of the member nations of the British Commonwealth, with statistical tables and a directory of organizations. Editions prior to 1987 are titled Year Book of the Commonwealth.
- Diplomatic Service ListBrief biographies of British diplomats are included.
- Monthly Digest of StatisticsCovers the economy, society, population, manufacturing, etc.
- Regional TrendsDemographic, social, industrial, and economic statistics for regions of the United Kingdom.
- Social trends : a publication of the Government Statistical ServiceTables, graphs and charts dealing with culture and social conditions.
- UK : the official yearbook of Great Britain and Northern IrelandOffers a well-done overview of government, economy, environmental issues, and society and culture. Editions prior to 2002 are titled Britain.
- United Kingdom balance of paymentsKnown as the "Pink Book", this title provides detailed annual estimates of the balance of payments, including estimates for the current account (trade in goods and services, income and current transfers), the capital account, the financial account and the International Investment Position.
Printed Guides
- Guide to the records of ParliamentDescribes the organization of all printed and unprinted records of Parliament.
- An introduction to British government publications2nd ed., fully revised and enlarged.
- British official publications2d Rev. Ed. 1973.
- A guide to British Government publicationsAt 750 pages, the most thorough guide of those listed here.
Other Publications
- British and foreign state papersCovers 1812 to 1968 and includes indexes.
- An index of British treatiesMany of these treaties, from the nineteenth century on, are among the sessional papers of the House of Commons. This guide gives exact references to Parliament.
- State Papers Online, Part III: The Stuarts: James I to Anne, 1603-1714: State Papers DomesticA digitized collection of the domestic British State Papers dating from 1603-1714, which document the Stuart era from the coronation of James I to the end of the reign of Queen Anne. Major events documented in this collection include the Gunpowder Plot, the English Civil War, the execution of Charles I, the subsequent rise of Cromwell, the Restoration of Charles II, the Great Fire of London, and the invasion of William of Orange. In addition to the digitized manuscripts, the collection also includes the official Calendars, which are indexes with detailed summaries of the manuscripts.
- Statutes of the Realm [Rutgers Restricted]Full text of 11 volumes covering 1225-1713. Print copies are located in ALEXANDER DOC-FOLIO FOREIGN G78 R31/1.3
**Note** Alexander Library has holdings of many other publications of the British government, ranging from print publications to large microforms collections of documents from the Cabinet Office, Colonial Office, Foreign Office, Public Record Office, Office of the Prime Minister, and the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts.
To locate materials at Alexander Library be sure to check the documents card catalog under “Great Britain” and then under the department name and title of the item. Also check QuickSearch, and the Microforms in Alexander Library database.