- Official publishing
- Records selection and transfer process
- Information Management Assessment programme
- Crown and Parliamentary copyright
- Digital Continuity Service
- Contacts
How to correct a paper
If an error or omission is noticed after a Command Paper has been laid, government organisations must contact The National Archives and its publishing contractor as a matter of urgency.
If an error or omission has been identified in a House of Commons Paper or un-numbered Act Paper, the organisation should contact the Journal Office and the publishing contractor as soon as possible.
Organisations with parent departments must also inform their parent departments of errors or omissions contained within laid documents.
A published paper must be the same as its laid version; it is not enough to simply amend a paper's digital copies on the Official Documents or organisation's website.
An amendment can be included in several ways, depending on the change required:
- 'stickering'
- a correction slip (sometimes known as an erratum slip)
- withdrawing and re-laying the paper
Any of these options may involve additional cost. Where possible, to minimise the cost, deal with corrections before print copies are despatched from the publishing contractor.
Stickering
'Stickering' can take place if the Journal Office notices a minor error while a paper is being laid.
If this is the case, all print copies (including the laid copies and those to be distributed on publication, where not already despatched from the contractor) will have a sticker with the correct text placed over the erroneous text.
Any PDFs of the paper should be corrected before they are published online. Organisations should also supply a new print PDF to the contractor for future print on demand orders.
Correction slips
Use correction slips where an error or omission is noticed after laying has taken place and print copies have been despatched. In these circumstances the government organisation needs to lay a correction slip in Parliament, stating what is corrected, and provide certain other information about the publication.
To ensure correction slips include the relevant publishing information, The National Archives has agreed correction slip templates with the publishing contractor. These are supplied on request from the contractor ready for organisations to complete. Correction slips must be approved by the Journal Office before distribution.
The contractor will send paper copies of the final correction slip to customers who purchased print copies and publish a digital version of the correction slip on the Official Documents website. Print copies sold subsequently will include the correction slip.
Organisations should also ensure that the correction slip is uploaded wherever the paper is published online.
Withdrawing and re-laying a paper
If the error or omission is significant, it may be necessary to withdraw and re-lay a new version of the paper.
If you are withdrawing a paper seek advice from the government organisation's parliamentary unit and from the Journal Office.
Costs to correct a paper
If the error is the fault of the government organisation, it will be liable for any additional costs involved. If the error is the fault of a supplier then it will be liable for the costs involved.
It is the responsibility of the authoring department to check the final proof of a paper.
