Use this page if you want to find, order or access Parliament’s Archive Collections, formerly held at the Parliamentary Archives, which have relocated to The National Archives.
Find, check, order and visit
Use these steps to check whether a collection or record is available and how you can access it.
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- Browse the ‘Parliament’s Archive Collections’ section below to identify collections of interest.
- Search for the collection or record in our catalogue, using a title, name, keyword or reference. You can also browse the collections in our catalogue with the prefix Y, which is unique to Parliament’s Archive Collections.
- Open the catalogue entry and check the access options. Some records are available to download, but many records need to be viewed in person.
- If the record shows as available to order, find out how to book a visit to view original documents or request copies if copying is available. You must order records at least four working days before your visit.
- Visit us to view the record in the reading room at The National Archives. Our reading rooms are usually open Tuesday to Saturday, before visiting check our full opening times and closure dates.
Parliament’s Archive Collections
The collections listed below are available in our catalogue, where you can search for them and check how to access them.
Personal papers
- Beaverbrook Library Collections, comprising the papers of Harold Harrington Balfour, Lord Beaverbrook, Robert Norman William Blake, Andrew Bonar Law, Ralph David Blumenfeld, Robert Donald, Frances Stevenson, Sir Patrick Joseph Henry Hannon MP, Timothy Michael Healy KC, David Lloyd George and Frank Owen Baron Wargrave
- Over 100 collections of personal papers, including the papers of George Henry Cadogan, fifth Earl Cadogan; correspondence, papers and press cuttings of Major A L Renton MP; and papers of John St Loe Strachey
Parliamentary papers and proceedings
- Journals and Proceedings of the House of Commons and House of Lords
- Sessional (‘Laid’) Papers, pre-1800
Acts and bills
- Printed Volumes of Acts
- Public Bill Office: Original Acts, up to 1834 and 1835-2019
- Private Bill Office: Original Acts, up to 1834 and 1835-2010
- Ecclesiastical Committee: Original Measures, 1920-1993
Architecture and buildings
- Over 20 collections of records relating to the architecture of the Houses of Parliament, including papers of Sir Charles Barry, records of the Property Services Agency and records created or inherited by the Parliamentary Works Office
Photographs and visual material
- A selection of photographic material, including the House of Commons Library Photograph Albums and the House of Lords Record Office Picture Library
Deposited plans
- House of Lords: Private Bill Office: Deposited Plans, 1794-2000
- House of Commons: Private Bill Office: Deposited Plans, 1795-1997
Parliamentary bodies
- Records of a variety of parliamentary bodies, including the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Parliamentary Group for World Government and the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table
Judicial and committee records
- Sessional (‘Laid’) Papers, post 1800
- Judicial records
- Records of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee
Help with your research
For help researching Parliament’s Archive Collections, please consult our dedicated research guides for Parliament’s Archive Collections.
You can visit The National Archives to do your own research and view documents free of charge.
If you want someone to carry out research for you, you can use an independent researcher or our paid search service.
If you cannot find a collection or record in Discovery, or are unsure how it is listed, contact us for advice.
Using the Library collection
Secondary sources can help you understand the wider context of Parliament’s Archive Collections. They can also be useful finding aids when researching people, places, topics or events.
The National Archives Library has received part of the Parliamentary Archives’ book collection. This will be added to the library’s existing collection on Parliament to create a new collection on parliamentary history. Cataloguing is due to be completed by the end of 2026.
Books, digital resources and pamphlets that are already available in The National Archives Library can be found in our library catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Is everything that was on Parliament’s catalogue now available at The National Archives?
Everything that was previously on Parliament’s catalogue is now available on The National Archives’ catalogue. If records are shown as ‘closed’ or as held by ‘UK Parliament’, users can make a request for access to UK Parliament via its catalogue page, or contact pki@parliament.uk.
Will any material that was previously held by the Parliamentary Archives not be relocated to The National Archives?
The Parliamentary Archives used the relocation to The National Archives as an opportunity to review their holdings. This mainly involved identifying and disposing of copies of records held in obsolete formats:
CAM – Papers of William Camden. This consisted of a microfilm copy of Beinecke MS 370, held by Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.
FAB – Glass slides relating to the fabric of the Palace of Westminster. This consisted of copies of records from elsewhere in the Parliamentary Archives collection.
MIC – Microfilm copies of Parliamentary Archives records.
APT – Aperture card copies of Parliamentary Archives records.
In addition, HL/PO/RO/1/122, a wooden plate gifted to a Parliamentary delegation visiting Russia, was transferred to Parliament’s Heritage Collections as they already held other gifts from this visit; and FCP, the Forest and Commons papers were transferred to the University of Reading to join the archives of its parent body, the Open Spaces Society. All other archival material has been transferred to The National Archives.
Do I need to consider copyright permissions if I’m using records from Parliament’s collection?
As copyright in the records belongs to Parliament or third-party rights owners, their permission might be required for certain uses of the material. You are responsible for ensuring that your use of the records does not infringe copyright, and we have published guidance on Using materials from The National Archives (PDF, 234KB) and Copyright and related rights (PDF, 877KB) to assist archive users.