UK Parliament & democracy - useful resources (videos, contact details, FOI requests)

[Bob]

I thought it might be useful to share these resources with everyone.

Here's a number different ways you can access the UK Parliament and make use of parliamentary resources, such as accessing all parliamentary videos (live & recorded), accessing full texts of debates and written answers, and finding contact details for all MP's etc.

There's contact details for all MP's, all Members of The House of Lords, all MEP's, your local councillors, MSP's and members the various UK assemblies.

I've also included some extra useful resources.


Ways to watch UK Parliament debates, either live or recorded:

Watch Live:

Parliament website:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Live.aspx
(This transmits all the debates in all the chambers. Go to the appropriate date, and look in the appropriate section, and then click on the latest clickable link at, or above, the time of the debate.)

BBC Democracy Live website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/bbc_parliament/default.stm

BBC iplayer (watch the BBC Parliament TV channel live on BBC iplayer):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_parliament/watchlive

BBC Parliament TV channel. See channel info here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/bbc_parliament/default.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/parliament/programmes/schedules


Watch Recorded sessions (catch up):

Parliament website:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Live.aspx
(This transmits all the debates in all the chambers. Go to the appropriate date, and look in the appropriate section, and click on the first clickable link at, or above, the time of the debate.)

BBC Democracy Live website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/default.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/schedule/index.stm

BBC iplayer Parliament section:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_parliament



Timetables and Scheduling for Parliament sessions and Live video broadcasts:

Parliament website calender:
http://services.parliament.uk/calendar/

BBC Parliament TV channel schedule:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/parliament/programmes/schedules

BBC Democracy Live parliamentary schedule:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/schedule/index.stm

BBC iplayer schedule:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_parliament



Contact details for all Members of Parliament, and all Members of The House of Lords:

UK Parliament Website
Full list of MP's and Lords with all contact details:
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/

WriteToThem
http://www.writetothem.com/
Enter your postcode to contact any of your democratic representatives from this website, for free: Your local councillors, your MP, your MEP's, your MSP's, and Northern Ireland, Welsh and London Assembly Members, and also any member of the House of Lords. You can send them a message from this website for free.



Parliamentary transcripts, MP alerts, MP contact details:

TheyWorkForYou
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
This is a very useful website, with transcripts of all parliamentary sessions and speeches and written answers published here. It gives you an internet link to a precise piece of text if you need it.
You can also set up an email alert which emails you your own MP's, or any other member of parliament's, activities, such as their questions and answers.
It also gives links to the corresponding text in Parliament's official Hansard record.
It also has a Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly sections.



Government data resources:

data.gov.uk
http://data.gov.uk/
The is a government data 'beta' website, that says it intends to make data more accessible in one searchable website, with an intention to "opening up government".



Freedom of Information Requests (made simple):

whatdotheyknow.com
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/
Freedom of Information requests made simple.
Make or explore Freedom of Information requests from this website.



Other resources:

PledgeBank
http://www.pledgebank.com/
Sign a political pledge online, and get other people to pledge to join you in the same cause.



UK Citizens Online Democracy
http://www.ukcod.org.uk/UK_Citizens_Online_Democracy
"At present, UKCOD's main activity is running the mySociety project. mySociety builds websites which give people simple, tangible benefits in the civic and community aspects of their lives."

mysociety.org
http://www.mysociety.org/projects/
"Hello! We are mySociety we run most of the UKs best known democracy websites."

 

[Enid]

Thanks Bob. We do have some inside friends inside the Commons & Lords (not enough yet to really make "the change") All efforts needed.