Introduction

This is the first Sessional Information Digest since the election of the Labour Government at the General Election of 1 May 1997.

Although the Sessional Information Digest is in some ways a cumulation of material from the Weekly Information Bulletin, it is recommended that users retain their Bulletin files, as full bibliographical details are not given here, in order to save space. In this respect, the Digest forms an index and companion to the Bulletin, as well as providing information unavailable elsewhere.

Both the Bulletin and the Digest can be found on the Internet via links from Parliament's home page. The address is: http://www.parliament.uk.

Standing Order numbers cited in this edition of the Digest are those used during the 1997-98 Parliament.

This Digest contains some new material; e.g. Members who are also Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which adds to its length as does the length of the Parliamentary Session which it seeks to detail.

My thanks go to Mary Walsh and Anne Vince for typesetting this Digest, to Sarah Davies in the Journal Office for providing certain unpublished data for section A, and to Bronwen Rowlands, Catrin Owens, Tracy Herd, Jackie Ahrens, Sarah Haigh, Gemma Wallace and Ellen Caswell who have all helped in the compilation of this digest.

Fiona Ward

February 1999

House of Commons Information Office

Tel: 0171-219 4272                                                                                e-mail: hcinfo@parliament.uk

Providing information on the work, history and membership of the House of Commons