What is Hansard?
Hansard is a verbatim report of what is said during parliamentary proceedings. The words of Members of Parliament are recorded and edited to generate an official Hansard transcript. Editorial corrections to remove repetitions and some mistakes are allowed as long as it doesn’t take away from the meaning of what is being said.
History of The Hansard
The term Hansard originates from the surname of a family of printers who began working with the British Parliament in the late 19th century. In 1802 William Cobbett began to publish the debates of the United Kingdom legislature. Cobbett sold these debates to Thomas Hansard, the son of Luke Hansard (a well known government printer.)The connection between the Hansard family and Parliament was established sometime later In 1866, The Hansard was brought in-house and published officially as Parliamentary Debates. (Read the full story at https://www.commonwealth-hansard.org/about-hansard.html )
How are Hansard Transcripts used?
Official Hansard Transcripts are an important source of unbiased, accurate information. Students, current and future parliamentarians, lawyers and many others use official Hansard transcripts to see how a particular Member voted on an issue or what he/she said on a particular matter. It also allows persons to determine the exact intentions of legislation.