Home SearchAdvanced Search Site Map Contact Us Français 2006-10-27 
Chamber Business
House of Commons
  1. What is "Today in the House"?
  2. What improvements have been made to the House of Commons daily publications available on the Web site?
  3. Which publications are available on the Web site?
  4. Which hyperlinks appear in the publications?
  5. What are the types of days indicated on the parliamentary calendar?
  6. What are the options found on the header control at the top of each publication?
  7. Are the new features of "Today in the House" available for all publications?
  8. Will earlier links to other publications remain functional?
  9. How can I view publications for past sessions and years?
  10. How extensively can I search this Web site?
  11. What is the difference between Graphics Mode and Text Mode?
  12. Are there any browser limitations on this Web site?
  13. Can I change the text or font size on this Web site so that it is easier to read?
  14. Do I need special permission to reproduce any of the publications posted on the Parliament of Canada Web site?

  1. What is "Today in the House"?

    "Today in the House" is an initiative by Procedural Services at the House of Commons to provide clients, partners and the public with renewed, centralized access to information about the House of Commons' daily business and activities. The Web site has been designed to allow future integration of new functionalities.

    Currently "Today in the House" provides access to parliamentary publications and the parliamentary calendar, as well as links to other Web sites and publications that complement the information available.

  2. What improvements have been made to the House of Commons daily publications available on the Web site?

    "Today in the House" is a user-friendly site. House of Commons daily publications (i.e. Journals, Debates, and Order Paper and Notice Paper) are accessed by means of a calendar. Users can easily switch between publications for a given sitting day and hyperlinks within publications provide one-click access to complementary information.

  3. Which publications are available on the Web site?

    The Debates (Hansard), the Journals, the Projected Order of Business, the Order Paper and Notice Paper and the Status of House Business.

  4. Which hyperlinks appear in the publications?

    The following information is currently hyperlinked:

    • The names of Members of Parliament are linked to information about their profile and federal political experience.
    • Bill titles are linked to information on the bill.
    • House of Commons committees are linked to their page on the Committees Web site.
    • Titles of reports presented by committees are linked to the full text of the report.

  5. What are the types of days indicated on the parliamentary calendar?

    • Sitting: A meeting of the House of Commons within a session. Although usually a calendar day, a sitting may last for only a matter of minutes or may extend over several days.
    • Possible extension of sitting hours: Days on which the hours of sitting may be extended.
    • Adjournment tabling: Days during an adjournment period when the government may deposit documents with the Clerk of the House.
    • Subject to change: Dates for sitting between the last Monday in January and the Monday following Easter Monday are determined by the Speaker in consultation with the House Leaders by September 30th for the following year.

    For more information about the calendar, click the "About this Calendar" tab on the House of Commons Calendar page.

  6. What are the options found on the header control at the top of each publication?

    • Previous / Next: Opens the previous or the next available publication.
    • Journals: Opens Journals for that sitting day.
    • Debates: Opens Debates for that sitting day.
    • Order Paper and Notice Paper: Opens the Order Paper and Notice Paper for that sitting day.
    • Hide hyperlinks: Deactivates hyperlinks within the publication.
    • Display one column / two columns: Allows the user to switch between the unilingual and the bilingual version of the publication (Debates excepted).
    • Back to calendar: Redirects the user to the publication calendar so that a different sitting day may be selected.
    • Français / English: Allows the user to change the language in which the publication and the controls are displayed.
    • Print format: Opens the publication in PDF format, allowing more user-friendly printing of the whole document or a part of it.

  7. Are the new features of "Today in the House" available for all publications?

    Some features (hyperlinks, one/two column view) will not be available in publications published prior to the first session of the 39th Parliament (which began April 3, 2006).

  8. Will earlier links to other publications remain functional?

    With the new Web site, users may find that links to sections like "Chamber Business – House of Commons" and "Bills – House of Commons", as well as links to parliamentary publications, including "Debates", "Journals", and "Status of House Business" will no longer work. Internal and external partners, as well as users who access the documents through links or shortcuts, will have to update their own links and shortcuts. For more information, see the changes to our Website.

  9. How can I view publications for past sessions and years?

    If a session extends over more than one year, each year will appear under a different tab at the top of the calendar. You can move from one session to another using the links at the bottom of the navigation menu under "Select a Session".

  10. How extensively can I search this Web site?

    The site supports two kinds of searches:

    • The entire Parliament of Canada Web site can be searched using the Web site search engine. A more restricted search can be carried out by clicking on "Advanced Search" and setting parameters.
    • The Debates and Committees Evidence can be searched by clicking on "Search the Debates" on the navigation menu. For more information, see the retrieval tool FAQ.


  11. What is the difference between Graphics Mode and Text Mode?

    In order to meet accessibility standards, the Web site can be viewed in two modes: Graphics Mode or Text Mode.

    • Graphics Mode: Though it has been designed for maximum accessibility, the site’s regular version may not meet all applicable accessibility standards. It uses flash windows, modified hyperlinks, and bilingual documents in a two-column format.
    • Text Mode: The text-based version of the site meets all applicable accessibility standards. It displays only text and uses no images or tables. Note that text mode cannot be accessed within the publications.

  12. Are there any browser limitations on this Web site?

    The Web site is designed to function in both Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and up and FireFox versions 1.0.4 and up. While this site will function in most other browsers, there may be some unanticipated difficulties.

  13. Can I change the text or font size on this Web site so that it is easier to read?

    You can easily adjust the text size on this Web site to make it smaller or larger. In Microsoft Internet Explorer or FireFox, select the "View" tab on the menu bar, point to "Text Size", and choose your preference.

  14. Do I need special permission to reproduce any of the publications posted on the Parliament of Canada Web site?

    The material on this site is covered by the provisions of the Copyright Act and related regulations and international agreements. Such provisions serve to identify the information source and, in specific instances, to prohibit reproduction of materials without written permission.

    The visitor should be aware that some of the material found on this site might be subject to copyright held by third parties.

    It is the sole responsibility of the visitor to determine the copyright of the content and to obtain all necessary permissions.