UK Business Tools - Ledgerhall

Search Committee Evidence

law_committees_search_evidence

Read-onlyIdempotent

USE THIS TOOL WHEN you have a committee_id and want the oral and written evidence submitted to it.

Returns ONE PAGE of evidence (default 20) plus total, the source's count of matching items. evidence_type='both' lists all oral evidence first, then all written evidence, each newest-published first as the source orders it. Free-text titles are capped per max_title_chars; witness lists are capped at 10 per item. An organisation witness (no named individual) is rendered as ' ()'; a null entry means the source gave no name for that witness at all. For committees with many submissions, re-call with offset=offset+returned while has_more is true.

Authoritative source for parliamentary committee evidence.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`limit`	No	Maximum evidence items to return. Default 20. For evidence_type='both' a page may hold only oral, only written, or the last oral items followed by the first written items.
`offset`	No	Number of evidence items to skip before this page. Default 0. Re-call with offset=offset+returned while has_more is true. For evidence_type='both' this is a position in the combined sequence (all oral evidence, then all written evidence).
`committee_id`	Yes	Committee ID from committees_search_committees results.
`evidence_type`	No	Type of evidence to search.	both
`max_title_chars`	No	Per-item cap on the free-text title field. Default 300 prevents context blow-up from verbose inquiry titles. Raise to 1000+ only when you need the full title text.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	Yes	Max evidence items requested for this page
`total`	Yes	Evidence items matching this query, from committees-api's totalResults (for evidence_type='both', the oral count plus the written count)
`offset`	Yes	Number of evidence items skipped before this page
`evidence`	No	Evidence items in this page. Titles are capped per max_title_chars; witness lists are capped at 10 per item.
`has_more`	Yes	True if evidence exists beyond this page (offset + returned < total). Re-call with offset=offset+returned to fetch the next page.
`returned`	Yes	Number of evidence items actually returned in this call
`committee_id`	Yes	Committee ID this page belongs to
`evidence_type`	Yes	Evidence type filter applied to this query

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed7 schema fields changedSep 14, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / limit / description

Previous value: -"Maximum evidence items to return. Default 20. When evidence_type='both' the limit is split across oral and written (roughly half each)."New value: +"Maximum evidence items to return. Default 20. For evidence_type='both' a page may hold only oral, only written, or the last oral items followed by the first written items."

changedInput schema / properties / offset / description

Previous value: -"Number of evidence items to skip before this page. Default 0. Re-call with offset=offset+returned while has_more is true."New value: +"Number of evidence items to skip before this page. Default 0. Re-call with offset=offset+returned while has_more is true. For evidence_type='both' this is a position in the combined sequence (all oral evidence, then all written evidence)."

changedInput schema / properties / offset / maximum
```
Previous value: -2000New value: +2147483647
```

changedOutput schema / description

Previous value: -"A page of evidence submissions to a parliamentary committee.\n\nReturned by committees_search_evidence. Callers paginate by\nre-calling with offset=offset+returned while has_more is True.\nWhen evidence_type=\"both\", oral and written evidence are\ninterleaved in a single `evidence` list and the limit is split\nacross both."New value: +"A page of evidence submissions to a parliamentary committee.\n\nReturned by committees_search_evidence. Callers paginate by\nre-calling with offset=offset+returned while has_more is True.\nWhen evidence_type=\"both\", the sequence being paged is all oral\nevidence followed by all written evidence."

changedOutput schema / properties / has_more / description

Previous value: -"True if there may be more evidence beyond this page. Re-call with offset=offset+returned to fetch the next page. Conservative: when evidence_type='both', True if either oral or written upstream page came back full."New value: +"True if evidence exists beyond this page (offset + returned < total). Re-call with offset=offset+returned to fetch the next page."

addedOutput schema / properties / total

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Evidence items matching this query, from committees-api's totalResults (for evidence_type='both', the oral count plus the written count)",
+  "type": "integer"
+}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "committee_id",
-  "evidence_type",
-  "offset",
-  "limit",
-  "returned",
-  "has_more"
-]New value: +[
+  "committee_id",
+  "evidence_type",
+  "offset",
+  "limit",
+  "returned",
+  "total",
+  "has_more"
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 13, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / evidence / items / properties / witnesses / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "items": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "type": "array"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "items": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "type": "array"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / evidence / items / properties / witnesses / description

Previous value: -"Witness names (oral evidence only, capped at 10 per item)"New value: +"Witness display names (oral evidence only, capped at 10 per item). An organisation witness (e.g. a regulator or company giving evidence collectively, not through one named individual) has no personal name upstream — that entry is rendered as '<Organisation> (<Role>)' instead, e.g. 'Bank of England (Governor)'. A null entry means committees-api.parliament.uk supplied neither a personal name nor an organisation for that witness slot — honest absence, not a fabricated placeholder; it is not omitted from the list, so the count of entries still matches the number of witnesses upstream."

Changed7 schema fields changedJun 14, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / committee_id

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Committee ID from committees_search_committees results.",
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / evidence_type

Added value: +{
+  "default": "both",
+  "description": "Type of evidence to search.",
+  "enum": [
+    "oral",
+    "written",
+    "both"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / limit

Added value: +{
+  "default": 20,
+  "description": "Maximum evidence items to return. Default 20. When evidence_type='both' the limit is split across oral and written (roughly half each).",
+  "maximum": 100,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / max_title_chars

Added value: +{
+  "default": 300,
+  "description": "Per-item cap on the free-text title field. Default 300 prevents context blow-up from verbose inquiry titles. Raise to 1000+ only when you need the full title text.",
+  "maximum": 2000,
+  "minimum": 50,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / offset

Added value: +{
+  "default": 0,
+  "description": "Number of evidence items to skip before this page. Default 0. Re-call with offset=offset+returned while has_more is true.",
+  "maximum": 2000,
+  "minimum": 0,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

removedInput schema / properties / params

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": false,
-  "description": "CommitteeEvidenceInput.",
-  "properties": {
-    "committee_id": {
-      "description": "Committee ID from committees_search_committees results.",
-      "minimum": 1,
-      "type": "integer"
-    },
-    "evidence_type": {
-      "default": "both",
-      "description": "Type of evidence to search.",
-      "enum": [
-        "oral",
-        "written",
-        "both"
-      ],
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "limit": {
-      "default": 20,
-      "description": "Maximum evidence items to return. Default 20. When evidence_type='both' the limit is split across oral and written (roughly half each).",
-      "maximum": 100,
-      "minimum": 1,
-      "type": "integer"
-    },
-    "max_title_chars": {
-      "default": 300,
-      "description": "Per-item cap on the free-text title field. Default 300 prevents context blow-up from verbose inquiry titles. Raise to 1000+ only when you need the full title text.",
-      "maximum": 2000,
-      "minimum": 50,
-      "type": "integer"
-    },
-    "offset": {
-      "default": 0,
-      "description": "Number of evidence items to skip before this page. Default 0. Re-call with offset=offset+returned while has_more is true.",
-      "maximum": 2000,
-      "minimum": 0,
-      "type": "integer"
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "committee_id"
-  ],
-  "type": "object"
-}

changedInput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "params"
-]New value: +[
+  "committee_id"
+]

Changed1 schema field changedMay 30, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / params / description

Previous value: -"CommitteeEvidenceInput with committee_id, evidence_type,\noffset/limit pagination, and max_title_chars."New value: +"CommitteeEvidenceInput."

AddedMay 16, 2026
RemovedMay 16, 2026
First observedMay 13, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond the annotations (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive), the description discloses concrete behaviors: the one-page limit, the ordering of oral before written evidence, title/witness caps, rendering rules for organisation witnesses, null semantics, and the total field. This gives the agent a detailed operational picture far beyond the annotation hints.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is front-loaded with the core usage condition, then proceeds logically through output characteristics, formatting rules, and pagination. Every sentence carries distinct information without redundancy, and the 'Authoritative source' note adds provenance without padding. Length is appropriate for the tool's complexity.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the output schema exists, return values are covered. The description covers pagination, ordering, formatting edge cases, parameter interactions, and the source authority. An agent has everything needed to invoke this tool correctly and interpret the results.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description adds meaning by explaining the combined ordering for evidence_type='both', the purpose of max_title_chars (avoiding context blow-up), and how offset interacts with the combined sequence for pagination. This is meaningful added context, though the schema already covers individual parameter meanings.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description opens with 'USE THIS TOOL WHEN you have a committee_id and want the oral and written evidence submitted to it', which names a specific verb ('search evidence'), a resource ('committee evidence'), and the key precondition (committee_id). This clearly differentiates it from sibling tools like law_committees_search_committees and law_committees_get_committee, which target committee discovery or metadata rather than evidence.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The 'USE THIS TOOL WHEN' clause explicitly states the condition for use. It also gives pagination guidance ('re-call with offset=offset+returned while has_more is true'), which directs the agent on iterative usage. It does not mention when not to use it or name alternative tools, but the context is clear enough for selection.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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