UK Parliament MCP Server

get_sitting_dates

Retrieve sitting dates for the UK Parliament Commons or Lords within a date range to check when each house is sitting.

Instructions

Get sitting dates | recess, sitting days, parliamentary calendar, when sitting | Get sitting dates for a house within a date range | Returns list of sitting dates See also: get_non_sitting_days, get_next_sitting_date.

    Args:
        house: House: 'Commons' or 'Lords' (1 or 2 also accepted).
        start_date: Start date (YYYY-MM-DD).
        end_date: End date (YYYY-MM-DD).

    Returns:
        List of sitting dates for the specified house.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`house`	Yes
`end_date`	Yes
`start_date`	Yes

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Oct 6, 2026

TDQS

A3.9/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full behavioral burden. It does disclose the return content ('List of sitting dates for the specified house'), which is useful for a read-only calendar lookup, but says nothing about permissions, pagination, or handling of out-of-range/empty results. Adequate for a simple read, but not rich.

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

Conciseness3/5

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

The core sentence, Args, and Returns are well structured and front-loaded, but the leading pipe-delimited keyword block ('recess, sitting days, parliamentary calendar, when sitting') is retrieval noise that a caller must read past. Appropriate length otherwise.

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

Completeness4/5

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

For a 3-parameter read tool with an output schema present (so return values need not be explained), the description covers purpose, sibling routing, and all parameter semantics. Only minor gaps remain around empty/edge-case behavior.

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

Parameters5/5

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

Schema description coverage is 0% and there are no enums, so the schema alone leaves the agent guessing. The description fully compensates: house accepts 'Commons'/'Lords' (or 1/2), and both dates use YYYY-MM-DD. This is exactly the missing information an agent needs to invoke correctly.

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?

States a specific verb and resource ('Get sitting dates for a house within a date range') and explicitly names the scope (a house + date range). It also routes to siblings via 'See also: get_non_sitting_days, get_next_sitting_date', so an agent can distinguish it from related calendar tools without opening a schema.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

The 'See also' line implies these are adjacent tools, and the 'for a house within a date range' phrasing implies when it applies, but it never states when to prefer this over get_non_sitting_days, get_next_sitting_date, or get_sittings. Usage is implied rather than explicit.

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

Deploy Server