UK Parliament MCP Server

parties_list_by_house

Retrieve active political parties for a chosen UK Parliament house—Commons or Lords—to check current party representation and structures.

Instructions

Get list of active political parties in either House of Commons (1) or House of Lords (2). Use when you need to know current party representation or party structures in Parliament. See also: get_state_of_parties.

    Args:
        house: House: 1 or 'Commons', 2 or 'Lords'.

    Returns:
        List of active political parties in the specified house.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`house`	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

A4/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the behavioral burden. The phrase 'Get list of active...' implies a read-only operation and an active-filtering behavior, but there is no disclosure of authentication requirements, rate limits, or other side-effect details. For a simple read-only tool this is minimally adequate 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.

Conciseness4/5

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

The opening purpose and usage sentences are front-loaded and efficient. The Args section is necessary because the schema has no descriptions, but the Returns section duplicates the opening and the output schema, introducing some redundancy without derailing the definition.

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?

Given a one-parameter read-only tool with an output schema, the description covers purpose, usage context, a sibling alternative, and the parameter's accepted values. The remaining gaps, such as deeper alternative routing and behavioral details, are modest for this level of complexity.

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%, so the description must define the only parameter. It fully specifies the accepted values and their meanings: 'house: House: 1 or "Commons", 2 or "Lords"'. This adds complete semantic clarity that the bare schema does not provide.

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

Purpose4/5

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

The description states a specific verb and resource: getting a list of active political parties in a specified parliamentary house. It is clear enough for an agent to know what the tool does, but it does not meaningfully differentiate itself from the named sibling get_state_of_parties, so it falls short of the top score.

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?

It gives a clear use case ('when you need to know current party representation or party structures in Parliament') and points to an alternative ('See also: get_state_of_parties'). However, it does not state when not to use this tool or the conditions under which the alternative is preferable, so it is not fully explicit.

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

Deploy Server