UK Parliament MCP Server

search_historic_sitting_days

Find which days Parliament historically sat by searching Hansard records across past sessions. Filter by house, date range, or availability of sitting sections.

Instructions

Search historic sitting days | historical Hansard, past sessions, sitting history | Use to find which days Parliament sat historically | Returns list of sitting days in date range

    Args:
        house: Optional: 'Commons' or 'Lords' (1 or 2 also accepted).
        start_date: Optional: start date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
        end_date: Optional: end date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
        has_sitting_sections: Optional: filter to days with available sitting sections.

    Returns:
        List of historic sitting days matching criteria.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`house`	No
`end_date`	No
`start_date`	No
`has_sitting_sections`	No

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

A3.8/5.0

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 burden. It discloses that the result is a list of sitting days in a date range, which implies a safe read, but says nothing about pagination, result caps, ordering, or whether an empty range errors.

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?

Front-loaded with the core action and searchable keywords, then structured Args/Returns. Slightly padded by the pipe-separated keyword block that partly restates the opening phrase, but nothing is genuinely wasted.

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?

An output schema exists, so the brief Returns line is adequate rather than redundant. For a 4-param, zero-required search tool with no annotations, the definition is complete enough to call correctly, with only pagination/ordering behavior left unstated.

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 compensate, and it does: it documents all four params, gives the YYYY-MM-DD format for both dates, explains that house accepts 'Commons'/'Lords' or 1/2 (matching the anyOf integer/string schema), and clarifies what has_sitting_sections filters on.

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?

States a specific verb+resource ('Search historic sitting days') plus scope cues ('historical Hansard, past sessions, sitting history'). An agent can distinguish it from siblings like get_sitting_dates or get_historic_sitting_day (singular day) reasonably well, though it never names the nearest sibling explicitly.

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?

'Use to find which days Parliament sat historically' gives a clear use case, so usage is implied rather than left blank. But it names no alternatives and gives no when-not guidance, which matters given many calendar/sitting siblings such as get_non_sitting_days, get_sitting_dates, and search_calendar.

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

Deploy Server