Get Divisions Held In A Debate
parliament_get_debate_divisionsRetrieve divisions (formal votes) from a parliamentary debate using its debate ID. Returns each division's Hansard reference and votes API ID for accessing full voting records.
Instructions
USE THIS TOOL WHEN you have a debate_ext_id and want the divisions (formal votes) held within it.
Most debates contain no divisions — Business of the House sittings, statements, urgent questions, debates without a vote. A populated list typically appears around bill stages, motions, and contested amendments. Empty list is the honest result, not a failure mode.
Each returned division carries TWO IDs:
id— Hansard-side reference. Useful for cross-referencing in Hansard.votes_id— Lords/Commons Votes API ID (cross-resolved by date+number). AFTER calling, passvotes_idasdivision_idinto votes_get_division for the full member-by-member voting record.
The two upstreams use distinct ID-spaces (Hansard Number=3 might be
Votes-API divisionId=3392). The cross-resolve runs once per (date, house)
group — typically one extra HTTP per debate. votes_id is None when the
cross-resolve found no match.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| debate_ext_id | Yes | Debate GUID (DebateSectionExtId). Chain from parliament_search_hansard contribution.debate_ext_id, top_debates[].debate_ext_id, or parliament_policy_position_summary top_debates[].debate_ext_id. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| debate_ext_id | Yes | Echo of the input debate GUID. | |
| divisions | No | Divisions held in this debate, in chronological order. Empty when no divisions occurred. Each element's `id` chains to votes_get_division. |