The Political Year 1971 is intended, like its predecessor, to give a concise guide to the year's events in and directly around Parliament. The aim is to provide those interested in politics with a handy reference to the previous year's major subjects of discussion, to legislation and to major Government publications and commitments. The specialist may occasionally consider that his own particular subject is not covered in sufficient depth, but we have attempted to provide all that the general reader needs. Dates and reference numbers are given to direct anyone wishing to look further into a particular issue to the appropriate White Paper or volume of Hansard. Biographical information on MPs and procedural information are deliberately omitted as these are readily available in other publications.