What is a command paper?

A command paper is a UK government publication presented to Parliament, published in a numbered series. They convey information or decisions that the government think one or both Houses of Parliament (i.e. House of Commons and House of Lords) should know about.

They include the following types of government publications: white papers, green papers, statistics and annual reports of government bodies, reports of Royal Commissions and some Committees of Inquiry, government responses to Select Committee reports and state papers (such as treaties and international agreements).