Frequently Asked Questions

What version of Adobe Acrobat do I need?

Most notices since 1998 are available in both Adobe Acrobat PDF format and HTML format (as part of the web page). To view the PDFs you will need Acrobat Reader v7 or higher - this is very important as the font used for key parts of notices is not visible in earlier versions.

Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded free of charge from www.adobe.com

Which browsers should work with this site?

The website has been designed to work with the following browsers:

If you use one of these browsers and have problems with the site then please let us know.

How frequent is publication?

The London Gazette is published each working day. Notices should be submitted by 11.30am two working days ahead of publication.

What are supplements?

Supplements are free standing issues containing broadly one type of notice. They may be published regularly or occasionally and more than one may publish on one day.

Recent supplements can be found on this website in the Browse Recent Issues section of the home page. Alternatively check the Company Documents section or the State categories in the Browse Notices section. Supplements are only available in PDF format.

Examples of Supplements include the Queen's Birthday Honours List and Premium Bonds Unclaimed Prizes which are published as supplements to the London Gazette and Company Law Official Notifications which are issued as supplements to all three Official Gazettes.

What is publication time (online/print)?

Publication time on this website is 3.30 pm.

Where are printed copies available?

The London Gazette is available from 3.30pm from:

Parliamentary Bookshop
12 Bridge Street

Parliament Square

London SW1A 2JX

The Edinburgh Gazette is available from 3.30pm from:

TSO Scotland
26 Rutland Square

Edinburgh EH1 2BW

T 0870 606 5566

The Belfast Gazette is available from 3.30pm from:

TSO Ireland
19a Weavers Court

Weavers Court Business Park
Linfield Road
Belfast BT12 5GH

T 028 9089 5135

Recent copies can also be ordered from http://www.tsoshop.co.uk.

What are the benefits of registering?

Registration has three main benefits:

How can I register?

To register complete this short form

Details collected through this form will not be passed to any third party.

What is next after registering?

On the left hand menu bar in the My Account section are the following items:

• Configure My Notices
• Saved Searches
• Update Account Details
• Change Password
• Unregister

For more on how to use the first two options see later FAQs on Saved Searches and My Notices.

Update Account Details enables users to register their full contact details so that they can be contacted by means other than email.

What does the Browse facility do?

The website has two alternative Browse facilities.

• Browse Notices enables users to look through particular types of notice appearing in recent issues
• Browse Issues enables users to select a recent issue and browse through the PDF page by page

These facilities provide users with two more options for viewing either the newspaper itself or the data from within the newspaper free of charge.

How many issues can be browsed?

The ten most recent issues (including supplements) can be browsed in the Browse Issues function.

How is Browse Notices used?

On the Home Page go to the Browse Notices drop down menu or go straight to the Browse tool on the left hand menu.

You will see a list of the different categories of notice which are presently published in the newspaper. Select the category that you believe relates most closely to the type of notice that you wish to review and click on ‘Go’.

Next a menu of individual notice types is presented.

Again, select the notice type that most closely conforms to the notices that you are researching.

The website will now present a list of all notices of this type which have appeared in the last ten issues/supplements.

What if no notices of the type I require are present in Browse Notices?

There could be two reasons for failing to find the required notices.

• The choice of category/notice type could be incorrect.
• There may have been none published within the last ten issues.

Try other likely categories or notice types or type a word or phrase from the legislation into the search box on the home page to find where the notices appear. For a few hints and tips on how to locate some common types of notice see the next FAQ.

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Are there hints for effective browsing in the Browse Notices facility?

Notice types generally appear exactly where you would expect but here a few hints for the trickier notice types:

How is Browse Issues used?

Simply select the issue that you wish to review and click the ‘Go’ button.

Is there a way to Browse Notices without going through the menu each day?

One of the benefits of registration is that users can pre-save a set of notice types for browsing.

What is an Atom feed?

Atom feeds, like RSS feeds are a quick and easy way to get notices. They are updated as soon as new information is published. Follow these simple steps to get started with Atom. Step one: download or sign-up to a news reader service where you can access all your feeds in one place. Popular feed readers such as Google Reader, NewGoogle Reader, Newsgator, NetNewsWire or Bloglines are free and simple to use. Alternatively set up a personal page such as MyYahoo!, iGoogle or MyAOL and follow their instructions. In your browser, just click on the RSS button and choose where you want to display your feeds. Step two: set your search - for more on this see the next FAQ. Then either copy and paste the feed url into your reader or add the feed using the one click subscription. Step three: repeat until you have all the notices you need

What is an Atom Feed? 2

If you simply want all notices of a single type then go to a notice type within Browse Notices. When you see the orange Atom feed logo click on it and follow the instructions above.

If you want to combine notice types or to set multiple criteria (perhaps geo, sector or legislation specific) then use Advanced Search to set criteria and then click on the orange Atom feed logo which appears next to the search results.

For most success look at the content of some example notices and work out what unique elements they have in common and use this as search criteria, perhaps combined with anotice type definition. Alternatively call 020 7394 4595 or 0131 659 7032 for advice.

What does the Save Search facility do?

Saving searches is one of the benefits of registration. It enables registered users to leave a set of search results and return to them at a later date.

How is Save Searches used?

Users of the archive search will find that in the centre of the Search Results screen (before scrolling down to view more results) is a blue button marked ‘Save This Search’.

How many searches can be saved?

Up to 10 searches may be saved at any one time.

Why include a logo?

A logo is a chance to display your brand or crest. Many organisations put them in as a matter of policy - it is very simple, just send us a tiff file of the logo the first time you need it in and then give us standing instructions to include it with each notice.

Why might I need a printed voucher copy?

Printed voucher copies are despatched on the afternoon of publication to the advertiser by first class post.

Why email a PDF voucher copy?

PDF voucher copies are sourced from the original print source file. It is therefore identical to the print but with additional benefits: no reliance on the postal service (it is emailed to you the morning after publication), no need for physical storage or printing up to 100 pages and you can find your notice by simply using the search facility instead of more time consuming browsing.

What is the postal forwarding/PO box service?

Some advertisers, particularly those placing deceased estates notices pursuant to S. 27, Trustee Act 1925 are keen that their home addresses are not published in the newspaper (and hence on the website).

With postal forwarding only the Gazette's address and a reference number are published. Any responses to the notice are then forwarded by the Gazette office to the advertiser's address.

The cost of the postal forwarding service is £50+Vat.