Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the role of the Postcode Address File in supporting the implementation of the principles of the UK’s National Data Strategy; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

The National Data Strategy (NDS) provides a framework for how government will unlock the value of data - laying out the issues we must tackle (the pillars), the objectives we prioritise now (the missions) and the opportunities we must harness. It is not the final answer, but part of a conversation about the way that we support the use of data in the UK.

We have completed initial research to develop our evidence base on the opportunities and rationale for Government intervention to enable and encourage better access to data held outside government, such as PAF data owned by Royal Mail. This, and our response to NDS consultation submissions, will be published shortly. Key findings will inform a policy framework for future action.