Question for Department for Business and Trade UIN HL13712, tabled on 19 January 2026 and answered on 28 January 2026 Lord Pack Liberal Democrat. Life peer Lords To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to change the current arrangements for licensing and accessing the postcode address file; and what assessment they have made of the impact this may have on economic growth. Answer Baroness Lloyd of Effra Labour, Life peer Lords The Postcode Address File is owned by Royal Mail. Royal Mail’s terms of access to the Postcode Address File are regulated by Ofcom, the independent regulator for postal services. Ofcom requires Royal Mail to provide access to the Postcode Address File on reasonable terms. Royal Mail provides free access to small charities and microbusinesses in their first year.

UK Government has replied to a question in Parliament from Lib Dem peer @markpackuk.bsky.social about the Postcode Address File questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

The reply is tiresomely superficial and not responsive to the question

not- #opendata not- #openaddresses #freethePAF

Question for Department for Business and Trade UIN HL13712, tabled on 19 January 2026 Lord Pack Liberal Democrat, Life peer Lords To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to change the current arrangements for licensing and accessing the postcode address file; and what assessment they have made of the impact this may have on economic growth.

Lib Dem peer @markpackuk.bsky.social has submitted a question in Parliament about the Postcode Address File questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

I anticipate the usual bland non-response but we live in hope

not- #opendata not- #openaddresses #freethePAF

@jamesomalley.co.uk sure you can think how #freethePAF could help make this happen

#FreethePAF

Please someone who is there ask if the government will #FreeThePAF.

To answer will show if the government is serious about this.

The Government Digital Service taking over the Geospatial Commission?! 👀

#FreeThePAF

A cornerstone for open data: the Postcode Address File The ODI was founded in 2012 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Sir Nigel Shadbolt, placing us at the heart of the data economy. Our primary mission is to foster transparency, accountability, and innovation th...

Fair enough. I probably can't add much more to this thread but I'd encourage you to read-up on #FreeThePAF content, particularly by @jamesomalley.co.uk. And a quick summary of the business case is below from the ODI. Thanks for the links earlier!

theodi.org/news-and-eve...

My #FreeThePAF badges got confiscated going into Portcullis House - proof the establishment are conspiring to prevent the liberation of the Postcode Address File!

Why we need to #FreeThePAF in a nutshell - small businesses, small organisations and bedroom coders are being hit with an Innovation Tax.

We ❤️ our Postcodes #FreeThePAF

@jamesomalley.co.uk time for you to say the line #FreeThePAF

🚨VERY, VERY, VERY interesting section on data in the government's newly-published industrial strategy. 🚨
#FreeThePAF

Congrats Jeni! I’m afraid my suggestion is… #FreeThePAF!

I am going to be at #digigovexpo today. Find me and I’ll give you a #FreeThePAF badge.

(Also please tell me gossip about cool digital government projects.)

How should we think about a National Data Library? There have been some proposals for a national data library. How might using a library analogy help us think about it?

(obviously depends on the particular vision of a national data library that government wants to realise, gavin-freeguard.medium.com/how-should-w..., etc etc etc, but... basically, #freethePAF and all power to @jamesomalley.co.uk and others campaigning for it)

#openaddresses links:

● Open Address File UK campaign www.openaddressfile.uk
● Lords debate in March www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ad...
● one of @jamesomalley.co.uk's #freethePAF posts takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/heres-the-...
● Guardian www.theguardian.com/global/artic...

#ODCamp #opendata

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#FreeThePAF