England, Scotland and Wales are now in one combined agreement that gives public sector bodies up-to-date address information across the UK.

A new 5 year contract providing access to the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) for public bodies has been agreed to 31 March 2028. The PAF is the UK’s most up-to-date and widely used addressing database. The public sector’s access is procured centrally by the Geospatial Commission so that usage is free at the point of use for delivery of vital public services by the UK government, devolved administrations, local government, emergency services, health services, and search and rescue organisations.

For the first time the new contract combines previously separate agreements for England and Wales, and Scotland, and continues to allow public sector bodies across Great Britain to benefit from access to 1.8 million UK postcodes and over 30 million business and residential addresses.

The contract now also incorporates Royal Mail Not Yet Built and Multiple Residence data. By using Not Yet Built the public sector can identify and deliver services to the addresses of properties that are at the planning and construction stage. The Multiple Residence data will allow the public sector to identify individual dwellings within multiple occupancy buildings that share a front door. Photo buy Evelyn Simak, Wikimedia commons.