The access to data from administrative sources is one of the key barriers to the wider use of such data for statistical purposes. This paper describes the various legal, policy, organisational and technical frameworks needed to facilitate access to administrative data for the purposes of compiling economic statistics.

Section 2 of this paper considers the general principles for such frameworks based on experiences from a range of countries, whilst recognising that the best solution for one country might not be suitable for another. Section 3 gives more specific information on the current frameworks in the UK, and how they might change in the future.