National Dataset List: UK Government Data Registry

The United Kingdom's National Dataset List is a static archive of nationally important datasets, last updated in February 2019. It was compiled by the Government Digital Service and includes supporting business information such as custodians and sharing methods. The data is provided under the Open Government Licence.

Use Cases

• Analyze data governance structures based on listed custodian roles (Executive, National, Local, Technical).
• Map data sharing practices across government departments based on the described methods of sharing.
• Study the historical scope of nationally important UK datasets as of early 2019.

Strengths

• Includes business information for each dataset, such as multiple custodian roles.
• Licensed under the permissive Open Government Licence for reuse.

Limitations

• Dataset is explicitly archived and static, not reflecting the current situation since February 2019.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Compiled based on the best available information.

Time Range

Snapshot as of early 2019.

Freshness

Archived; not updated since February 2019.

Geography

United Kingdom