This article describes the ways in which UK administrative data are becoming more widely available for research. I outline the historical context of these developments, detail the network infrastructure that has now been put in place and discuss the continuing legal measures that are required to bring this network to fruition. I focus on the lessons that have been learned as work has progressed, drawing on this experience to elucidate some principles that may have relevance to similar attempts to promote better access to and linkage between administrative datasets in different cultural and legal settings.
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