A wealth of data is available on the UK, its people, economy, government and public services, hidden only by the fact you have to know where to look for it. The aim of this book is to point out good places to look, particularly for journalists but also for campaigners, researchers and others. While it doesn't aim to be comprehensive, it does aim to highlight a wide range of reliable sources.

The first section aims to provide a guide to the many sources of data on Britain and its public sector which will help you find stories or carry out research with them, broadly divided into open data about the UK; data on national government; data on locally-based government services including councils, police, NHS; data generated by the democratic process; Freedom of Information; other sources; and some tips on dealing with data. The second section provides specific data on local authority areas of the UK.