Essential List

The Essential List is Tagish's directory of UK public sector information sources covering UK central and local government (including parish and town councils), UK healthcare providers, and UK universities.

The information given in each section of the List varies according to the specific requirements for that sector. At the minimum, each list includes website and email contact information for the organisation, and the main contact address.

The Essential List is a self-contained sub-site; you can start using the List from its Home Page.

Although we aim to keep the information as up-to-date and accurate as possible, it is users of the List like yourself who are best placed to notify us of changes. If you find any broken links, or have some updates to the information, please Contact Tagish using our general contact form, or by clicking on the Email a Question link from the bottom of this page.

We are not a mailing list provider, and do not hold or keep updated list of named job holders within organisations.

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Background to The Essential List

The Essential List was set up in 1996 and evolved from Tagish's list essential to our work of which public sector organisations had a website or email capability. Although this may now seem to be concept from the dark ages, it is worth remembering that the final four local authorities in the UK were still without websites in early 2002. In December 1998, 343 local authorities out of the 467 total had websites, but 62% of those were classed as promotional. (Source: SOCITM annual surveys of local authority websites).

Those sections of the List giving information about worldwide embassies and worldwide government were mainly used during 1996-2000 as the public sector worldwide embraced the use of information society technologies as a communications medium. These lists have not been updated consistently since then, as website and email contact has become mainstream. The purpose of these international lists is being reviewed and they may be phased out.