diff --git a/Artifacts.toml b/Artifacts.toml
index 0912ca41..7c05905b 100644
--- a/Artifacts.toml
+++ b/Artifacts.toml
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ lazy = true
     sha256 = "5bc1607882203127bd0c13ddeeb22deb0f51156cd65aa9f4c14af3c1df175ef2"
     url = "https://virtual-worlds.biz/artifacts//model-data-scotland-2015-2021-v2.tar.gz"
 
+[scottish-synthetic-data]
+git-tree-sha1 = "2bcdf3e7a62bb4bcd282f05008adbe6b63228ab9"
+lazy = true
+
+    [[scottish-synthetic-data.download]]
+    sha256 = "701ac0c44fe997b7d4e252dc2bee65e2c8ae2cdb2b6975cf5ae8134c0188e2d5"
+    url = "https://virtual-worlds.biz/artifacts//not-created-yet.tar.gz"
+
 [uk-frs-data]
 git-tree-sha1 = "8891ef02ea5dada4ec097ce0a183502cfafb995f"
 lazy = true
@@ -28,3 +36,11 @@ lazy = true
     [[uk-frs-data.download]]
     sha256 = "8e3efc98a687441085be9ef5e53b663c2bd9abf6e300efa2dd6edb29993d8777"
     url = "https://virtual-worlds.biz/artifacts//model-data-2021-2021-v2.tar.gz"
+
+[uk-synthetic-data]
+git-tree-sha1 = "2bcdf3e7a62bb4bcd282f05008adbe6b63228ab9"
+lazy = true
+
+    [[uk-synthetic-data.download]]
+    sha256 = "701ac0c44fe997b7d4e252dc2bee65e2c8ae2cdb2b6975cf5ae8134c0188e2d5"
+    url = "https://virtual-worlds.biz/artifacts//not-created-yet.tar.gz"
diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 9119d14f..f01e9ac4 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -116,6 +116,17 @@ artifact_server_url = "https://virtual-worlds.biz/artifacts/"
 auto_weight = true
 default_run_name = "default_run"
 use_weighting = true
+target_nation = "N_Scotland"
+dump_frames = false
+to_y = 2024
+to_q = 3
 
+means_tested_routing = "modelled_phase_in"
+poverty_line_source = "pl_first_sys"
+ineq_income_measure = "eq_bhc_net_income"
+do_marginal_rates = false
+do_replacement_rates = false
+replacement_rate_hours = 30
+       
 [targets]
 test = ["Test"]
diff --git a/src/ExampleHouseholdGetter.jl b/src/ExampleHouseholdGetter.jl
index f0a56f5a..4b340182 100644
--- a/src/ExampleHouseholdGetter.jl
+++ b/src/ExampleHouseholdGetter.jl
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ function initialise(
     # settings.data_source = ExampleSource
     # println( "DEF_MODEL_DATA_DIR=|$(Definitions.DEF_MODEL_DATA_DIR)| MODEL_DATA_DIR=|$MODEL_DATA_DIR|")
     # lazy load cons data if needs be
+    tmp_data_source = settings.data_source 
+    settings.data_source = ExampleSource
     if settings.indirect_method == matching
         ConsumptionData.init( settings ) 
     end
@@ -95,7 +97,7 @@ function initialise(
         EXAMPLE_HOUSEHOLDS[hhf.name] = hh
         println( EXAMPLE_HOUSEHOLDS[hhf.name].council )
     end
-    # settings.data_source = tmpsource
+    settings.data_source = tmp_data_source
     return KEYMAP
 end
 
diff --git a/src/ModelHousehold.jl b/src/ModelHousehold.jl
index 27a2b58f..a8e156f2 100644
--- a/src/ModelHousehold.jl
+++ b/src/ModelHousehold.jl
@@ -492,6 +492,7 @@ function allocate_to_bus( T::Type, hh_head_pid :: BigInt, bua :: BUAllocation )
                 # println( "on bu $i person $p relationships $(person.relationships)")
                 @assert head_pid > 0 "head pid must be allocated; buno=$buno person $(person.pid) relationships $(person.relationships)"
                 hp = (buno == 1) ? hh_head_pid : head_pid
+                println( "hp = $(hp) person.relationships $(person.relationships)" )
                 reltohead = person.relationships[hp]
                 if reltohead in [Spouse,Cohabitee,Civil_Partner]
                     spouse_pid = person.pid
diff --git a/src/RunSettings.jl b/src/RunSettings.jl
index a48c1bf2..b3f50965 100644
--- a/src/RunSettings.jl
+++ b/src/RunSettings.jl
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ module RunSettings
     #
     # This module contains things needed to control one run e.g. the output destination, number of households to use andd so on.
     #
+    using Pkg
+    using Pkg.Artifacts
     using Parameters
     using Preferences 
     using UUIDs
@@ -65,6 +67,8 @@ module RunSettings
 
     # @enum DatasetType actual_data synthetic_data # FIXME this duplicates `DataSource` in `.Definitions``
 
+    # settings loaded automatically from the Project.toml section 'preferences.ScottishTaxBenefitModel' 
+    # and maybe overwritten in LocalPreferences.toml
     @with_kw mutable struct Settings
         uuid :: UUID = UUID("c2ae9c83-d24a-431c-b04f-74662d2ba07e")
         uid :: Int = 1 # placeholder for maybe a user somewhere
@@ -72,26 +76,26 @@ module RunSettings
         scotland_full :: Bool = true
         weighted = @load_preference( "use_weighting")
         auto_weight = @load_preference( "auto_weight")
-        data_dir :: String = MODEL_DATA_DIR
+        data_dir :: String = MODEL_DATA_DIR # DELETE
         household_name = "model_households_scotland-2015-2021-w-enums-2"
         people_name  = "model_people_scotland-2015-2021-w-enums-2"
-        target_nation :: Nation = N_Scotland
-        dump_frames :: Bool = false
+        target_nation :: Nation = eval(Symbol(@load_preference("target_nation"))) #  N_Scotland
+        dump_frames :: Bool = @load_preference( "dump_frames")
         num_households :: Int = 0
         num_people :: Int = 0
         prices_file = "indexes.tab"
-        to_y :: Int = 2024
-        to_q :: Int = 3
+        to_y :: Int = @load_preference( "to_y" )
+        to_q :: Int = @load_preference( "to_q" )
         output_dir :: String = joinpath(tempdir(),"output")
-        means_tested_routing :: MT_Routing = modelled_phase_in
+        means_tested_routing :: MT_Routing = eval( Symbol(@load_preference( "means_tested_routing" )))
         poverty_line :: Real = -1.0
-        poverty_line_source :: PovertyLineSource = pl_first_sys
-        ineq_income_measure  :: IneqIncomeMeasure = eq_bhc_net_income
+        poverty_line_source :: PovertyLineSource = eval( Symbol(@load_preference( "poverty_line_source")))
+        ineq_income_measure  :: IneqIncomeMeasure = eval( Symbol(@load_preference( "ineq_income_measure" )))
         growth :: Real = 0.02 # for time to exit poverty
-        income_data_source :: DataIncomeSource = ds_frs # ds_hbai
-        do_marginal_rates  :: Bool = false
-        do_replacement_rates :: Bool = false
-        replacement_rate_hours :: Int = 30
+        income_data_source :: DataIncomeSource = ds_frs # ds_hbai !! not used
+        do_marginal_rates  :: Bool = @load_preference( "do_marginal_rates" )
+        do_replacement_rates :: Bool = @load_preference( "do_replacement_rates" )
+        replacement_rate_hours :: Int = @load_preference( "replacement_rate_hours" )
         # We jam on age 68 here since we don't want changes to pension age
         # in the parameters to affect the numbers of people in
         # mr/rr calculations.
@@ -136,6 +140,24 @@ module RunSettings
         skiplist = ""
     end
 
+    function artifact_name( settings::Settings )::AbstractString
+        return if settings.data_source == FRSSource
+            if settings.target_nation == N_Scotland
+                artifact"scottish-frs-data"
+            elseif settings.target_nation == N_UK
+                artifact"uk-frs-data"
+            end            
+        elseif settings.data_source == ExampleSource
+            artifact"exampledata"
+        elseif settings.data_source == SyntheticSource
+            if settings.target_nation == N_Scotland
+                artifact"scottish-synthetic-data"
+            elseif settings.target_nation == N_UK
+                artifact"uk-synthetic-data"
+            end            
+        end
+    end
+
     function data_dir( settings :: Settings ) :: String
         ds = if settings.data_source == FRSSource
             "actual_data"