Publication scheme

Met Office Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) requires all public authorities to publish and maintain a Publication Scheme, which is a means of providing access to information an authority proactively publishes. The Met Office Publication Scheme adopts the model publication scheme approved by the Information Commissioner's Office.

This publication scheme commits the Met Office to making information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The information is organised into the following classes of information:

Who we are and what we do

What we spend and how we spend it

What are our priorities and how are we doing

How we make decisions

Our policies and procedures

Lists and registers

The services we offer

The classes of information will not generally include:

  • Information which is exempt under one of the Freedom of Information (FOI) exemptions or Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) exceptions, or is prohibited from being released under another statute;
  • Information in draft form;
  • Information which is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage, or is difficult to access for similar reasons.

Where possible, information will be provided on this web site. Where it is impracticable to make information available on this web site a public authority will indicate how information can be obtained by other means and provide it by those means.

Hard copies of information can be provided, if requested in writing by contacting us.

Charges

The purpose of this scheme is to make the maximum amount of information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public. Charges made by the authority for routinely published material will be justified and transparent, and kept to a minimum.

Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:

  • Photocopying
  • Postage and packaging
  • Costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information

The Met Office Website terms of use tell you how you can make use of freely available material presented on this web site.

Charges may also be made for certain products and services we offer to the public and commercial customers. Further information regarding charges is contained in the Met Office's Pricing Schedule and Pricing Policy.

If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.

Written requests

Information held, but not published under this scheme can be requested in writing by contacting us. Its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the FOIA or EIR. Requests under the EIR may be submitted in writing or verbally.