Publication scheme

Each government department has a publication scheme, which makes information available to the public about how it operates and how it spends its budget.


You don’t need to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for these.

MHCLG’s publication scheme information

All of the information is set into ‘classes’. These classes are:

Who we are and what we do

This includes:

  • permanent secretary data

  • workforce management information

  • special advisers data

  • ministerial data

What we spend and how we spend it

This includes:

  • spending over £250

  • business expenses and hospitality for senior officials

  • exceptions to spending controls

  • prompt payment data

How we make decisions

This includes:

  • procurement pipeline

Other classes

We also publish information on: 

  • what our priorities are and how we are doing

  • our policies and procedures

  • lists and registers

  • the services we offer

We generally won’t publish information that is:

  • protected from disclosure

  • in draft form

  • no longer readily available

Archived information previously on our website is available from the National Archives website.

Local government transparency

Details of council expenditure over £500 are available for all local authorities. 

Alternative formats

If you would like information in an alternative format, we will take reasonable steps to make the material available. Please email [email protected], giving the title of the publication, and your address and telephone number. 

If the information is not here

If the information you would like is not published under this scheme, you can make an FOI request.

Charges for information

Any information published on this site is free of charge - if you would like a print out sent to you, we won’t charge you for single print outs. If you would like multiple print outs, it’s 10 pence a copy.

For further information or any queries about our publication scheme contact:


Knowledge & Information Access Team 
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
2nd floor NW, Fry Building 
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

You can also contact us via our webform.