UK public bodies must comply with a number of non-financial regulations aimed at ensuring transparency, equality, ethical procurement, and responsible governance. Many of these laws come with obligations to publicly report or publish data, policies, or performance outcomes.

Below is a comprehensive list of key non-financial regulations and what they require public bodies to publish:

1. Gender Pay Gap Reporting

Who it applies to: Public bodies with 250+ employees
What must be published:

• Annual gender pay gap figures (mean/median pay and bonuses)
• Pay quartile distribution
• On the organisation's website and the GOV.UK GPG service

Legal basis:
Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017

2. Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)

Who it applies to: Most public authorities in the UK
What must be published:

• Equality objectives (every 4 years)
• Data demonstrating how the organisation is meeting the PSED
  • In Scotland and Wales, this includes detailed workforce monitoring reports

Legal basis:
Equality Act 2010, Section 149
Government PSED guidance »

3. Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)

Who it applies to: Most public sector bodies
What must be published:

• A Publication Scheme (detailing routinely available info)
• Responses to information requests (upon request)

Legal basis:
Freedom of Information Act 2000
ICO FOI guidance »

4. Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004

Who it applies to: Public authorities holding environmental data
What must be published:

• Environmental information (e.g. emissions, energy, biodiversity) upon request
• Encouraged to proactively publish where possible

Legal basis:
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
ICO EIR guidance »

5. Local Government Transparency Code (England)

Who it applies to: Principal local authorities in England
What must be published:

• Expenditure over £500
• Contracts and tenders
• Government procurement card use
• Senior salaries and pay multiples
• Organisation charts and land/buildings

Legal basis:
Local Government Transparency Code 2015
Local Government Association overview »

6. Procurement Act 2023 & Transparency Regulations 2024

Who it applies to: All public authorities in the UK involved in procurement
What must be published:

• Pre-procurement notices, tender notices, and transparency notices
• Contract award notices
• KPI performance reports for high-value contracts

Legal basis:
Procurement Act 2023
Procurement Regulations 2024
Cabinet Office Procurement Act guidance »

7. Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Who it applies to: Most public bodies commissioning services in England & Wales
What must be considered (and potentially published):

• How services improve social, economic, or environmental wellbeing
• Reflected in procurement strategies and evaluation criteria

Legal basis:
Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

8. Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023

Who it applies to: Contracting authorities in Wales
What must be published:

• Statements on how social responsibility principles are applied to procurement
• Reporting via social partnership duties

Legal basis:
Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023

9. Modern Slavery Act 2015 (if applicable)

Who it applies to: Public bodies with annual turnover of £36m+
What must be published:

• An annual Modern Slavery Statement detailing steps taken to ensure supply chains are free from modern slavery and human trafficking

Legal basis:
Modern Slavery Act 2015, Section 54
Modern Slavery Statement guidance »

Public sector organisations that meet the reporting threshold must publish their Gender Pay Gap information in the following locations:

1. The UK Government Gender Pay Gap Reporting Service

All in-scope public bodies must upload their Gender Pay Gap data to the official government service:

• https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk

This ensures the data is centrally accessible and comparable across organisations.

2. Their Own Public-Facing Website

Public bodies must also publish their Gender Pay Gap report on their own website, in a location that is:

• Publicly accessible
• Easy to find (typically under Transparency, Equality, or About Us)
• Kept online for at least three years

The report should include a written statement confirming its accuracy, signed by a senior individual (e.g. Chief Executive, Accounting Officer).

Additional notes for public bodies

• Snapshot date: 31 March each year (public sector)
• Publication deadline: 30 March the following year
• Some public bodies (especially in Scotland and Wales) may also publish GPG data as part of broader equality or workforce reports, but this does not replace the requirement to publish on the GOV.UK service where the 250‑employee threshold is met.

UK central government departments, executive agencies, and arm’s-length bodies are subject to several non-financial regulations designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and ethical governance. Many of these regulations require the publication of reports, data, or policy statements. Below is a comprehensive list of current obligations and what must be published.

1. Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)

Applies to: All government departments, executive agencies, and ALBs.

Requirements:

• Publish equality objectives at least every four years.
• Publish annual data to demonstrate compliance with the Equality Duty (e.g. workforce data, outcomes, impact assessments).

Legal basis:
Equality Act 2010 – Section 149
Government guidance on PSED

2. Gender Pay Gap Reporting

Applies to: Government departments and public bodies with 250 or more employees.

Requirements:

• Publish an annual gender pay gap report on:
  • The GOV.UK GPG Reporting Service
  • The organisation’s own public-facing website
• Keep reports online for a minimum of three years.

Legal basis:
Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017

3. Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)

Applies to: All central government departments and agencies.

Requirements:

• Respond to FOI requests within 20 working days.
• Maintain and publish a "Publication Scheme" outlining routinely available information (e.g. policies, decision-making structures, financial info).

Legal basis:
Freedom of Information Act 2000
ICO FOIA Guidance

4. Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004

Applies to: All departments and public authorities that hold environmental information.

Requirements:

• Provide access to environmental information on request.
• Proactive publication is encouraged (e.g. on emissions, waste, resource use, biodiversity).

Legal basis:
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
ICO EIR Guidance

5. Procurement Act 2023 and Transparency Regulations 2024

Applies to: All central government contracting authorities.

Requirements:
Publish a full set of procurement notices through the government’s central digital platform, including:

• Planned Procurement Notices
• Tender Notices
• Award Notices
• Transparency Notices
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for high-value contracts

Legal basis:
Procurement Act 2023
Procurement Regulations 2024
Cabinet Office guidance on implementation

6. Modern Slavery Act 2015 – Section 54

Applies to: Incorporated public bodies with annual turnover of £36 million or more (or voluntarily, as encouraged by Cabinet Office).

Requirements:

• Publish an annual Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement.
• Statement must appear prominently on the organisation’s website and explain actions taken to address modern slavery risks.

Legal basis:
Modern Slavery Act 2015 – Section 54
Home Office Guidance

7. Annual Reports and Governance Statements

Applies to: All government departments and most arm’s-length bodies.

Requirements:

• Publish annual reports and accounts, including:
  • Governance statement
  • Performance against objectives
  • Risk and assurance disclosures
• Reports must conform to the Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM).

Legal basis:
Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM)

8. Data Protection and Transparency (UK GDPR)

Applies to: All central government organisations.

Requirements:

• Publish privacy notices explaining how personal data is collected and used.
• Ensure transparency about data processing, especially for high-risk activities (may include publishing Data Protection Impact Assessments).

Legal basis:
UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
ICO Accountability Guidance

9. Open Data and the Open Government Licence

Applies to: All central government departments and agencies.

Requirements:

• Publish non-sensitive datasets under the Open Government Licence (OGL), often via data.gov.uk.
• Contribute to the UK’s Open Government Action Plan commitments.

Reference:
Open Government Licence (National Archives)
UK Open Government Network

Summary Table: Non-Financial Publication Requirements for Central Government Bodies

UK public bodies are encouraged—under government policy and transparency commitments—to publish non-personal, non-commercially sensitive datasets under the Open Government Licence (OGL). While there is no fixed statutory list, departments and public bodies are expected to make high-value, public-interest data open and reusable unless there is a legal reason not to.

This approach is guided by the UK’s open data principles, and supported by platforms like data.gov.uk, which serves as a central catalogue of government datasets.

What is the Open Government Licence (OGL)?

The Open Government Licence (OGL) is a standard licence that allows anyone to use, copy, modify, and share UK government data freely, for both commercial and non-commercial purposes—provided the source is properly attributed. It supports transparency, innovation, and accountability.

For full licence terms, visit the National Archives – OGL page.

What datasets should be published under OGL?

Although not all data can be published (due to privacy, security, or intellectual property concerns), the following types of datasets are typically expected to be published under OGL:

1. Statistical and Administrative Data

• National and official statistics
• Departmental performance metrics
• Public service usage data

Example: Employment rates, school performance statistics, NHS waiting times.

2. Transport and Infrastructure Data

• Public transport schedules and routes (e.g. NaPTAN)
• Road usage, congestion, or vehicle licensing data

Example: Department for Transport open datasets on travel flows and traffic counts.

3. Geospatial and Mapping Data

• Electoral boundaries
• Local authority codes
• Place name gazetteers

Example: Office for National Statistics (ONS) geography datasets.

4. Environmental Data

• Air and water quality measurements
• Land use and biodiversity statistics
• Energy efficiency and emissions data

Example: Environment Agency datasets on pollution monitoring.

5. Public Registers and Licensing Information

• Registers of licensed bodies or professionals
• Property ownership datasets (excluding personal identifiers)
• Company or charity registration information

Example: Registers of childcare providers or housing associations.

6. Government Structure and Spending Transparency

• Organisational charts
• Senior salary data
• Public procurement records (where not sensitive)

Example: Datasets required by the Local Government Transparency Code.

Where should these datasets be published?

Public bodies are expected to publish their open datasets:

• On their own websites, often in a "Transparency" or "Open Data" section.
• Via data.gov.uk, the UK Government's official open data portal.

Datasets should be:

• Machine-readable (e.g. CSV, JSON)
• Accompanied by metadata
• Clearly licensed under OGL version 3.0 or later

Are any datasets excluded from OGL?

Yes. The following must not be published under OGL:

• Personal data (protected under the UK GDPR)
• National security-sensitive data
• Commercially confidential or third-party-owned datasets
• Departmental logos, badges, and military insignia

For exclusions, refer to the OGL exemptions list.

Summary

UK public bodies are expected to publish non-personal, high-value datasets under the Open Government Licence (OGL), unless there is a lawful reason not to. Typical datasets include official statistics, environmental data, geospatial references, and public service information.

Publishing this data helps:

• Improve transparency and public trust
• Enable innovation through reuse
• Meet open government commitments

To explore existing open datasets, visit data.gov.uk