This is a bone of contention to many of us. The problem is that all public services are, very rightly, closely scrutinised for efficiency, cost effectiveness and cost to the taxpayer. The Met Office has been and is still being squeezed for resources and the pips are squeaking. It now operates under a trading fund and is now more like a business than a government department. Among its non revenue earning activities, the Met Office maintains multipurpose observing networks, archives climate data, runs a national library.
Some basic services have to be free, to the end user, the public.
These include TV and radio forecasts, the shipping forecast, gale warnings and warnings of severe weather. Specific charged services include forecasts for moving oil rigs or advising retailers on next week's temperatures to help stock control and positioning in the market place. These are charged for at commercial rates. The same is true for forecasts aimed at specific sectional interests. Some aviation services are funded by the CAA, others by premium rated telephone or fax charges.