# Uk Ons [Health: Active]

**Category:** 🧮 Data Science Tools  
**Repository:** https://github.com/pipeworx-io/mcp-uk-ons  
**GitHub Stars:** 0  
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**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/uk-ons

## Description
UK ONS MCP — Office for National Statistics (no auth)

## Tools
Capabilities this server exposes over MCP:

- **list_datasets** — Paginated catalog of ONS datasets. Returns id, title, description, contacts, release frequency, last release, theme.
- **get_dataset** — Single dataset metadata: title, description, methodology, contacts, release frequency, latest version, related links.
- **list_editions** — List all named editions of an ONS dataset (e.g., "time-series", "annual"). Returns each edition label, release date, state, and the latest version ID to use with get_version or get_observations.
- **get_version** — Fetch metadata for a specific version of an ONS dataset edition, including dimension definitions with codelist links, CSV/XLS download URLs, release date, and publication state.
- **get_observations** — Fetch observations from a dataset/edition/version. Pass dimension filters as `dimensions` map ({"geography": "K02000001", "time": "2023"}). Use `*` for "all values" within a dimension.
- **ons_timeseries** — Fetch a single UK ONS time series by its www.ons.gov.uk URI (the classic timeseries API, distinct from the filterable datasets above). Returns the full series JSON (description + observations). e.g. uri "/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/timeseries/abmi/pn2". (Named ons_timeseries — get_series is used by many other economic-data packs.)

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "uk-ons": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","@pipeworx/mcp-uk-ons"]
  }
}
```

## Documentation

## What Uk Ons does

Uk Ons provides MCP access to the UK Office for National Statistics API at `https://api.beta.ons.gov.uk/v1/`. It is intended for agents that need to find official UK statistical datasets and retrieve the specific releases and observations associated with them.

The Uk Ons MCP server exposes five pack-specific tools:

- `list_datasets` returns available datasets with optional `limit` and `offset` parameters.
- `get_dataset` retrieves a dataset using its identifier.
- `list_editions` lists editions for a selected dataset.
- `get_version` retrieves a particular dataset version using the dataset ID, edition, and version values.
- `get_observations` retrieves observations for a specified dataset version and set of dimensions.

## How it works

The Uk Ons MCP server is available in two forms. The hosted option uses the Pipeworx gateway at `https://gateway.pipeworx.io/uk-ons/mcp`. A client connecting to this endpoint receives the ONS tools plus shared Pipeworx meta-tools, including `ask_pipeworx`, `discover_tools`, `search_within`, and `remember`/`recall`. The exact tool scope is reported by the connection's `initialize` response and may include roughly 30 shared tools in addition to the pack tools.

The gateway's `ask_pipeworx` tool can route a plain-language question across the wider Pipeworx catalog, including sources beyond ONS. The full gateway is also available at `https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp`; both gateway URLs use the same underlying service and data sources, while the listed pack-specific tools differ.

For direct access without an MCP client, gateway tools can be called over HTTP. For example, dataset listing is available through `POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/uk_ons_list_datasets` with a JSON body containing optional `limit` and `offset` values.

## Setup and configuration

Add the hosted endpoint as an MCP server in a compatible client:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "uk-ons": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/uk-ons/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The standalone Uk Ons MCP server runs locally through npm and communicates over stdin/stdout:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "uk-ons": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-uk-ons"]
    }
  }
}
```

Run `npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-uk-ons` directly to check that the local process starts. The local package requires no Pipeworx account and exposes only the five ONS tools, without gateway meta-tools or cross-catalog routing.

## Tools and capabilities

The Uk Ons MCP server supports the dataset discovery sequence commonly needed for structured ONS queries: list datasets, select a dataset, inspect its editions, select a version, and request observations using dimensions. Tool arguments are supplied through MCP when using an MCP client, or as JSON when using the gateway HTTP interface.

The gateway also provides tool inspection through `GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/uk_ons_list_datasets`.

## Limitations and notes

The hosted pack endpoint cannot be mounted without the shared Pipeworx meta-tools. If their schemas add more context than desired, the standalone package avoids them, while the full gateway exposes the broader catalog directly. The gateway's tool count and exact scope can change, so the `initialize` response is authoritative for a particular connection. The local and hosted forms use the same ONS source and pack tools, but only the hosted form provides `ask_pipeworx` routing.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/uk-ons/readme_