During critical times such as now, for the United Kingdom, the BBC has an important role to play to clarify the issues for our audiences - to help them make sense of different ideas and points of view.  The Spending Review is one of those times and our aim is to provide insightful, objective programmes and expert analysis to help people understand the context and the potential options.  We'll look at where and at what level the cuts may be made and why they are happening now, ask what the key issues are, how the Government is dealing with them and what the implications of the cuts could be.

At the heart of next week's programming are twelve major regional television debates across the English regions being broadcast on BBC One on Thursday 9th September at 10.35 pm. The audience will include politicians, public sector workers, business leaders and members of the public. This is a good example of the unique ability of the BBC's regional and local services to connect with their audiences and engage them in a subject that is likely to have a direct effect on their lives. The debates will examine the potential impact of the spending review in their regions, exploring the decisions that local councils will be faced with and how those decisions might impact on jobs, services and local businesses. They will use as a starting point the results of a study commissioned by the BBC's English regions which brings together, for the first time, a range of different factors that determine how vulnerable a particular area is to economic impacts such as public sector cuts. The debates will be followed up on BBC Local Radio the following morning.

As well as the regional debates and survey next week, there will also be widespread coverage across the BBC's main network news programmes for the whole UK including a special focus through the forthcoming party conference season. Nick Robinson will be travelling around the country to find out what are the key issues on people's minds about the Spending Review.  Newsnight will be offering its own special reportage and debate and in the following week the Today programme looks at the Spending Review issues through the lens of two constituencies in Sheffield.

Launching on Saturday we have a special website featuring the latest news on the Spending Review, Q&A's from our key correspondents and lots more rich content and analysis to sit alongside our radio and TV programmes. Click on www.bbc.co.uk/spendingreview. Moving into early October there will further debates broadcast in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and our specialist correspondents will look at the issues sector by sector. On the day that the Government announces full details of the cuts on October 20th  Andrew Neil will present a programme dedicated to the Spending Review and there will be extended reports and analysis in our main news programmes.

This kind of comprehensive programming, providing real public service is what the BBC is here to do and we will continue to follow the story throughout the autumn. We hope it will help our audiences understand the full context of the Spending Review and what it may mean for them.

Today's announcement concludes a rigorous and competitive tender process begun in Autumn 2009 which sees the Met Office continuing to supply the BBC with its weather services for the next five years.

Weather is a key part of the BBC's news and information services and a much loved talking point for everyone across the UK. The public turns to us in huge numbers for regular weather updates, or for accurate information and forecasts when big weather stories happen - such as the recent heavy snow or floods.

The BBC, as a public service broadcaster, is committed to offering audiences the highest quality for the best value for money and we're confident this new contract does that. The Met Office has demonstrated its ability and commitment to deliver a high quality service through accuracy, consistency of data and flexibility. Overall the new contract delivers better value for money.

The BBC has been working in partnership with the Met Office for many years, a relationship that dates back to 1922 when a script prepared by the Met Office was read out by an announcer for the first time in a radio weather forecast. 

Much has been made about the decision to put the contract out to tender, with some claiming it to be because of inaccurate forecasts by the Met Office around the Barbecue Summer/mild winter. This is simply not the case.

The truth is we had recognised a significant change in the market for weather services which has become more competitive in the last few years. It is exactly because of this new context that we wanted to consider the options available to ensure we were still offering the best value for money to licence fee payers. And it made sense to do so at a time when the contract with the Met Office was about to expire.

So what does the contract mean and what are the differences you'll see going forward?

Accuracy and consistency are central to what BBC Weather does and this contract renews our commitment to produce high quality forecasts across TV, radio, online, mobile and Red Button.

The contract covers the supply of weather services, which includes weather data, on air presenters and forecast services. Our audiences won't see drastic changes in how our forecasts are being presented - the weather map will be retained and familiar faces will continue to be seen and heard regularly.

What this contract means is that the BBC will get more data for more locations and more frequently throughout the UK and around the world - which will help keep weather forecasts consistent and accurate.

It will also allow the BBC and the Met Office to organise their resources in a way which will help provide the most consistent forecasts across all our platforms.

Our responsibility is to our audiences and we will focus on our mission to make sure BBC Weather continues to deliver the authoritative, reliable, accurate and innovative forecasts on which our audiences rely.

Mark Byford is Deputy Director-General at the BBC

• The image was taken by BBC News Photographer, Jeff Overs 

At the BBC we know we have to work hard day-in day-out to earn the trust of our audiences, the report shows that Trust in the BBC TV as a provider of information is 72 per cent, ahead of any other British broadcaster.

These findings also mirror a poll by the Guardian/ICM last September which showed Trust in the BBC had grown from 60 to 69 per cent over the past five years, as well as our own research.

Audiences tell us the reason they trust the BBC is down to quality, impartiality and transparency.

High quality impartial news is central to the BBC remaining a trusted institution. When you watch, listen or read BBC News you can be sure that it is not influenced by any political or commercial interest. As a public service your trust in us, rather than profit, is our bottom line.

Many people surveyed cited 'transparency and honesty in how corporations conduct business' as a key factor in gaining trust. In recent years we have increased openness and accountability to audiences by introducing BBC Newswatch and the Editor's blog. This also confirms my view that the steps we are now taking to become even more transparent, including disclosing the salaries and expenses of our top decision makers each quarter, are the right ones. We will continue to put the BBC at the forefront of transparency in both broadcasting and the public sector.

We must also be honest and big enough to admit when we get things wrong, and take the appropriate action to put it right again.

Whilst this evidence is in contrast to the highly pitched noise you often hear about the BBC, it reinforces my view that we must never take public trust for granted.

It is important for the BBC to listen to our audiences and gain a thorough understanding of what you want and expect for your licence fee.

We must keep working hard to open up, become more transparent and continue to focus on quality programmes if we are to maintain your trust in us. As announced last week we are currently exploring the potential for spending an even higher proportion of the licence fee on quality UK originated content in our forthcoming Strategy Review.