For the time being while the .xml feeds are unavailable, could GiP be modified to just scrape the page for the vpid if all else fails?

Isn't there already a fall back option built in that was added after the last few times this happened?

Such questions are premature. The data has only been offline a few hours.

True.

The message itself actually suggests that the xml feeds should be available until May and JSON for a short while after that.

Where it says 

Quote:APS is now supported on a UK-office-hours basis only

Does that mean this data will only be available between 9 and 5?