Contact Defra

Contacting Defra

Defra Helpline

For information on any aspect of Defra's work, please contact the Defra Helpline by telephone on 08459 33 55 77 or by email at helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

The Helpline number is a local call rate number within the UK and is available between 09:00 and 17:00 on working days.

From outside the UK the Helpline telephone number is +44 (0) 20 7238 6951.
There is also a minicom/textphone number for the deaf and hard of hearing: 0845 300 1998

Helpline staff can answer many of the questions put to them; however, if they are unable to answer an enquiry themselves, they will connect callers to other Defra staff who can deal with enquiries on specialist issues.

Please address faxes to the Library Enquiry Desk.
The fax number is 020 7238 6609; from outside the UK: +44 (0) 20 7238 6609

Please send general postal enquiries to:

Defra
Information Resource Centre
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

HQ contact details

Our HQ postal address and telephone/fax numbers are as follows:

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

Tel: 020 7238 6000 (switchboard). N.B. Only use this number to contact named members of staff whose direct line you do not know.

How to contact Defra Ministers

You can write to all Defra Ministers at the following address:

Defra
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

[See our "Defra Ministers" pages for further information]

Website contacts

If you have a query about our website, use our Feedback form. For technical queries or problems related to our site, you can also email Defra's Webmaster via webmaster@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Change of address service for farmers in England

See Change of address service for farmers in England

Regional contacts

See Contacting Defra in the regions for information on the Rural Development Service (RDS), the Rural Payments Agency and the Government Offices for the Regions (GOs).

Other contact information

If you wish to make a complaint to Defra, information about our complaints procedures is available at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/complain/complaints.htm

See below for addresses and contact numbers for some specialist units in Defra. For all other contact information, please phone the Defra Helpline.

• Wildlife and Countryside
• Expenditure and Food Survey/National Food Survey - Please call the following help number when you need to find out more information about the Expenditure and Food Survey or the National Food Survey +44 01904 455077
• Press Office - See News Release 339/03 for names and responsibilities of Defra press officers
• Statistics - For contact information on statistics, link to the Index of statistics on our statistics pages, and then to the relevant subject

Food and farming businesses may also want to seek help from other Government Departments and from local authorities, for example with planning enquiries. For general assistance you should contact the Government Office in your region.

Food law information: day-to-day enforcement is in the main the responsibility of local food authorities. Food law policy is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency

Many documents on our site contain unfamiliar abbreviations and acronyms. We hope our glossary of abbreviations and acronyms will help you.

We know of many websites of possible interest to users of our site. We have therefore provided a list of selected sites belonging to UK and overseas Government and other public organisations relevant to the Department and its work.

Defra Library Service

Address for visitors

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Information Resource Centre
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
Horseferry Road
London SW1P 3JR

Tel: 020 7238 6575
Fax: 020 7238 6609

Email: defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Access to information

The Library is the central contact point for access to information under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Access to the public

For reference by prior appointment only (24 hours' notice) to bona fide research workers.

Hours: 09.30-17:00

Loans

To other UK government libraries on direct application by telephone, fax, or post. A BLDSC form is required from all non-government libraries applying for loans, but we ask these libraries to try BLDSC first for UK published in-print material.

Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds division

White House Lane
Huntingdon Road
Cambridge CB3 OLF

Responsibilities:

UK Plant Breeders' Rights policy and systems, international liaison with EC & UPOV member states. Maintaining UK National Lists of agricultural and vegetable plant species, liaison with EC Commission regarding Common Catalogue of varieties. Community Plant Variety Rights. Seed certification and enforcement. EC Standing Committee and Management Committee on Seeds

Enquiries:  enquiries.pvro@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Plant Breeders' rights
Telephone 01223 342396

National Listing of Varieties
Telephone 01223 342396

Seed certification
Telephone 01223 342373

Further Information:

For more detailed information on these topics, please consult the Plant Varieties and Seeds pages.