Contact Defra
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-05)

Information to help answer your query.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for improving and protecting the environment. We aim to grow a green economy and sustain rural communities. We also support our food, farming and fishing industries.

Defra is a department, supported by 34 agencies and public bodies (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations#department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs).

You can read more about what we do (www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs). If your message is not related to what Defra covers, you should send it directly to the relevant department, agency or public body (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations).

Popular topics
- flooding: check warnings and river levels (https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding)
- pet travel: entering or returning to the UK (https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad)
- rural grants and payments (https://www.gov.uk/topic/farming-food-grants-payments/rural-grants-payments)
- bringing food, animals, plants into UK (https://www.gov.uk/bringing-food-animals-plants-into-uk)
- get your dog or cat microchipped (https://www.gov.uk/get-your-dog-cat-microchipped)
- spot and report bird flu in poultry or other captive birds (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu)
- report dead wild birds (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds)
Animal health and welfare

Find out about:
- reporting animal cruelty by contacting the RSPCA (http://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/contactus) or call xx-xxxx-xxxx
- caring for your pet (https://www.gov.uk/caring-for-pets)
- getting your dog or cat microchipped (https://www.gov.uk/get-your-dog-cat-microchipped)
Practical support

Pet travel

Find out about:
- taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad (https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad)
- bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain)
Online support

Get help on:
- taking a pet abroad contact form (https://submit-form-to-defra.service.gov.uk/form/contact-apha-about-taking-your-pet-abroad)
- bringing a pet to Great Britain contact form (https://submit-form-to-defra.service.gov.uk/form/contact-apha-about-bringing-your-pet-to-great-britain)
Phone support

You can call the Pet Travel helpline on xx-xxxx-xxxx. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm and is closed on bank holidays.

Environment

Report a litter problem (https://www.gov.uk/report-litter), dog fouling (https://www.gov.uk/report-dog-fouling), fly-tipping (https://www.gov.uk/report-flytipping) or noise nuisance (https://www.gov.uk/report-noise-pollution-to-council).

Find out more about:
- local recycling and rubbish services (https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services/recycling-rubbish)
- fuels and appliances that can be used in Smoke Control Areas (https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules)
- resolving neighbour disputes (https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/overview)
- information for local authorities on Local Air Quality Management (http://laqm.defra.gov.uk/)
- charges for single-use plastic carrier bags (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/carrier-bags)
- F gas: guidance for users, producers and traders (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fluorinated-gas-f-gas-guidance-for-users-producers-and-traders)
Chemicals regulations​

Check how to comply with UK REACH chemicals regulations (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-comply-with-reach-chemical-regulations).

For IT support, you can contact the mailbox by emailing them at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Practical support

Farming and food

Find out about:
- applying for support under the Basic Payment Scheme
- moving farm animals: what you need to know in order to identify, trace and move your cattle (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-identification-movement-and-tracing-regulations) and sheep and goats (https://www.gov.uk/topic/keeping-farmed-animals/sheep-identity-registration)
- preventing and controlling bovine TB (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bovine-tb#preventing-and-controlling-bovine-tb)
- bringing food into the UK (https://www.gov.uk/bringing-food-animals-plants-into-uk/food)
- importing food as a business (https://www.gov.uk/food-safety-as-a-food-distributor/importing-and-exporting-food)
- food labelling and the law (https://www.gov.uk/food-labelling-and-packaging/overview)
Defra Rural Service

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheme helpline covers:
- Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)
- Countryside Stewardship (CS)
- Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) queries and transaction support
- legacy schemes
You can call them on xx-xxxx-xxxx (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm)

Practical support

Fisheries

Find out about: fisheries regulation, monitoring and enforcement (https://www.gov.uk/topic/commercial-fishing-fisheries/regulations-monitoring-enforcement)

Practical support

Flooding

Find out about:
- if you’re at risk of flooding (https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk)
- reporting a flooding incident (https://www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident)
- getting information about flood insurance (http://www.floodre.co.uk/)
Floodline

You can:
- call: xx-xxxx-xxxx (24 hour service)
- type talk: xx-xxxx-xxxx (for the hard of hearing)
Wildlife, countryside and rural

Find out about:
- rural grants and payments (https://www.gov.uk/topic/farming-food-grants-payments/rural-grants-payments)
- census for rural England (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/census-rural-analyses)
Practical support

Contact form

You can use our contact form to get in touch.

Before you start

Before using the form, please make sure you’ve read the information above and checked to see if we’ve already published information that can answer your query. Our most popular topics and direct contacts are listed on this page.

We may not respond if your query:
- contains offensive language
- has already been answered in a previous reply to you
- the information is already available on GOV.UK
- is illegible
- is selling or promoting a product
- is for information only
- is vague or non-specific
As we receive a large volume of correspondence in connection with campaigns, we may not always send individual responses. We will respond directly to the campaign organiser in most instances.

Do not use this form to submit a Freedom of Information request. Contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) or write to them at:

Information Rights Team (IRT)Seacole Building4th Floor2 Marsham StreetLondonSW1P 4DF

If you wish to contact us regarding a complaint, follow our complaints procedure (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs/about/complaints-procedure).

Using the contact form

You should clearly title your query by subject area to help us allocate your enquiry to the right team.

We aim to respond to correspondence within 20 working days.

Start now (https://submit-an-enquiry-to-defra.service.gov.uk/start-now)

Read our contact form privacy notice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-contact-us-form-privacy-notice).

Alternative ways to contact us

You can contact us by calling our helpline: xx-xxxx-xxxx. The helpline is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm. Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges).

Submit your enquiry by post to:

Ministerial Contact UnitDefraSeacole Building2 Marsham StreetLondonSW1P 4DF