Contact Defra

Before contacting us you should check to see if we’ve already published information to answer your query. We often get enquiries about the following topics:

• flooding: check warnings and river levels
• pet travel: entering/returning to the UK
• rural grants and payments
• bringing food, animals, plants into UK
• get your dog microchipped
• avian influenza (bird flu)

Animal health and welfare

Find out about:

• reporting animal cruelty: contact the RSPCA or call 0300 1234 999
• caring for your pet
• getting your dog microchipped

Practical support

Topic	Email	Contact number
To report suspicion of a notifiable animal disease (for example, Avian Influenza)		03000 200 301
General animal welfare enquiries (England)	customeradvice@apha.gov.uk	03000 200 301
General animal welfare enquiries (Wales)	apha.cymruwales@apha.gov.uk	0300 303 8268
General animal welfare enquiries (Scotland): contact your local Field Services Office
Animal welfare in transport enquiries	wit@apha.gov.uk	03000 200 301
Exporting or moving animals and animal products (where an export health certificate is needed) to the EU, Northern Ireland and non-EU countries from Great Britain, and imports of live animals	exports@apha.gov.uk	0300 020 0301
Exporting or moving livestock to the EU, Northern Ireland and non-EU countries from Great Britain	LivestockExports@apha.gov.uk	0300 020 0301
Moving horses and other equine animals between UK and EU member states or between Great Britain and Northern Ireland	EquineExportsCarlisle@apha.gov.uk	0300 020 0301
Trading or moving endangered animals or plants listed under CITES	wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk	0300 020 0301
Exporting or moving live aquatic animals (fish, shellfish and crustaceans) for aquaculture and ornamental purposes (where an export health certificate is needed) to the EU, Northern Ireland and non-EU countries from Great Britain, and import of live aquatic animals	fhi@cefas.co.uk	01305 206700
Veterinary medicines authorisations and regulations	postmaster@vmd.gov.uk	01932 336911

Pet travel

Find out about:

• bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to the UK

General enquiries

• Pet Travel Scheme helpline: 0370 241 1710 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm)
• email: pettravel@apha.gov.uk

Environment

Report:

• a litter problem, dog fouling, fly-tipping or noise nuisance

Find out more about:

• local recycling and rubbish services
• fuels and appliances that can be used in Smoke Control Areas
• resolving neighbour disputes
• information for local authorities on Local Air Quality Management
• charges for single-use plastic carrier bags

Guidance

• how to comply with chemical regulations
• F gas: guidance for users, producers and traders

Practical support

Topic	Email	Contact number
Environmental permitting, industry and waste, water quality and resources, inland fisheries, navigation, conservation and ecology, and regulations for nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs), soil, silage and slurry	enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk	03708 506506
Chemicals and pesticides		0330 159 1985

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 and sheep and goats
• preventing and controlling bovine TB
• bringing food into the UK
• importing food as a business
• food labelling and the law

Defra Rural Service

• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheme helpline covering legacy schemes, Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Countryside Stewardship (CS), and Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) queries and transaction support
• call: 03000 200 301 (Monday - Friday, 8:30am to 5pm)

Practical support

Topic	Email	Contact number
Exporting or moving animals and animal products (where an export health certificate is needed) to the EU, Northern Ireland and non-EU countries from Great Britain, and imports of live animals	exports@apha.gov.uk	0300 020 0301
Exporting or moving livestock to the EU, Northern Ireland and non-EU countries from Great Britain	LivestockExports@apha.gov.uk	0300 020 0301
Moving horses and other equine animals between UK and EU member states and between Great Britain and Northern Ireland	EquineExportsCarlisle@apha.gov.uk	0300 020 0301
Exporting or moving plants, plant products and seeds to the EU, Northern Ireland and non-EU countries from Great Britain, and importing plants, plant products and seeds to Great Britain	planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk	0300 1000 313
Pesticides including queries regarding potential residues in food and crop spraying	Advice form (Health and Safety Executive website)	0345 933 5577
Environmental protection farming relating enquiries	enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk	0300 060 3900
Food safety and hygiene, including imports of high risk food and feed	helpline@food.gov.uk	020 7276 8829
For all enquiries relating to Bovine TB	tb.advice@apha.gov.uk	03000 200 301

Fisheries

Find out about:

• fisheries regulation, monitoring and enforcement

Practical support

Topic	Email	Contact number
Protecting the marine environment, licences, regulation, marine control and enforcement	info@marinemanagement.org.uk	0300 123 1032
Fish export helpline		0300 1591 989

Flooding

Find out about:

• if you’re at risk of flooding
• reporting a flooding incident
• getting information about flood insurance

Floodline

• call: 0345 988 1188 (24 hour service)
• type talk: 0345 602 6340 (for the hard of hearing)

Wildlife, countryside and rural

Find out about:

• rural grants and payments
• census for rural England

Practical support

Topic	Email	Contact number
Wood, wood products and isolated bark import and export and associated plant health requirements	plant.health@forestrycommission.gov.uk	0300 067 5155
Other woodland questions, woodland management, and recreation	nationalenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk	0300 067 4000

How to contact us

To contact us regarding policy enquiries (not covered by the above guidance) please email defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk

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

You can also contact us by calling our Helpline: 03459 33 55 77. The Helpline is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm. Find out about call charges.

If you wish to contact us regarding a complaint, follow our complaints procedure.

Online service helpdesks

If you have problems accessing any of the following systems (including issues with enrolment, password recovery or logging into) contact:

Name	Email	Contact number
APHA Service Desk – for queries on the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed system (IPAFFS), Animal Health & Welfare Management and Enforcement system (AMES), Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) and Sam (for submitting TB test results)	APHAServiceDesk@apha.gov.uk	03300 416 999
BCMS helpline (CTS Online, ETAS and AMLS) - cattle traceability, monitoring cattle births, deaths and movements	bcmsenquiries@rpa.gov.uk	0345 050 1234
BCMS helpline Wales - Welsh language support available		0345 050 3456
Gangmaster Licensing Abuse Authority (GLAA) - licencing service to regulate labour in the agricultural, horticultural, food processing, packaging and shell fish sectors	intelligence@gla.gov.uk – to report concerns about agricultural workers licensing@gla.gov.uk- for licensing enquiries	0345 602 5020
Marine Environment Monitoring and Assessment National database (MERMAN) - manages the UK’s marine containments data	merman@bodc.ac.uk	+44 (0)151 795 4955
PEACH enquiries helpdesk - technical support for PEACH system	peachenquiries@rpa.gov.uk	0345 607 3224
Plant Health Service - guidance on plant health regulations including imports and exports	planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk	0300 1000 313
Seed Certification - IT support for registering agricultural crops and seed lots on the ESP system	esphelpdesk@niab.com	0122 334 2319