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Complaints procedure - Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Follow the guidance below to send your complaint to the right team.

Before making a complaint, check whether it relates to Defra, or one of its agencies. Each agency has its own complaints procedure, which you can find using these links:

What we need to know

To deal with and understand your complaint effectively, we need to know:

  • what happened and when
  • how it affected you
  • what you would like us to do to put things right
  • if you need any adjustments or support

Include as much detail as you can, such as dates, times, who you spoke to, what was said, and any evidence that supports your complaint.

We may not respond to your complaint if it:

  • contains offensive language
  • repeats a question we have already answered
  • is illegible
  • promotes or sells a product
  • is for information only
  • does not include enough detail

Complaints about Defra

We treat any spoken or written expression of dissatisfaction that requires a response as a complaint. This can be about something Defra or its staff have done or failed to do, or the standard of service we have provided.

It does not include disagreement with a decision that has a separate right of appeal or review by a tribunal or court. In these circumstances, we will let you know the reasons and signpost you to the relevant authority or organisation that may be able to help.

Contact us as soon as possible. We use a two-stage process to handle complaints about Defra quickly, effectively and fairly.

Stage 1

Send your complaint to the Defra team or service you have been dealing with. The team will investigate your complaint and respond to you. If you are not sure which team to contact, use the Contact Defra form, making it clear that you are making a complaint.

If we accept your complaint, we will respond within 20 working days.

If you are not happy with the Stage 1 response, you can ask us to review your complaint at Stage 2.

Stage 2

You have 28 days from the Stage 1 response to ask for a Stage 2 review. Reply in writing to the team that sent the response and explain why you remain dissatisfied. A senior manager who was not involved in the original response will review your complaint.

The senior manager will aim to respond to you in writing within 20 working days.

If you are not satisfied with the senior manager’s decision, you can ask any MP to refer your complaint to the Public Service Ombudsman:

Public Service Ombudsman
Citygate
Mosley Street
Manchester
M2 3HQ

Please note: While we always aim to answer your complaint fully, we cannot respond to repeated requests for the same information.

Access to information

If your complaint relates to a request for access to information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, or to our publication scheme, write to the Information Rights Team (IRT). They will arrange for your complaint to be investigated.

Email: informationrequests@defra.gov.uk

Information Rights Team (IRT)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Seacole Building
4th Floor
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

We must receive your complaint within 40 working days of the date you believe we failed to comply with the regulations.

If your request was handled by a Defra executive agency, send your complaint to that agency rather than Defra.

If your complaint relates to how Defra has handled your personal data, including your rights under data protection law, contact the core Defra Data Protection Team.

Email: data.protection@defra.gov.uk

We aim to respond to all access-to-information complaints within 20 working days. If we cannot meet this deadline, we will let you why and when you can expect to receive a reply.

If you are still dissatisfied after receiving your response, you can apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Please note that the Information Commissioner will usually expect you to have used Defra’s complaints procedure first.

Office for the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Re-use of information

If your complaint relates to a request to re-use information under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015, you can contact Defra’s Library and Information Services Team. They will arrange for your complaint to be investigated and will let you know the outcome.

Email: libraryenquiries@defra.gov.uk

If you are still dissatisfied after receiving the outcome, you can refer your case to the Office of Public Sector Information which manages and regulates government information.

Email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk

Phone: General enquiries - 020 8876 3444 (National Archives)

Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI)
PO Box 3415
Norwich
NR7 7JS

Procurement and contractual matters

If your complaint relates to a request to any procurement or contractual matter, you can write to the Head of Defra Group Commercial. They will arrange for your complaint to be investigated and will let you know the outcome. Their address is:

Email: network.procurement@defra.gov.uk

Head of Defra Group Commercial
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 4C,
Nobel House,
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

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