Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs
The main challenge for Defra is to help everyone to live within our
environmental means. This is most clearly exemplified by the need to tackle
climate change internationally and through domestic action to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, and to secure a healthy, resilient, productive
and diverse natural environment.
Central to achieving these goals will be reducing the environmental impact
of the lifestyles we lead, the products that the UK economy produces and consumes, and the waste
we produce. We also need to reduce the global impact of our food production
and consumption, improving the environmental contribution that a profitable
and competitive farming industry in the UK can make to our environment.
Defra is the focal point for rural policy, supporting strong rural
communities and ensuring that dispersed rural needs are reflected in social
and place-based policies across Government.
Defra has responsibility for tackling fuel poverty, enabling adaptation to
climate change, and for animal health and welfare. It has on-going
responsibility for emergency planning, including animal and plant disease,
flooding, food supply, water supply and dealing with the consequences of a
chemical, biological or nuclear incident.
Contact information
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Address: Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
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Telephone: 08459 3355771
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Fax: 020 7238 6118
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Website:
www.defra.gov.uk
[External website]
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Email: firstname@surname.gsi.gov.uk
Parliamentary Branch
Ministerial & Treat Officially Correspondence Section
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Ministers
Hilary Benn
Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
The Secretary of State has:
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Overall responsibility for all Departmental issues;
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Represents the UK at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council at the EU
Environmental Council
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Leads for the UK in other international negotiations on sustainable
development and climate change
Private Office to
Hilary Benn
Lord Rooker
Minister of State for Sustainable
Farming, Food and Animal Welfare: The Rt
Hon the Lord Rooker
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Food and Farming
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Animal Health and Welfare
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Departmental involvement in Better Regulation
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Agriculture and Fisheries Council Deputy
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Departmental Administration
Private Office to Lord Rooker
Phil Woolas
Minister of State for the
Environment: Phil Woolas MP
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International Climate Change Mitigation and Energy (including Forestry)
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Domestic Climate Change Mitigation and Energy
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Climate Change Bill
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Environmental Transformation Fund International
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Water (including Nitrates Directive)
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Flooding
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Sustainable Development
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Fuel Poverty
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Radioactive Waste
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GMOs/Nanotechnology
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Chemicals and Pesticides
Private Office to
Phil Woolas
Joan Ruddock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of
State Climate Change, Biodiversity and Waste: Joan Ruddock MP
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Climate Change Bill
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Domestic Climate Change Adaptation
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Sustainable Consumption and Production
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Citizen Engagement
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Environmental Transformation Fund International
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Waste and Recycling
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Environmental Council Deputy
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Sponsorship of Kew
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Biodiversity
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Ecosystems Services
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Environmental Regulation
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Domestic Forestry
Private Office
to Joan Ruddock
Jonathan Shaw
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of
State (Marine, Landscape & Rural Affairs) and Minister for the South
East: Jonathan Shaw MP
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Marine and Fisheries
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Access, Countryside and Rights of Way
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National Parks and AONBs
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Local and Regional Government
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Air Quality and Local Environment Quality
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Inland waterways and British Waterways
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Rural Affairs
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Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)
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Migrant and seasonal workers
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Natural England
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Lands Management
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Soils
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Horse Industry
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Food and Farming (Commons)
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Animal Health and Welfare (Commons)
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Minister for the South East
Private Office
to Jonathan Shaw
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Private Office
Private Office to Hilary Benn
Private Office to Lord Rooker
Private Office to Phil Woolas
Private Office to Joan Ruddock
Private Office to Jonathan Shaw
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Executive Agencies
Animal Health
Animal Health (AH) is principally responsible for ensuring that farmed
animals in England, Scotland and Wales are healthy, disease-free and well
looked after. Animal Health manages the field response to outbreaks of
notifiable animal disease, including Foot and Mouth and Avian Flu.
AH came into being on 1 April 2007, following the merger of the State
Veterinary Service (SVS), Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, Egg Marketing
Inspectorate and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service (part of
implementing the Hampton recommendations).
AH is sponsored by and works on behalf of, Defra, the Scottish Executive
and Welsh Assembly Government in implementing animal health and welfare
policies, and for the Food Standards Agency to ensure dairy hygiene and egg
production standards are met.
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Centre for Environment, Fisheries
and Aquaculture Science
The Centre for Environment, Food and Aquaculture Science provides
scientific and technical support, consultancy and advice, to DEFRA and
other customers, in the fields of fisheries' science and management,
environmental assessment, aquaculture and fish health.
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Central Science Laboratory
The Central Science Laboratory (CSL) is an Executive Agency of the
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It provides
DEFRA and other customers with a range of scientific services, underpinned
by R & D, to meet objectives in relation to food safety, safeguarding
the food supply and protecting the environment.
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Government Decontamination Service
The Government Decontamination Service has been set up to provide expert
advice and guidance on decontamination and to streamline the UK's
ability to decontaminate buildings and the environment after a chemical,
biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incident.
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Marine and Fisheries Agency
The Marine and Fisheries Agency carries out the inspection and enforcement
work previously undertaken by DEFRA's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate. The
agency is also responsible for fishing vessel licensing, quota management
and grant schemes, as well as marketing and trade matters.
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Pesticides Safety Directorate
The Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), an Executive Agency of Defra,
administers the regulation of agricultural, horticultural, forestry, food
storage and home garden pesticides. The principal functions of PSD are to
evaluate and process applications for approval of pesticide products for
use in Great Britain and provide advice to Government on pesticides policy.
PSD operates on a GB basis by virtue of Agency Agreements with the devolved
administrations in Scotland and Wales.
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Rural Payments Agency
The Rural Payments Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. RPA is the UK Funding Body responsible
for funding the CAP schemes administered by all the UK paying agencies and
has responsibility for the receipt and administration of monies from the
Guarantee Section of the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund
(EAGGF), provision of operational advice in support of policy formation.
The Rural Payments Agency includes the former Intervention Board and MAFF
Regional Service Centres. The Agency will make certain payments in
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on behalf of the devolved
administrations.
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Veterinary Laboratories Agency
(VLA)
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) safeguards public and animal
health through world class veterinary research and surveillance of farmed
livestock and wildlife.
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Veterinary Medicines Directorate
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is responsible for protecting
public health, animal health, the environment and promoting animal welfare
by assuring the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines in the
United Kingdom.
Certain enforcement and food safety matters devolved to Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland.
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