ARCHIVE: Additional guidance from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and from the Welsh Assembly Government

AQ16(04)

Performance Review: Recommendation Re Defra/Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) response to enquiries

The function of Defra and WAG is to provide a strategic policy framework for industrial pollution control regulated by local authorities, including the delivery and operation of the LAPC, LAPPC and LA-IPPC regimes, to issue relevant guidance, to monitor and evaluate progress, and to produce and amend legislation where needed [see Performance Review summary of different roles at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ppc]. Defra and WAG consider it most important to work with all stakeholders in doing so, and part of this activity is to be available to provide advice by telephone, email or letter. However, the prime role of Defra and WAG is not as a helpline service, and all stakeholders are expected to check available guidance and other sources of advice before resorting to them for assistance.

Telephone

Enquiry points in Defra are as follows:

- General enquiries: Carl Woodward 020 7082 8388
- Part B specific enquiries: Phil Pope 020 7082 8391
- Part A2 specific enquiries: Andy French 020 7082 8390
- General enquiries: Imalka Oyewole 020 7082 8389 (from 3rd August 2004)

Enquiry point for the Welsh Assembly Government is as follows:

Nicola Britton 029 2082 3499

  • 90% of calls will be answered within 5 rings if the officer is at his desk

  • 90% of voicemail messages will be actioned on the day of receipt and 100% within 2 working days

  • initial action on receipt of calls and voicemails will be to determine the urgency of the enquiry and length of time needed to reply.

  • wherever possible, an immediate answer will be provided

  • where not possible:

    for enquiries agreed to be urgent, the enquirer will be notified if it will not be feasible to reply within 2 working days, giving, if asked, reasons and an estimate of when a reply will be provided.

    For non-urgent enquiries, the enquirer will be notified if it will not be feasible to reply within 5 working days, giving, if asked, reasons and an estimate of when a reply will be provided.

Email

Enquiry points in Defra are as follows:

- general enquiries: carl.woodward@defra.gsi.gov.uk or control.pollution@defra.gsi.gov.uk
- Part B specific enquiries: Phillip.m.pope@defra.gsi.gov.uk
- Part A2 specific enquiries: andy.french@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Enquiry point for the Welsh Assembly Government is as follows:

nicola.britton@wales.gsi.gov.uk

  • 90% of emails will be read within 2 days of receipt and 100% within 3 working days

  • initial action on receipt of emails will be to determine the urgency of the enquiry and length of time needed to reply.

  • wherever possible, an immediate answer will be provided

  • where not possible:

    for enquiries agreed to be urgent, the enquirer will be notified if it will not be feasible to reply within 2 working days, giving reasons and an estimate of when a reply will be provided

    for non-urgent enquiries, the enquirer will be notified if it will not be feasible to reply within 5 working days, giving, if asked, reasons and an estimate of when a reply will be provided.

Letter
To Defra

The address is as follows: Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE. For:

- general enquiries: write to Carl Woodward, zone 4/G10
- Part B specific enquiries: write to Phil Pope, zone 4/G9
- Part A2 specific enquiries: write to Andy French, zone 4/G10

  • 90% of letters will be read within 2 days of receipt and 100% within 3 working days

  • initial action on receipt of letters will be to determine the urgency of the enquiry and length of time needed to reply.

  • wherever possible, an immediate answer will be provided. Replies may be by telephone, email or letter.

  • where not possible:

    for enquiries agreed to be urgent, the enquirer will be notified if it will not be feasible to reply within 2 working days, giving reasons and an estimate of when a reply will be provided

    for non-urgent enquiries, the enquirer will be notified if it will not be feasible to reply within 5 working days, giving, if asked, reasons and an estimate of when a reply will be provided.

To the Welsh Assembly Government

The address is:

Barry Dare
Environment division
Welsh Assembly Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

  • Correspondence will be dealt with, in line with official Welsh Assembly Government policy of responding to written requests for information, within 15 working days.
Technical enquiries

Any technical enquiries received by Defra or WAG will be referred to the Environment Agency's Local Authority Unit. The Environment Agency have their own performance standards and those relevant to the role of the local authority unit are as follows:

  • Answering phone calls
    We will answer 90% of calls within 15 seconds during normal working hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday).

  • Responding to enquiries and requests for information
    Wherever possible, we will respond immediately to enquiries made in person or by phone. If you want us to provide a written response but we cannot do this in full within 10 working days due to the type of request, we will let you know, within this time, when you can have the answer you need. This should not take longer than 40 working days from the date of your request.

  • Complaints
    We will acknowledge your complaint as soon as we receive it and send you a full response within 10 working days, unless we need to investigate further. In these cases, we will let you know when you can expect a full reply.

Changes in contact details

Defra/WAG will publish an additional guidance note (AQ note) on the Defra web to notify of any changes in contact details.

Review

The operation of these enquiry response arrangements will be reviewed by Defra and WAG after approximately the first 6 months of operation.

Complaints procedure

If anyone has a complaint about performance in relation to the above standards, they should contact:

Mike Etkind in relation to England (mike.etkind@defra.gsi.gov.uk 020 7082 8420) and Barry Dare in relation to Wales (barry.dare@wales.gsi.gov.uk 029 2082 5393).

AEQ/Defra

July 2004

Page last modified: 29 July 2005
Page published: 6 July 2004