Thank you for your email to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Please read through the guidance below which may be relevant to your enquiry. General enquiries We have a target of replying to emails within 20 working days where a response is required, and 20 working days where a case is handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Please be aware that we received a high volume of correspondence during the Covid- 19 outbreak and are working through the backlog of cases. This may mean a significant delay in response times. You may find the information you need is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs If your enquiry is related to COVID- 19, you may also find the information you need on GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/search/guidance-and-regulation?organisations%5B%5D=department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs&parent=department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs Campaigns We receive thousands of identical emails each month from organised campaigns. Ministers and officials are made aware of these campaigns but unfortunately, we cannot reply to each email individually. Postal enquiries As most of our staff are currently working from home, there may be significant delays in responding to postal requests. Where possible, please send your correspondence electronically and include the email address you wish us to respond to. Reporting dead birds If you find dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. Helpline opening hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm. Further information can be found via the link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu Please note, we do not pass on the details of dead bird reports to the relevant authority, and will not respond to reports sent to this mailbox. Notifiable animal diseases If you suspect a notifiable animal disease or have animal welfare concerns, please report these to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) immediately. Failure to report a notifiable animal disease is an offence. APHA can be contacted using the following details: England: 03000 200301 or customeradvice@apha.gov.uk Wales: 03003 038268 or apha.cymruwales@apha.gov.uk Scotland: apha.scotland@apha.gov.uk Interviews, university work and work experience The Department receives many requests for interviews, participation in university work and work experience. Unfortunately, given resource constraints and time pressures, we are unable to fulfil such requests and will not respond to these emails. We recommend you visit the GOV.UK website and examine the material available there. If after having examined this you still have specific, targeted questions, please let us know and we shall endeavour to answer them. Defra no longer runs a central placement scheme. We now advise all applicants to write to their local offices requesting a placement as they are arranged locally between student and prospective line manager: https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/finding-job Additionally, work experience for 18 to 24 year old’s will be advertised on the Job Centre Plus website https://www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus Emergencies If you or someone you are contacting us on behalf of are currently at risk of serious harm or in a life-threatening situation, please contact the emergency services: 999 for emergencies 101 non-emergency police line 111- NHS Best wishes, Ministerial Contact Unit Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) This email and any attachments is intended for the named recipient only. If you have received it in error you have no authority to use, disclose, store or copy any of its contents and you should destroy it and inform the sender. Whilst this email and associated attachments will have been checked for known viruses whilst within Defra systems we can accept no responsibility once it has left our systems. Communications on Defra's computer systems may be monitored and/or recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes.