Complaints procedure
If you have a complaint about the way that we operate or the services we provide you can tell us by telephone, in writing, by fax, by e-mail, or in person (by appointment).
In the first instance, your complaint should be made to the officer with whom you have been dealing. If you are unable to resolve the complaint satisfactorily in this way you should write to the Chief Executive, Nigel Gooding, who will investigate your complaint and respond in writing within 20 working days.
Mr Gooding's address is:
Marine and Fisheries Agency
3-8 Whitehall Place
London SW1A 2HH
Tel: 020 7270 8311
Fax: 020 7270 8185
Email: nigel.a.gooding@mfa.gsi.gov.uk
If you still feel that your complaint has not been fully resolved, you can write to our Complaints Adjudicator, Trevor Cook, whose address is:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 7D, Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Email: service-standards.adjudicator@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Trevor Cook is responsible for investigating and adjudicating on any complaints which are made to him regarding standards of service. He will investigate your complaint and report back within 15 working days. If this is not possible, he will write to you explaining why, and letting you know when you may expect a response
You may ask your Member of Parliament to take up your complaint with the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at Defra, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.
You can also write to your, or any, Member of Parliament, and ask for your complaint to be passed to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Parliamentary Ombudsman) who is entirely independent of Government.
These complaints procedures cannot deal with the policy underlying fisheries regulation or legal issues related to enforcement, which are matters outside the Marine and Fisheries Agency’s control.
If you have a query or complaint about policy issues, you should address it to the head of the relevant Policy Division of Defra whose name and address will be supplied to you by your local Marine and Fisheries Agency Office on request.