The minimum level of service you can expect from us:
| Service | The standards we aim for |
|---|---|
| Conduct | We will behave professionally. We will act with integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality as set out in our Staff Code of Conduct  . |
| Telephones | We will respond to all telephone calls promptly and constructively. |
| Freedom of Information Requests | We will respond to all requests under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations within the statutory deadline of 20 working days. (Freedom of information) |
| Publications | Free publications will normally be dispatched within five working days of receipt of the request, and priced publications within five working days of receipt of payment. If a publication is temporarily unavailable for any reason, we will let you know when you will receive it. Many of our publications will also be available free of charge from our website. (Publications catalogue) |
| General Enquiries | We will reply within 10 working days of receipt. Where we are unable to provide a final response, we will provide a progress report instead. This will explain who is dealing with your enquiry, what steps are being taken to obtain the information and when you can expect a full reply. (Enquiry Service) |
| Responding to Consultations | We will respond to all consultations in which we have an interest within the timescales set by the consulting body. |
| Arranging Public Consultations | When we carry out public consultations, we will allow at least 12 weeks for comment. If, exceptionally, less than 12 weeks are allowed, we will explain why a longer response time could not have been offered. |
| Invoices | Subject to satisfactory delivery of goods and services, invoices will be paid within the payment terms of the invoice. |
We will monitor our performance against these standards and publish the results on our website and in our annual report.
Our Promise
This cannot represent the full range of services we deliver. Over the coming months each of our services will set out clearly:
- what the service is;
- its purpose;
- who it is for;
- what customers can expect from it, including service standards; and
- how to access the service.
We will involve our customers and other relevant stakeholders in this process.
Comments, suggestions, praise and complaints
Natural England is committed to providing a high quality service. If you have a comment or a suggestion about our service, please contact us. It will help us deliver better services and products.
If you have a problem with the service provided, please do let us know. In the first instance, you may wish to contact the person who provided the service. We also have a complaints procedure.
How to find out more about us
Our Enquiry Service is the first point of contact for all general enquiries about Natural England and its work.
Our website, www.naturalengland.org.uk, provides information on all our activities.