Get Active
14 May 2008
Contacts guide
General guidelines: political contact
Contacting your MP
Contacting the Prime Minister
Contacting the Home Office
Contacting the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Contacting the Department of Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
Contacting the Department of Innovation, Universities & Skills
Contacting the Department of Health
Contacting your MEP
General guidelines: contacting local media
General guidelines: political contact
Whether you are writing, faxing, emailing, phoning or visiting a political representative, it is imperative that you present what you want to say (and what action or follow up you would like to see) as clearly and concisely as possible. You may have lots to write, but MPs, MEPs, Ministers and others may not have lots of time to read, so keep it brief and to the point. Sending pages of material is more likely to put somebody off rather than make them listen. It is often helpful to include one or two brief illustrative facts – but don’t overdo it and insert masses of detail. Wherever relevant, mention that you are a supporter of the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research. Association with a respected charity will demonstrate that you take the issue seriously and have a reliable source of information. Don’t resort to inflammatory or insulting language – if you feel passionately about ending animal experiments, you will no doubt feel frustrated by the slow pace of change, but there’s no point alienating or insulting the person you are corresponding with so always remain polite.
Who is my MP?: To find out which constituency you are in, who your local MP is or how to contact them, go to www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/ Alternatively you can ask the House of Commons Information Service on 020 7219 4272 or email hcinfo@parliament.uk or visit their website at www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm. The site contains a constituency locator service and an alphabetical list of MPs.
Write: In addition to writing to your MP at his/her constituency address, you can also write to them at their House of Commons office:
(name) MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Fax: Go to http://www.writetothem.com/ to fax your MP for free. (You can also contact your Councillors, MEPs, MSPs, or Welsh and London Assembly Members for free via this site). Alternatively, the service below should provide you with a fax number.
Telephone: Tel: 020 7219 3000 to contact the House of Commons Switchboard and ask for your MP’s Office)
Email: Go to www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm to see if your MP can be contacted by email.
Face to face: When the House of Commons is sitting, you can make an appointment to see your MP face to face. If it is more convenient, you can also make an appointment to meet your MP in your constituency. MPs hold regular constituency surgeries – details of these will be in your local paper, posted at your local library, or contact your local Party office for details.
Write: You can write to the Prime Minister at:
Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
10 Downing Street
London
SW1 2A4
Email: You can send an email to the Prime Minister via the following web link: http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page821.asp
The website notes “The PM receives many thousands of letters, faxes, and emails every week. So unfortunately it is not practical for him to respond to all of your messages. However all the emails received are read by staff in Downing Street and each month the Prime Minister receives a report on the issues raised, together with a representative sample of emails, a small number of which he aims to answer.”
The Home Office licences animal experiments in the UK. You can contact the Home Office about any issue regarding vivisection:
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
Telephone: 020 7035 4848 (09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri)
Fax: 020 7035 4745
Or you can send an email at: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Ministers
Meg Hillier MP: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (has direct responsibility for animal experiments)
Jacqui Smith MP: Home Secretary Jacqui Smith MP (has ultimate responsibility)
Contacting the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Through their responsibility for the environment, food and farming, DEFRA is often involved in the commission of animal tests, especially related to environmental risk assessment, animal breeding and biotechnology, such as GM crops. They are the ministry responsible for the development and implementation of the REACH EU chemicals policy in the UK.
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Tel: 020 7238 6000 (switchboard)
Fax: 020 7238 6591
Ministers
Lord Rooker – Minister of State (Lords) – responsible for chemicals policy
Hilary Benn MP – Secretary of State: he has overall responsibility for all Departmental issues.
To contact DEFRA about chemicals testing:
DEFRA (UKCSF Secretariat)
Area 2A, Nobel House,
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Tel: 020 7238 1579
Email chemicals.strategy@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Contacting the Department of Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
The DBERR represents the interests of industry. This means that it is involved in supporting biotechnology (which includes Britain’s contract testing laboratories in which much vivisection takes place) and also businesses such as the chemicals industry which are involved in animal testing.
Department of Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
1 Victoria Street
London
SW1H OET
Tel: 020 7215 5000 (enquiry unit)
Fax: 020 7215 0105
email enquiries@berr.gsi.gov.uk
Ministers
John Hutton MP – Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Contacting the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills
This new Department takes over the science and innovation sections of the former DTI.
Contact details to follow: http://www.dius.gov.uk/
Ministers
John Denham MP – Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Ian Pearson MP – Minister of State for Science and Innovation: responsible for (amongst others) Business and Science ; The Research Base ; The Research Councils ; Liaison with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Contacting the Department of Health
The Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NS
Tel: 0207 210 4850 (line open from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday).
Email: dhmail@dh.gsi.gov.uk
Ministers
Alan Johnson – Secretary of State for Health
Dawn Primarolo MP – Minister of State for Quality (Has direct responsibility for safety and quality including research, pharmacy and healthcare products, including MHRA; NICE pharmaceutical industry, R&D, Genetics and Biotech.
The European Parliament forms a major part of the EU decision-making process. Decisions (including new Directives) agreed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from all member states, go on to be made law in the UK. So MEPs are really important to both the UK and EU agenda.
The UK is divided into twelve regions, each of which will be represented by not one but a group of MEPs. Go to www.writetothem.com or www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm to find out who your MEPs are and contact them direct.
Alternatively you can write to your MEP at the UK office of the European Parliament at:
European Parliament (UK Office)
2 Queen Anne’s Gate
London SW1H 9AA
Tel: 020 7227 4300
Email: eplondon@europarl.eu.int
General guidelines: contacting local media
Contrary to popular beliefs, a significant proportion of the population read their regional and local newspaper (and listen to local radio). Your local MP will also certainly be keeping a watchful eye on what issues come up in the local media, and what his/her constituents are saying.
Writing a letter to the editor of your local or regional newspaper is well worth it. Virtually all papers have a ‘letters page’ and if your letter appears, not only will it raise awareness but it could also inspire other readers and encourage more letters or even encourage the newspaper to feature it as a news story.
Why not consider writing a letter for the ‘letters page’ tell readers about the vital life-saving work of the Dr Hadwen Trust – people will be interested to learn they can support medical research without animal suffering. Be sure to include the Dr Hadwen Trust name and contact details. You could also write a letter to spark support for a Dr Hadwen Trust campaign or initiative like a petition or lobbying effort. Alternatively, if there’s a local or national news story about animal experiments, use your letter to editor to express your views, tell readers about the ethical and scientific benefits of non-animal techniques and advise that readers contact the Dr Hadwen Trust to find out more.
Always keep letters short and focused on one central point – long rambling letters are unlikely to get printed or they could appear with the most important element edited out.
You must include your name and address for your letter to be considered for publication, but you can request that it is not printed if you wish.
It’s not always possible, but if you can include a ‘local link’ such as a reference to an animal testing facility near by, a ‘cruelty-free’ outlet, positive or negative action by your local MP, or end your letter with a general “I wonder what other local people think about this?”
Look up the letters page of your local or regional newspaper and you should find the relevant contact details. Usually you can send letters in by post, fax or email but do put “Letter to Editor – for publication” at the top.