A YORKSHIRE Euro MP has called for a pan-European inquiry into the handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Mr Robert Goodwill, Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber has written to Mr David Byrne, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection, following the government's reluctance to order a full public inquiry itself.

The MEP, who farms just outside York, has asked the Commission to authorise a pan-European inquiry into the mishandling of the outbreak and into measures which can be taken in future to prevent another epidemic.

Despite repeated pleas for a full public inquiry within the UK from groups including church leaders, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and farming organisations, the government has so far refused to confirm that an independent and open public inquiry will take place.

It is hoped that, if the European Commission authorises its own inquiry, the conclusions will be essential in minimising the risks of another epidemic within the European Union.

"It is incredible that despite new cases of foot-and-mouth emerging daily in areas like Yorkshire, the government is still resisting attempts to uncover what went badly wrong in the way this outbreak was handled at the start," said Mr Goodwill.

"Other countries managed to contain isolated outbreaks swiftly and efficiently whereas the UK government adopted a policy of denying and dithering, which has allowed the disease to obtain the stranglehold it now has on our agricultural industry.

"If the European Commission embarks on a full and open inquiry it will strengthen our case enormously in trying to establish the truth behind this epidemic.

"It is very telling that the government will so readily authorise an inquiry into the size of compensation claims being put in by farmers who have lost livestock to the disease, yet is begrudging about an inquiry into the disease itself.

"Many people will be wondering what this government's priorities really are."

On Wednesday Mr Edward McMillan-Scott, leader of the 36 Conservative Euro-MPs, called on the European Parliament to set up a special committee of inquiry into the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth in Britain, France, Ireland and the Netherlands when it reconvenes at the end of August.

l This week the National Sheep Association added its voice to calls for a full and urgent national public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Mr John Thorley, NSA chief executive, said it was time the myths and rumours around the present outbreak were either verified or dispelled once and for all. Extremely serious allegations had been made from a number of quarters and the blame culture and rumour mill had flourished in an unprecedented way.

"The setting up of a public inquiry should get under way, involving high calibre people, as quickly as possible before important detail is lost in a smokescreen of public relations spin," he said.

Among issues the NSA wants addressed are the public statements by government officials, and some conservation bodies, that the measure of over-production of sheep in the country was the amount sold to other EU countries, and whether this had a bearing on the apparent lack of urgency in measures taken to get the disease under control.

It also wants to know whether allegations that the disease was in sheep on army establishments months before the official declaration was made were true and whether blood lines which had been irretrievably lost could have been saved by a more careful use of scientific knowledge