A DEMAND for a public inquiry into the Government's handling of the foot and mouth outbreak by Ilkley Parish Council has been dismissed by the town's Labour MP, Ann Cryer.

"I really don't think it would help anyone in any way - it would just prolong the agony," said Mrs Cryer.

And Mrs Cryer accused the parish council, which has an overwhelming Conservative majority and does not have any Labour Party members, of simply following the argument put forward by the national Tory party.

The demand for an inquiry was made at a meeting of the parish council last week at Ilkley Town Hall.

Councillor Audrey Brand said that since the terrorist attack on New York on September 11 and the subsequent war in Afghanistan, the issue of foot and mouth disease and its handling by the Government had been pushed under the carpet.

Coun Brand said: "There was a great deal of distress and horrendous outcomes because of foot and mouth disease. Businesses have gone, tourism has been affected for nine months - people have pushed for a public inquiry but they are refusing to have a public inquiry at this stage.

"This is an on-going situation and it could reccur. I feel as a council I would like to propose that we write to the Government and demand that they have a public inquiry before it gets out of sightr."

Councillor Michael Lynes said: "There are a large number businesses in this area which rely on tourism and rely on the money from last season to keep them through the winter.

"I think there are a large number of businesses that will not be here next spring and there are a large number of footpaths that are not open."

He said that the parish council should demand that a public inquiry takes place.

Parish councillor Mike Exley said: "We should write to our local MPs and say if they are not in favour of a public inquiry - why not?"

Parish council chairman Coun Michael Gibbons agreed with the suggestion.

He said: "We should involve them in this process. Breaking down any inquiry as the Government has suggested is a way of covering up the issue."

He also said that the results of a public inquiry could be used to help in the way any subsequent outbreaks were dealt with if and when they arose. Lessons learned from this outbreak could be used to deal with the next one more quickly.

Parish councillors voted to write to the Government and local Labour MPs, Ann Cryer and Chris Leslie, who represents Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston. But Ilkley and Keighley MP Mrs Cryer told the Gazette after the meeting that she did not think a public inquiry would do any good but she said she would welcome a chance to discuss the issue with members of the parish council.

"This is the line adopted by the Conservative Party but no-one has made a suggestion to me about it - it has been rumbling on for months. I don't know why they haven't made an approach to me before.

"I am open to persuasion, if they can give me a good reason why there should be a public inquiry and it would help anybody but I can't think of any good reason why it would do any good to trawl over that again."

She said that she and her staff had worked for hours and hours during the outbreak to help local farmers and that help had been appreciated.

"I think that was far the best way of dealing with it," said Mrs Cryer.

She also added that any public inquiry would cost a great deal of taxpayers' money which she thought would be wasted.

"I really don't think it would help to go trawling over all that again," Mrs Cryer said.