IT many ways it is difficult to understand why Ann Cryer's Government is reluctant to hold a pubic inquiry into the way the foot and mouth outbreak last year was dealt with, as demanded by Ilkley Parish Council among others.

The outbreak caused a national tragedy and paralysed the rural economy at a time when such disruption was the last thing the farming community needed.

In the wake of the BSE crisis and the outbreak of swine fever, foot and mouth disease simply kicked the farming industry in the teeth just when it was getting back to its feet. Mistakes were made certainly, especially as the EU's Common Agricultural Policy has led the seemingly simple system of rearing, transporting selling and slaughtering animals into a mystifying web of almost Byzantine complexity.

There are many questions to ask, certainly, of the farming lobby and Government officials. The truth is that most ordinary people feel that the foot and mouth outbreak could and should have been better handled by all those who had anything to do with it.

And those in most need of a proper explanation are the thousands of tourist businesses which were devastated by the initial panic decision to completely close off the countryside.

It was only afterwards that officials realised the size of the tourist industry dependent on people using the countryside, but by then it was too late and businesses went to the wall.

Those people who suffered through no fault of their own demand an explanation, at least so we can all learn what mistakes should not be repeated should the unthinkable happen again.

We are sorry Mrs Cryer, while we all appreciate the help you gave to farmers and other constituents during the crisis, bland assurances that the whole business should best be forgotten, will not wash.