TOUGH questions over the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak submitted by the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale have gone unanswered.

Tim Collins submitted a raft of questions to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the new Freedom of Information of Act, which came into force on January 1.

He asked where and how the disease originated; why the Government decided not to use vaccination when it said it was close to doing so; whether the contiguous culls were legal; and if the Government had followed legal advice.

"It's considerably more than 20 working days since I wrote to them, beyond the time when they are supposed to reply under the FoI act," said Mr Collins.

A Defra spokesman said he could not comment on FoI questions, which would be dealt with by the Information Commissioner.