THE damning findings of the Cumbria foot-and-mouth inquiry have been accepted as evidence in the European Parliament's investigation into the crisis.
The report's findings, the most critical account yet of the Government's handling of the crisis, were presented to a full meeting of Cumbria County Council yesterday (Thursday) where councillors voted to send the report to ministers, MPs and MEPs as well as to the European foot-and-mouth inquiry.
Rex Toft, Conservative leader of CCC, said the Government's decision not to hold its own public inquiry was "a bitter disappointment" and said the Government inquires set up instead had been mistaken in their approach and "gave a false impression of an ordered and systematic response to the crisis".
He said DEFRA minister Margaret Beckett had been "misled" by her officials and had in turn given evidence to the EU inquiry which was "not in accordance with the facts".
However, Mr Toft said he had met European inquiry chairman Encarnacion Redondo Jimenez and sh
e had agreed to take the inquiry report as evidence.
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