To return for a moment to that far from level playing field in French and British farming.

What would you say if I told you that France contributes 17 per cent of the Common Agricultural Policy budget but receives a of all spending.

The United Kingdom contributes 12 per cent but receives only 9 per cent of spending.

Do you claim French farmers are less dependent on farm subsidies? Lord Haskins seems to, but I don't, how about you?

The United States had the cheek to lecture Europe and us about paying out subsidies to farmers and said that it had ceased to pay all farm subsidies.

Then we discovered it makes $76 billion available to share out in the United States, and has just made available another $5.5 billion, and this for the fourth successive year.

But it is called "Emergency Aid," so that's all right then.

How dare the US lecture us on farm aid?

I understand that a Welsh hill farmer had gathered his sheep in for blood testing, the vet got the samples, and as he was putting them into the box, he received a phone call saying he had to leave immediately.

So off he went to see to whatever the call was about, leaving the blood samples at the farm.

As he did not return the farmer put the blood samples in his fridge and, as no-one had been to collect them, a week later he telephoned the ministry to ask what was happening about his blood samples.

He was told they were sorry to say the results had proved to be positive so they would have to slaughter his sheep.

"Well now, that's a funny thing" said the farmer, "for I've still got the blood samples here."

I don't know how the conversation went after that, I was not told so make of it what you will.

As you will have guessed I'm saying nowt; except that a full and open Public Inquiry is the only way to get answers.

We need to know how foot-and-mouth started in the first place and where did the virus come from? Is this virus an indestructible one upon which vaccination would have no effect? Someone knew, at least in January, that foot-and-mouth was going to break out, else how come they knew in New Zealand.

I recently read a very thought-provoking letter which suggested that, if there is to be no open Public Inquiry into foot-and-mouth, how about an independent inquiry into why the government does not want an independent inquiry.

Now that suggestion has much to commend it.

I am still waiting for DEFRA to keep us well informed about re-stocking with a sensible and helpful approach - because if they think they are being helpful it certainly does not feel like it.

Thought for the day: It would be wonderful if mistakes could be sold for as much as they cost.