Cumbria County Council leader Coun Rex Toft has condemned the Government for refusing to hold a public inquiry into the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Speaking at a full council meeting in Kendal, he said lessons needed to be learned from the current epidemic and only a full public inquiry would satisfy public opinion.
However, he welcomed the government's decision to release £1 million of the £2.7m owed to the council for foot-and-mouth related work.
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