There is a wonderful string of inquiries. The danger is that people will be confused as to what they all say

David Curry, Conservative MP and committee chairman

The Labour-dominated Commons environment select committee says a public inquiry would let those affected by the outbreak see their fears investigated in depth.

Ministers have set up three separate inquiries into the disease, but they will all sit behind closed doors.

The MPs do agree the government's approach will quickly establish the facts behind the outbreak and allow lessons to be learned.

'Access to truth'

Conservative chairman of the committee David Curry, MP for Skipton and Ripon, said: "There is a wonderful string of inquiries.

The three inquiries

1. Inquiry into the lessons to be learned from the foot and mouth outbreak 2. Scientific review by the Royal Society 3. Policy Commission on the future of farming and food

"The danger is that people will be confused as to what they all say and it doesn't add up to coherence.

"The advantage of a public inquiry would have been that people would have said `Yes, we are satisfied that people will have access to the truth'.

"It would have satisfied public demand that there was a thorough investigation."

Was cull necessary?

The MPs' report says a lack of a contingency plan to deal with the scale of the crisis hindered attempts to bring it under control.

It also asks why the government's policy on culling animals changed twice during the course of the disease.

It asks whether more local discretion should have been given to vets to decide if a cull was necessary and examines the future role of 'ring vaccination' in dealing with an outbreak.

Mr Curry told a news conference more attention should also be given to the role of imported meat in introducing disease to the country.

International all-clear

The report comes a day after the UK regained its international status as a foot-and-mouth free country, opening the way for the full resumption of meat exports.

The decision by the Paris-based Office International des Epizooties - the international animal health organisation - means other countries are more likely to trade with the UK in meat, meat products, dairy products and pedigree animals.

The announcement comes after Britain was declared foot-and-mouth free last week almost a year after the first outbreak which led to the culling of more than four million animals.

'Justified' criticism

Meanwhile, the man heading the government's independent inquiry into the lessons to be learned from the foot and mouth crisis has insisted he would be critical of the government if it was justified.

Dr Iain Anderson is in Devon at the start of a nationwide tour of areas worst hit by last years epidemic, meeting farmers, businessmen and tourist industry representatives.

During a visit to Hatherleigh, Dr Anderson stressed the inquiry would be completely independent.

He said there was "no question" that the government and ministers would be criticised for the handling of the crisis "as long as it was well-founded and the evidence was there".