A PUBLIC meeting is to be held in Okehampton next week to hear views from farmers and businesses affected by the foot and mouth crisis as part of an independent inquiry into the tragedy.
The Lessons Learned Foot and Mouth Inquiry is visiting key sites in the South West to see first-hand those areas worst affected by the disease.
Chairman of the inquiry Dr Iain Anderson and his team are aiming to seek out and receive as broad a range of views as possible. This will contribute to the final report giving recommendations to the Government for the handling of any future animal disease.
Dr Anderson, who was was instructed by Prime Minister Tony Blair to proceed with the inquiry just before Christmas, said: 'Devon was one of the areas of Britain hardest hit by the catastrophic outbreak of foot and mouth disease last year.
'Only by listening to people's views and hearing first hand what happened here in the South West can we frame our proposals to ensure that nothing like this happens again. That is the purpose of this visit.'
The public meeting will be held in the Charter Hall at 7pm on January 23 but places are limited to 200 so entry is by ticket only.
Members of the public who wish to attend should contact Samantha Dooley at COI Conference Services on 020 7261 8400/8385. Written views can be sent to The Secretary, FMD Lessons Learned Inquiry, First Floor, 9 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DD.
Earlier on in the day, Dr Anderson will meet representatives of the groups most affected by the crisis as well as the key players involved in tackling the disease — including those in the community, businesses, farming and tourism.
The inquiry chairman said the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001 was in social and economic terms, one of the most fundamental and traumatic events for the country since the second world war.