The Inquiry welcomes views from everyone about the recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease. People and organisations can comment on any issues that they wish to in relation to the crisis, but there are also a number of general questions to which the Inquiry would be interested in receiving responses. These are as follows:

• How adequate were the contingency plans at national and local levels for dealing with Foot and Mouth Disease in Great Britain? What were the specific strengths and weaknesses? 
  

• How effective and timely was the Government’s response to the emerging crisis nationally and in local communities?
  

• What roles did MAFF/DEFRA, the State Veterinary Service, the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, Local Government, the Armed Forces and others play in the crisis? Were they adequately organised, co-ordinated and resourced to do so?
  

• How ready was the farming industry to handle a major infectious disease like Foot and Mouth and did the existing national and EU regulatory regimes have any influence? What more could be done to prepare for possible future outbreaks of infectious disease?
  

• Once the scale of the crisis became clear, was the response proportionate to the impact on the wider rural and UK economy?
  

• Would the use of vaccination have made any difference to the scale and/or duration of the outbreak, and its wider impact?
  

• What could have been done differently to alleviate the economic, social and animal welfare impact of the unprecedented level of culling and disposal?
  

• How effective were the communications systems for handling and responding to the outbreak?
  

The Inquiry would find it helpful if respondents submitted their views under the above headings. The closing date for submissions to the Inquiry is Friday 15 March 2002. The Inquiry intends so far as possible to make publicly available all views submitted to it following publication of its final report in mid-2002.