FIVE months after a local MEP wrote to former agriculture minister Nick Brown, it has been confirmed that he will be giving evidence to the EU inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak.

Mr Brown, former minister for agriculture, fisheries and food during the epidemic, will attend the European Parliament's committee on March 26. This will be the first time that government ministers have publicly given evidence on the outbreak.

Robert Goodwill, Terrington farmer and local MEP, earlier wrote to Mr Brown inviting him to give evidence at an EU Inquiry. Robert commented:

"This is great news. Nick Brown should be able to shed light on a number of vital issues surrounding the foot and mouth crisis. Clearly it would have been better if Mr Brown had been able to give his evidence in the context of a UK inquiry, but this inquiry is the next best thing."

The EU inquiry will sit for a year and consider the outbreak across the whole EU. It sits in public, and will mean Mr Brown facing TV cameras when he gives evidence.

- Two High Court judges turned down a bid to force the Government into holding a public inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis. The case had been brought by a group of farmers, vets and hoteliers. The judges said the Government was not acting unlawfully in not holding a public inquiry and that this was a political decision.

Updated: 08:53 Thursday, March 21, 2002