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Blair rules out public inquiry into farm virus

Ben Russell,Political Correspondent
Thursday 19 July 2001 00:00 BST
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Tony Blair was accused of sidestepping legitimate scrutiny on Wednesday by ruling out a public inquiry into foot-and-mouth disease and scrapping the Government's annual report on its own performance.

William Hague used his last appearance at Prime Minister's Question Time to lambaste Mr Blair for failing to open the Government to proper scrutiny. He attacked Mr Blair's handling of the appointments to select committees and challenged him to take responsibility for the failures of the new AS-level exams.

He asked Mr Blair: "You have said you accept the need for a proper inquiry into the foot-and-mouth disaster. Do you agree a proper inquiry must be a public inquiry?"

Mr Blair replied: "I don't agree that it has to be a public tribunal inquiry for the reasons given by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which said it was sensible in order to produce an inquiry quicker, that we would have a different type of inquiry.

"We will have that inquiry and we will publish the results of that inquiry. But we have said also, in line again with what the Royal College has said, that it is better to have the inquiry after we have eradicated the disease, which must remain our number one priority."

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said any inquiry had to be completed speedily. He said: "We have said that there will be an inquiry, but ... we don't want the sort of inquiry like the BSE one that lasts for years because we are anxious to learn lessons as soon as we possibly can."

Mr Hague berated Mr Blair for scrapping the Government's annual report. He said: "You said four years ago that the annual report is 'a major innovation, people are entitled to know how we are shaping up and this report is a part of that process, we will repeat it each year'. The first annual report was called So What Do You Think, the second So What Are We Doing. This year's seems to be called 'So Where Is It?' How do you feel about not even keeping your promise to publish a report on keeping your promises?"

Mr Blair said: "Obviously we publish the results of all the things we have done in the year, the things that we haven't done as well." Mr Hague asked: "Well, where is it? Since you have abandoned the annual report as a way of holding the Government to account, what about the traditional way of holding the Government to account. What about ministers taking responsibility?"

Before the 1997 election Mr Blair announced that the annual report, which cost £100,000 to produce, would be a central part of his relationship with the voters. But the Government blundered last year by claiming the National Sports Institute had been built in Sheffield when the organisation had never even been set up. Downing Street said later it would be "inappropriate" to publish a report so soon after the general election. No decision had been taken on whether to publish a report next year.

Mr Hague renewed his attack in the Commons, focusing on the backbench rebellion that led to the Government's humiliating defeat on Monday over the chairmanship and membership of select committees. He said: "So there is no annual report, no minister will take responsibility for a fiasco and no public inquiry will be held, despite all past precedent, into foot-and-mouth. Perhaps you will at least agree to accountability to this House.

"After this week's vote, will you now listen to all sides of the House and adopt the proposal that select committee members should not be appointed by the whips or party managers?"

Mr Blair replied: "I gather the modernisation committee decided this morning they will look into this. They will publish a report and we will consider it very carefully.

"I simply point out that in the 18 years of Conservative government when you were in office, it's funny that all these great designs to reform Parliament never saw the light of day."

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