Northumberland inquiry chairman
Northumberland inquiry chairman
A FORMER director general of the Countryside Commission will chair Northumberland County Councils public inquiry into foot-and-mouth.
Michael Dower is visiting professor in European Rural Development at the Countryside and Community Research Unit, Gloucestershire University. He was director general of the Countryside Commission – the forerunner of the Countryside Agency – from 1992-1996.
Northumberlands five day hearing into the effects and handling of the disease will be held at County Hall, Morpeth, on Jan 14-18. A similar inquiry, held by Devon County Council, has already described the governments fight against F&M as "lamentable".
Prof. Dower said: "This tragedy has had a massive impact on the farming industry and the whole rural economy of Northumberland." The inquiry will help the County Council and others judge how to speed up the recovery process and how we may avoid a future outbreak, he added. *