FARMERS, vets and rural businesses in and around Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa are being asked to contribute to an independent probe into the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has said it is now ready to begin taking evidence.

The Parliamentary watchdog will spend the next six weeks gathering information before publishing its findings in the middle of 2002.

NAO spokesman Barry Lester said it would report to Parliament on the "economy, efficiency and effectiveness" with which ministers had used their resources.

Mr Lester said people affected by the crisis are being asked to respond to four broad questions.

They are:-

1) Contingency planning. How well prepared was the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (now part of DEFRA) to deal with a major outbreak of the disease?

2) Handling of the crisis. How effectively were contingency plans put into effect and how well were changes to the plans coped with? How well did Government departments cope with the outbreak?

3) Cost effectiveness. Was action taken in a cost-effective manner? How were levels of compensation determined? Have there been adequate controls against irregularity?

4) Cost. What has been the cost of the outbreak in terms of both public expenditure and of wider economic or environmental costs?

The NAO investigation is separate to the three commissioned by the Government in the place of a full, public inquiry.

Submissions to the NAO should be e-mailed to fmd@nao.gsi.gov.ul or posted to Foot and Mouth Study, Room C122, National Audit Office, 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, London, SW1W 9SP by November 13.