You report the unveiling at the Three Counties Show of the regional strategy for agriculture (Journal 15/ 11/ 01).

Yet where was the announcement of a public enquiry into the Governments disastrous handling of the Foot and Mouth crisis? There is no economic or moral case for a mass cull of healthy animals. The amount of money saved if we are able to protect our disease-free export status, pales into insignificance compared to the losses related to other economic activities in the countryside. If we had vaccinated we could have avoided this crisis that will cost taxpayers at least £5bn and has seriously damaged our rural economy and the tourist industry.

The new Animal Health Bill will allow for the slaughter of any animal deemed necessary to combat spread of the disease. Yet over 92% of farms that took legal action to save their animals from slaughter failed to develop foot and mouth. This means more animals killed unnecessarily.

The Stroud and Gloucestershire Green Party have renewed their call for a full and open inquiry into the Governments handling of the crisis and the adoption of a vaccination policy instead of slaughter next time.

British farming will go on stumbling from crisis to crisis unless there is a major change of direction in government policy. Britain can never compete on price with the million-animal pig units and million-acre GMO farms of North America, or with the low wages and standards of other countries. And we shouldnt try. The future of healthy farming has got to be local, sustainable and compassionate.

Philip Booth, Stroud and Gloucestershire Green Party,Nailsworth, Stroud, Glos.