THE Assembly's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis is to come under scrutiny, and AMs want to know what you think.

The Assembly's agriculture and rural development committee is to carry out an investigation into the way the disease was handled in Wales.

As part of this detailed scrutiny, members of the public are being invited to have their say. The committee is also writing to a wide range of organisations, including local authorities, tourism bodies, business associations and farming groups to ask for their opinions.

Glyn Davies AM, chairman of the agriculture committee, said: "The committee is very anxious to learn the lessons of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and to make recommendations for the future.

"To inform our scrutiny of Assembly ministers, it is vitally important that we get the views of those who were affected by the crisis, so I urge all interested parties to respond to this consultation. If any organisation or individual feels there are specific questions or issues that the committee should raise with ministers, please let us know."

In the new year the committee will then spend one or more of its meetings questioning Assembly ministers. A short report identifying lessons which might be learned for the future will then be published.

Mr Davies said that the committee would also welcome comments on their role during the foot-and-mouth outbreak. A large part of the committee's fortnightly business was set aside for detailed questioning of Carwyn Jones, the minister for rural affairs, and three extra meetings were arranged when the Assembly was not in session. The committee would be happy to hear any suggestions as to whether this could have been improved.

Comments can be sent by email to Agri-rural.comm@wales.gsi.gov.uk or by post to Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, The National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA by January 21, 2002.