Role of British government in foot-and-mouth crisis criticised
The Lessons to be Learned Inquiry highlighted "gaps" in the plan designed to combat an outbreak and said there was "limited" knowledge of farming practices, which contributed to the spread of the disease.
It said the impact of the crisis on tourism and the rural economy was not initially recognised and "large parts of the farming and wider rural community became mistrustful of government".
However, on a question of whether the army should have been deployed sooner, the report claimed there was "no obvious answer".
The government-appointed inquiry, chaired by Dr Iain Anderson, made 80 recommendations based on the development of a "national strategy" to control a future animal health outbreak.
It said the Government should keep in place the 20-day standstill rule preventing livestock movement "pending a detailed risk assessment".
The report also recommended the government set up a livestock tracking system using electronic tags to cover cattle, sheep and pigs and continue the ban on feeding animals swill containing meat catering waste.
Animal carcasses being burned on huge burial sites "remain vivid images of the 2001 epidemic", the report added.
It recommended burning animals on mass pyres should not be used in a future outbreak.
The report also ruled out routine vaccination of healthy animals but said emergency vaccination should "be an option available".
Dr Anderson described the report as an "agenda for change".
In a statement he said: "During the course of the inquiry we were faced with criticism of the government's policies and actions throughout the epidemic.
"We recognise the desire to see someone blamed and understand the frustration and anger felt by so many.
"However, the nation will not be best served by seeking to blame individuals rather we should seek to apply the lessons to be learned in a manner that will contribute to changes in collective attitudes and approaches."
He went on: "The foot-and-mouth epidemic of 2001 was an emergency which became a crisis. And, in some parts of the country, it was a crisis which became a disaster. This report looks ahead and sets out proposals to learn from what happened and ensure that, if the country ever faces such a disease, it can respond effectively with strong systems of management, with speed and certainty of decision-making based on sound science."
