East Surrey MP, Peter Ainsworth, has welcomed today's announcement by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) that an independent investigation will be held into the outbreak of e.coli at Godstone Farm.

The Agency has admitted that it was advised of two cases of e.coli but took no action for several days, during which further infection occurred.

Peter Ainsworth comments:

"There seems to have been a terrible failure of communication within the HPA. Had timely action been taken it is likely that fewer people would have been infected by this bacteria. I note that the Chief Executive has personally apologised to the parents of those children who are ill in hospital, but this will be of little comfort.

"The investigation will need to establish exactly why the Agency, whose task is to protect public health, so significantly failed to do its job.

"I hope that the investigation will be thorough and that lessons will be learned. It would appear that the main lesson is about poor communications within the Agency.

"Obviously, everyone's thoughts are with the children who remain affected by the outbreak; but very serious questions need to be answered by the HPA which, whether through complacency, negligence or incompetence, has so badly let people down and put the health of children at risk."