A committee of MPs has called for a wider public debate on joining the euro in a bid to tackle "misunderstanding and false preconceptions".

The Commons Treasury select committee, which is undertaking an inquiry into Britain and the euro, has invited the public to participate in the debate by emailing in their views for consideration by MPs.

In an article for ePolitix.com, committee chairman John McFall says that the investigation can play a "key role" in broadening and informing the current debate.

"At the moment though public debate about economic and monetary union is mired in misunderstanding and false preconceptions.

"People regularly complain about not being adequately informed about the issues involved. People want to be given the facts, and at the moment they don't feel they are getting them," he writes.

The committee, which began its inquiry earlier this month by taking evidence from senior financial journalists, plans to examine the functioning of the euro on mainland Europe and the chancellor's five economic tests.

As well as taking evidence from chancellor Gordon Brown, business and union representatives, McFall says opinions will be sought from European experts, "giving a first hand perspective on how EMU is working currently on the continent".

And he reveals that the committee aims to hold hearings outside London as part of its attempt to foster debate on the subject.

"The committee will seek to have the opinion of all those involved and this means understanding EMU is not a London thing. EMU affects the whole country. As a consequence the committee hopes to hold meetings in Northern Ireland, Edinburgh and Dublin," McFall writes.

And the committee chairman predicts that, with euros from the Irish Republic already crossing the border into Ulster, the situation in Northern Ireland will have "an important contribution to make to any judgement we come to".

As part of its bid to encourage debate on the euro, the Treasury committee has said it will welcome views and opinions on the euro from users of ePolitix.com.

This website has arranged with the committee to promote a new e-consultation initiative, in which the public is invited to email submissions, including their full names, to euro.inquiry@ePolitix.com.

All the emails that ePolitix.com receives on the euro inquiry will be forwarded straight on to the Treasury select committee.

In his article, McFall explains that the aim is "the public to tell us what it is they want to know, and what concerns them about economic and monetary union".

Commenting on the consultation initiative, ePolitix.com managing director Michael Hepburn said it was "a significant step forward for e-democracy".

"At a time when many people feel that politics takes place in a closed environment, the Treasury select committee has embraced new technology to open up their inquiry to everyone and will hopefully get more people interested in politics and policy by enabling them to get involved in this euro debate."

And McFall added: "For most voters Europe is confusing, complicated and irrelevant to their everyday way of life. It needs to be intelligible and less arcane. We wish to produce a report written in simple language which addresses the key questions and which will serve as a template for the ensuing public debate if and when a referendum is called."

The committee aims to publish its report before the government announces its conclusions on the five economic tests in June this year.