Disease is 'bitter and unfair blow' - PM

MPs are now debating the foot-and-mouth crisis

Prime Minister Tony Blair has told MPs that foot-and-mouth disease will be eradicated as quickly as possible.

Mr Blair praised farmers for the way "they have rallied around" during the crisis.

We will eradicate it as quickly as possible

Tony Blair

He said the government was doing everything it could do to help farmers and recognised the problems they were facing.

Conservative leader William Hague described the outbreak as a bitter blow for farmers and said he supported the steps ministers were taking to tackle the disease.

Mr Blair paid tribute to the way farmers were handling the crisis.

He added: "We will eradicate it as quickly as possible. Anything we can reasonably do we will.

"We will carry on working with the farming industry and representatives to give them every opportunity to have a future."

He added: "It is very important to recognise they need our support not just as people who produce the food we eat but also as the custodians of our countryside."

Plunged into crisis

Mr Hague said: "Rural communities have been plunged into crisis by the foot-and-mouth disease."

He added: "We support all the measures the government has taken."

Mr Hague urged the government to consider restricting access to rural areas "if it proves necessary".

Mr Blair said the government would take such action if needed.

Mr Hague also urged the government to ensure supplies of disinfectant were getting through to farmers.

Mr Blair replied: "We are looking at what measures we can take to ensure it will get through. We are working on this very hard.

He added: "I believe we should be able to sort the remaining problems on this in the next few days."

Meat supplies

Liberal Democrats leader Charles Kennedy urged the government to take action to ensure meat supplies were continuing to get through to supermarkets.

He said farmers wanted information "sooner rather than later".

Mr Blair said details of a special licence scheme to allow farmers to send uninfected animals to slaughter would be announced on Friday.

Mr Blair pledged to end the crisis

Mr Hague also praised the decision to by the Countryside Alliance to postpone its planned demonstration in London in March.

However, his suggestion that the hunting Bill be put on ice in recognition of the Alliance decision was dismissed by Mr Blair.

Opening a Commons debate on the crisis, Shadow agriculture minister Tim Yeo said farmers "truely deserve our sympathy".

He added: "The need to understand how this disease came to our shores after a break of more than 20 years is paramount."