Tourism aid 'must wait'

Tourism in Devon has ground to a halt

Measures to help hard-pressed rural tourism businesses weather the storm of foot-and-mouth are being considered by the government.

Culture Secretary Chris Smith told Radio 4's Today programme that ministers are considering several proposals "very carefully".

He said these include emergency business tax relief and a new hardship fund.

Chris Smith says the government will try to help

But he warned there would be no "instant cheque book" for those who have seen their trade dry up.

The English Tourism Council (ETC) estimates the foot-and-mouth crisis is losing the industry £100m a week.

Those losses could become £250m a week if the foot-and-mouth outbreak continues into the main summer tourist season.

Mr Smith, who is meeting representatives of the tourism industry in the Lake District, said the proposals are being drawn up by Environment Minister Michael Meacher's rural task force.

These will be presented to Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown next week.

But he cautioned that the tourism industry could not expect to get aid immediately.

The countryside is not closed for tourism business

Chris Smith
Culture Secretary

"We will be seeing if there is more the government can do," he told Today. "What I cannot do is produce an instant cheque book.

"There are quite a number of suggestions that have been made as to how else we can help.

"We are looking very carefully at those."

He said he could not give an instant answer on which schemes could go ahead "because there is a large amount of money involved".

"It is not something the government can simply decide on a whim we are going to do."

Mr Smith added that, although many walking areas are out of bounds, there are still plenty of things that visitors can do in the countryside.

He said the first priority must be to get that message across.

"The countryside is not closed for tourism business," he said.