Tourism aid package to be announced

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In the wake of the floods which hit the north of England as well as the south west and the Midlands, Mr Purnell will meet tourism chiefs from around the country for an update on the impact of the recent floods and foot-and-mouth on the rural economy.

He is then due to announce a package of aid to help market Britain's rural tourism industry - estimated to be worth almost £14 billion a year - both here and abroad.

The marketing boost is designed to make sure people planning their summer holidays in the UK are not put off by the weather or movement restrictions imposed after the Surrey foot-and-mouth outbreak, said a Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokeswoman.

Along with Visit Britain chief executive Tom Wright, Mr Purnell will visit the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon, where director Michael Boyd will show him round the Courtyard Theatre - the RSC's home while the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is refurbished.

They will then travel to Hatton Country World, a leading rural visitor attraction, for a tour of their Farm Village - which also houses a number of small craft businesses - to see the effect of the recent floods.

Much of Stratford town centre was left under water last month after bad weather battered Warwickshire.

Performances at the RSC's Swan Theatre, the company's smallest theatre, were cancelled following flooding on the Waterside street.

Tourism South East has claimed the Surrey foot-and-mouth outbreak has not affected tourism in the stricken area, with 88% of local businesses reporting no change in trade over the weekend.

Of the 12% affected, the bulk were farm and animal-related attractions, according to a study by the group.