Package due to ease Scottish tourism woes

An emergency package of measures to help the Scottish tourism industry through the deepening foot-and-mouth crisis is to be announced.

Enterprise minister Wendy Alexander will set out a number of steps the Scottish Executive is taking to help businesses in the short-term, such as introducing rates relief, and outline its long-term plans.

The recovery package, indicated to MSPs by deputy enterprise minister Alasdair Morrison, will also see additional resources and assistance to businesses, channelled through Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Mr Morrison has given a "cast-iron" assurance that extra help would be given to Dumfries and Galloway, which has been the area worst-hit by the crisis in Scotland.

He told MSPs at a special parliamentary meeting of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee that Scotland was taking a "severe doing" from the foreign media.

A great deal of work had been done in North America to promote Scotland but all that could be undone by a two-and-a-half minute television report by CNN, he warned.

He said the Prime Minister had instructed tourism diplomats abroad to positively engage with the media in an attempt to curb the negative reporting.