FARMERS affected by the foot-and-mouth outbreak have been allocated more than £600m in various forms of compensation.
Agriculture Minister Nick Brown was due to tell MPs today that more than £247m is direct compensation for slaughtered animals.
The rest is made up of spending on animal welfare, and agromoney payments.
The Minister was also expected to emphasise that, although Parliament is heading for its Easter recess, the Whitehall and regional teams working on the disease - including his own MAFF ministerial team - will continue their efforts to control and eradicate the disease.
That effort is likely to include another round of ministerial trips to the countryside and tourist attractions in an effort to demonstrate that Britain remains open for business.
The need to drive home that message was reinforced by an NFU survey, which found that almost two thirds of people who were planning an Easter trip to the countryside have cancelled because of the disease.
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