Prime Minister says UK tsunami aid is set to increase

Tony Blair has indicated that the British Government will dramatically increase its aid to the countries affected by the Asian tsunami disaster.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme, the Prime Minister predicted that the Government would eventually give "hundreds of millions" in aid to the countries devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami.

Mr Blair said that of the £50 million already donated by the Government to the Disaster Appeal Committee (DEC), only around seven million pounds had been spent so far. He said that it would become easier over the next few weeks to assess just how much money would actually be needed, but predicted that the Government would need to spend "several hundred million pounds".

The British public have so far donated £76 million to the DEC. Japan is the biggest contributor to the disaster fund so far, with £266 million pledged, followed by the USA with £186 million.

The Prime Minister, who returned from holiday in Egypt on Monday, took charge of the UK's response to the tsunami disaster on Tuesday, chairing a meeting of the emergency committee of ministers that has been meeting daily since Boxing Day.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn are both set to visit some of the areas affected by the tsunami disaster this week. Mr Straw will visit Indonesia, where he will represent the G8, at the international conference called in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, and Thailand, where he will visit the beach resort of Phuket.

Mr Benn will visit the Aceh Province in Indonesia, one of the most badly affected areas, as well as Sri Lanka.

On Tuesday the Foreign Office said that 41 Britons were confirmed dead in the Asian Tsunami disaster, and 158 others were missing.

The UK will join the rest of Europe in a three-minute silence today at 12 noon (GMT) to remember the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami.

(KmcA/SP)