TOURISM minister Dr Kim Howells gave Exmoor business representatives just 20 minutes to explain their hopes and fears for the future during a flying visit to the area yesterday (Thursday).

Living Exmoor members were far from happy with the strict time limit imposed before they met the Minister yesterday afternoon and were busy compiling questions as the Free Press went to print.

Dr Howells - who replaced former Tourism Minister Janet Anderson after last month's General Election - arrived in the West Country on Wednesday to promote the region as a premier tourist destination.

He helped launch a new advertising campaign in Exeter, met North Devon and Exmoor tourism representatives and visited a reservoir to promote sailing opportunities before heading to Cornham Brake, near Simonsbath, for a photocall.

From there he was due to meet a select group of Exmoor business representatives who have had their trade decimated by the knock-on effects of the foot and mouth crisis.

Only a dozen people were invited to attend the meeting, with each being warned that the Minister would not hang around for any longer than 20 minutes.

Dulverton businessman and spokesman of pressure group Living Exmoor, Craig Roughly, said: "This isn't a 20 minute problem but we'll certainly be making the best use of his time."

Among those invited to the meeting were fellow Living Exmoor members Peter and Lynda Hendrie of the Exmoor White Horse Inn, Exford, and Judy Carless, of the Tarr Steps Hotel and Restaurant.

Exmoor Tourist Association chairman Harry Crawford was also due to be there, together with representatives from Exmoor National Park Authority.

Questions likely to be fired at Dr Howells included why no money had yet been paid into the bank accounts of local business despite much publicised talk of grant aid, and whether all business rates could be suspended until the end of the year.

"Apparently, Dr Howells has been in the mining and steel industries so he's seen how businesses can go from being powerful to nothing at all," Mr Roughley said.

"The tourism industry is an old industry but it's new in Government terms.

"We are one of the very few industries which are not subsidised by the Government. But we don't want their money - we just want a bit of help right now.

"We didn't start this thing, but it looks as though we're going to be left to finish it."

Mr Roughley also criticised Somerset County Council for, as yet, failing to deliver any of its promised aid to the region. He said repeated appeals for a meeting with county councillors had fallen on deaf ears.

However, he praised the South West of England Regional Development Agency for agreeing to ease the criteria businesses needed to meet to qualify for grant aid.

At the moment, businesses have to show a 60 per cent loss in trade but that percentage is due to be cut to open up the aid package to thousands more businesses.

During his whistlestop West of England tour, Dr Howells said that one of the main aims of his visit was to ensure that help was getting through to those who needed it.

"I am here to find out for myself how the tourist industry in the South West is getting back to business, to hear what plans and ideas they have for the longer term and to check that the help for those worst hit is getting through," Dr Howells said before yesterday's meeting.

"There are many positive signs that confidence is returning across the country.

"Assuring holidaymakers that they can have a great holiday while exploding the myths that the countryside is blighted or a 'no-go' area is essential to help restore confidence in our tourism industry."

Meanwhile, there was good news for West Somerset and Exmoor farmers this week as they were effectively told they could get back to business.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - DEFRA, the new name for MAFF - announced it was easing controversial restrictions which had prevented farmers getting their stock to market.

Farmers in the area had effectively been landlocked by a ruling that stock from areas not infected by foot and mouth could only be taken for slaughter through an infected area if they travelled along trunk roads or motorways.

But the only road out of Exmoor to market was via the A39, which is neither a trunk road or a motorway and which passes through an infected area around Bridgwater.

However, on Wednesday, DEFRA responded to calls for action and made "legal provision" to allow Exmoor animals to be transported along the route.