MILLIONS of pounds has been promised to help businesses hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis - but so far not a penny has been handed over.

Prime Minister Tony Blair announced earlier this month that tourism bosses would get £6m to promote their industry, to try and offset the fall in visitor numbers since the outbreak started.

And Michael Meacher, head of the Government's rural task force, has pledged that regional development agencies will get £15m in short-term aid for the hardest-hit areas.

But tourism and development chiefs say all they have received are promises - when they are desperate for the cash to arrive so they can start work.

Peter Sloyan, chief executive of the Northumbria Tourist Board, said they had been told they would get cash to spend on marketing, but nothing has appeared.

He said: "We haven't received a single penny from the Government. There is a lot of talk about it, but we're two months into the crisis and we haven't seen anything.

"It was promised three weeks ago and we're still waiting, and it is causing us concern."

He said they had been promised £120,000, the majority of it to be spent on marketing. And he said their counterparts in Scotland had been given £13.5m, with the money released within 48 hours of the announcement.

David Andrews, chief executive of Yorkshire Tourist Board, said they had already spent £30,000 on the basis of a promise of £125,000, but nothing had been forthcoming.

He said: "It isn't much use sitting in the Treasury. We need it and we need it now."

Development agency One NorthEast has been told it can expect about £2.5m out of the £15m announced by Michael Meacher on April 11 for the worst-affected regions.

But Miles Middleton, chairman of the agency's rural regeneration group, said they were becoming increasingly frustrated at the delay in receiving the cash, which would be used on marketing the region and on grants and loans for small businesses.

He said: "There is a need for urgency. All the stories I'm hearing from very small businesses is that they are facing a cash-flow crisis now.

"Their income has been turned off and people are not coming at all. The need is now and it is absolutely essential."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, which is handling the development agency cash, said they were still discussing how it should be shared out, even though the announcement was made on April 11.

She said: "Of course it is urgent, because otherwise the money would not have been allocated. I would hope it is done as quickly as possible.

"Discussions are ongoing, although we don't have a timetable."

Following inquiries from The Northern Echo, a spokesman for the English Tourism Council, which is distributing the Government cash to regional tourist boards, said they were handing it over last Friday.

But a Northumbria Tourist Board spokeswoman said they had still not received it.

The English Tourism Council spokesman said they had put in a bid for £35m three weeks ago, to help revive the industry, but had heard nothing from the Government.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Culture said they were still discussing the tourism council's proposals and there was no sign of when a decision would be made.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive confirmed money they had promised to help ease the effects of foot-and-mouth, including £5m to tourist boards, had already been paid.

She said: "It is for urgent, interim measures so it would be pretty stupid if it hadn't been handed over."