Crisis in the UK

Total confirmed cases 901 353,000 animals due for slaughter 587,000 animals have been slaughtered 421,000 carcasses destroyed

Later Mr Blair will meet the Soil Association, which represents organic farmers and backs vaccination over the "cruel and unnecessary slaughter".

Farmers leaders have called for more research to be carried out before a decision is taken on using vaccines.

National Farmers' Union president Ben Gill has said such measures should be used only if the situation gets worse.

On Monday, publisher-turned-organic farmer Peter Kindersley withdrew his High Court challenge to the government's policy of slaughtering healthy animals.

A spokeswoman for Mr Kindersley said his aim had been to put the vaccination option onto the agenda, and not to hinder Maff in its battle against the disease.

Burning backlog

The operation to bury 20 lorry loads of cattle carcasses has been on hold for 24 hours at the Great Orton site in Cumbria, as health and agriculture officials continue to argue whether burial is a safe option.

Thousands of dead sheep, pigs and cattle have already been dumped in mass pits but the Department of Health is said to be concerned about the risk of mad cow disease, or BSE, from buried cattle.

The Army says Maff gave permission for the burial of the cattle carcasses, under five years old, after reassurances from BSE experts.

Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Angus Taverner said on Monday there would have to be a decision within the next 24 hours on whether to send the culled animals off the site.

Tony Blair: Battle against disease "upgraded"

Plans to bury thousands of slaughtered cattle in specially dug pits in Cumbria and Scotland were introduced after the initial burning option led to a huge backlog.

If permission to go ahead with the burial is not granted on Monday the carcasses will have to go to a rendering plant.

The number of outbreaks in the UK has now reached 901.

More than 940,000 animals have been earmarked for slaughter, with 353,000 waiting to be killed and 166,000 carcasses awaiting disposal.

Mr Blair, expected to postpone the local elections until June, is said to favour vaccination, believing it could help further control the crisis.

The Great Orton site has already seen thousands of sheep buried

But opponents in the farming industry have warned they could do long-term damage to British exports.

Farmers have warned the policy would end Britain's disease-free status and could mean �1bn lost in meat export revenues.

Tourism has also been badly hit by the crisis.

The English Tourism Council has set up a "tourism cabinet" to work out a foot-and-mouth recovery plan for the industry.

It will update the government on the impact of the disease and oversee an advertising campaign to stimulate tourism over the vital Easter and May bank holidays, and the half-term week.

Actor Sir Sean Connery is set to join forces with Scotland's first minister to persuade America that the country is "open for business" despite the crisis.