We need the Government to act on the report immediately

Cumbria Tourist Board

It also recommends that an extra �40m should be put into the rural recovery fund, with half going to Cumbria.

Brian Lightowler from Business Link Cumbria said the report was "excellent news" for the county.

"We're happy with the report's recommendations but we realise that it is just a report to government not a report from government saying what is going to happen," he said.

"The recommendations meet our needs and the report is prioritised in the right way."

Bill Spencer: Lost a third of his business

"Our fear is that the full funding recommended will not come through.

"We have �15m in outstanding applications at the moment.

"If we get the recommended �20m for short term recovery then we will be able to help many businesses survive the winter."

Bill Spencer, who owns a hotel near Keswick and has lost 30% of his business this year, said he feared the money would not go very far.

"We originally got �50m through business link which seemed to last really no time at all, and a lot of needy people just did not get the grants.

We need money available now and it needs to be readily accessible and not subject to state aid rules

Cumbrian farmer

"So it does not seem to be an awful lot more than they gave originally."

Cumbria Tourist Board has welcomed most of the elements of the Haskins Report but said it would like to have seen it go much further in some areas.

The Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourist Board, Chris Collier said: "We need the Government to act on the report immediately.

"We welcome many elements of the report from a tourism perspective but we would have liked to see a greater recognition of the importance of our industry to the economy and community in Cumbria.

Lord Haskins: Package of recommendations

"The critical thing is immediate help. We need the report to be acted on at once.

"When people are suffering, every day waiting causes increased anxiety and stress.

"Lord Haskins recognises the inappropriateness of restricting access but we need the immediate lifting of restrictions now rather than waiting until the new year."

Farmer Will Cockbain, who lost part of his stock to foot-and-mouth, welcomed Lord Haskins' offer of short-term financial help for small businesses but hoped the deal would come without strings attached.

No new cases

He told BBC News: "The crucial thing here is we need to get through this gap between where we are now and where we are going to be to start trading normally again, whether that is six months or a year.

"We need money available now and it needs to be readily accessible and not subject to state aid rules."

No new cases of foot-and-mouth have been confirmed for 16 days, but government vets are investigating a suspected new case at a farm west of Carlisle in Cumbria.