Tony Blair has told MPs the mortality rate among children in Africa "is a shame on the civilised world".

Reporting back to the House of Commons after the G8 summit of world leaders in Canada, Mr Blair said a child died in Africa every three seconds through disease, famine or conflict.

For the first time there is a comprehensive plan dealing with all aspects of the African plight

Tony Blair

He insisted plans agreed to inject more aid into the continent and to eradicate polio were an important step forward and were a "real signal of hope" for Africa.

But Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith expressed amazement that the summit had not seen the problems in Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe raised - something he described as a "missed opportunity".

Self-help

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy welcomed many of the achievements of the summit but said there were real disappointments at the outcome.

Mr Blair had said earlier that the G8 summit had meant "we are going to help Africa to help itself".

"For the first time there is a comprehensive plan dealing with all aspects of the African plight," said Mr Blair.

"For the first time it is constructed with reforming African leaders as partners, not passive recipients of aid."

The deal promises billions of pounds in aid for poorer countries - in return for them agreeing to radical reforms.

The aim of the agreement with four African heads of state is to promote economic and political development.

The agreement includes support for a military intervention force as well as the commitment to eradicate polio.

'Billions' in aid

The deal will also see �1bn a year going to help the most heavily indebted countries.

Up to $6bn of world aid will be targeted each year on Africa provided it can be proved the money will be targeted on worthwhile projects, Mr Blair told MPs

The UK's bilateral spending on Africa will rise from about �650m a year to �1bn by 2006.

Mr Blair said that the deal meant that there was now a comprehensive plan for tackling every aspect of the difficulties in Africa.

Reformist African leaders would be partners and not just "passive recipients of aid".