FUNDING to the North York Moors national park will be increased by an inflation-busting 13 per cent next year.

Ministers said the hike would help the tourist attraction to recover from the consequences of the foot and mouth crisis and prepare more land to be opened for public access.

The increase means park managers will be given £4.1 million to spend in 2002-03 up from £3.565 million this financial year.

The Yorkshire Dales also gets a 13 per cent funding increase taking the total to £3.96 million.

Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael said: "The additional funding underlines the Government's firm commitment to improving national parks.

"The foot and mouth epidemic involved the parks in considerable extra expenditure in the current year, and it also showed vividly why the parks are so important to our national life.

"The importance of attracting visitors to the countryside, the economic and social benefits of that, has never been more clearly demonstrated."

The Government will next week launch a campaign to encourage people to "rediscover" the countryside.

Updated: 08:20 Tuesday, January 22, 2002