AN East Lancashire MP has delivered a passionate speech on the global fight against AIDS - and accused health bosses of hi-jacking cash aimed at tackling the problem.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans told the audience at the Metro Conference Centre in Toronto that the worldwide AIDS deathtoll last year was equivalent to eight tsunamis.

He said politicians need to do more to prevent the virus spreading.

Earlier the conference heard from former US president Bill Clinton, and Bill Gates, the, founder of computer firm Microsoft.

Mr Evans was invited to speak because he has been working to combat HIV and AIDS through with the Commonwealth Parlia-mentary Association.

He told delegates: "The UK Government must be praised for its lead on fighting HIV AIDS, demonstrating leadership at the G8 and the EU Presidency, also pledging 1.5 billion pounds over 3 years in international aid for HIV and AIDS.

"If we are failing it is on our domestic agenda to HIV AIDS.

"The Government announced a £300million allocation for sexual health programmes this year but much of it has been hijacked by trusts to pay off their growing deficits. This money should have been ring fenced. The long promised advertising and publicity campaign has been quietly shelved.

"With 20 people a day diagnosed with HIV in the UK, and with other sexual diseases on the increase, this is totally unacceptable, it is a disgrace.

"In the past some politicians ignored what was happening as they refused to acknowledge relationships they could not and did not want to understand. That is changing.

"The reliance on one policy adopted for moral or religious reasons is fraudulent and leads to more deaths. Politicians have to be brave and influence Government policy.

"Last year the world's death toll from AIDS was equivalent to eight tsunamis."

Figures last year showed that 50 people in Blackburn with Darwen were receiving treatment for HIV and AIDS, 40 in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale and 24 in Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley. All these figures were on the rise.

Bosses at the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and Blackburn with Darwen PCT today denied Mr Evans's claims over using the cash to pay off debt.

They said they did not have a deficit and were investing the cash they received in sexual health programmes.

And a Department of Health spokesperson said: "We have provided PCTs with more sexual health funding than ever, but it is up to local NHS organisations to decide how to manage their budgets."