LONDON, Dec 29: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday that his government would use its upcoming chairmanship of the Group of Eight industrial nations to help provide aid for victims of Asia's tsunami disaster.

In remarks released after his government defended his staying on in Egypt for a family holiday following Sunday's catastrophe, Mr Blair said he was saddened by the tens of thousands of dead in Asia, who include 26 British tourists.

"This New Year the world is united in sorrow for those affected by one of the biggest natural disasters in our lifetime," Blair said in a statement released by his office as he prepared to return shortly from vacation.

Defending Blair's decision not to interrupt his Egyptian vacation, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the prime minister was entitled to a rest considering that he was normally on duty day and night. "The rest of us, I think, are perfectly capable of handling the situation," he said on BBC Radio.

Straw said that he himself, International Development Secretary Hilary Benn and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had all interrupted their Christmas vacations following Sunday's disaster. "In practice there's nothing directly that he (Blair) can do that's not been done anyway," he added. -AFP