Britain must not talk itself into a recession in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the US, the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry will warn on Tuesday.

Digby Jones will attempt to dispel the perception that a global recession is about to engulf the economy, urging businesses and commentators to resist the "doom and gloom scenario".

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference, Mr Jones will say: "We are living in uncertain times but let's not talk Britain into a recession."

His warning comes after downbeat comments by the Bank of England governor at the weekend. Sir Edward George said the assault on America "could not have happened at a worse time" for the global economy. Gordon Brown, the chancellor, has already admitted that the world economy is facing "testing times".

Central banks intervened shortly after the attacks, lowering borrowing costs to try and underpin global growth. The Bank of England's monetary policy committee trimmed rates by a quarter point to 4.75 per cent last week and the US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank cut interest rates by a half point.

The absence of official data on the effect of the attacks means the doom and gloom is unjustified, according to the CBI. "With certain obvious exceptions in specific sectors, companies are reporting that the direct impact on activity has so far been very limited," Mr Jones will say.

Mr Jones will also urge the government to consider special help for airlines and tourism businesses by easing the regulatory burden on those sectors.

"Government must help in this area; a more benign view taken by regulators to facilitate consolidation would be a welcome start," he will tell delegates.

A Treasury insider said on Monday night: "The chancellor has been keen to point out that the fundamentals of the economy remain sound and policy makers around the globe will continue to take whatever action is necessary to maintain stability and growth."

Allies of Charles Kennedy say the presence of Mr Jones at the conference is indicative of the party's attempts to be taken seriously as an effective opposition. Previously, union chiefs have addressed delegates, but Mr Jones would be more likely to appear at the Conservatives' conference.