Prescott's Jag gets green replacement

JAGUAR is replacing John Prescott's pounds 35,000 ministerial car with a P- registered model that can be converted to liquid gas to underline his commitment to green transport policies.

The Deputy Prime Minister last night told MPs that Jaguar had been unable to convert his ministerial Jag but had agreed to replace it at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

The car will be one of only two Jaguars in the country which are converted to take gas power. The car is secondhand, and was used by Jaguar as a test vehicle.

He is hoping to take delivery of the car very shortly and is certain to be hoping to have the keys in time for the Chancellor's Budget on 17 March, which is expected to contain higher taxes on "gas guzzlers".