Civil servants lose cars

MINISTERS HAVE forced senior civil servants to give up their official cars to "set an example" to the public. Staff at the Department for Education and Employment have to walk or use buses and trains to attend meetings. Michael Meacher, the Environment minister, said that the cars were withdrawn because some government departments had failed to become more "green".

Under a plan to get staff in the DfEE to drive half a million miles less by next year, nearly 150 officials have had their cars withdrawn. And green transport plans are being drawn up for other government departments, including measures to reduce the use of official cars by all Whitehall civil servantsby March 2000.

The attack on "unnecessary journeys" in official cars was one of several measures announced by Mr Meacher yesterday to encourage civil servants to achieve tough new "Greening Government" targets. Unveiling the first annual report of the Green Ministers Committee, a body set up to promote environmentally friendly practice across government, he admitted that "more needs to be done" by all departments.

Among the worst offenders were the Department of Health, the DfEE, the Foreign Office and the Treasury. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport had spent nothing on energy efficiency, while increasing its usage by 10 per cent.

The Green Ministers Committee was set up last year by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. It meets three times a year and comprises ministers from 16 different departments.