Meacher fights ban on trip to summit

The environment minister Michael Meacher has vowed to fight Downing Street plans to drop him from Britain's delegation to the Earth Summit at the end of this month.

Mr Meacher has been asked not to attend the UN conference in Johannesburg in an effort to pre-empt newspaper stories about ministers "junketing" at an event for the world's poor.

Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's director of communications and strategy, told Mr Meacher that no one below cabinet level could go to the summit. Mr Meacher is understood to have pointed out the British delegation will be less than half the size of those of France and Germany.

He is arguing that if numbers have to be cut, the total of officials rather than ministers responsible for the environment should be reduced. He has told friends he is extremely angry at the attempt to ban him.

The Government's delegation to the meeting, linked to the first Earth Summit in Rio 10 years ago, will be led by John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister.

He will be accompanied by Clare Short, the Secretary of State for International Development, and Margaret Beckett, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The Prime Minister will join them at the end of the conference.

Mr Campbell ordered the delegation, which was to have included 100 officials, to be slimmed down to four ministers and 70 officials.

Yesterday, an official in the department said the final list of ministers had not been agreed. Elliot Morley, a Defra minister, said it was "premature" to believe that Mr Meacher would not attend. "Michael Meacher is a good colleague and friend, and he certainly does have a great deal of experience," he said.

Mr Meacher's probable absence was condemned by the Green lobby, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, with Friends of the Earth even offering to fund his air fare and accommodation.

The UN has warned its own managers against ostentatious entertaining at the summit, given the 13 million people facing starvation in the southern Africa region in which it was being held.

About 100 heads of state are expected at the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development from 26 August to 4 September, with 40,000 delegates and media representatives.