Jet set Cabinet fuelling carbon emissions - Huhne

4.30.56pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 16th Oct 2006

Despite its commitment to tackling climate change, Tony Blair's Cabinet notched up a staggering 6.5 million air miles last year, according to research released by the Liberal Democrats. The survey of ministerial travel for 2005-2006 reveals that their combined air travel was equivalent to flying to the moon and back fourteen times. Cabinet members and their entourages produced nearly 1000 tonnes of CO2 and there were 350 individual flights to Brussels or Paris that could have been made by Eurostar and would have saved more than 30 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said: "Tony Blair's jet set Cabinet is sending out completely the wrong message on climate change. The CO2 emissions from ministerial travel are leaving an indelible footprint on our planet. The Government has been warned that it could miss its targets for reducing greenhouse gases and it is now time for ministers to start setting an example."

"The Government has failed completely to tackle the problem of aviation pollution an is wasting taxpayers' money taking expensive and unnecessary flights, including many to Brussels and Paris where they could be taking the Eurostar. In addition to failing to reduce its own carbon footprint, the Government has done nothing to tackle aviation emissions more generally. The Government should start by scrapping Air Passenger Duty (APD) and replacing it with an emissions charge on each aircraft taking off."