GOVERNMENT ministers and top civil servants are fighting accusations of hypocrisy as official figures show they covered more than 100,000 chauffeur-driven miles in December.

The revelation came as Prime Minister Tony Blair urged worldwide cutbacks in emissions of 'greenhouse gases' like carbon dioxide. During December the Home Office clocked up 17,542 miles, the Cabinet Office totted up 15,241 miles, while the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Work and Pensions both reached more than 7,000 miles each.

The total figure for the month provided by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency was 111,165 miles – which works out at a potential 1.3 million miles a year. However, in a speech, Blair committed the UK to a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker claimed ministers were making the most of chauffeur-driven cars and failing to take on board their own message to encourage people to use publictransport.