Two-thirds of the Cabinet are being chauffeured around in "gas guzzlers" which the Government wants to tax off the road, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Chancellor Alistair Darling used last week's Budget to raise the road tax on such cars - ostensibly to help in the fight against climate change.

However, two-thirds of Cabinet members are using ministerial limousines in the top two road tax brackets, which are reserved for the most polluting cars.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker, who uncovered the figures in a question to the transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick, said: "This is classic ministerial green hypocrisy. They are telling voters to do one thing, but doing something else themselves."

(Article continues below)

The Government Car and Despatch Agency revealed that of the 85 cars in the ministerial fleet, 30 are in band F and one is in the most polluting band, G.

Some 14 Cabinet members - around two-thirds - are driven using cars in these top two bands.

Mr Fitzpatrick wrote: "Of the 30 cars in vehicle exercise duty band F, 13 are allocated to secretaries of state and the remaining 17 are allocated to other ministers.

"The one car in VED band G is allocated to a secretary of state."

The agency revealed that the ministerial fleet contains 191 cars, including one Daimler, 19 Jaguar XJ limousines, 11 Rover 75s, 33 Ford Mondeos, six Ford Galaxys and seven Vauxhall Omegas.

However, there are also 84 hybrid Toyota Priuses. The disclosure comes as a green watchdog said that the Government had failed to meet its targets for ministerial car use to become more environmentally friendly.

Full article here.