The solution is simple - allow the Forces, and Police and other emergency services etc, to use Red diesel. Why on earth do Public Services have to pay VAT to provide a public good?

Alan MacDonald, Crieff, UK

The over run in fuel costs is a mere drop in the bucket of what goes down the governments drain in Africa

Tom Scarff, Phuket , Thailand

What about cutting some of the money you give to the people who dont like to work & the unwelcome immigrants .
The armed foprces could use that money .
Its a sin that unemployed people live better than British soldiers do.
I wonder how many soldiers families get as much as the hooks family does?

brian lee, medina ohio, usa

And yet the MOD are still intent on making the new carriers diesel rather than nuclear powered, £4 billions is a lot of money to have 2 ships sat in dock unable to go anywhere because you can't afford to fuel them, or in the future not even have the fuel available at any cost full stop.

Dave N, Oakam, uk

Bring the men back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Sack a few hundred redundant Admirals and cancel those pointless aircraft carriers. Carriers are as obsolete as battleships were in 1939.
And tell the royals to stop filching public material for their personal use. What a country! God help us!!

C Smith, Norwich, UK

Our government needs to take a hard look at its priorities, the infrastructure is going to pot yet we seem to be more concerned with the current affairs of nations that have no affiliation to our own. Someone needs to get their act together (Gordon Brown) and sort this country out.

Daniel, Woodstock, England

The governement had the option of powering the new aircraft carriers with a nuclear reactor, they chose not to because the INITIAL cost was too high!!! Now we have these giants being powered by oil!! another short sighted political decsion...

Adrian, Aldershot, ENGLAND

What's the bet that upgrading Snatch Land Rovers will wind up costing more than a new armoured vehicle? Cancel one of the two aircraft carriers. That should help no end.

Tony Cox, Liverpool, England

I'm looking forward to the Govts announcement that all MP/Ministerial and PM flights will be cancelled & they will use the telephone & conference calling in future - instead of jaunting around the world at our expense, adding to global warming, using expensive fossil fuels & eating 8 course banquets

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

the country is crying out for a REAL internal budget, just like REAL peoplpe have to do.
We add layer after layer of spending without removing the superceded ones.

Ken Wyatt, Todmorden, UK

Thats just dandy! The 2 'Super-carriers' to be built for the R Navy will be tied up in dock because MoD won't be able to afford to run them. Then there the question of manpower - not enough Sailors to man them. Oh Dear, 'I see NO ships!' More to be 'mothballed' at Pompey and Plymouth!

B Clark, Chelmsford, England

So it was a really good idea to refuse the French request to jointly build Nuclear powered Air Craft carriers and go for Diesel instead then.....What a joke this country is....

Paul , London, UK

why doesnt iraq provide the fuel we use in their name ?

james, southampton/auckland, uk/nz

The British forces are viewed by many as the best in the world but i fear if the newspapers are going to start scaremongering the public then i feel a headline in the future With the New air craft carriers and aircraft to go on them will read:

"ALL THE GEAR NO IDEA" -

James Brit expat, Newport Rhode Island, USA

One day Brown announces we are giving £30,000000 to the Palestinians and the next day we are told there is not enough money for improved vehicles for our troops.That really sums up Labour's attitude to our Armed Forces.Oh by the way we will build two massive aircraft carriers in Labour strongholds

R.Hart, Sutton Coldfield, uk

I trust that this acute problem will not prevent members of the English royal family, from using RAF helicopters/planes for their private and personal use?

Gerallt Huws, Talsarnau, Cymru

This government should stop giving money away to undeserving causes, untold millions to benefit cheats, untold thousands to MPs with their feet in the trough; the list is endless.
If we want to maintain the Armed Forces, and it appears that we do, then we must give them the best equipment possible.

Keith, Grantham,

Poor blocks in the forces - as if they haven't been through enough with poor equipement. Now they are going to have to go in green with poor equipment. How deep must be their patriotism. Even the Indian and Chinese army has more than this!

Glynn, Kingston,

What nonsense. The government doesn't have to pay tax on it's own fuel.

JP, newport, wales

And remember. it's NOT a massive oil company conspiracy to control prices. Right......

Tom, Kansas Citry, US

Britan really is faced with some tough times ahead. These FUEL cost could affect the FIRE SERVICE, the POLICE, AMBULANCE SERVICE. THINGS DO NOT LOOK GOOD FOR THE PM.

Daphne Kenward, Cambs, UK

Well the answer seems simple enough. Don’t waste billions fighting unnecessary wars on behalf of Israel.

Joe miles, greenock, scotland

A Government that will not provide its military with adequate training and does not want to provide its troops with adequate defensive protection of the Snatch vehicle, all the time piling benefits on wastrel frauds is nothing short of obscene, immoral and lacking the legitimacy to govern.

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

fuel prices are irrelevant; the price of oil goes up, the profits from the north sea rigs goes up and into the treasury. whats the problem?

james, doncaster, uk

So how exactly will we be able to afford to run these two new gas guzzling aircraft carriers and all their aircraft ?

Scamp, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Maybe if training helicopters weren't used for flyfishing trips by senior officers, there would be more funds available for actual training...

bax, glasgow, UK

Take out one "Top Level" of "Non Combatnet Beaurocrats" plus ancillary Staff & Troop Levels properly Equipped could be "Doubled!

Paul, Newtown, Powys, UK

So which mental bereft sanctioned the purchase of £4bn worth of floating runways powered by hydrocarbons? The RN couldn't afford to run them, their tankers, escorts, U-Boats, helos etc at today's prices. What guess the price of oil/fuel/kerosene when the new boats turn up in 201x? Why not nuclear?

viffer, Sandy, UK