THE cabinet is going green. Senior ministers are to be offered environmentally friendly chauffeur-driven cars in an attempt to tackle pollution.

However, John Prescott, nicknamed Two Jags for his love of high-powered motors, need not be alarmed. They will all be offered two options in future, one of which will be a Jaguar powered by “clean” biodiesel.

The less ostentatious option will be a Toyota Prius, the hybrid car that runs on a dual petrol-electric engine and comes with the endorsement of the environmentally conscious Hollywood A-list.

The green shift is the result of a review of ministerial cars which has partly been prompted by the demise of MG Rover, the British manufacturer that was sold to a Chinese company last year.

The handover meant the end of the line for the Rover 75, the car that has traditionally been used to chauffeur ministers and senior civil servants. Another popular ministerial car, the Vauxhall Omega, is also no longer in production.

Faced with this dilemma — and the need to meet stringent targets for cutting carbon dioxide levels — experts from the Government Car and Dispatch Agency (GCDA) sought alternatives. Only about a quarter of the current fleet runs on alternative fuel sources.

It is believed that executive cars made by BMW and Volkswagen, which owns the Audi and Bentley marques, were considered but Jaguar, whose cars are made in Britain, came out on top in terms of value for money — and, of course, patriotism.

As cabinet members’ cars come up for renewal they will be replaced from now on by a Jaguar run on biodiesel — which contains a 5% blend of cleaner vegetable oil — or the hybrid Prius.

“All new vehicles purchased by the agency will be environmentally friendly,” said Roy Burke, chief executive of the GCDA. “They are either a vehicle with a diesel engine capable of running on biodiesel or a hybrid vehicle.”

The move, in theory, could lead to all 22 cabinet ministers opting for a Jaguar. At present Tony Blair uses a top-of-the-range Jaguar XJ, which costs at least £44,000 and expels 214 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Blair, like Prescott, is almost certain to stick with the same manufacturer but will switch to a greener vehicle. Officials claim that a high-powered car is needed for security reasons.

However, Alistair Darling, the transport secretary, who uses a Rover 75, is expected to opt for the Prius.

Made in Japan, the Prius has gained a cult following among Hollywood celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz. Other actors have turned up to the Oscars in the same vehicle, although they seemed to gloss over the fact that their “other car” was a “gas-guzzling” 4x4.

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