Cabinet split over ditching Jaguars for foreign Prius

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Just a week after the Budget clobbered motorists with new taxes on family cars, it emerged some ministers are staying in the slow lane of the green revolution.

Business Secretary John Hutton led a rebellion against moves to dump thirsty limousines from the Government car fleet in favour of hybrids made abroad, such as the Japanese-built Toyota Prius.

Mr Hutton, who chose a traditional Jaguar for his daily ride into Whitehall, says he needs to be seen in a British vehicle to support domestic manufacturers.

He was backed by other senior ministers including Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Ed Balls, the Children Schools and Families Secretary, who said replacing the Government car fleet with foreign hybrids smacked of gesture politics.

However, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly wants the green scheme speeded up, sparking what today's Financial Times called "an unusually heated Cabinet row". She was backed by Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.

Under current Whitehall moves, all ministerial cars should produce carbon emissions below 130g per km by the summer.