BRITISH PRIME Minister David Cameron has ordered major cuts in the use of chauffeur-driven cars by government ministers, ordering them to take public transport where possible and to leave confidential papers in the office.

Under new rules published yesterday, ministers have been told they will be able to use the cars for official business and for journeys home, but only if they are within a reasonable distance of London.

Such use is permissible, the code went on, “on the understanding that they would normally be carrying classified papers on which they would be working. Where practicable, ministers are encouraged to use public transport.

“The number of ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other ministers will be entitled to use cars from the government car service pool as needed.”

Most ministers, certainly of junior rank, do not have full-time, permanent drivers and instead make use of the car pool, which has 80 vehicles at its disposal and costs £10 million (€11.5 million) a year to run.

“We must be different in how we think and how we behave. We must be different from what has gone before us. Careful with public money. Transparent about what we do,” the prime minister declared.

Ministers will not be permitted to bring special advisers on trips abroad, unless sanctioned by a top civil servant, while air miles collected from official travel will have to be used for future official travel.

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron’s coalition team have been appointed on condition that they accept they will not lobby any element of the national or local government on behalf of business clients for two years after they step down.

Ministers must not accept any gift or hospitality “which might, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgment or place them under an improper obligation”, and they must declare anything worth more than £140.