‘Green tax’ plans criticised

A committee of MPs has criticised the Government's plans to selectively increase road tax to discourage pollution. The Environmental Audit Commission says the plans are a "step in the right direction", but the chairman, Conservative MP Tim Yeo, says the benefit to the environment would be "limited". And three members of the commission wrote their own report saying the plans to tax older vehicles amounted to "retrospective taxation" and should be put on hold.

Under the plans, more than 1m of the most polluting cars which are between seven and two years old will have their tax doubled. The government argues that the "majority of drivers will benefit".