Fall in Green Taxes show Brown is Not Green says Huhne

12.00.00am GMT Tue 4th Dec 2007

Figures from the Office for National Statistics released today show that the Government earned £35.4 billion in environmental taxes last year - a slight drop on the previous year. Green taxes made up 2.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) and 7.3% of total taxes in 2006, compared to 2.8% of GDP and 7.7% of total taxation in 2005.

The full figures are on-line at www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/enva1207.pdf

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"Ever since the fuel duty protests in 2000, Gordon Brown has run scared of any tough decisions on the environment.

"How will these disappointing figures be looked upon at the Climate Change conference in Bali this week?

"Sadly, all the evidence is that Mr Brown is not green and does not understand the key threat posed by climate chaos. Polluters must pay, we must shift tax from people and on to pollution."