Ministers are to be forced to carry their "red boxes" on public transport as part of a crackdown on chauffeur-driven cars, it emerged today.
But security concerns mean ministers will not usually be allowed to read the confidential contents of their boxes while travelling second class on trains.
The latest twist in the policy of cutting the cost of ministerial cars came as Downing Street denied claims that cars were being used to transport the red boxes separately.
The £10million-a-year government car service is being slashed by the Lib-Cons under a shake-up of perks and travel. Most ministers will no longer have their own dedicated car around the clock and will have to dip into a pool of cars.
One minister claimed today that for security reasons his red box was being sent to his constituency by car, while he travelled by public transport. The minister asked his private office if he could accompany it to do some work, only to be told that this was not allowed.
A Downing Street spokesman rejected the claims. Ministers will not have to carry red boxes on the Tube, which is deemed too crowded for the safe carriage of confidential papers, sources say.
