Commenting on reports that the Government is to abandon plans for a national road pricing scheme, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Susan Kramer MP said:

"Gordon Brown claims to care about the environment, but time and time again he has ducked the tough decisions needed to tackle climate change.

"This Government has lost its nerve on road pricing. Ministers have consistently failed to make the case for it to the public.

"Local pricing schemes will actually end up costing the motorist more, whereas national road pricing would be offset by cuts in fuel duty and VED.

"Road user pricing is the most logical way to tackle both congestion and climate change."