Mr Blair and the Cabinet Office team travelled 15,000 miles

According to official figures released on Thursday, the Home Office covered the most miles at 17,452 - the distance from London to Sydney and halfway back again.

The Cabinet Office, including Prime Minister Tony Blair's mileage, registered a total of 15,241 miles - enough to visit New York twice.

The biggest single user of ministerial cars was Home Secretary David Blunkett, who travelled more than three times the distance covered either by Mr Blair or Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

This clearly flies in the face of ministers' efforts to persuade us to use public transport Norman Baker MP

Mr Blunkett, seven ministers and permanent secretary John Gieve all contribute to the Home Office's total mileage.

Mr Prescott will be relieved that he is not at the top of the league for ministerial miles.

In 1999 he found himself the subject of a media storm after he was driven just 250 yards in his ministerial Jaguar at Labour's annual conference.

His explanation that he was trying to save his wife's hairstyle from being "blown about" only made matters worse.

'Staggering'

Mr Prescott - who at the time was in charge of the transport portfolio - was given the sobriquet "two jags" because his private car is also a Jaguar.

The Rover 75 is a popular choice for ministers

Liberal Democrat Norman Baker compiled the latest figures from official sources in what is thought to be the first collation of official car mileage.

"Ministers are obviously making the most of the chauffeur-driven cars, clocking up a staggering mileage in December," Mr Baker told the Guardian.

"This clearly flies in the face of ministers' efforts to persuade us to use public transport."

The Department of Trade also racked up a big mileage with its five ministers and permanent secretary covering 7,808 in December alone.

But the Department of Transport's mileage was a more modest 2,314 with the Welsh Office covering 1,284 miles and the Ministry of Defence clocking up just 1,284.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We are a very busy department."