Austerity drive: UK asks ministers to walk

LONDON: Britain's new austerity government is talking the talk about making ministers walk, but it's balking at talking about just who is walking.

Prime Minister David Cameron is curbing the use of cars and drivers by government ministers, but it's unclear who will still benefit and who will lose out in a highly symbolic gesture of government cost-cutting.

Cameron's office said on Tuesday that the prime minister will keep his official car and driver, but wouldn't say who else would retain the privilege. Further questions were referred to the Cabinet Office, where a spokesman said the issue hadn't been decided.

The government is making austerity visible partly by cutting back on official cars for ministers and discouraging first-class air travel, with the aim of saving £1 billion.

At Monday's official briefing, Cameron's spokesman also declined to say whether the prime minister would be subject to a general ban on first-class air travel.

George Osborne, the chancellor of the exchequer, said spending cuts include £2 billion from information technology programs, suppliers and property, £700 million saved by holding back on recruitment and £500 million from cutting "low value" spending.