The Government was today accused of failing to use the Budget to invest in environmental measures.

The Government was today accused of failing to use the Budget to invest in environmental measures.

Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson said the financial statement was a "missed opportunity" and accused ministers of rejecting expert advice on the amount of money that should be directed at tackling climate change.

The green credentials of the car scrappage scheme were also attacked by Labour's David Taylor, who said keeping vehicles on the road for longer would have a greater environmental benefit.

At Commons question time, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said yesterday's measures included the world's first carbon budget.

He said: "Yesterday's Budget contained a whole series of measures to tackle climate change and create the low carbon jobs of the future."

But Ms Swinson (Dunbartonshire E) said the amount of money pledged to green measures was less than a tenth of that recommended by the Government's own Committee on Climate Change and even further below the allocation suggested by Lord Stern.

She said: "Yesterday's Budget was a missed opportunity to invest in green measures to stimulate the economy."

Ms Swinson told MPs £1.4 billion had been offered by the Government, but the committee had estimated £15 billion was needed and Lord Stern had called for £20 billion.

"Why is the Government rejecting the advice of its own experts?"

Mr Miliband denied Ms Swinson's accusation and said: "We have a huge amount of investment going in to green technology in this country already."

The car-scrappage scheme unveiled by Chancellor Alistair Darling yesterday will enable owners of cars and vans 10-years-old or more to get £2,000 towards the cost of a brand new vehicle.

But Mr Taylor (NW Leicestershire) said 20% of carbon emissions over the course of a vehicle's life came during its manufacture.

"The logical way to approach this would be to encourage people to keep cars longer, not least because the average car in the UK fleet is less than five years' old."

Energy and Climate Change Minister Mike O'Brien said older cars tended to be less fuel efficient and produce more damaging emissions and the scheme was aimed at getting more modern vehicles on to the UK's roads.

"If we can get the newer cars rather than the older ones on the road we will reduce the amount of problems we have with atmospheric damage," he said.