Conservatives have criticised John Prescott for organising his second trip to Brazil in three months, ahead of the environment summit in Johannesburg.

During his visit, he will meet president Fernando Cardoso and Thabo Mbeki, the South African leader.

"John Prescott seems to have an enormous talent for wasting the public's money by jetting out to sultry hotspots for conferences which achieve nothing apart from improving his suntan," said shadow cabinet office minister, Tim Collins.