... as Whitehall is told it must take action too

PROMISES by ministers to protect the environment were branded hollow yesterday after only seven out of 20 government departments revealed how many disposable cups they use.

From the limited information provided, more than 2 million cups are used each year in the seven departments – suggesting the total number of throwaway items is nearly 6 million.

Of the ministries who supplied data, Michael Gove’s Environment Department had the highest figure, saying it had bought 2.6 million throwaway cups since 2013.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said the figures ‘demonstrate the true extent of its failure to grasp the scale of the plastic crisis’. He added: ‘The Government must match its green words with real action.’