Michael Gove gives ministers reusable coffee cups after Cabinet members spotted with disposable ones

Michael Gove handed out reusable coffee cups to members of the Cabinet after some were spotted entering Number 10 with disposable ones.

A host of ministers came under scrutiny after they were spotted carrying environmentally unfriendly disposable cups to Cabinet meetings.

The environment secretary recently confirmed the Government was considering an "exciting idea" to impose a 25p "latte levy" on coffee sold in disposable cups, prompting his switch to a disposable cup earlier this week.

Communities secretary Sajid Javid, minister of state Caroline Nokes, health secretary Jeremy Hunt, and Wales secretary Alun Cairns were all spotted leaving Downing Street with their new gifts on Tuesday.

Mr Hunt and Mr Gove have previously often been spotted outside Downing Street carrying disposable cups.

Ms Nokes tweeted: "My Cabinet colleague [Michael Gove] has been very generous today, giving us all a bamboo coffee cup helping to cut waste."

Earlier this month, Theresa May said Britain must end its "throwaway culture", promising to lead the way by banning single-use plastic.

A Downing Street spokesman told the Mail: "Each member of the cabinet was given a reusable coffee cup at the end of the meeting."

Current figures show less than one per cent of disposable coffee cups are recycled because the mix of plastic lining and cardboard makes them more difficult to process.

High street coffee chains have backed renewed Government plans, with Pret a Manger offering a 50p discount to customers using their own cup, as well as 25p off at Costa Coffee and 20p at Greggs.