Departments criticised on ecology

The National Audit Office (NAO) criticised Whitehall departments for a lack of awareness of their environmental impact - including energy consumption and use of renewable sources.

Of the 877 buildings audited, figures on energy consumption were not available for 265, on renewable energy use for 300 and on the existence of recycling facilities for 544.

Even among those buildings which did supply the information about recycling schemes, half did not know how much paper was being recycled.

Departments supplying the least information were the Home Office, the Department for Transport and the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

The Tories accused the Government of hypocrisy for imposing "bin taxes" to force voters to recycle when they didn't know what was happening "on their own doorsteps".

Shadow local government and communities secretary Eric Pickles said: "This report is another nail in the coffin of Labour's shambolic recycling policy.

"How can they claim their universally-hated bin taxes, which hammer working families, will boost recycling when they haven't got a clue what is happening on their doorstep?

"This report shows that hypocrisy runs right to the heart of Government. There is one rule for Labour Ministers and one for the hard-working public.

"It is about time Ministers put their own house in order before preaching at the rest of us."