The government is today facing fierce criticism from a Labour-dominated committee of MPs over plans for the disposal of old fridges.

In its report on the implementation of the EU directive, the environment committee found that the "overwhelming responsibility for mishandling implementation" lay with the government.

"We find it deeply disturbing that the government signed up to the measure while still suffering from 'knowledge gaps' about its full impact," it said.

The committee, chaired by Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, David Curry, said it was "ill-judged" of environment minister Michael Meacher to have told the Commons in January that the European Commission had "badly let down" the government.

In response, a spokesman at the Department for the Environment admitted that there are "lessons to be learnt, both for us and for the commission from this episode".