MPs are resisting demands to ditch bottled water in House of Commons meeting rooms.

Despite moves to serve up tap water across Whitehall and even in the House of Lords, the Commons will continue buying in a mineral variety from Hampshire.

Having previously dismissed alternatives to bottled water on cost grounds, the Department of Facilities recently re-examined the issue amid growing environmental concerns.

But the Commons Administration Committee, comprising a cross-party group of backbenchers, has again decided to stick with the status quo.

The decision was taken at a private meeting of the committee on April 1.

More than 30,000 litres of mineral water are served in Commons meeting rooms every year for gatherings like select committees.

Including purchases from catering outlets, about 850,000 litres have been consumed over the last five years.

Hildon Limited, which is based 77 miles from Westminster in Broughton, Hampshire, has clocked up more than 70,000 miles delivering it during that time.

Labour MP and former minister John Spellar said there were "considerable environmental consequences" to transporting water from its source and in terms of the packaging that ends up in landfill.

"I find it disappointing and extraordinary that MPs, who are constantly lecturing the public on cutting carbon footprints and helping the environment, are not prepared to take simple steps themselves," he said today.

Next door, the House of Lords is considering bottling its own tap water for peers and other visitors to the Upper House.

The Lords has previously declined to supply carafes of tap water at meetings because of time constraints and concerns about hygiene.

But its Administration and Works Committee has now commissioned a feasibility study into the installation of an on-site facility for the bottling of mains water.

Last month, Whitehall chiefs were ordered to serve tap water at government meetings to slash the number of environmentally-damaging bottles being used.

The new policy, which is due to be in force by the summer, was sent out to department bosses by the head of the civil service, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell.

Lobby group Sustain, which campaigns against bottled water, criticised MPs.

Spokeswoman Jeanette Longfield said: "Frankly it makes them look like fools.

"When the whole of the rest of government has been instructed by the Cabinet Office not to waste taxpayers' money on bottled water, who the hell do MPs think they are to carry on?

"The standard of drinking water in this country is astonishingly high. There is nothing wrong with tap water at all."

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