Leaders of the conservation charity A Rocha UK described the idea tabled by the Environmental Audit Committee as “excellent news”.

The committee said evidence suggests an extra charge would be more effective in curbing the use of disposable cups than offering discounts for customers who bring a reusable one.

Conservation Director at A Rocha UK, Andy Lester said calling the cups disposable is a “lie” because most have a plastic lining and cannot be recycled.

Andy Lester told Premier it was “fake news” to suggest recyclable alternatives are not as effective as non-recyclable coffee cups.

He explained: “Now you can get cups that are just as good as non-biodegradable ones and the costs are coming down and down and down.

“It is believed fewer than one per cent of the 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups used in the UK every year are currently recycled – because only three facilities in the UK can process them.”

Encouraging churches to use the greener cups for social occasions, Andy Lester added: “The more churches who support organisations out there which are providing biodegradable cups, the better.”

The Environmental Audit Committee said all disposable coffee cups should be recycled by 2023 and the containers should be banned if the target is not met.

It also concluded that revenue generated by the levy could be used to improve recycling facilities.

Andy Lester went on to say: “There’s no excuse for not going with…

The accusations of her being a part of the Church of Satan came flooding in on Twitter after she wished the group a Happy New Year.

Far-right activist Jack Posobiec shared a photo of the conversation. 

Happy New Year pic.twitter.com/dZRNaDgVyc

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) January 3, 2018

Many Twitter users viewed the greeting as an endorsement of the organisation or an inclination that she was a part of it.

They include Twitter user Rhonda Kazmierski who said in a tweet which since been deleted: “At least @ChelseaClinton is open about worshiping #Satan. #ChurchOfSatan If only @HillaryClinton could be as honest.”

Replying to the tweet, Clinton denied the accusation, and said she’s a Methodist.

Oh goodness gracious. We can be civil, cheerful, respectful to & friends with people who don’t share our religious beliefs. Sometimes, we even marry them. I’m a Methodist & my husband is Jewish, thank you for asking. A very happy New Year to you Rhonda! https://t.co/8UH9SP8EWO

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) January 3, 2018

The Church of Satan has responded to the controversy, supporting Clinton and reminding people that the group doesn’t worship Satan despite what its name may indicate.

And neither do we. Like we stated before, if someone is polite to us, we respond in kind. We’ve been very courteous with folks on the other side of the political spectrum who approached us the same. That this is shocking news is fascinating in and of itself.

The vicar of Holy Cross Church in Bearstead near Maidstone took action against poor punctuality after a spate of ceremonies which started up to 25 minutes late.

Rev John Corbyn told Premier: “There had been two weddings which were very much overdue; there’s fashionably late and there’s just plain late.

“A few minutes late is no problem at all but when weddings were starting 20 or 25 minutes later, that was causing problems.”

Rev Corbyn described the payment as a “deposit” which is paid prior to the wedding and returned to couples afterwards, on the condition the service begins within ten minutes of the scheduled time.

If retained, the sum is distributed among staff at the church affected by the wait, including organists, bell ringers, vergers and choristers.

Rev Corybn took inspiration for the idea from a visit he made to St Paul’s Cathedral in the capital of Uganda, Kampala, where a similar incentive was offered.

He added: “I certainly don’t regard it as a fine; it’s a two tier charge.

“If the service starts within ten minutes it’s one fee and if it starts more than ten minutes after the time the bride and groom have told us they want to start then it’s another fee because they’ve kept all our staff here and they’ve worked longer than the original fee had anticipated.”

The evangelical organisation has been banned for handing out scripture to pupils at the state-funded Herington Elementary School in Kansas after humanists threatened legal action.

The American Humanist Association (AHA) claimed the annual initiative violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

AHA lawyer, Monica L Miller said: “The district’s actions in assisting the Gideons in distributing Bibles to elementary students represents a clear breach of the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution and we hereby demand assurances that this practice will discontinue immediately.”

The school’s superintendent Ron Wilson said he took action when a parent complained after a Gideons Bible giveaway shortly before Christmas.

Mr Wilson was quoted by the Kansas City Star as saying: “Our district respects all religious beliefs and the constitutional rights of every student.

“We will no longer allow distribution of religious materials.”

Jeff Jackson, a law expert at Washburn University in Topeka, told the newspaper that other elementary schools have refused similar activities, following court rules that “elementary students are especially open to coercion”.

Founded in the US state of Wisconsin in 1899, Gideons International has distributed more than two billion Bibles and New Testaments in schools, hotel rooms and other locations around the world.