British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday his international environment minister Zac Goldsmith had been asked to apologise for criticising a parliamentary committee but had decided to resign instead.

Goldsmith was on Thursday reprimanded by a parliamentary committee which criticised the behaviour of a group of allies of former prime minister Boris Johnson. He resigned on Friday, saying Sunak was "uninterested" in environmental issues.

"I accept your resignation ... you were asked to apologise for your comments about the Privileges Committee as we felt they were incompatible with your position as a minister," Sunak said in a letter to Goldsmith, which was published by his office.

"You have decided to take a different course." (Reporting by William James, writing by Farouq Suleiman, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)