In a statement yesterday, Mr Hoon said: “Accommodation at Admiralty House was provided rent free but there were significant costs that I had to meet in order to live there. These were comparable to the costs I would have incurred if I had continued to live in my own property, therefore a claim under the ACA for my constituency home was not unreasonable. I was told by the House of Commons fees office that this was entirely within the rules and that previous ministers in my position had made similar claims.”