Questions over Fox’s $500 meal

Defence Secretary Liam Fox and lobbyist Adam Werritty attended a $500-a-head dinner in Washington with senior figures from the defence industry which has not been declared by the Ministry of Defence, it was reported.

It was claimed today that Dr Fox and Mr Werritty were both guests at the £318-per-person fundraising dinner last year attended by US defence industry lobbyists and military officials.

The event did not appear on the list of 18 occasions where Dr Fox and Mr Werritty both attended overseas engagements released this week by the MoD.

A spokesman for Dr Fox said that he had been attending the event in a “private capacity” during a period of leave and that the visit did not involve the use of taxpayers’ money.

Dr Fox was also facing questions today over his links to an American consultant it was reported today.