Outgoing head of the army General Sir Richard Dannatt has claimed less than £20,000 for official entertaining over the past four years, it was reported today. The News of the World, which obtained details of his expenses through the Freedom of Information Act, said that he cut costs by buying by £5-a-head meals from Lidl and Tesco and bottles of wine for £1.49. His total claim for the past four financial years came to £19,290.77. The disclosure came after defence minister Kevan Jones was forced to deny reports that he was plotting with Labour MPs to obtain details of Dannatt's expenses in order to smear him in retaliation for his outspoken criticisms of government policy. Although they are not directly comparable, Dannatt's relatively modest claims would, nevertheless, appear to contrast favourably with the tens of thousands of pounds which MPs claim.
An MoD spokesman said: "As head of the army, chief of the general staff undertakes official hosting and entertaining of both overseas and United Kingdom dignitaries.
"This is an important part of his remit to assist in the betterment of international relations, to promote the British Army and facilitate a wider public understanding of its role." AP
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