IAIN Duncan Smith has hit back at a national newspaper after it published new details of his office expenses claims.

The Daily Telegraph have revealed that the Woodford Green and Chingford MP claimed £11,000 in two years for services from PR and political consultancy firm Media Intelligence Partners.

On its website, the company states it "exists to help clients negotiate the media minefield – irrespective of their line of business."

Commons rules strictly prohibit expenses for help with “self-promotion or PR”, but Mr Duncan Smith has said the money was “clearly” given to the company for political work on two mammoth reports for his think tank, the Centre for Social Justice.

He told the Guardian: “It’s very straightforward. The money was for the Centre for Social Justice. I’ve known (company head Nick Wood) for a long time, and he doesn’t just do media training. This was a very legitimate exercise.

“Our reports have taken years to do and we have carried out some ground-breaking work. Our reports have changed the whole debate on social justice in the UK.

“I think the Telegraph just decided how they wanted to write the story before speaking to me.”

Commons rules do allow MPs to claim money on help with political work.

Mr Duncan Smith said the £11,000 was given to Nick Wood for his work sifting through more than 600,000 words of reports, sitting on committees and helping with the think tank’s general policy work.

He said: “We started in 2005 and finished in 2007, the exact dates this money was claimed for.

"I’ve spoken to the Parliamentary Authorities and they are content with it.”

The Conservative representative’s expenses claims have been among the lowest in the country.

He did not claim any second home allowance last year, in stark contrast to his Redbridge counterpart Harry Cohen, who claimed more than £23,000 during the same time period.

Mr Duncan Smith added that he wanted to see wholesale reform of the expenses system.

He said: “I have no problems with what the Telegraph are doing, it was all going to be made public anyway later in the year.

“I have been astonished by some claims, and there’s no question some of them are totally unacceptable.”