Fox to face grilling from MPs

Dr Fox issued a statement last night apologising for allowing “distinctions to be blurred between my professional responsibilities and my personal loyalties to a friend”.

He is due to report to the House of Commons at 2.30pm for the regular questioning on defence issues. However today’s session is likely to involve questions about Adam Werritty’s involvement in arranging Ministry of Defence meetings, particularly one in Dubai with defence industry chiefs, and other formal events overseas.

On his return from Libya last night, the defence secretary insisted he would answer all questions asked by MPs.

Prime Minister David Cameron will today be handed the early findings of an internal investigation into whether Dr Fox’s relationship with his best friend Adam Werritty breached ministerial code

The defence secretary came under further scrutiny today as the Daily Telegraph reported that his office used government money to pay Mr Werritty. The paper says that financial records from 2005/06 show that a £690 national insurance payment was given to Mr Werritty, suggesting he had been employed by Dr Fox the previous year.

A spokesman for Dr Fox said the payment could be a mistake or a result of previous “internship years” adding: “There is no record of Adam Werritty working in the parliamentary office that year.”

Read more: Fox apologises for Werritty ‘mistakes’.