Eric Pickles has denied his government department spent an extra £10,000 on biscuits in a year.

The Ongar MP told LBC Radio the figure of £40,000 spent in 2012 was up from the £30,000 from 2011 because of an administrative error.

The Secretary of State for local government went on to say the figure was still lower than his Labour predecessors spending.

The biscuits were served at meetings and the biscuits of choice were thought to be custard creams, ginger nuts and digestives.

A spend of £30,000 could buy 18,181 packets of each biscuit, which breaks down to almost 150 packets of biscuits every day of the year.

The MP explained: “The figure was part of our hospitality budget.

“When we have meetings, if people come from a long distance we’ll give them tea and biscuits.”

“I’m not playing the jammie dodger here. I even bring in my own tea bags.”