Mr Hendry was one of 186 Tory MPs to disclose a breakdown of their expenses under party leader David Cameron's drive for more openness.

The figures released by Mr Hendry's office showed he claimed £2,018 on car mileage — almost double the £1,124 he claimed for rail travel.

He also claimed back £2,519 on the interest on his mortgage, although this was considerably less than many of his Conservative colleagues.

The total £12,769 figure also included £2,250 on office rent, a £515 phone bill, £1,384 on repairs and utilities and £752 council tax.

Herstmonceux's MP, Greg Barker, claimed more than £21,000 in total in the last three months, including a £3,351 phone bill, £8,580 on rent and £749 car mileage.

All but seven Tory MPs agreed to make their expenses claims public.
David Cameron ordered the declarations following a number of controversies, including the row over the so-called 'John Lewis List', which sets out how much public money MPs can use to furnish their homes.

Mr Hendry told the Gazette he was more than happy to release the figures.

He said, "This is public money and the public has a right to know how that money is spent.

"I have always believed MPs should only be reimbursed for costs when receipts can be provided just as in any other walk of life.

"I have never bought anything from the so-called 'John Lewis list' as I don't believe the taxpayer should be asked to furnish MPs' homes.

"Wealden is one of the largest constituencies in the south east which inevitably means more car usage than in a small, urban constituency.

"Overall my total expenses for a year are less than £2 per elector which I think shows good value for money for the work which my office team provides for thousands of constituents every year."

In unveiling the expenses list on the Conservative Party's website, David Cameron said, "Politicians need to do everything they can to regain the trust of the British people, and transparency has a key part to play in that process.

"We must show that we're spending taxpayers' money sensibly and correctly.

"We are the first party to demand this information from our members and our MPs are voluntarily revealing a much more detailed breakdown of their expenses than official rules require them to. I'm glad we're leading the way."