Des Browne was under more pressure last night as he was accused of breaking official rules over allowing the sailors and Marines detained by Iran to sell stories about their ordeal.

Mr Browne and Royal Navy officials appear to be in breach of the Queen’s Regulations for the Royal Navy, either in allowing personnel to be paid or to speak on politically controversial issues.

At the same time the Defence Secretary should have given explicit approval to the Navy’s decision to let them speak on controversial issues, rather than “note” it, as he said he did.

Liam Fox, the Shadow Defence Secretary, said: “It’s very clear that the Royal Navy’s own rules show that the ultimate decision is a ministerial one. The attempt by the Defence Secretary to claim this was a Royal Navy decision is clearly misleading.”

The regulations, seen by The Times, state that when speaking in an official capacity sailors should not receive extra payment. Conservative sources say that if the released captives were authorised by the Navy to give interviews, they were speaking in an official capacity.

The rules say that even if selling a story is done off duty, details of any extra payments should be sent to the appropriate public clearance authority to consider how much should go to public funds.

The document states that for personnel who do not work in Whitehall, such as the sailors and Marines, prior approval must be sought from their commander-in-chief. But in “unusual circumstances” or in case of doubt the commander must consult the head of news in the ministry. If there is insufficent time for consultation, the invitation should normally be refused.

The regulations go on to say that permission to express views on politically controversial issues “will be refused”. The news director at the ministry “will seek the prior approval” of the Defence Secretary for any exception to this rule. That suggests that Mr Browne had a duty to be consulted.

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