TWO senior cabinet ministers are facing new allegations this weekend over excessive expenses claims on their second homes.

Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, claimed expenses on his constituency home while renting out his London house and living rent-free in a luxury grace-and-favour home.

Meanwhile, further details emerged of more than £150,000 of expenses claimed by Jacqui Smith against her constituency home, which show the home secretary even submitted receipts totalling £304 for a barbecue, patio set and heater.

The official leading the current inquiry into MPs’ expenses has now said politicians will be banned from sitting on the inquiry.

Hoon, who as defence minister led Britain’s to war in Iraq, lived out the conflict in Admiralty House, a government building. At the same time he rented out his London property. The rent he received has not been disclosed, but the terraced house had a rental value estimated at £18,000 a year.

Hoon also claimed more than £70,000 on a third property, his constituency home in Derbyshire, during the six years he was defence secretary.

The transport secretary told The Mail on Sunday: “I only claimed whatever the rules allowed for. The [Commons] fees office was aware what was happening.

“Indeed, I was told to move into Admiralty House on security advice. I was told unless I went into secure premises I would have to have round-the-clock police protection at my home in London and that would cost the taxpayer a great deal more.”

Hoon and his wife, Elaine, have built up a property portfolio worth £1.7m, including a property in the Suffolk seaside town of Walberswick and a Westminster house bought for £635,000 in 2006.

This weekend further information came to light of Jacqui Smith’s claims on her property in Redditch, Worcestershire. D e t a i l s o f m o r e t h a n £150,000worth of invoices submitted over nearly eight years follow revelations that she had submitted a claim for two pornographic films watched by her husband.

Documents obtained by a tabloid newspaper last night showed that Smith claimed £304 for the barbecue and £12,000 of cleaning costs.

Smith, who receives a parliamentary salary of £142,000 a year, also claimed for: A £119.99 personal video recorder A sofa bed worth £511.20 Plant pots to the value £344.70 A fireplace and the fitting of it – a total of £1,000.

A spokesman for the home secretary said last night: “Everything that has been claimed for is within the rules. In the one instance where it was not, in relation to the films, the money was paid back.”

Smith is already being investigated by the parliamentary commissioner.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The size and scope of these claims are scandalous. J a c q u i S m i t h a l r e a d y receives a handsome salary out of taxpayers’ pockets and it’s a disgrace that she also expects them to pick up the tab for everything from household basics to luxury furniture.”

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, urged Gor-don Brown last week to call an “expenses summit” between the three main political parties.

If elected, Tory ministers with grace-and-favour homes would not be able to claim on their second homes, Cameron said.

“Given the state is in effect providing the minister with a second home, I can see no justification for him continuing to claim a second-homes allowance,” Cameron writes in a Sunday newspaper this morning.

They’ve claimed it all, kitchen sink included, Editorial, page 16

Money Central: the 10 most outrageous MP expense claims ever

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