The Commons Agriculture Committee said a cost-benefit analysis of the transfer was only carried out after the move had been made from Whitehall Place, Westminster, to the nearby Nobel House.

The decision to proceed was pushed through on the basis of a very rough and inflated estimate of the costs, with a "back of an envelope" list of advantages and disadvantages of going ahead.

The move to plusher premises was carried out under former Agriculture Minister Jack Cunningham

The move to the opulently furnished premises - with walnut-panelled walls and art deco ceilings - was carried out in November 1997 under the then Agriculture Minister Jack Cunningham, now the Cabinet "enforcer".

It was widely criticised after official figures released to journalists appeared to show that the cost of moving the ministers' offices had been £2.3m - more than originally stated to MPs.

The committee accepted that that figure had been based on an "early and pessimistic estimate" of the likely costs. The actual cost directly attributed to the ministers' move had been £981,500.

But the MPs complained of a "lack of rigour" on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture in drawing the distinction between the costs of the ministers' move and other refurbishments carried out at the time, totalling £2.1m.

The committee said the money could not be "wholly divorced" from the ministers' move as much of the work on Nobel House would have been delayed if it had not been for the arrival of the ministers at that time.

In their report, the MPs concluded: "First, the committee is concerned that the decision to proceed with the move was pushed ahead on the basis of a very rough and inflated estimate of the costs together with a 'back of an envelope' list of advantages and disadvantages of the move.