A company owned by the executive patron of a scandal-hit free school in Bradford insisted it is not over-charging for the site the school was built on.

The Government public accounts committee had demanded to know more about the link between Alan Lewis, a vice-chairman of the Tory party, and Kings Science Academy, which was built on land in Lidget Green owned by one of his companies.

During an inquiry on Monday the committee heard that the Hartley Group receives £300,000 a year for lease of its land – when local evidence suggested the market rent is only £100,000.

But Peter Lauener, the Education Funding Authority’s chief executive, told members of the cross-party committee that his authority had obtained an independent valuation of the market rent before agreeing to the terms of the lease.

Yesterday a Hartley Group spokesman said: “Hartley’s’ understanding is the EFA made clear at the public account committee it had obtained an independent valuation confirming that market rent was being paid.”