The publication of details of their expense claims has left MPs facing a range of critical headlines.

But while the costs have been branded a "scandal" by some newspapers, others have sought to defend the average outlay of £118,000 as a proper use of taxpayers' money.

The total bill for the last tax year came in at £78 million with the biggest claimant, Crosby's Claire Curtis-Thomas, charging £168,889 to the exchequer.

But Labour's Peter Pike, one of the five MPs with the highest office, accommodation, staff and travel costs, attacked coverage comparing the bill to British average earnings of £25,000.

He said the publication was misleading "nonsense".

"There are so many factors that you have to take into account. I do not think people are comparing like for like," the Burnley MP argued.

"I genuinely believe you have got to look at what MPs do, where they live and what their staff implications are. You cannot just look at them off the peg."

Heeding Commons leader Peter Hain call for the information to be treated "responsibly", the Guardian backed Pike's views in its leading article.

"Half of all the total goes on the costs of staff who run MPs' offices," the paper said.

"Other large items cover housing - most MPs cannot avoid having to live both in London and in their constituencies - and their office equipment - they cannot do their jobs without that either.

"These are costs which should be met by the kind of transparent expenses system now in place for MPs."

However the Express slammed parliamentarians for "fleecing the people".

"No wonder so many MPs are out of touch with reality when the average backbencher receives a total of £176,000 a year, enabling a life of comfort undreamt of by someone on the national average of £25,000," the tabloid said.

Second homes

The biggest criticism has been faced by Greater London MPs who charge for a second home in the centre of the Capital, despite living a commuteable distance from Westminster.

They can charge up to £20,303 to cover rent or mortgage interest payments on these properties.

While they cannot use the cash to pay for the capital on a mortgage, they are entitled to keep the profit made on any sale of a house.

The decision to allow this practice has already provoked press criticism, with some MPs such as Barry Gardiner, Barbara Follett and Jenny Tonge singled out.

In contrast Martin Salter, Laura Moffat, Sarah Teather and Vincent Cable did not make a single claim on the public purse for their housing.

MPs can also spend up to £19,325 a year for office accommodation and as much as £77,534 on staff.

Each can therefore cost the taxpayer around £175,000 but all expenses have been approved as legitimate by the Commons authorities.

Details published

It is the first time the details have been made public, with the move coming ahead of the implementation of new freedom of information laws next year.

The £78.05 million bill for 2003/04 compared with £73.4 million the year before but was considerably lower at £57.49 million in 2001/02.

Ministers who can make use of official homes in London are paid for the costs of running their constituency accommodation.

However those that do not are expected to make the Capital their main home and can therefore claim the additional costs allowance for their second house and the London supplement.

With attention trained on the money spent by MPs on housing, the figures revealed that Tony Blair used £15,490 for stays in his Sedgefield constituency in the past year.

The notoriously parsimonious chancellor uses just £14,304 of a £20,303 maximum for his Dunfermline base, while deputy prime minister John Prescott, who has been criticised for having four homes, takes all but £200 of his allowance.