EXETER MP Ben Bradshaw said he favours "maximum transparency" over parliamentary expenses amid further controversy surrounding a Government bid to suppress details of payments.

Under the proposals unveiled by Commons Leader Harriet Harman, Parliament will get key exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act.

The move will be backdated to override the ruling by the High Court and Information Tribunal that receipt-by-receipt breakdowns for how public money is spent must be published.

Instead, the Commons is set to issue slightly more information than before about how MPs use their allowances.

The plans to avoid full disclosure were slipped out amid the furore over expanding Heathrow Airport.

Government minister Mr Bradshaw said: "I have always favoured maximum transparency. There was no transparency or openness under the Conservatives.

"My expenses have always been significantly lower than any other MP in the South West."

Liberal Democrat MP for Teignbridge, Richard Younger-Ross, had "no problem" with making his expenses public.

But he said he was wary of a detailed receipt-by-receipt breakdown.

"That becomes slightly intrusive," he said. "My personal view is that the House of Commons should provide property which is furnished for MPs. It's what's done in other parliaments.

"That stops MPs profiteering from buying and selling property, and will stop MPs losing money on property.

"If we had a rented property scheme from the House that would resolve the problem."

The Government move to try to prevent full disclosure at such a late stage is also reported to have infuriated Commons authorities.

They believe they have been left "high and dry" after spending seven months and nearly £1 million scanning and processing around a million receipts — which are now unlikely to see the light of day.

Freedom of information campaigners have expressed outrage at the "disgraceful" move. MPs will vote on whether to endorse the plans next Thursday, and they would come into force almost immediately.

Outlining the changes to MPs, Ms Harman made no reference to the FOI rulings or receipts.

She insisted that in future their expenses would be listed under twice as many headings, but disclosure had to be "affordable and proportionate".

Under the new proposals, Personal Additional Accommodation Expenditure — the new term covering second home allowance — will list headline figures for mortgage interest, rent, hotel costs, council tax, fixtures, fittings and furnishings, subsistence and other household costs including service charges, utilities, telecommunications, maintenance and repairs.

Parliament could not then be forced to reveal any more details under the FOI Act.