ATTEMPTS to prevent details of parliamentary expenses being published has been criticised by a South Devon MP.

Lib Dem MP for Torbay Adrian Sanders branded the proposals unveiled by Commons Leader Harriet Harman, under which Parliament would receive key exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act, as 'disappointing'.

The move will be backdated to annul 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.

Mr Sanders said: "It's genuinely disappointing that people in Parliament have colluded to deny the public the transparency that they are owed, and we should be treated no differently than any other government-funded employee."

Tory MP for Totnes Anthony Steen said: "I support David Cameron's call for as much transparency as is needed to satisfy the media and the public that we are accounting for our reimbursements in a proper and transparent way."

Lib Dem MP for Teignbridge Richard Younger-Ross had 'no problem' with making his expenses public.

But he did caution over a detailed receipt-by-receipt breakdown. "That becomes slightly intrusive," he said.

He added: "My personal view is 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 the Commons authorities.

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

MPs will vote on whether to endorse the plans on 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.

The measures would mean Parliament could not be forced to reveal any more details under the FOI Act.

There will also be tighter auditing of the controversial £93million-a-year parliamentary allowances system, according to Ms Harman.

The Campaign for Freedom of Information said there was 'no justification' for MPs facing less scrutiny than other public officials such as chief constables, and local authority chief executives.

The Commons authorities ran up a bill of some £150,000 over three years fighting FOI requests demanding disclosure of a receipt-by-receipt breakdown of MPs spending on second homes.