Commons speaker Martin runs up 170,000 bill in failed attempt to hush up MPs' expenses

The House of Commons Commission - chaired by Michael Martin - spent three years fighting in the courts to keep details of claims made by 14 MPs out of the public eye.

They were eventually forced to reveal the details under the Freedom of Information Act after the High Court ruled there was no justification in keeping the details secret.

Michael Martin spent at least £170,000 in his failed attempt to keep MPs' expenses secret

So far, the Commons has paid out £82,673 in legal fees to appeal the Information Commissioner's verdict that taxpayers had a right to know what MPs spent their second home allowance on.

On top of this, the House had to pay the litigation costs of campaigners who appeared in court to argue the case for disclosure. An interim figure of £39,363 has been agreed.

There is also a bill of £48,847 covering advice relating to other cases connected to MPs' expenses. The total is £170,883 - and the commission admits the figure is expected to rise.

LibDem MP Norman Baker, who campaigns for members' expenses to be made public, said the costs added 'insult to injury'.

'The public will think this is a disgraceful use of money to defend the indefensible,' he said.

The second home expenses receipts, when published, showed that Gordon Brown had claimed £4,471 to smarten up his kitchen.

Nick Harvey, who sits on the commission, said the legal fees were justified because issues had been raised that needed testing in the courts.

The figures do not include £20,000 spent by the Speaker to pay lawyers to act as spokesmen over a series of negative headlines over his own expenses.