'Fury' over MPs' expenses move

Senior figures are understood to be "deeply frustrated" that ministers have decided to try to prevent full disclosure at this late stage.

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

The friction was disclosed as Downing Street defended the plans to exempt MPs from key parts of the Freedom of Information Act, which were unveiled by Leader of the House Harriet Harman.

The proposals are backdated to 2005, meaning they would nullify rulings from the High Court and Information Tribunal that the public had a right to know exactly how MPs were spending allowances for second homes. Instead, individual MPs' expenses would merely be split into more categories than before when published.

Asked whether it was right for parliamentarians to make themselves a "special case" when other public office holders had to release full details of expenses, the Prime Minister's spokesman cited "security and other considerations".

He insisted there would be "a much greater degree of transparency" under the new system.

"You also have to be mindful of the cost associated with any very heavy-handed administration of any such scheme," he said. "There will be tougher auditing requirements put on members of parliament to justify their expenses, but what also we need to accept is that MPs do have legitimate expenses that are necessary in order to do their job."

The Government's position had "support across the Commons", according to the spokesman.

FOI campaigners have expressed outrage at the "disgraceful" move - which was slipped out amid the furore over expanding Heathrow Airport. MPs will vote on whether to endorse the plans next Thursday, and they would come into force almost immediately.