MPs claimed £10m in expenses for last six months of 2009

The spending emerged as the House of Commons published the latest itemised breakdown of how allowances were used.

The material covers accommodation, office, communications and incidental expenses from the second and third quarters of the 2009-10 financial year.

Altogether MPs claimed 10,054,521.97 between July and December, according to the database.

The material released by the Commons covers subsistence, parking, and toll charges for staff – but not their salaries.

The figures indicate that MPs' spending dropped significantly after the expenses scandal broke last spring.

By comparison, the database shows that in the second and third quarters of 2008/9 a total of 11,768,749.14 was claimed.

David Cameron – then Opposition leader – claimed 12,978.88 in the last six months of 2009. That included 8,205.53 in costs for running his constituency home in Witney.

His monthly council tax bill was around 208, and his monthly mortgage interest bill went down from 1,081 to 822.

Mr Cameron's home insurance cost the taxpayer some 71 a month.