Oxfordshire MPs' claims for expenses cost taxpayers more than £750,000 in 2005/06.

Last night a comprehensive list of the money each of the six county MPs claimed between April 2005 and March 2006 was made public.

And the total bill was up £161,550 on last year.

MPs are allowed to claim extra on top of their basic salaries of £59,095, to cover the cost of second homes in London, staff wages, travel, stationery, postage and computer equipment.

The most expensive MP in the county was Oxford West & Abingdon Liberal Democrat Dr Evan Harris, who claimed £142,642 - up £22,099 on last year.

Dr Harris has a home in Botley, but lives in London during the week.

Witney MP and Tory Party leader David Cameron claimed £135,729, an increase of just over £10,000, while Andrew Smith, the Labour MP for Oxford East who lives in Blackbird Leys with his county councillor wife Val, claimed £132,034 - £355 down on last year.

Henley MP and shadow higher education minister Boris Johnson racked up £128,854 of claims, Wantage & Didcot MP Ed Vaizey claimed £128,409 while Banbury MP Tony Baldry claimed £110,814 - the lowest of Oxfordshire's MPs.

His spokesman Richard Blakeway, said: "Tony doesn't have a second home and, in fact, I don't think he actually claimed all the mortgage relief available to MPs.

"The expectation is Tony's claim will be one of the lowest amongst MPs."

The high cost of Dr Harris' claim was partly explained because of the amount he spent on staff - £85,752.

He said: "This year I have claimed for the first time car travel, but I have forgone £30,000-odd in the past.

"While I am using my salary to subsidise the cost of running my office and, since I don't have expenses in the main but a budget to pay staff, I think the figures are legitimate."

Recent criticism of expenses payments has centred on MPs using their allowances to buy property at public expense - opting for interest-only mortgages to cut down their own repayment costs.

MPs have strict guidelines on what they can claim for over and above their salaries. They are allowed a £21,634 maximum accommodation allowance for living away from home and a London supplement of £2,613.

MPs can also claim travel expenses of 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles, then 25p thereafter. There is no maximum level set for spending on stationery, but staff working for an MP are only allowed to claim 12 return journeys from the Commons to constituencies a year.

And for their offices, MPs can claim for four PCs, two printers and a laptop.

Mr Smith said: "My costs are lower than most MPs' and I try and use the budget for the maximum benefit of constituents."

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