MPs will discover within weeks whether they have succeeded in blocking publication of a breakdown of how they spend their housing allowances.

Yesterday they failed to stop the release of detailed information into their £5 million travel expenses.

The details, which were the subject of a two-year Freedom of Information battle, show that the vast majority of MPs keep travel expenses to a reasonable level. However, there were variations in the amounts claimed by some MPs who have neighbouring constituencies and large amounts spent on taxis.

Sir Philip Mawer, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has been asked to investigate whether MPs are wasting money by the Taxpayers Alliance.

The Times contacted a number of MPs about their expenses claims.

Richard Bacon, the Conservative MP for South Norfolk, was reported to have the highest taxi bill, but he disputed the figures. “This is ludicrous. I have not claimed £5,685 for taxis or anything near this figure,” he said. “My estimate is that I have spent a few hundred pounds on taxis over the last six years. As a result of these inaccurate reports, this morning I have spoken to the National Audit Office to examine the methods for recording details of MPs expenses, which appear to be deeply flawed.”

Mike Penning, also Conservative, received £7,978 for mileage, the equivalent of 26,000 miles. His constituency, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, is just 26 miles from Westminster. He said that his children went to school in the bordering county of Essex but that his family would be moving house next year.

Alistair Carmichael spent £34,347 on air travel to his Orkney constituency, the highest of any MP but defended his travel expenses.

The Liberal Democrat said: “Do you know how long it takes to get to London from Orkney? If I catch the 6.30am ferry and three trains, and they are all on time, I can now be at Kings Cross 9.45pm. Last March, when these costs ended, I would have arrived the following morning. Flying is not a luxury for me.”

David Cameron’s car hire and taxi claim come out at over £1,000, but his spokeswoman said that he had not claimed for a taxi since becoming an MP. She said that when the Opposition Leader’s car was stolen in October 2005, he had borrowed a car and claimed the money for mileage.

Under House of Commons rules he had to put expenses in the “car hire and taxi column” because the car was classified a third party.

John Grogan, the Labour MP for Selby, defended his taxi bill of £4,063. “Unlike most other MPs, I don’t drive and therefore don’t claim car mileage. However, I can claim for private hire or taxi fares,” he said.

“With a big rural constituency like Selby I can do hundreds of miles a month. As a matter of fact, I spend over £4,000 of my own money each year on my office and staff, over and above the allowances I get from Parliament.”

Sinn Fein claimed £20,000 on flights and cars even though they do not sit at Parliament. A spokesman for the party said: “Although they do not take their seats the MPs still have to travel to London. We have offices at Westminster that we use to lobby opinion at Westminster and in the country to get support for the Sinn Fein and the peace process.”

The travel details were released after the House of Commons decided not to mount a legal challenge. MPs are now waiting to hear if the Information Tribunal will force them to disclose information on housing expenses.

Political mileage

What MPs thought about their travel claims:

- Eric Joyce, Labour MP for Falkirk, had the largest overall claim with £44,985, including £30,000 on air travel. “When the details are exposed . . . then you have to sit back and say, ‘Is that something that is feasible?’ My view was that it probably wasn’t. It’s not a question of embarrassment, it’s a question of how you do your job”

- Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North, East London, spent £2,235 on taxis. “I cannot ride a bicycle. I cannot drive. And there is no Underground station in Hackney”

- How did Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North, North London, spend £4,213 on mileage? He said: “I have absolutely no interest in talking about things like that”

- Jacqui Lait, Conservative MP for Beckenham, which is 12 miles from Westminster, charged £6,716 for mileage — the equivalent of more than 20,000 miles. She did not return calls yesterday

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