The 659 MPs at Westminster claimed an average of £118,437 in expenses last year on top of their salary, it was revealed today.

A detailed breakdown of each member's claim on travel, staff, postage, office costs, housing allowance and computers was published for the first time on the House of Commons website this afternoon, along with similar figures for peers.

Claire Curtis-Thomas, the Labour MP for the Lancashire seat of Crosby and Formby, filed the biggest expenses bill, claiming a total of £168.889.

Keith Vaz, Labour, for Leicester East, and Mohammed Sarwar, Labour, for Glasgow Govan, claimed the second and third largest amounts.

The lowest claim, of just £56,657, was made by Michael Trend, the Conservative MP for Windsor since 1992.

Mr Trend is standing down at the next election after being suspended from Parliament for two weeks in February 2003 for wrongly claiming more than £90,000 in housing allowance.

The analysis throws up some fascinating contrasts. Tony Blair was among the lowest claimants, asking for £80,836 on top of his £57,000 MP's salary and his £120,000 for being Prime Minister. His Downing Street neighbour Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, claimed £130,383 in expenses.

Michael Howard, the Tory leader and MP for Folkestone in Kent, billed the taxpayer last year for £126,658. Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats, whose constituency is in the north of Scotland, claimed £121,630.

It also emerged that the four Sinn Fein MPs who have yet to take up their seats at Westminster each claimed more than £100,000 in parliamentary expenses last year.

Sir Archy Kirkwood, the MP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire and spokesman for the House of Commons Commission, which approved the publication of today's figures, said: "This is a significant step towards openness and accountability and I welcome it.

"It's the first time that we have ever published so much information. The taxpayer can really see how their money is being spent."

He likened each of the 659 MPs to "individual small businesses", and said that each worked under an ever increasing load and in a more complex environment.

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