LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain’s parliament approved a  bill to set up an independent watchdog to oversee members’  expenses yesterday in a bid to restore trust after a scandal  that has hurt the ruling Labour party ahead of an election.

British voters reacted with outrage to leaks to newspapers  that some members of parliament used taxpayer money to claim  expenses on everything from hiring pornographic films to  cleaning their swimming pools.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised to take swift action to  crack down on the practices but critics say the Parliamentary  Standards Bill has been watered down.

The law creates an independent watchdog to keep an eye on  the expenses system and also makes submitting a false expenses  claim while an MP a criminal offense, with a penalty of up to  one year in prison.

Proposals to criminalise other expenses-related acts were  dropped, however, and critics complained that the bill  unnecessarily pre-empted an independent review due for  publication later this year.