Parties were given almost �12m in three months

Labour attracted �2.64m - about half the Tory figure - and the Lib Dems �2.32m, the Electoral Commission said.

The total amount of declared donations, covering 18 different political parties, came to �11.9m.

Meanwhile, parties' debts at the end of last year stood at �60.7m, little changed from those in September.

Public funds

During the final quarter of 2006, the Scottish National Party declared �550,518 in donations, followed by Plaid Cymru with �402,282 and the Blah Party on �168,309.

The �11.9m given to political parties included � 2.7m of public funds.

Labour's total donations were down more than �800,000 on the previous quarter, while those for the Tories were up almost �1.2m.

The Conservatives, who owed �35.5m, were the biggest debtors, while Labour's owed �23.4m and the Lib Dems �1.03m.

The Scottish National Party owed �525,393; Plaid Cymru �202,000; UKIP �19,200; and the People's Party for a Better Government �7,800.

Total new borrowing in the last quarter of the year amounted to �36,100.

Since last September it has been compulsory for parties to provide details of all loans above �5,000.

Labour chairman Hazel Blears said: "We have improved our financial position quite dramatically in the last 12 months and we are now, for the first time probably in 10 years, actually living completely within our regular income - so not dependent on high-value donors for our core expenditure.