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| Labour AM faces standards inquiry | Labour AM faces standards inquiry |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| A Labour AM is facing an inquiry by the Welsh assembly's Independent Standards Advisor over allegations she misused public money. | A Labour AM is facing an inquiry by the Welsh assembly's Independent Standards Advisor over allegations she misused public money. |
| It is alleged Mid and West Wales AM Joyce Watson used assembly stationery and the assembly postal service to mail two newsletters to 1,000 party members. | |
| AMs' code of conduct prohibits them from using assembly resources to produce or distribute unsolicited mail. | AMs' code of conduct prohibits them from using assembly resources to produce or distribute unsolicited mail. |
| Ms Watson said, if she had made a mistake, she would work to rectify it. | Ms Watson said, if she had made a mistake, she would work to rectify it. |
| BBC Wales understands the Conservatives are set to lodge a formal complaint against Ms Watson, who was elected last May. | BBC Wales understands the Conservatives are set to lodge a formal complaint against Ms Watson, who was elected last May. |
| Ms Watson has confirmed she produced the newsletter and a second similar one and posted both of them to around 1,000 Labour members in mid and west Wales using the assembly's pre-paid envelopes. | Ms Watson has confirmed she produced the newsletter and a second similar one and posted both of them to around 1,000 Labour members in mid and west Wales using the assembly's pre-paid envelopes. |
| The glossy full colour newsletters contained pictures of Ms Watson and articles about her work as an AM. | The glossy full colour newsletters contained pictures of Ms Watson and articles about her work as an AM. |
| Unsolicited material | Unsolicited material |
| Ms Watson insisted the newsletters were not "party political" because they did not mention she is a Labour AM, and she maintained her staff had cleared the mailing with the assembly's Fees Office. | Ms Watson insisted the newsletters were not "party political" because they did not mention she is a Labour AM, and she maintained her staff had cleared the mailing with the assembly's Fees Office. |
| In a statement Ms Watson said: "The mailings in question contained a notice of my surgeries in the Mid and West Wales region and a summary of my work as an Assembly Member. | In a statement Ms Watson said: "The mailings in question contained a notice of my surgeries in the Mid and West Wales region and a summary of my work as an Assembly Member. |
| "No mention of the Labour Party was made and the content was approved by the relevant authorities at the National Assembly. | "No mention of the Labour Party was made and the content was approved by the relevant authorities at the National Assembly. |
| "If a mistake has been made with the distribution arrangements I will of course work with the assembly's authorities to rectify the situation". | "If a mistake has been made with the distribution arrangements I will of course work with the assembly's authorities to rectify the situation". |
| The AMs' code-of-conduct says assembly resources should not be used for unsolicited material including leaflets, pamphlets, greeting cards or similar communications not requested by the recipient. | The AMs' code-of-conduct says assembly resources should not be used for unsolicited material including leaflets, pamphlets, greeting cards or similar communications not requested by the recipient. |
| It also says use of centrally provided stationery and postal resources should not be used for circulars - which it defines as communications sent in identical or near identical form to numbers of addresses - newsletters and annual reports. | |
| The Assembly Commission, the corporate body for ensuring property, staff and services are provided for the assembly, declined to comment. | The Assembly Commission, the corporate body for ensuring property, staff and services are provided for the assembly, declined to comment. |