Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins 'should be censured, says committee

Bethan Jenkins pleaded guilty to drink-driving after she was stopped by police in October last year

A Welsh assembly member who was convicted of drink-driving should be censured, says a cross-party committee.

Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins was arrested after being stopped in the early hours by police in Cardiff last October.

The South West Wales AM was twice the legal drink-drive limit.

The assembly standards committee says the reprimand would send a clear message that such breaches are not acceptable.

It has tabled a motion calling on the assembly to endorse its recommendation.

The 31-year-old was banned for 20 months for the drink-drive offence when she pleaded guilty before Cardiff magistrates last December.

The court heard she was over twice the drink-drive limit after attending a 40th birthday party.

Claiming expenses

Afterwards, she said she was "deeply sorry" and coming to terms with depression.

Following her arrest, she was suspended from Plaid's assembly group and stood down as the party's spokeswoman on heritage, Welsh language and sport.

She apologised to fellow AMs and was reinstated to the Plaid group at the beginning of the new assembly term in January.

Ms Jenkins will not be appealing against the assembly committee's censure finding.

She was also investigated for claiming expenses for work that was not completed.

Ms Jenkins discussed with the head of the Member Business Support Unit the possibility of producing an educational DVD on the work of an assembly member.

On 23 March 2011 she submitted a claim form for expenses incurred under her office costs allowance for £2,700.

However, no DVD was produced. The film company has since repaid the money to the Assembly Commission.

The standards committee says a breach has been found but that no further action should be taken