Free speech - but not on expenses

AMs are beginning to kick off about new rules which they fear could curb their blogging activities.
Labour bloggers Huw Lewis, AM for Merthyr Tydfil, and Leighton Andrews, Rhondda, are among those unhappy at a lack of consultation over the guidelines, as is Plaid's Bethan Jenkins.
Surprisingly, Lib Dem uber-blogger Peter Black, an Assembly Commissioner, disagrees.
The aim of the Assembly Commission is to control the use of the costs allowance paid to AMs to run their offices.
With presiding officer Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas promising a major overhaul of AMs' expenses - but not till after the next election - could this be the taste of what's to come?

The rules apply if an AM's website is set up, or maintained, by employees paid from the Staff Salaries Allowance.
The guidelines say: "It is important that you follow the rules on content as listed below. You are responsible for ensuring that these rules are fully observed. If they have not been, you will be asked to repay costs involved, and you may also expose yourself to allegations of misuse of the allowances.
"You are reminded that you should seek at all times to ensure that value for money is being provided and that costs are in accordance with the level of service for which you are being charged."
It continues: "The Office Costs Allowance may be used to pay for setting up and/or maintaining a website only if its purpose is to inform or communicate with constituents about your work as a Member and/or to provide contact details. It must not be used to fund party political activity or campaigning. You may not use the Office Costs Allowance to pay for individual web pages or parts of websites, where other parts of the site are paid for from other sources."
"You must not use your website
to conduct business activities
to obtain inappropriate private benefit
for fund raising
to encourage people to join a particular political party
to publish or promote any publication, unless it meets the rules above
for advertising of a commercial nature
to campaign on behalf of or against any person seeking election
to advance perspectives or arguments with the intention of promoting the interests of any person, political party or organisation you support, or damaging the interests of any other such person, party or organisation."