The Plaid Cymru conference in Llandudno has ended with the party claiming to have had its most successful conference in living memory.

Party officials said they now looked forward to the general election with confidence.

The final, closed session was on Plaid Cymru's constitutional aims.

About 150 party members held a discussion on a paper presented by policy director Cynog Dafis

At a press briefing afterwards, Mr Dafis said they had had a useful and constructive and creative debate.

Draft manifesto

He admitted that a minority of party members still wanted the party to declare its aim to be independence for Wales.

The party will now issue a consultation paper to its members and intends to include a statement on its constitutional aims in the draft manifesto to be considered by its National Council in November.

Mr Dafis denied that Plaid Cymru would break into factions over the issue.

Meanwhile its emerged that four of the party's prospective candidates in the general election voted against Britain joining the Euro.

Party leader Ieuan Wyn Jones had dismissed the "rebellion" by candidates Lianne Wood, Lee Thomas, Adam Price and Llyr Hughes-Griffith over Saturday's vote.

In the closed session entitled "If Not Independence, Then What?" members were presented with a series of questions about further devolution for Wales.

National status

Members outlined a three stage model of further devolution.

Stage One involves making the present Assembly work

Stage Two would involve obtaining further legislative powers for the Assembly and

Stage Three will advocate full national status within Europe.

The debate came days after Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik challenged Plaid Cymru to answer a 10 point "IQ test".

Mr Opik, the MP for Montgomeryshire, said Plaid should stop "playing with words" over its position on what he called IQ - the Independence Question.

Separate agencies?

Speaking on the last day of the Liberal Democrats conference, he said: "It's time Plaid Cymru stopped playing with words.

"Whether they use the word independence or full national status to describe their objectives, people will only understand the meaning if they explain how current British institutions will be affected."

The Liberal Democrat MP challenged Plaid Cymru to answer 10 points including:

whether Welsh viewers will remain eligible to receive BBC programmes paid for by a British licence fee

whether there will be a separate Post Office for Wales

whether there will there be a separate DVLA, Benefits Agency, Customs and Excise and Passport Agency