Plaid said it was constantly discussing its policies

A leaked document seen by the BBC Wales news website suggests Plaid AMs are considering dropping several policies before the 2007 assembly elections.

Under discussion include plans to replace council tax with a local income tax and reducing support for windfarms.

Labour accused Plaid of lacking direction, but Plaid said the party was constantly discussing its policies.

The document summarises a series of internal meetings held since the general election. It highlights policy ideas put forward by key Plaid figures in Cardiff Bay.

Jeff Cuthbert said Plaid was "a fringe party"

Health spokesman Rhodri Glyn Thomas is quoted as suggesting that less emphasis should be put on waiting list figures. Ceredigion AM Elin Jones suggests the party should not advocate some wind farms developments.

And education spokeswoman Janet Ryder is said to have proposed scrapping Labour's free breakfasts in schools.

The document also asks if Plaid should consider "learning credits; market forces" - which Labour interpreted as vouchers to subsidise private education from state funds.

However, Plaid said that was a complete misinterpretation by Labour, and the note was about Plaid opposing rather than supporting market forces influencing education policy.

"What Wales needs is a holistic approach to education, where learning opportunities are expanded for students at school age, and further opportunities are provided for life long learning," said a Plaid spokesman.

However, Caerphilly Labour AM Jeff Cuthbert said of the document: "This is yet more damning evidence that Plaid Cymru is a cynical and dishonest fringe party without a real purpose or direction.

"Is it any wonder that it keeps getting heavily defeated in election after election when it is so lacking in credibility on major policy areas?"

As a matter of course we are discussing our policies on a continuous basis in order to provide the best policies for the people of Wales Plaid Cymru spokesman

Plaid Cymru said the document revealed the partial contents of an internal discussion paper written to summarise meetings during the last two months.

A spokesman said: "New Labour are obviously running scared of Plaid Cymru ahead of the next assembly election.

"As a matter of course we are discussing our policies on a continuous basis in order to provide the best policies for the people of Wales. We need no lessons from New Labour about forming deliverable policies."

But Labour said Plaid Cymru was guilty of hypocrisy as the party had previously demanded more windfarms, more free breakfasts, consistently highlighted waiting list figures and campaigned for a local income tax.

'Stolen'

Meanwhile, a war of words has been escalating about how Labour came into possession of the document.

Plaid Cymru said it was referring the issue of the leak to assembly security staff.

Party chairman John Dixon said: "We have real grounds for suspecting that this document may have been stolen.

"If any offence has taken place, I am confident that the security staff at the National Assembly will uncover the details. We are also demanding the return of our document."

Labour later demanded an apology from Plaid, claiming that security staff at the assembly had ended their investigation and there was no question of any wrongdoing.