THE INCREASE in the number of AMs urged by Newport AM and Presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler would cost up to £9million it was revealed today.

The Assembly Commission, which is chaired by Dame Rosemary has called for the number of members to rise to 80 from the current 60, saying Assembly Members are "thinly spread" and that they need: "a realistic opportunity to scrutinise the policy, administration, spending and legislative proposals of the Welsh Government as robustly as the people of Wales deserve."

The Commission said that increasing AM numbers to 100 AMs would cost up to £17million.

She added the Assembly is responsible for authorising some £15 billion of expenditure to fund the delivery of public services in Wales and that "we want this Assembly to be a strong, accessible and forward looking democratic institution and legislature that delivers for the people of Wales".

She said the maximum cost of a legislature of that size would represent just 0.4% of the Welsh block [funding share].