TORY Assembly leader Nick Bourne said he had full confidence in education spokesman David Davies.

His comments came after Mr Davies criticised Moslem MPs for opposing hunting while supporting the halal method of preparing meat.

Tory candidate in the key Monmouth seat at the next General Election, Mr Davies has courted controversy in the past. Earlier this year he walked out of the Assembly's equal opportunities committee, claiming he was being prevented from questioning members of the gay rights charity Stonewall. That led Mr Bourne to sack Mr Davies as equal opportunities spokes-man.

But Mr Bourne said yesterday : "He does retain my confidence as the education spokesman. The chief whip has spoken to David about what he said and advised him of the sensitivities. I will be speaking about that at the group meeting today.

"It is important that we send out the right messages. We have many Moslem supporters and we're very conscious of that, and David is too."