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Plaid Cymru have accused Westminster of showing ‘contempt’ for Wales by restricting AMs from seeing Brexit documents.

In a letter to Presiding Officer Elin Jones, Brexit Minister Robin Walker offered AMs a chance to read documents in a “confidential reading room” in Cardiff Bay.

The move was designed to let Members have access to the “preliminary analysis that was submitted to the Commons Committees on Exiting the EU and Lords EU Committee” on February 6.

But the private room was only open for two days, with four slots in total, on Thursday February 8 and Friday February 9 – with just one day’s notice.

It was also limited to “three Members at one time” with Members having to “make an appointment in advance as entry to the room will not be guaranteed”.

The letter, dated February 7, stated that there would be “at least one UK Government official in the reading room at all times”, with no mobile phones or other electronic devices being allowed in.

On Friday, Alun Cairns wrote to offer to extend the opening times for the room to include all of next week. However there was no change to the other requirements.

Extracts from the letter from Robin Walker MP If they wish to arrange a time to access the reading room, Welsh Assembly Members are invited to arrange a time to read the documents at Caspain Point 1. The room will be open on Thursday 8 February and Friday 9 February from 11.00 to 13.000 and 14.00 to 17.000. The room is limited to three Members at one time. Members will need to make an appointment in advance as entry to the room will not be guaranteed without an appointment. As this is a secure UK Government building, Members will need to sign in at reception and produce photo identification. Members will be issued with a visitor's pass and be escorted to the reading room by a UK Government official. When Members enter the reading room, they will be required to sign in and indicate their acceptance of the rules of the reading room. There will be at least one UK Government official in the reading room at all times. In keeping with the arrangements for the previous reading rooms under this and previous governments, no mobile phones or other electronic devices or recording devices will be permitted in the reading room. Members will be able to write notes which can be taken away when they leave. It will not be possible to remove any of the documents from the reading room to photograph, scan or copy in any way. Any unauthorised disclosure of the documents or information contained within them is strictly prohibited.

Now Plaid Cymru members have slammed the restrictions, calling it “unacceptable”.

Party Leader Leanne Wood said the move was “not good enough” and said it was an “unacceptable way to carry on”.

Simon Thomas AM posted on social media a copy of the letter, saying he felt they were being “treated like mushrooms”.

He added that he was unhappy the room was “not in our Parliament and on a constituency day”.

A Wales Office spokesperson said: “We have given all Welsh Assembly Members an extended opportunity to view the document.

"We hope this enhanced flexibility, agreed by the Secretary of State for Wales, allows all Assembly Members to take the opportunity to view the papers.”