Andrew RT Davies has said the first consideration in the Senedd’s search for office space must be Welsh taxpayers.
The Senedd has set out the next steps in its multi-million pound search for offices in Cardiff Bay.
The Senedd’s Commission, the body responsible for the Senedd estate, has allocated £6.7m towards the project.
The Commission is searching for 11,000 square meters of office space adjacent to the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay in order to accommodate 900 members of staff, as the lease on Ty Hywel, the building that currently accommodates staff, expires in 2032.
While options for the accommodation include staff remaining in their current building, extra space will have to be made available for the 36 new Senedd Members that are due to be elected in 2026, increasing the number of MSs from 60 to 96.
The other options are moving into a new building, or combining a new building and an existing office.
Andrew RT Davies MS, Senedd Member for South Wales Central and former Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said:
“Taxpayers must be the first priority in this search.
“Hard-pressed families in Wales are already having to stump up for 36 more politicians they don’t want, and they won’t countenance Senedd Members throwing good money after bad on monuments to their own vanity.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Senedd steps up multi-million-pound office search