Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has slammed the Welsh Government for spending over £19 million on offices when a large proportion of them are near-empty.

Figures for March 2025 have revealed that here in North Wales the attendance of staff at the Welsh Government HQ at Llandudno Junction was just 12% (49), yet the cumulative spend overall on the office is a staggering £2,021,085.

The £22million Welsh Government office was built for 650 staff with 409 desks in 2010.

Costs include business rates, site maintenance, estate management, water, gas, electricity, office cleaning, security services, telecoms and insurance.

Commenting, Darren said:

“It is quite frankly outrageous that millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is being spent on keeping these offices open when they are not being properly utilised.

“This is a prime example of the bloated Welsh Government bureaucracy which is costing Welsh taxpayers substantial sums each year.

“The problem is that since Covid, the Welsh Government has allowed a large proportion of its staff to continue working from home with no consideration of the money being wasted on the half-abandoned buildings they used to operate from.  

“These offices were funded by taxpayers to serve communities and they need to be put back to work for Wales.

“The Welsh Conservatives would end all unnecessary work from home practices for Welsh Government staff and put these assets to use."