NEWLY-RELEASED figures detailing the staffing costs of Welsh Parliament members during the 2023/24 financial year reveal that three of the four representatives of the Vale made claims in excess of £100,000.
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives and one of four list members for South Wales Central, of which the Vale is a part, claimed £127,603.97, while Joel James, the other Conservative member for the region, totalled £110,550.34.
Jane Hutt (Welsh Labour), who holds the Vale constituency seat, claimed a total of £116,574.60 during the financial year.
Of the two Plaid Cymru members for South Wales Central, Heledd Fychan’s staffing total came to £117,810.16, while Rhys ab Owen, who was formally expelled from the party last month after he was found to have inappropriately touched and sworn at two women while drunk on a party night out, claimed £70,282.94.
Of the party staffing expenses, counted separately from those of its elected representatives, the Welsh Conservatives claimed the highest, at £427,815.69, followed by Plaid Cymru at £341,388.41, while Welsh Labour totalled £175,016.02.
The figures do not include members’ allowances for personal expenses, which are published on a monthly basis with a three-month delay.
In terms of members’ allowances, the most recent available figures for April 2024 show Ms Hutt claimed £1,059.99 to the Vale of Glamorgan Constituency Labour Party for office rent, £330 for use of the Vale Council’s commercial recycling service and £96 for office cleaning.
Mr Davies claimed £72.43 for an office telephone, a £113.85 hotel bill at Lamphey Court, Pembrokeshire and £20 for meals/subsistence at the same venue.
Fellow Welsh Conservative Mr James made a series of claims in April, including identical bills at Lamphey Court and meals/subsistence to Mr Davies, along with £20.45 for floor wipes, Sheen polish, sponges and a dish brush, £55.28 for office electricity, £42.75 for office gas, £85.26 for an office gas boiler repair, followed by a further £325.84 for the same reason, £26.39 for 12 picture frames for his office, £32.90 for office cups and glasses, and £6.80 for postage.
Ms Fychan claimed two separate expenses for office business rates for the financial year ahead of £3,114.94 and £118.75, plus £314.32 for office contents insurance, which she says at another point in the form is ‘buildings insurance’, £118.81 for office furniture assembly along with £10 for recycling bags.
Mr ab Owen claimed £1,177.25 for office business rates along with £152.71 for office electricity.
From the next elections in 2026, the number of Welsh Parliament members will increase from 60 to 96, all of whom will be entitled to claim staffing costs and members’ allowances.
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