Location Strategy - Functions to transfer to Merthyr Tydfil

In my budget statement of 6 November 2002 I announced that the first of the Assembly Government's three planned new regional offices would be sited in Merthyr Tydfil.  Decisions have now been taken on the areas of work be located at the Merthyr office.  These are:

 The Communities Directorate
 The Community Safety Unit
 The Housing Directorate
 Wales European funding Office (WEFO)
 South Wales Office of the Rent Officer Service

Around 320 Assembly jobs will be located at Merthyr. With the exception of  20 posts in the Rent Office Service, which will be a newly absorbed unit, all of the posts are currently located elsewhere. 

 The relocation of a mixture of executive and policy functions on this scale will provide a major boost for the local economy. It is the first significant step in our plan to spread the benefits of Assembly employment more evenly throughout Wales and to bring the formulation and delivery of Assembly Government policy and services closer to the people we serve. It will offer employment opportunities for people in the Merthyr Tydfil area.

The areas of work  are all closely concerned with issues of real significance to the Valleys. The package  will provide a good local career structure for staff and will fit into our proposed new building with room for some expansion. Eight Senior Civil Service Posts will be located in Merthyr, emphasising our commitment to the dispersal of high quality jobs around Wales. There will also be a wide range of clerical and executive jobs involved.

The new building is to be constructed on a site at Rhydycar.  Subject to Planning permission work on site is planned to begin by the end of June this year. We aim to have the building completed and occupied by the end of 2004.

I hope that most of the staff in the posts affected will choose to move with their work, but I expect that alternative posts will be available in Cardiff for anyone who does not want to work in Merthyr Tydfil. No one will have to go to Merthyr Tydfil against their wishes.

We are managing the move in close partnership with the Trade Union Side and have agreed with them the approach underpinning this statement. We are encouraging staff to contribute their views and become closely involved with delivery of the move. The Merthyr Office is the first major step in the implementation of our location strategy. Work is well advanced on the identification of sites for similar offices in North and Mid/West Wales. I will make further announcements on these as soon as possible.