Labour’s potted plant secrecy a thorny issue
Labour Ministers have moved to avoid answering questions about the levels of taxpayer’s money spent on potted plants and other decorative fauna – years after previous, excessive spend in this area was revealed.
Earlier in the Assembly term, Darren Millar AM revealed the shocking levels of public money splashed out on potted plants – amounting to over £38,000 in 2010/11, and in excess of £28,000 in each of the two years which followed.
However, when questioned by Welsh Conservatives, the Welsh Labour Government now claims “information is not held on the specific costs” of public expenditure on potted plants and other decorative fauna.
Darren Millar AM said:
“The people of Wales deserve a Government that treats public money with care and prudence – but Labour Ministers continue to fail in this regard.
“Years after their excessive spend on potted plants was revealed, Labour Ministers are now hiding this data from the public eye.
“Rather than tackle wasteful spending, Labour’s answer is secrecy. Having starved the health budget of over one billion pounds in recent years, Labour’s decision to refuse to detail their spending in this area speaks volumes.”
Shadow Finance Minister, Nick Ramsay AM, added:
“Labour’s culture of secrecy does absolutely nothing to improve public confidence regarding public spending in Wales.
“From publishing expenditure, to cutting the costs of government, and curbing spend on costly Ministerial cars, Welsh Conservatives are ready to deliver the real change our nation needs; restoring public trust in Welsh Government spending decisions.”
