The Welsh Government has revealed a £1.7m pay bill for special advisers in the year to April, including £479,000 in severance payments.

Wales’ first minister Eluned Morgan provided details of the political appointments in a written statement to the Senedd on 3 October.

Special advisers, or SpAds as they are known, provide party political advice and support to ministers that would be inappropriate for the impartial civil service to give.

The statement put the total cost to the taxpayer of Welsh Government special advisers at £1.77m in 2023/24, including £479,714 in severance payments.

Compared with 2019/20 when the bill totalled £835,840, spending on SpAds is up 112 per cent.

When former first minister Mark Drakeford departed in March, the contracts for all special advisers ceased in line with the model contract for special advisers.

Some special advisers were reappointed, so £189,000 will be recovered, leaving a net cost of about £290,000 for severance payments.

The Welsh Government employed 18 special advisers for all or part of the 2023/24 financial year, equating to 14 full-time equivalent posts.

Special advisers’ salaries range from £57,740 a year, up to £88,130.