Six-figure 'golden goodbye' for Wales Office official

Former Wales Office civil servant Stephen Hillcoat - who received £133,000 in redundancy pay.

A Wales Office civil servant received £133,000 in redundancy pay after Stephen Crabb replaced David Jones as secretary of state.

The department's newly-published annual report and accounts reveals that Stephen Hillcoat was replaced as "deputy director, private office and communications" within 24 hours of Mr Crabb's appointment in July last year after the new man restructured his private office.

But Mr Hillcoat, who was paid £75-80,000 in 2013/14, didn't leave the civil service "under voluntary exit terms" until March 31 this year - after the Conservatives announced plans to cap public sector redundancy payouts at £95,000.

The figure was revealed days after Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies criticised six-figure pay-outs to senior civil servants in the Welsh government.

A Wales Office spokesperson said: "Along with other government departments, the Wales Office operated a voluntary early departure scheme in January and February 2015 which three employees took advantage of. Payments were set by the civil service compensation scheme, not the Wales Office, and were worked out according to a formula based on length of service."

It is unclear what Mr Hillcoat's role was between July 2014 and March 2015. He worked as a civil servant for 28 years and most of the £133,000 was subject to tax, although one Conservative source described the amount as "obscene".

It is also fair to point out that the civil service is not the only organisation where 'golden goodbyes' have been a controversial issue.

The annual report also confirms the savings from scrapping the ministerial Jaguar used by David Jones at £81,000 a year. It also reveals that two recruitment exercises for specialist communications staff "resulted in no applications" from within the civil service "and so progressed to external campaigns".