17 SPECIALIST jobs at Porthmadog’s tax office are to be saved, it has been confirmed this afternoon.

The future for staff at Ty Moelwyn in Porthmadog has been under doubt for nearly two years but it has been confirmed today that all 17 jobs will remain in the town.HMRC has confirmed that the 17 people currently based at Ty Moelwyn will be co-locating with colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP’s) Thedford House site in February 2018. This move allows HMRC to keep its Welsh language team in Porthmadog and also enables both departments to explore how they might work together in the future to provide Welsh language customer services. Rachel McLean, Director General of Customer Services, HMRC said: “This move is vital to the success of our plans to continue to provide Welsh language customer services from Porthmadog. It will also allow us to explore how we might develop those services with both DWP and other government departments in the future.”Local MP, Liz Saville Roberts, said: “This is very welcome news and is testament to the determination and perseverance of local campaigners, particularly Porthmadog Town Council, whose steadfast campaign to retain local jobs has paid off.”“Ever since the news broke that HMRC jobs in Porthmadog were under threat, a collaborative effort was mounted to exert pressure on the Government to reconsider its decision to move Welsh language call centre jobs from the area.”“A petition was launched, countless letters were written, public meetings were held and I raised the matter several times with the Government on the floor of the House of Commons.” “The DWP office in Porthmadog is perfectly suited to house HMRC staff and is an excellent Welsh-language workplace, ideally placed to attract and retain experienced Welsh-speakers in the area where Welsh is both a community and professional language.”“I’m pleased the Government has responded positively to the concerns of local people and recognised the importance of retaining well-paid public sector jobs in a low wage economy such as that of Dwyfor Meirionnydd.”UK Government Minister, Guto Bebb, also welcomed the news, saying: “I am delighted that we have been able to secure the future for this vitally important UK Government office, which provides an essential service for Welsh speakers.“Several UK Government departments in Wales have worked hard to make this happen and it shows what we can achieve when we work together to reach a joint solution.“This demonstrates the UK Government’s commitment to the Welsh language and to ensuring that we maximise the benefits that come from co-locating Government offices to provide the best possible service for the taxpayer.

We are looking to develop and grow the welsh language centre in Porthmadog in future years, but for now it is great news that we have been able to secure the long term future of these jobs in the area. "Some of the people who work in Ty Moelwyn travel 15 to 20 miles a day to work."Fiona Jones, Work Services Director for Jobcentre Plus Wales, added: “We look forward to welcoming HMRC colleagues into Thedford House from early next year, and sharing our delivery experiences with them. Delivery of Welsh language customer services is a growing part of our jobcentres and service centres across Wales.”

The building, Ty Moelwyn, is still due to close once staff have relocated.