The Government has issued a statement clarifying progress at 80A Queensway.

A statement from the Government follows below:

HM Government of Gibraltar welcomes the opportunity to update the public on progress at 80A Queensway, and notes that the GSD's statement contains no new criticism. It is a repeat of claims already addressed and rebutted in full in December 2024. 

Works have started. A contractor has been appointed. 

GJBS has been appointed as the main contractor and works are now under way on site. The first department to occupy the building will be Technical Services, expected to move in within approximately six months. This will vacate Sir Joshua Hassan House, which the Government intends to repurpose as a mental health facility, a direct public benefit that the GSD's statement ignores entirely. 

The remaining departments, are scheduled to follow within seven to nine months of Technical Services completing its move. Full planning permission for the first-floor main office fit-out has been granted. 

Why did it take this long to get to construction? 

Because the Government did it properly. Extensive consultation was carried out with all five departments to ensure that room layouts reflect actual operational needs and support future growth. The result is a significantly more capable building than what was originally envisaged: 

• Backup power generation to maintain Government services during outages

• Full air conditioning and ventilation to current standards 

• A dedicated entrance and sheltered carport for the Care Agency to support sensitive drop-off  requirements 

• Access control and CCTV throughout 

• A large central conference facility and departmental boardrooms 

• Secure ground-floor reception before access to the main HMGoG reception

• Approximately 70 to 90 parking spaces, including motorcycle bays 

• Infrastructure future-proofed to meet expanding IT demands across departments 

These are not minor additions, and it required detailed planning, revised drawings and coordination across multiple departments. That work has been done. The building going into occupation will be fit for purpose in a way that a rushed fit-out would not have been.

On the financial point 

The GSD's financial criticism was addressed comprehensively in December 2024 and nothing in today's statement adds anything to it. For the avoidance of doubt: the rent at 80a Queensway, at £28 per square foot, is the lowest contracted rent the Government pays across any of its rental agreements. Bassadone contributed £1.5 million to fit-out costs. When the £7.5 million sale premium and £2.5 million in discounts negotiated are set against the total lease cost, the net cost to the taxpayer over 22 years is approximately £2 million for modern, purpose-built accommodation for five departments. That figure speaks for itself. 

The Government also notes, as it has before, that Mr Bossino's law firm represented Bassadone in this transaction. His repeated attempts to frame a good deal as a bad one are difficult to separate from that conflict of interest. 

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said: 

"The GSD have been saying the same thing since December, and they were wrong then. Works are under way. A contractor is on site. Technical Services will be moving in within six months, freeing up Sir Joshua Hassan House for a mental health facility. The other departments follow shortly after. We took the time to plan this properly, modern offices, proper infrastructure, the right facilities for the people who work in them and the public they serve. That is what responsible Government looks like. We negotiated the cheapest rent in our portfolio, secured a £1.5 million contribution to fit-out costs and are delivering first-class accommodation for public servants. The GSD can keep repeating themselves. The facts do not change."