Nick Bourne

The Welsh Conservatives have criticised plans to spend £6 million on furniture for the new Cardiff assembly.

Nick Bourne, the party's leader in the assembly, said he was "stunned" to learn that the bill also included new furniture for staff working from home.

Bourne highlighted details of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It said the contract covers the "supply and install office furniture such as, but not exclusively, seating and other furniture complementary to the design of the new assembly debating chamber, comfortable seating designs for reception areas" and also "furniture for homeworking".

The Tories said this contradicted earlier assurances by finance minister Sue Essex that "procurement is purely for furniture in the new building".

The total value of the contract for furniture in all assembly buildings is estimated to total around £6 million.

"I was stunned to find my worst fears confirmed. I asked this question nearly five months ago and received a denial about furniture for working from home. The contract makes it clear that it covers this," said Bourne.

"£6m for furniture is massively over the top in any event but comes on top of the staggering £55m for the new assembly building whose costs have already spiralled out of control."