Labour-controlled Welsh Government splurges £34,000 on dozens of 'luxury' office chairs - despite most desks being unused due to staff working from home

  • Fourteen of them were purchased after the first 2020 national Covid lockdown

By JAMES TOZER, NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT

Published: | Updated:

The Labour-controlled Welsh Government has bought ‘luxury’ office chairs costing almost £900 each - despite the majority of desks being mostly unused due to working from home.

Since March 2019, officials have spent £33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface, figures released under Freedom of Information laws revealed today - 14 of them purchased after the first national Covid lockdown in 2020.

Since the pandemic, the Cardiff government has encouraged working from home.

Last year it was revealed that Welsh Government offices in Cardiff had 2,967 desks - but only 14 per cent were used by civil servants on average.

At its Bedwas office complex, the 206 desks were occupied just eight per cent of the time.

Since March 2019, officials have spent £33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface (pictured)
Since March 2019, officials have spent £33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface (pictured)

Since March 2019, officials have spent £33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface (pictured)

According to the Cardiff administration, some of the chairs were to replace furniture damaged by Storm Dennis in February 2020

According to the Cardiff administration, some of the chairs were to replace furniture damaged by Storm Dennis in February 2020

Tory MS Janet Finch-Saunders said: ¿The public sector should not be replacing furniture, even if damaged during floods, with designer goods¿

Tory MS Janet Finch-Saunders said: ‘The public sector should not be replacing furniture, even if damaged during floods, with designer goods’

According to the Cardiff administration, some of the chairs were to replace furniture damaged by Storm Dennis in February 2020.

The price has steadily increased since 2019 to nearly £900 today.

But Tory MS Janet Finch-Saunders said: ‘The public sector should not be replacing furniture, even if damaged during floods, with designer goods.’

She added: ‘A quarter of a century on since the founding of devolution, we are still with the same Welsh Labour Government and they are behaving like champagne socialists with taxpayers’ money.

‘How ridiculous to buy luxury chairs at a time when staff are working from home, and people are struggling with daily costs.’

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said it operated a policy of ‘flexible working’ including ‘working from the office, remotely from other locations, and from home’.

‘The purchases outlined in the FOI response include those made both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic as part of incremental refurbishment activity, and to replace items damaged following flooding during Storm Dennis,’ she added.

‘We proactively look to repurpose our furniture across our estate before making any new purchases.’

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