Welsh Conservatives have cast doubt over an external Welsh Government PR pot costing the taxpayer well over a million pounds.

The 'Public Relations Services Framework' went out to tender earlier this year and eleven companies have won the right to compete for government contracts in Wales.

In her response to a Welsh Conservative written question, Labour's finance minister calls the framework a cost effective means of procuring additional media support from companies where required.

She goes on to say that eleven companies will participate in mini-competitions for media and publicity work.

Highlighting the significant resources already put into the communication of government messages, Welsh Conservatives have questioned the cost effectiveness of an extensive and additional external PR cache.

The Welsh Labour Government already employs 97.2 (FTE) staff within its communications department, at an annual cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Earlier this year, the Permanent Secretary told Welsh Conservatives that these staff work on a variety of media and communications-related tasks, including:

• Maintenance and development of corporate digital channels
• Stakeholder information publications
• Graphic design
• Events organisations
• Major public marketing campaigns

An average of five thousand pounds a month is also spent by the Welsh Government on the monitoring of media coverage it receives.

Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Paul Davies, who obtained information relating to the PR Framework, said:

"We welcome public engagement – but Labour's brazen PR machine knows no limits.

"Taxpayers will rightly question how Labour ministers can justify both an in-house communications army – and a mammoth external PR cash pot.

"It is absolutely vital that Welsh business benefits from public procurement here – but the spending of public money should always be cost-effective and justifiable.

"Labour's first minister should explain why he's determined to spend more and more on vain publicity – when he already has adequate resources."

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance, Nick Ramsay AM, said:

"At a time when the NHS is facing record-breaking budget cuts and other frontline services continue to feel the pinch, I fear another million on Labour PR is nothing more than a vain extravagance.

"Boosting the amount of Welsh businesses benefitting from public contracts is crucial and far more needs to be done to ensure this aim.

"However - effectively buying the potential for more media coverage is extremely questionable and I urge Labour ministers to explain how Wales will benefit."