SUMMARIES OF SELECTED STATEMENTS G. MINISTRY OF ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS No statements on cases concluded in 2015 have been published. H. MINISTRY OF CULTURE The following statements on cases concluded in 2015 have been published: 2015-4. Public employees receiving gifts etc. and their participating in events together with a private companion The Ombudsman took up a case with the Ministry of Culture because three employees from the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties had received tickets for an event arranged by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) and had participated in the event with private companions. The tickets had been received in connection with contract negotiations with DR for the hire of one of the Agency’s properties for the event. During the case, the Ministry explained that the three employees’ participation was not of a representative nature but was based exclusively on official concerns (supervision of adherence to the hire contract and the future applications of the property). Consequently, the three employees’ participation in the event did not give the Ombudsman cause for comment. However, the Ombudsman and the Ministry agreed that the employees should not have brought private companions to the event. Furthermore, the Ombudsman considered it relevant to clarify if ‒ and if so, in what situations ‒ the Agency’s employees could participate in events with private companions. He asked the Ministry of Culture to inform him how the Ministry would ensure such a clarification. Incidentally, in its gift policy the Agency had set a minimum limit for when gifts from suppliers and clients were to be returned, so that gifts below a certain value could be kept by the Agency. In its reply to the Ombudsman, the Ministry of Culture stated that it was the Ministry’s view that basically all gifts should be returned. The Ministry would therefore ask the Agency to change its gift policy so that it was to be assessed specifically in each individual case whether a gift could be kept. On this basis, the Ombudsman found no grounds for taking further action in the matter. 141