| 67 3 January Targeted effort has reduced worrying processing times of Ministry of Immigration and Integration in a short time report, the Ombudsman has informed the authorities that the information which has now become available does not change his assessment of the overall conditions for children housed at the Centre. The Ombudsman recently expressed ‘serious concern’ about the processing times of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration in cases about access to documents or information. The Ministry has subsequently informed the Ombudsman that it has made a targeted effort to reduce its processing times in these cases. In his report of 20 December 2018 the Ombudsman concluded that children at Departure Centre Sjælsmark were – generally speaking – to be regarded as living under difficult conditions. Fresh figures from the Ministry show that in recent months a special task force has significantly reduced the number of pending cases about access to documents or information. Conference: Whistle-blowing and the right of public employees to whistleblow — the law, the current situation and the dilemmas 9 January 4 January Ombudsman recommends Department of Prisons and Probation to increase its awareness in relation to use of pepper spray In 2017 pepper spray was used on inmates in Danish state and local prisons on 125 occasions – almost twice as frequently as the year before. The Ombudsman now recommends that the Department of Prisons and Probation consider whether further initiatives are needed to ensure that pepper spray is used in accordance with the rules. 8 January What is understood by whistle-blowing and the right of public employees to whistle-blow? What are the rules? Are whistle-blowers adequately protected? What are the dilemmas? These are some of the central questions which will be addressed at a conference hosted jointly by the Parliamentary Ombudsman and Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee. The questions will be explored from legal, sociological and legal-political perspectives. 16 January Homeless man got his cash benefit back after a period on integration benefit On 20 December 2018 the Ombudsman submitted a report on the conditions for children housed at Departure Centre Sjælsmark. In order for a person to be eligible for cash benefit, he or she must be able to document having lived in Denmark for at least seven out of the last eight years. According to the authorities a homeless man was unable to document this. His cash benefit was therefore discontinued and he was instead put on integration benefit, which meant that he was paid less than before. Although it has now emerged that some children had been staying longer at the Centre than stated his Following the Ombudsman’s investigation of the matter, the homeless man got his cash benefit back. Departure Centre Sjælsmark: New information about how long children had been staying at Centre does not change Ombudsman’s assessment