Sports tickets, hampers and vouchers for Welsh government staff

Gareth Bale helped Wales beat Austria in a 2022 World Cup qualifying match, with Welsh government staff getting £250 tickets for free

Sports tickets, hampers, chocolates, flowers and vouchers are among the gifts accepted by Welsh government staff over the last five years.

Rugby, football and cricket international matches, champagne, wine and food hampers are on the list of gifts accepted. Attending the England v New Zealand cricket match in September 2023 was valued at £1,080.

Two £100 One4All gift vouchers were accepted, which can be spent at a range of retailers including restaurants, fashion and beauty stores.

The Welsh government says employees must not accept gifts or hospitality "which might foster the suspicion of a conflict between our official duties and our private interests".

The register includes gifts of chocolate and wine

The Welsh government does not publish its register of gifts accepted by civil servants but BBC Wales obtained the register for the past five years under the Freedom of Information Act.

Flowers ranged from "a belated thank you for work in the energy policy division, £30" to an £85 bouquet.

Two tickets for the Wales v Scotland Six Nations rugby international were valued at £300 each, a ticket for a Wales v Australia rugby Autumn international was listed as costing between £50 and £100 and a Wales v Fiji rugby match was priced at "less than £200".

One entry includes a typographical error stating that staff were gifted tickets at £250 per head to see "Australia v Wales football match" on 24 March 2022 - the night Wales beat Austria 2-1 in the World Cup play-off.

A "bottle of Penderyn whisky and rum" worth £64 was accepted and then donated to charity

A "World Supercross Grand Prix" ticket was listed as costing £180.

A "Zoom call and a drink" during coronavirus restrictions in February 2021 was priced at "£20 to £50".

Lunches and dinners account for most of the hospitality. Among other gifts accepted were:

• "Various gifts" £130

• A wooden building set worth £25

• Food hamper £50

• Two other hampers, £20 each

• Two boxes of Christmas chocolates, £90

• An ornamental globe £15

• Small bottle of wine & three small ornamental elephants, £25

• Bottle of Moët champagne, £45

• Engraved vase, £20

• "Cariad Dog Therapy - robotic dog £50". Cariad Pet Therapy is a not-for-profit community interest company which says it "creates consenting connections between humans and dogs for their mutual benefit".

Accommodation, flights and travel costs amounting to €1,128 (£991) were gifted for an official to attend and speak at the International Health Impact Assessment Conference in Madrid earlier this year, organised by the European Public Health Association.

Hospitality, an overnight stay and travel for an official to speak at the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and Health Tech Ireland Leadership Forum amounted to around £500 this year.

'Suspicion of a conflict'

The guidance for Welsh government staff on gifts states: "As civil servants, we must not accept gifts, hospitality or other benefits which might foster the suspicion of a conflict between our official duties and our private interests.

"This means that you should politely decline offers of gifts, rewards or hospitality received in the course of your official duties unless they fall into one of the exceptions defined in our gifts, rewards and hospitality policy, such as:

• those with an estimated value of £20 or less

• those with a value of more than £20 but which are reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances, e.g. a working sandwich or buffet lunch at a conference or other work-related event

"Any offers of gifts, rewards or hospitality worth more than £20 must be declared to your line manager (whether or not you accept)," it adds.

A book on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding was among the gifts accepted over the previous three years.

While most gifts to civil servants are not routinely made public, the expenses and hospitality of Welsh government board members - the permanent secretary and director generals - are published and are mostly comprised of travelling and accommodation costs.

Latest figures show there are 5,932 staff in the Welsh government.

All Senedd members, including ministers in the Welsh government, must complete a register of interests, which includes a category of "gifts, hospitality, material benefit or advantage".