Question Time

TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions today will be answered by Minister Johan Forssell, Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson, Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer, and Minister Niklas Wykman.

A question must be of an overarching and general political nature or concern a subject that falls within the Minister's area of responsibility and concerns his performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties. Minister Johan Forssell answers both general political questions and questions within his own area of responsibility.

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Annika Strandhäll (S)

Madam Speaker! The Prison and Probation Service is growing beyond all limits right now. To manage this expansion, the Prison and Probation Service needs to invest in significantly more employees, as is written in its own budget proposal.

The Prison and Probation Service requested 750 million and was allocated barely a third in the government's budget. My question to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer is therefore how the government intends to manage to finance the expansion of the Prison and Probation Service.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Many thanks for that question, Annika Strandhäll! It is quite true that the correctional services are in an expansive phase. The state it was in when we took over makes it perhaps possible for one to be somewhat humble from the red-green side. We are now doing everything we can to set the ship straight.

Regarding the appropriations, Kriminalvården has received everything it requested. When it comes to the 750 million, there are three parts: competence supply, expansion of facilities, and compensation for inflation.

The Prison and Probation Service's request targeted the autumn, but we were kind enough to send away a third of the money already during the spring to confirm that the help is on the way. For the rest, we will return to the autumn in accordance with what the Prison and Probation Service has requested.

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Annika Strandhäll (S)

Madam Speaker! The Prison and Probation Service has also conducted an analysis of the consequences of the Tidö Agreement, where it is estimated that the number of prison years could increase from 3,300 to 4,900 if this is implemented. It will require an expansion from 11 to 16 large institutions, and the staffing requirement will increase significantly with thousands of new full-time employees at a cost of up to 10 billion annually.

Will the government be going to do this?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you very much for the question, member!

I truly welcome the material from the Prison and Probation Service. It was we ourselves who ordered it and ordered it directly in our regulatory letter in order to quickly obtain a proper basis for the planning required when we see the intended effects of the reorganization of criminal policy that we are now undertaking, namely to ensure that more people who commit truly serious crimes that are grave against crime victims and against our entire democracy will be imprisoned for longer.

We will return to the concrete planning.

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Pontus Andersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! New prisons can take up to ten years to build, from planning until the first prisoners are on site.

The Prison and Probation Service expects the need for places to double as a result of the Tidö Agreement's increased sentencing, and as it stands now, over 2,000 people are free awaiting a prison place.

The government has initiated the work on bunk beds and modules, and the question of renting prison places abroad is included in the Tidö Agreement.

One of the state's most important tasks is to ensure that citizens are protected from dangerous individuals. As SD's and the government's increased penalties come into effect, the need for prison places will also increase.

Does the Minister for Justice see any alternative proposals other than those previously mentioned to have new and more prison places in place as soon as possible?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question, which is in the same direction as the previous questioner's.

I think that Pontus Andersson himself was on to the most important tools. It will require a breadth of different measures to achieve an expansion.

It is about building more prisons, and it is about densification. For example, I was in Ystad on Friday, where they have built 53 restriction detention places in modules that take 12 months to set up. It is, so to speak, a densification of the physical spaces that already exist inside walls and fences.

Of the 4,500 prison places that exist in Sweden, only 900 today accommodate bunk beds. There will need to be more.

We are, as said, looking at the possibility of renting out positions abroad.

There are a number of different things to do, and we are prepared to do pretty much everything that is required.

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Pontus Andersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! People's safety and the redress of crime victims must be prioritized and constantly remain in focus. Regardless of whether we are talking about bunk beds and modules or prison places abroad, we must ensure that funds are allocated to carry this out.

Another problem we have today is that we do not allow foreign criminals to serve their sentence in their home country if the standard of that country's prisons is lower than ours. Does the Minister believe that we should continue to take into account lower prison standards in criminals' home countries and thus allow foreign criminals to occupy places in expensive Swedish institutions?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I also think it is a great and important opportunity for more people to serve their sentences in their home countries.

The standard question is one aspect of this; then there are others. One is that we must ensure that people will serve their sentences in their home countries. In many places, there is corruption that causes people to be released earlier than we intended. Then we have issues of execution—the risk of torture and other things. But to the extent that it is possible to ensure good detention even in other countries, I am fully prepared to do that as well.

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Frida Tånghag (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is to Minister for Integration Johan Pehrson.

It was still somewhat uplifting that the government chose to highlight the Left Party's policy when, at the end of April, it was announced that those who fled the war in Ukraine and received residence permits through the mass flight directive shall be allowed to register their address in Sweden and receive expanded access to our welfare and the opportunity for establishment in society. But the government's reluctance to act shines through even here, as this is not to become possible until 2024.

Have those who have fled the war in Ukraine not suffered enough? Should they not also be granted justice and reasonable opportunities for a stable existence? And why is the government not acting now regarding allowing the civil registration of Ukrainian refugees in Sweden?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Frida Tånghag, for a very important question! Sweden is making great efforts to help the brave Ukrainian people, who are fighting for freedom - also our freedom. Do not believe that Putin's murderous regime will stop if it were to succeed in suppressing Ukraine.

We make many efforts, but one thing is to give people protection according to the mass flight directive. It is so significant that Europe can unite and ensure that people receive protection in their vicinity. We take a large part, but many other countries take an even larger part.

We are looking at the question of how we can move forward faster when it comes to population registration, but that requires legislation. If we move forward, this can happen earlier, but otherwise we know that it will happen automatically from the beginning of next year.

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Frida Tånghag (V)

Madam Speaker! As appears from the committee initiative that Vänsterpartiet submitted at the end of February, it is very much possible to carry this out. It is possible to make the situation better now by allowing population registration, which is a very simple measure that would make a big difference. What shines through, however, is the government's total unwillingness to act. One just stands and watches even though it is actually possible to act now.

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! The requirement for preparation means that we must ensure that, in such a case, investigations are put in place. One cannot simply enact a law and then all people from Ukraine who are here under the mass flight directive are registered in the population register. It is in many ways sad when it comes to such an urgent issue, but that is how it looks.

So let us compete! See to it that Vänsterpartiet pushes a proposal that gathers a majority in the committee and see if it gets as far as we can manage – that is the alternative. But we do everything we can to now give these people protection and the opportunity for integration here in Sweden.

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Anders Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker and Minister Forssell! In Sweden, the relationship between the Riksdag and the government and the country's educational institutions rests on something as inherently Swedish as trust, consensus, and respect for different roles in society. But now, the government has decided on very short notice to shorten the term of office for boards from three years to 17 months. Different government representatives give different explanations. The picture is murky and the reasons unclear.

Rectors, professors and teachers express in unison that institutional academic freedom is under threat, that is to say the universities' possibilities for self-governance as free and independent actors in relation to, for example, the government, the Riksdag and the market.

My question to Minister Forssell is: Is it the government's intention that the direct control of Sweden's universities and colleges must increase?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Anders Ådahl, for this important question on a current topic! Let me once again, on behalf of the entire government, state that academic freedom in Sweden is a cornerstone and will, of course, continue to be so.

We have, Madam Speaker, a new security policy situation, which I do not believe has passed unnoticed by this chamber. In light of this, it is clear that we must take a number of measures. One such measure is to provide the boards with the security policy competence. We have received a number of quite alarming reports that there are some security policy challenges in this area.

I want to emphasize that the plan is to, after this temporary reduction to 17 months, which has actually been done previously in Sweden, return to the usual period of three years - this we have been clear about.

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Anders Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker! I share the image and the perception that we should not be naive but must see the security threats; there we draw the same conclusion, and I agree with this. But my question did not actually concern the image of the types of threats but whether the government considers it reasonable to restrict academic freedom and directly appoint people to university boards. Normally, the ownership interest is handled through regulatory letters and a developed ownership dialogue.

Once again - does the government wish to rule by direct decree?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! We naturally understand that the decisions we make are justified – otherwise, we would not make them. Ultimately, it is the government that holds the power of appointment.

But let me once again emphasize the fact that we have a new security policy situation. We have neither the means nor the time to be naive in this situation. I think this debate has run away very far. Huge words have been used regarding something that should actually be quite obvious in the difficult security policy situation we have right now.

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Rebecka Le Moine (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Justice. On April 27, the government decided to break the law. The decision states that the environmental quality standard means that in principle no new emissions of PFOS can be allowed. Yet, the government still decided that the defense is allowed to pump out large amounts of PFOS into the drinking water source Vättern.

This is a major problem, because PFOS and PFAS are so-called forever chemicals. They are also suspected to be carcinogenic. Already today, Swedish youths have twice as high a level of PFAS in their bodies as other youths - the highest levels in all of Europe. The Swedish Food Agency has a maximum limit for how much PFAS may occur in a drinking water source. Now, they are allowing six times as high levels.

Does the Minister for Justice agree that we are in a situation today where the principles of the rule of law are to be abandoned and that it should be permissible for the government to violate both the Environmental Code and EU directives?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Rebecka Le Moine, for the question! I will be perfectly sincere and say that I am not deeply familiar with the circumstances that the questioner highlights. I imagine that this question belongs in another department than the Ministry of Justice.

With this said, I would like to assure the questioner and the Chamber that this government does not make any decisions that contravene laws. Should individuals or others venture to experience that there is such a risk, this is, of course, something that must be examined in each individual case and according to the administrative law model we have here in the country.

As was said, the government's decision does not, of course, conflict with any legislation. I look forward to such questions being tested in court or in some other way, where applicable.

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Rebecka Le Moine (MP)

Madam Speaker! It is primarily in times of unrest that we politicians must stand up for democratic principles of law. Of course, the defense wants to practice more and also cooperate with other countries, but as the CEO of Svenskt Vatten says: "We cannot defend a country by destroying what we live off of, that is to say drinking water or the environment we have."

Must the government not safeguard the environmental legislation in today's threatening situation?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! It is evident in this matter that there is a balance to be struck between very legitimate interests – both the security and defense policy interests and important environmental and health interests. I assume that this balance is made in a judicious manner, both in legislation and in government decisions and, eventually, in concrete permit cases and other matters, where a balance is made in each individual case. Ultimately, this is a matter of a review in the administrative court system.

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Fredrik Saweståhl (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Development Cooperation and Trade Johan Forssell. The much-anticipated change of government this autumn means that we can get Sweden in order. This includes shifting the development cooperation policy from maximizing spending to maximizing results.

In the restructured aid policy, the government has signaled a focus on support for democracy movements, democracy, and human rights activists.

Democracy, freedom, and for that matter free elections are under threat. The values we stand for are under attack both in our immediate vicinity and far out in the world. It is therefore of importance that Sweden, with our credibility, stands up for support for democracy and human rights defenders and for organizations that work for human rights, for democratic principles, and for more people to be able to vote in free elections.

My question is therefore: How will the government work with support for those who stand up for this freedom, and how can we contribute to working towards more free elections?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Fredrik Saweståhl, for the question!

Of course, the support for defenders of democracy around the world is strongly prioritized by the government and by Sweden as a whole, I would say. This is also an area that we have pointed out clearly as a priority. This is reflected, for example, in the budget that is in place for this year and the fact that the support called the democracy billion is also increasing to exactly 1 billion kronor. It will be used for this.

Then it is not just about money. In the long run, we must also ensure that the countries concerned can develop in a peaceful direction towards more rule of law, more trade, and more openness. In that regard, we are working, among other things, to find synergies between the important aid policy and the trade policy to break into new markets and to enable this.

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Fredrik Saweståhl (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! It is positive and pleasing that the funds for this are increasing. It is of course also extremely positive that we are trying to link aid with trade and the rule of law principles and everything that is needed to build a safe and good society. I wonder as a follow-up regarding this with the democracy billion if the Minister can say anything about our focus on Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! Ukraine is a cornerstone of our aid policy, and it will remain so during this mandate period and probably also for a long time to come, for simple reasons. We are working very broadly in Ukraine. Right now, it is about providing extensive humanitarian support - extensive military support as well, of course - but also about planning for peace. That is where the important trade policy comes in. It is about getting all our fantastic Swedish export companies in, so that we can begin to rebuild Ukraine. There is no task on my desk that is more important than this.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question this time is addressed to Johan Pehrson, particularly in his role as Minister for Integration.

Civil society has many times borne a great responsibility. We can see how it was during the 1990s with the Balkans or during 2015-2016 with Syria and in the discussion regarding Ukraine that we have now. There, churches, communities and individuals have worked very hard to ensure that society functions.

At the same time, we unfortunately see that there is cheating in our systems. The National Audit Office points out in the report Trust and Control a considerable amount of problematic issues where undemocratic organizations may have received money in a completely incorrect manner.

Then I come to my first question, and it is: What is the Minister for Integration and the government doing to curb the unserious actions that are occurring and at the same time support and encourage the good forces in society?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Magnus Jacobsson, for an important question! It is not only authorities, wise political decisions, companies, academia and other things that are required to build a society, but it also requires voluntary forces. It is required that we engage in various associations to try to make a difference where, for example, authorities do not always reach.

We have extensive financial support that we provide to everything from Civil Rights Defenders to various church associations and sports clubs. It is a whole palette to make this strong civil society grow.

Here and there, however, dishonest people sneak in. We are now increasing the control and trying to follow up on this even more strongly, among other things following the reports from the Swedish National Audit Office and others. It has been possible to see that money disappears on its way to the wrong thing or even to things that are against democracy. We will continue that work. The right money shall go to the right person.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! One of the fine privileges we who sit in the Riksdag have is the opportunity to go out and conduct study visits.

During the past term, I have been in Malmö and listened to how one works with language. I have been in Örebro and listened to how one trains people as solar technicians. I have been in Lerum and listened to how one works with housing support workers. At home in Uddevalla, we have a group of people with a commitment to Ukraine who have gotten over 100 people into jobs. Here we see the positive parts of civil society.

What is the government doing to strengthen these positive forces?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! What I said in my previous contribution was a bit dull – that we needed to control more, so that the right person or the right organization gets the right money. It is important that the money does not go to the wrong place.

But we are investing heavily in increasing women's organization in vulnerable areas. We are investing in sports clubs and in reaching out in different ways to the areas where much support and help is needed. Just regarding Ukraine, we have, via European funds, i.e., the ESF fund and such, made major efforts with over half a billion kronor to help people from Ukraine to get help and support and not least jobs or language instruction.

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Joar Forssell (L)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Minister Forssell.

In recent days, Palestinian terrorists have fired cascade after cascade of rockets against the democracy Israel. Furthermore, 25 percent of the rockets land on Palestinian territory and kill Palestinian civilians. They are thus a threat to both Palestinian civilians and Israeli civilians, as well as to peace.

At the same time, it has been well documented since earlier how Swedish money via aid has gone towards underpinning and financing terrorism or terrorists from Palestine. There are examples of Palestinian terrorists having received communication training from Sweden - not for the purpose of communicating terrorism but for other purposes - and used it to spread hate propaganda.

Can the government guarantee that the remaining aid is not used to support terrorism?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Joar Forssell, for an important question!

In the government, we have just initiated work to develop a reform agenda to ensure that Swedish taxpayers always know that their tax money is used in an efficient way when we generously give 56 billion kronor in aid every year from Sweden.

We are still in the beginning of this work. A good deal of changes we have already managed to complete. One can note that the Swedish bilateral support to Palestine this year will decrease quite significantly after the very extensive increase that has occurred during the recent years.

It would, however, be wrong of me to say that we are already there and have all the answers, because we do not. But the work is underway. The direction is very clear: Swedish taxpayers' money must always go to the right things and - it is so obvious that one does not even need to say it - naturally not be used to finance terrorism.

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Joar Forssell (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister Forssell, for the answer! It is obvious that this is not just about direct financing to terrorists, but it is also about money that can end up with people who indirectly support terrorism or indirectly support hate propaganda, Islamism or antisemitism. It is clear that every krona that at any stage risks ending up with people who in some way are involved in this type of crime damages our relationship with the democracy Israel. It also damages the possibilities of reaching a solution to this long-standing conflict.

I wish that the government should work even harder to ensure that this does not happen in the future.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! I can assure Joar Forssell that the issue ranks very high on our agenda.

We naturally stand behind a two-state solution, I want to say – there are indeed oversteps occurring here from different sides. But the direction for the aid specifically is very clear and distinct, and there have appeared reports, for example, about aid funds being used to finance various textbooks in a way that is simply reprehensible. We take all these reports very seriously, and we are keen to work through the issue. We will return to the Riksdag.

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Kalle Olsson (S)

Madam Speaker! Earlier this spring, the news came that Attacus Stomsystem Betong in Strömsund municipality in my constituency Jämtlands län has been filed for bankruptcy. Over 200 employees risk being without work soon.

The concern is naturally great in the region because the subcontracting chain will also be affected, with even more layoffs as a result. In our large cities, a bankruptcy of this size would perhaps correspond to a closed Torslanda factory – thousands of jobs.

The bankruptcy is a consequence of the fact that the market for the production of multi-family housing has frozen, and one can well observe that the government's decision to scrap the investment support had a rare poor timing.

My question to Minister Pehrson is what message he has for the construction and industrial workers in Hammerdal in Strömsund and in other places who now face the risk of strike notices and layoffs. Will the government act to meet the crisis in the construction industry, or is the answer – to quote the Prime Minister – that they just have to bite the bullet?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! The Swedish labor market is under pressure. People in our country are under pressure.

The recession which, together with high inflation, is pressing people, is like a pair of pliers when it comes to being able to take many measures that we would like to see to strengthen Swedish competitiveness and Swedish growth power in the long run. We must, quite simply, do everything to beat out the inflation that makes us all collectively poorer.

We still have a strong situation in the Swedish labor market: Many reforms we have made during previous years continue to deliver, and unemployment in Sweden is falling right now. But that being said, there are many industries, for example the single-family housing industry and retail, which are heavily affected in this economic situation. We are following this closely. We ensure that there are good opportunities for further education and retraining, and we have an unemployment insurance fund that is to deliver when people fall into the pain of unemployment.

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Angelika Bengtsson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Match-fixing is an issue that is constantly relevant. We know that criminal gangs have nested themselves into sports to fix matches to their own advantage.

The previous government flatly refused to sign the Macolin Convention, referring to the fact that they wanted to await the EU's response. Sweden, together with Malta, are the only countries in the EU that have refused to sign. Now we see the consequences of that. It has led to us falling behind in the work to counter match-fixing.

With a new government in place, I want to ask the same question. How is the work to counter match-fixing progressing, and when will the government sign the Macolin Convention?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I want to begin by stating that the question does not fall directly under my area of responsibility – it is Jakob Forssmed who handles it – but that I, as the person responsible for gaming issues, felt most affected. Since the questioner did not address any particular minister, I thought that I could answer the question.

In Sweden, we have a principle for how we handle the signing of international documents, and we adhere to it. But I can please the questioner by stating that this work is ongoing in the Government Offices. There is, therefore, a process for this.

One can also observe that match-fixing, just as the questioner says, is a significant problem. It can be used both to create criminal profits and to launder criminal profits, and enormous pressure can be exerted on individual athletes in this. Intensive work is also ongoing on the gambling regulation side. The interested party can also note, for example, that we already this spring added more resources to Spelinspektionen to work against, among other things, money laundering.

So, active work is being carried out in more parts than what is being requested.

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Ciczie Weidby (V)

Madam Speaker! According to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson, the unemployed are too picky, and they should move to where the jobs are, even if it splits families. Pehrson does not seem to know that the unemployed actually apply for an average of five to eight jobs per month and that requirements are already in place today that one must take suitable jobs and move when the need arises.

It is also not particularly fat to be unemployed; the average net compensation from the unemployment insurance fund in 2022 was 13,117 kronor. How does Pehrson mean that such an income is fat, considering that it actually lies below the threshold for relative poverty according to the EU's definition?

Why does the Minister for Employment not choose to stop inciting those who are unemployed and instead invest in an active labor market policy that equips the unemployed to take the jobs that exist?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! I am glad that many follow me on social media platforms and also glad that it is being noted that ensuring that people get into work is difficult. It involves both requirements and opportunities. The Government increased many social benefits at the beginning of the year. We have also permanently established a higher level for a-kassan, as it is an important transition insurance.

Despite the fact that unemployment in Sweden is now falling, there are still very many people who are unemployed, and many have been unemployed for a long time - at the same time as there are hundreds of thousands of vacant jobs. That is what cannot be allowed to continue. We need to get better at directing people toward education and toward other jobs, and in some cases, people also need to be prepared to move to where the jobs are. That is the only way we can re-establish and maintain the work line that is necessary if we are to be able to build more schools and more elderly care homes as well as pay for our common welfare.

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Martina Johansson (C)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer. It concerns the subject of family law, where the legislation is quite old and reflects old values.

We can take the example of the Children and Parents Code, for which a decision was made in 1949. The ministers who were responsible at that time were born between 1888 and 1906. The legislation therefore rests on old values, and in the legislation, a man and a woman are married and have children together. Everything else is something else. To take a concrete example: If one is unmarried and has a child, it is only the mother who gets automatic custody of the child. The father gets it if the mother puts a cross in the box for joint custody. This creates a situation where the children get an unequal picture of the parents' value.

My question to the Minister is therefore when the Minister will address this issue and change the legislation so that both parents already from birth receive the same value from the child's perspective.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I believe – unfortunately, I was about to say – that there is quite a lot of legislation that could be traced back to people born at the beginning of the last century or perhaps even even earlier. But nevertheless, modernizations of the legislation have occurred along the way; this applies to family law, contract law, criminal law, procedural law and much more.

When it comes to family law, I believe that a broader family law approach is actually a bit too much to handle. On the other hand, there are individual parts that I believe there are great reasons to review. One of the issues we have previously discussed jointly, and where all parties have also stood behind a common approach, concerns certain family law issues, for example division of property, where there is reason to adapt to actual conditions.

I do not think the question the questioner is now raising is actually entirely uncomplicated. I am happy to discuss it further, but I have no concrete information today.

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Rasmus Ling (MP)

Madam Speaker! On November 11, 2015, border controls were introduced for travelers from Denmark to Sweden. They were introduced for ten days, but seven and a half years and more than 2,700 days later, they are still in place. They have been extended in rounds, with different justifications.

This has had enormously negative consequences for the Öresund integration. It has utilized police resources that one might think could have been used more effectively. With great probability, the controls are also illegal and violate EU law.

Madam Speaker! My question to the Minister for Justice is: Is the government's ambition to abolish the border controls at some point and if so, when?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! The government's ambition is to ensure that we have control over our borders. We are also convinced that this can be very well reconciled with a free movement for people who commute for work or move across our borders on a daily basis for other very legitimate reasons.

It is quite true that the border controls we are now talking about are reviewed every six months. That is our duty to do. But as long as we experience that there are reasons to reintroduce the controls, we will, of course, do so.

The reasons we have had cause to emphasize in connection with the latest decision are the fact that Sweden has moved from being a legitimate target for terrorists to a prioritized target for terrorists, and it is something that has occurred only during the last few months.

In that light, we have decided to reintroduce the border controls for an additional six-month period. When the six months are nearing their end, we will, of course, examine whether there are grounds to further extend the controls.

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Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Foreign Trade Johan Forssell.

The Swedish presidency in the EU has competitiveness as its guiding star, and it is of great importance for Sweden to promote free trade.

The free trade agreement with New Zealand is in the pipeline for final negotiations, Australia is available for negotiation and India is also on a list. Recently there was an election in Brazil, and the so-called Mercosur between Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay is also included as a part. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope to expect.

I therefore wonder what the current situation is and what we can expect moving forward.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! It is entirely correct that we are working very hard to secure new free trade agreements between the European Union and many other countries and regions. That work has, however, been somewhat sidelined in recent years. The Union has, and this is fully understandable, concentrated its work on a number of other things. There has been covid, the refugee crisis, etcetera.

Fundamentally, it is the rules-based trade with the rest of the world and, of course, also the internal market that builds Europe's prosperity. A cornerstone for the Swedish presidency is precisely competitiveness, and that involves both removing the various trade barriers that exist internally and signing more free trade agreements.

Just as Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson says, it is New Zealand that is first in line. It is a small but nevertheless important country. We are also hoping for Australia. Negotiations are also ongoing with India, Chile, and Mexico, as well as with Indonesia, which is a giant market. In addition to this, we have the agreement with Mercosur, which we hope our friends in Spain will be able to sign during their presidency, even though it would have been nice if it had happened during the Swedish presidency.

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Lili André (KD)

Madam Speaker! Sweden now has a government that ensures the Police Authority receives both resources and tools to create safety throughout our country. In the budget bill for 2023, the appropriation for the Police Authority is increased by 3.2 billion kronor.

Despite this, I encounter a concern in my home county of Gävleborg that police stations will be closed. Despite the reinforcements and investments being made by our government, the concern remains, something that may be due to the suspicion that resources will be concentrated in the large cities.

I therefore want to direct my question to Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer and give the Minister the chance to alleviate this concern and explain how the government will ensure that we have a police authority that functions both in the big city and out in the heartland.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Lili André, for the extraordinarily important question!

There is no doubt whatsoever that the great growth of the police that we see ahead of us shall, naturally, be a growth that will benefit the entire country. Regardless of whether it concerns large cities, medium-sized cities, or rural areas, the citizens shall be able to count on the police being there for them. It is about both the physical presence and the accessibility in other ways, for example, that someone answers the phone when one calls or whatever it may be.

There are circumstances that suggest that the growth so far has occurred to an all too high degree at the top of the pyramid. When we now, as the questioner very rightly says, are going to make record investments in the police moving forward, it is clear that with that follows a very justified expectation that the growth will occur throughout the country, out in the capillaries, in the field and in the investigative work, close to the citizens.

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Zinaida Kajevic (S)

Madam Speaker! In the difficult economic situation we find ourselves in, the monetary and fiscal policy must be well-balanced so that Sweden can return to low inflation without risking financial stability.

The Riksbank's and the government's ability to conduct this well-balanced policy is severely limited by the lack of statistics on how households' debts and assets are distributed. It is then more difficult to make an assessment of what effects the policy will have and also to evaluate the policy afterwards.

The investigation A new statistic on household assets and debts has been presented, and the referral period has expired. In today's hearing of the Committee on Finance, we once again heard the Fiscal Policy Council's view on the issue. They are calling for exactly this statistic. It is the same recommendation that the Riksbank, the Financial Supervisory Authority, and the OECD have made.

My question to Minister Niklas Wykman is when he will provide an announcement on how and if the government will proceed with the commission's proposals.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Zinaida Kajevic!

For a long time in Sweden, there has been an entirely too great amount of disorder in everything from population registration to how things look on streets and squares. Step by step, this government is tackling those problems.

When it comes to household debts and assets, I want to be very clear that under no circumstances is it relevant, no matter what the Social Democrats want, to build up an infrastructure to introduce a wealth tax in Sweden. It is completely ruled out.

When it comes to the statistical needs, there are several investigations that have been working. We have the investigation on assets and liabilities, and we are also awaiting results regarding the over-indebtedness investigation that exists, where a debt register is to be considered, among other things.

There is an opportunity here to improve the statistical basis. If the answers are within the investigation or if we need to work further, we will return to it in good order.

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Richard Jomshof (SD)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer.

On Monday, two boys, aged 14 and 15, escaped from a Sis-home outside Gothenburg by climbing over a fence. They are suspected of two separate shootings in Stockholm.

This is actually the third escape in a short period, the second from a Sis-hem. Just a few weeks ago, as is known, a 17-year-old was released under threat of weapons in connection with a dentist visit in Södertälje. It has turned out that electronic communication was crucial for the release to be carried out in that case. The events show clear deficiencies regarding how the Sis-hems and the security surrounding them function.

One of the proposals within the framework of the Tidö Agreement is that special youth prisons shall be established for the seriously criminal youths. But besides that: Does the government intend to act on the issue regarding the growing problem of escapes from Sis-homes, and if so, how? It would be interesting to hear.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Richard Jomshof, for the extraordinarily important question!

All these escapes, or acquittals, that we are talking about now are an expression of an order that, simply put, is not sufficiently secure and is not sufficiently well-functioning. It is a top priority for this government to clarify those question marks and resolve the problems that we have taken over.

Regarding the concrete issues, I note that Kriminalvården immediately decided to cancel all planned medical transports. They received a mandate from us to report back in the near future with a plan for how security can be increased around these transports.

When it comes to the Sis-homes, it is quite true that we are awaiting investigation proposals on establishing special youth prisons to take care of the most serious young criminals.

When it comes to the Sis-homes in general, it is now a matter of withdrawing the possibility of using electronic communication in the way it occurs today, expanded possibilities to search and inspect rooms inside the residences, and generally increasing the security also around the homes that today do not take care of the most serious criminals.

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Nadja Awad (V)

Madam Speaker! Crime profits from fraud are increasing exponentially and amounted to 5.8 billion kronor last year. Since 2020, crime profits have increased by 38 percent. This is shown in a new report from the police's national fraud center. The money goes straight into organized crime. At the same time, it means that criminals earn more from fraud than from the lucrative drug trade.

Banks offer products and services such as Swish and BankID that do not have a sufficiently strong security system to counter these frauds.

In a written question regarding tightening the security systems, Niklas Wykman replied that he is waiting for the EU Commission to present a proposal on new rules for payment services during the spring of 2023.

Then I wonder if Minister Niklas Wykman can tell us about this work and what the timeframe looks like for when rules can be introduced in Sweden to stop the frauds.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! Let me begin by underlining how loathsome this type of crime is. It is many times directed against society's most vulnerable - against our elderly. One does not just take away their savings but also their last security here in life by making them feel both deceived and humiliated. This shall be combated with force, and that is what this government does.

I also welcome everything that the industry does to counteract this type of crime through information and technological development. There are also things left to do in the political arena with regulations.

Regarding the question itself, an EU directive is being negotiated concerning something that applies to the same customer and the same transaction and which is intended to make it easier to break confidentiality. I can state that legislation has already been enacted regarding revolutionary confidentiality-breaking provisions that can begin to be used in Sweden between banks and authorities. Work remains between banks. And an EU package is currently being negotiated under the Swedish presidency. My hope is that it will progress as far as possible and, if not otherwise, be completed this autumn.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! This morning, the Centre Party has presented a proposal on how to meet the climate goals, lower the price at the pump, and give everyone an opportunity to refuel with Swedish fuel.

If the investigation that is lying on the government's desk and gathering dust is carried out, we in Sweden can produce 3 billion liters of renewable fuels from Swedish raw materials. It would lower the price at the pump, reduce emissions, and create tens of thousands of jobs.

My question to the government and Johan Forssell is therefore: What is the government doing to increase Swedish biofuel production, so that everyone can choose to refuel with Swedish [fuel]?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Rickard Nordin for the question. But he will have to excuse me for not having followed the Centerpartiet press conference this morning. We will surely have reason to return to this.

I can still take the opportunity to say what we do generally in this area. We have a situation right now where very many households in Sweden, not least many families with children, are having a very difficult time making the finances work. The high fuel prices are an important factor in that, in addition to the strained economic situation that we have with high inflation etcetera.

Our parties have now agreed to carry out what we promised the voters before the election, namely to lower the Swedish reduction obligation down to 6 percent for both petrol and diesel. This shall run over three years. It can involve a reduction of 5-6 kronor on fuels, including VAT, already in 2024. In relation to the increases that were presented before the election, the difference becomes even greater.

We are therefore working on this issue so that, among others, our families with children will be able to continue to use the car when it is needed.

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Mikael Damsgaard (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer.

When I, as a Member of Parliament, visit companies, it is a question that is appearing more and more often. It concerns crime. Business owners are naturally worried, just like all other Swedes, about the increasing violent crime. But the question is also raised because crime has to an ever greater extent come to affect the conditions for running businesses in Sweden. Crime has thus become an important industrial policy issue. The costs to the business sector for crime are large. Additionally, it negatively affects the working environment and safety for both employees and customers.

Madam Speaker! My question is what the government intends to do to combat crime directed against companies and the business community at large.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for this important question. It is quite true that these issues concerning law and order, for the first time ever, were not only the voters' most important issues in the election but also the business owners' most important issues. One must still say it is historical in that sense, as it has always been other issues – regulatory issues, tax issues, and competitiveness issues of other kinds – that have stood in focus for the business owners' political attention ahead of an election.

It is clear that entrepreneurs are affected in very many ways. In that case, I think primarily as a citizen, because they are affected like everyone else by crime.

The volume of crimes and the low clearance rate mean that many small business owners no longer report crime because they do not perceive it as worth the effort or that it will lead to any results. It is a situation that we can do a lot about and that we cannot accept.

When it comes to competitiveness in areas where there is very high crime and where it is difficult to get people to settle, our entire general program to push back crime is also extraordinarily important for the business owners.

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Dan Hovskär (KD)

Madam Speaker! I direct my question to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer.

The reported fraud crimes against the elderly have increased by over 80 percent over the last three years. The largest increase has occurred in the category of social manipulations, where someone calls and poses as, for example, a bank official.

TV4 has now reported that last year approximately 193,000 reports of fraud against private individuals were submitted to the police. The reality is that the police do not have the time or the possibility to investigate all of these 193,000 fraud reports that come in, which is not good. But here, the banks also have a major task to work even more preventatively and take various protective measures, not least for our elderly.

My question is: Fraud is increasing exponentially. How does the Minister for Justice view the banks' responsibility in this acute situation?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! These are issues that can be said to exist in the intersection between justice issues and financial issues, not least financial market issues. As the questioner is touching upon, there is also an intersection with financial institutions and not least the banks.

As recently as last or the week before last, I had representatives from PRO and SPF visiting the department. We discussed the issues extraordinarily thoroughly, especially of course in light of the frauds that are targeted specifically at the elderly and often over the phone. We agreed that in the near future we will gather again together with representatives from the police, relevant authorities, and the banks to jointly discuss potential legislative changes and potential changes in the work of the banks and the other financial institutions in this area, all with the aim of ensuring that we can push back these frauds with joint forces.

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Mattias Vepsä (S)

Madam Speaker! The Minister for Justice describes how organized crime makes our residential areas and cities unsafe and insecure, but also how serious crime threatens at a systemic level.

Municipalities and regions make procurements for 150 billion kronor from private actors. It has become an important source of funding for organized crime.

Södertälje Municipality has a long experience of unserious actors having infiltrated, for example, the home care service. The municipality is therefore actively working to counteract these frauds. But once one has been targeted, one is often left standing there with both the operations and a looted treasury. In the Stockholm region, a crackdown is now being taken to stop incorrect payments. It concerns over 50 million kronor per year. It is the healthcare's money that instead could have been used by gang criminals or organized crime to drink drinks at Solkusten.

It is required that the state does more. And I wonder: Will the government support Södertälje municipality and Region Stockholm in the fight against serious organized crime and in the fight against fraud?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Yes, the government will support both Södertälje municipality, Region Stockholm, and all other municipalities and regions across the country in the fight against serious organized crime, especially considering what the questioner has now raised, namely the extensive fraud occurring against various actors in the public sector as well as infiltration, influence, and pressures of various kinds, which we know that serious organized crime engages in.

This work is, among other things, about capturing the experiences that exist in municipalities that have very long experience of countering this crime. Södertälje is undoubtedly such an example – that municipality has surely had to test almost every aspect of the problems we are now describing.

The short message of the long speech is: Yes, Södertälje, Region Stockholm and all other municipalities and regions can count on the government's and the state's wholehearted support.

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Angelica Lundberg (SD)

Madam Speaker! Sweden is heading towards a recession, and inflation is high. People's disposable incomes are decreasing as interest rates rise. Many people simply can no longer afford everyday life.

Over-indebtedness is a huge problem already today, and the risk that the economic situation worsens this further is increasing. Different types of high-cost credits or quick loans can be a bad idea and can put people in an even worse situation if they are used incorrectly and to a high degree.

Desperate people can seek loans from many different actors and thus incur very large debts very quickly. Therefore, a limitation would be needed on how much debt a borrower can have through high-cost credits in relation to their income.

I want to ask the Minister for Finance whether he will act to introduce a limit on how large high-cost credits an individual can have.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

Here, the previous government made some important interventions by introducing a cap on how much interest one can be charged. Just as the questioner touched upon, this is however obviously still a lucrative industry where many are enticed to take out credits that they potentially cannot afford to pay. It is very important that these companies are under supervision. There may be regulatory work left to do in this area.

There are also reasons to review which underlying factors lead to this type of indebtedness – sometimes it concerns consumption, and sometimes it concerns, for example, gambling. The gambling industry is an industry that can particularly expose people to very large expenses in a short period of time. Some companies send many [cases] to the Enforcement Authority, and people quickly become indebted.

This is not a fully regulated area, and we are actively working on it. Just as the questioner pointed out, this is extra important when the economy is heading downwards and the risk of becoming indebted increases.

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Saila Quicklund (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson.

Today, there are more than 1.3 million people in Sweden who are neither self-sufficient nor studying. This means that these people must, in one way or another, be supported by others.

That as many as possible work is truly central for both our current and our future prosperity. Sweden shall be a country where everyone who can do their part does so. If a worker is ill or for other reasons cannot work, there must absolutely be a safety net that functions in the best possible way, but for the one who can work, it must always be profitable to take a job and contribute to the common good.

My question to the Minister for Employment is: What measures is the government taking to re-establish the work line?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Saila Quicklund, for the question!

Prosperity is created by people working hard, by people educating themselves with vigor, and by an entrepreneurship that grows in our country, so that we can have good and functioning institutions for education for all and create opportunities for people to become their own nation-builders to the best of their ability.

Then it is a major challenge that it does not always pay to work. One of the most important reforms that this government has agreed upon with the coalition partner Sverigedemokraterna is a substantial reform so that it always pays to work. We are looking at benefit ceilings and at different ways to be able to lower taxes. We will return to all of this soon, but right now the tax cut tool is somewhat limited depending on the pincer movement in the form of inflation which means that one cannot blow on the interest rates.

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Laila Naraghi (S)

Madam Speaker! Children should not be forced into meetings where there is a risk of violence - that is not in the best interests of the child.

On Monday, the referral period for Safer Homes for Children expired. The investigation has received significant criticism from various actors. Unicef Sweden writes, for example: "We believe that the proposed change risks violating other rights that the child has, for example, the child's right to be protected against all forms of violence according to Article 19. With the proposed change, there is an imminent risk that the proposals will not lead to what has been the investigation's task, to review how the protection for the child can be strengthened when questions arise regarding visitation with a parent who has exercised violence or committed some other serious violation."

The criticism is heavy and serious. What does the government's plan look like? When is a proposition planned, and how will the work be structured to handle the criticism from many different actors?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Laila Naraghi, for the question!

I know that the questioner has a very deep commitment to these issues - we have had opportunities to speak about it in many different contexts, and I really look forward to continuing to do so.

With that said, it is the case that this investigation was commissioned by the previous government, and the directives are the previous government's. We in the new government received the investigation when it arrived and sent it out for consultation, which is quite reasonable. We also sent out the government!

It is quite true that the consultation period expires in these days. Now we are going to sit down and analyze the consultation outcome. I know that there is extensive and probably also justified criticism from various sides against parts of the investigation's conclusions. Now we will analyze the material, and then we shall return to exactly how we shall move this forward based on the material we have inherited. We will handle it in as wise a way as possible.

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Ulf Lindholm (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson.

With still high unemployment in Sweden, it should be up to each government to seize all opportunities to get the unemployed into employment and to take advantage of their competence in upcoming industrial initiatives in Sweden. In the large-scale transition in northern Sweden, companies are finding it difficult to obtain competent labor for various industrial projects. Most recently, Timrå municipality has also contributed with a large establishment to Västernorrland.

Madam Speaker! It can be observed that the lack of competence is a major problem in this region. My question to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson is: Will the government take any measures to address northern Sweden's need for labor with the right competence?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! It is as Ulf Lindholm says: It is glowing in northern Sweden. Since we took office, we have felt that many are experiencing increased optimism. The investments are coming into the country. One feels that it is on the right track with energy policy, with order and clarity, with tax policy and with business policy. People dare to invest in Sweden.

Then we shall do what we can to equip, match, and ensure that people who do not work today first learn Swedish, secondly receive an adequate education, and thirdly are prepared and have the opportunity to take the jobs that exist.

Then one must work together with municipalities and regions and do everything possible to facilitate. Many do that. It is about, for example, development for new residential areas, so that people have somewhere to live. Schools must be built and so on. All of this is fantastic with such a development.

That is why the government is investing in adult education. We are increasing the appropriations and resources for universities of applied sciences so that they can better educate people for the jobs that actually exist.

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Arin Karapet (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson.

In Sweden, we speak Swedish. But for far too long, we have diminished the importance of the Swedish language. We see this now with increased language gaps, a deep integration crisis that we have inherited from the Socialdemokraterna, and an all too high unemployment in our marginalized areas. Children grow up in homes where the parents do not speak Swedish and do not have contact with the Swedish labor market.

Through the Swedish language we are bound together, become part of Swedish society and become Swedes. In order to be able to claim one's rights and fulfill one's obligations, one must be able to speak Swedish.

What measures does the government intend to take to reduce exclusion so that more children with a foreign background master the Swedish language as well as if they had been born to Swedish-born parents?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank Arin Karapet for the question.

It is certainly true that the Swedish language is crucial. But unfortunately, Swedish is not one of the world's easiest languages. What are we doing about it? In Sweden, we speak Swedish.

I belong to a party that for many years has said that it is important to have Swedish language skills. Today, everyone in here perhaps agrees with that, but 20 years ago, it was a different story.

We are working on restructuring the SFI teaching to give it more power, and we are restructuring the establishment allowance. We have started these works; we have only been in place for six months. We are also working on what we call reinforced testing in Swedish in order to be able to become a citizen in Sweden. All of this aims for one thing: to strengthen integration. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that people who today find themselves in exclusion come into inclusion and become a part of Sweden, contribute to building Sweden and become a role model for their children. But then we speak Swedish, that is correct.

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Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Niklas Wykman and concerns gambling issues.

In last week's question period, Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson participated. To a question about the public benefit lotteries, she replied: "This is a question that we in the government are reviewing right now because it was a long time since we reviewed the rules for the public benefit lotteries."

Should the government review the rules in this entire area?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

In recent weeks, it has sounded in parts of the debate as if Swedish democracy and the rule of law stand or fall with the right to sell scrap metal on credit. Let me begin by saying that I by no means share this view. Swedish democracy is much more solid than that and is challenged by other issues that are real.

It is correct that work is underway to review which rules should apply to political lotteries. No investigation has been commissioned yet, but we will return in due course. Public benefit associations and others have no reason whatsoever to feel concerned about this. It is, however, correct that a discussion should be held regarding political parties' ability to earn money from lotteries.

The question period was hereby concluded.

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