Question Time

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Jessika Roswall, Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson, Minister for Education Mats Persson, and Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren.

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/her performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties. Minister Jessika Roswall answers both general political questions and questions within her own area of responsibility.

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Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)

Madam Speaker! I want to quote the Prime Minister's promise to Sweden's healthcare staff on Saturday: "It is the government and the coalition partners who will present the budget that will also ensure that we do not lay off people in Swedish healthcare." It is a welcome and important message in the midst of the national healthcare crisis. But the promise lacks the concretization that is needed here and now to really mean something and make a real difference.

What will the government concretely do in this situation to fulfill the Prime Minister's promise? How much money is it about? When will the money arrive, and in what ways will it be distributed to ensure that no people are laid off in Swedish healthcare?

My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs.

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Member Fredrik Lundh Sammeli for a most pertinent question.

It is extremely tough for practically all regions. Some of them manage without cuts. But many of them have structural economic problems that have persisted for a long time, and then inflation was added to that. This means that the regions need support, and I have the same answer as the Prime Minister. The regions need support to cope with the situation that prevails. That was also the reason why the government provided special support in the autumn.

We are now following the developments and seeing what measures the regions take and what assessments they make based on their budget decisions and the notices the government gave, not least in December: What do they need to do? The government will get back as soon as possible because we must retain all the healthcare staff we have to manage Christmas, New Year, and the thirteenth day of Christmas with three viruses and the readiness for a potential armed attack. We need to safeguard healthcare.

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Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)

Madam Speaker! An important promise without concretization creates enormous expectation. But it also means that the regions will need to continue with their action plans until the government clearly delivers the announcement that everyone is waiting for.

I have understood that the Prime Minister thinks it is a bit charming that Vårdsverige wonders, but I can promise both the Prime Minister and all the ministers in the government: There is nothing charming about this healthcare crisis. It is not charming to receive a promise from a Prime Minister that the minister then cannot follow up on.

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the supplement.

I believe it is exactly as an employee at Sahlgrenska said in a TV report this weekend: I understand that some transition may be needed, but it is necessary that one knows what one is doing and takes the time to see if it has the right effect.

The demand she places on her management, she also needs to place on the government. How do you provide the right support when the regions are so different? There are three that borrow for operations while others do not make any savings. The support must land in the right place.

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Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Madam Speaker! It is not noticeable here in Sweden, but during the past year, the European Union has endured a new migration crisis with hundreds of thousands of new applicants, which has put pressure on welfare and vital societal functions.

For me, it is obvious that the current system does not work. More and more member states are also backing the idea of outsourcing parts of or the entire asylum process to third countries. Germany, Denmark, Poland, Austria and virtually the entire Eastern Bloc are discussing the issue, and recently our neighboring country Finland joined this group. Italy has even taken matters into its own hands and begun this work in cooperation with Albania.

I therefore ask the EU Minister: When will Sweden join the group that is open to this solution? In my opinion, this is the only way forward.

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Ludvig Aspling for the question.

It is true that many other countries during the past year have been more severely affected by the migration crisis than Sweden. A discussion is ongoing in many different countries, but I want to emphasize that the agreement between Italy and Albania concerns that migrants in international waters shall be taken to Albania.

We know that Italy has been extremely exposed, but Sweden is not in that geographical position. There are no such plans for Sweden right now, but it is important that we work together to prevent people from dying in the Mediterranean and to find new forms of cooperation. The situation we see in many countries also shows the importance of getting the migration pact in place.

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Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.

The solution being discussed has the potential to revolutionize the European asylum system. We will be able to undermine the business model of the refugee smugglers, be able to save thousands of people from drowning disasters, and avoid a reception here of persons who absolutely do not need to come to Sweden to ensure their physical safety.

The Minister says that no work is being undertaken in Sweden to prepare this type of reform. My simple question is: Why? This is the only way forward. It is about international cooperation and new thinking, which sounds like something the Moderaterna should stand behind.

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! Many innovative discussions are taking place, and I know that the Minister for Migration is engaged and active in the various discussions both at the EU level and in the Nordic circle. I do not think that one should lock oneself into a single solution, but we must be open to different new solutions. As Ludvig Aspling knows, important work is underway between the four coalition parties, for we need to carry out the paradigm shift that the government has initiated in the migration area.

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Karin Rågsjö (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson.

We have a national healthcare crisis, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has now promised money to the regions, which the government will deliver together with SD so that not so many employees will have to be laid off.

Vänsterpartiet has proposed an additional amendment budget of 15 billion to save healthcare. Large staff reductions will be made, especially at the large university hospitals. It concerns a reduction of thousands of healthcare workers. The crisis ultimately hits the patients.

Of course, the Prime Minister must keep his promise. This must not become a matter of bureaucratization, so when will this promise be fulfilled? It is extremely important for the staff and the regions to know this before the layoffs start kicking in. Can the Minister for Health and Social Affairs give us some clues?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Member Karin Rågsjö for the same question that the previous member asked.

It is very tough for the regions. If it had looked the same between regions, it would have been a bit simpler; if they had had the same problems, we would have known how to support and assist. Now we have three regions that borrow for operations and three or four—rather four—that do not make any savings at all but continue as they usually do, and the others lie in between. How should support from the state then look so that it actually makes it possible for us to retain staff?

It is not entirely simple to choose a path. Therefore, it is necessary that we now look at what measures the regions are about to take, so that we can provide support in the best way. Support that does not go to healthcare is no good support. Västra Götalandsregionen themselves stated before Christmas that they spend comparatively less on healthcare than others. This means that the support must be targeted in some way.

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Karin Rågsjö (V)

Madam Speaker! I think like this: The layoffs that are underway regarding healthcare workers concern exactly healthcare workers. It is not PR consultants who are sitting in the chairs. This is, therefore, extremely urgent.

If you speed up - if I may put it that way - and press certain buttons, I believe that the regions can quickly deliver what is needed, what they will be able to deliver, how it should be done, and so on.

This cannot become some bureaucratic giant question. When will the staff - the gold in healthcare - find out whether they are to be laid off or not?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for raising the aspect that one actually warns healthcare staff and does not deal with other things.

We know from surveys that more people have been hired who work with administrative tasks and who are far from healthcare instead of hiring healthcare staff, i.e., nursing assistants, medical secretaries, nurses, doctors and others. That trade-off has been made for quite a long time. We need to change that.

Had the votes fallen in a different way, we would have had a different discussion. But just as the member says, these are healthcare workers, and these are the people we need to protect.

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Mona Smedman (C)

Madam Speaker! At home in Värmland, the region ran a deficit of nearly 1 billion last year. This means that the region has now been forced to make decisions to reduce 750 positions, of which approximately 600 will be healthcare staff. This will also have an unpleasant impact at home in Arvika.

Judge then my surprise and joy when the Prime Minister sits in a TV sofa with millions of viewers and promises that "the government will ensure that we do not lay off people in Swedish healthcare."

Madam Speaker! My question to Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson is then: When I board the train home to Värmland this afternoon, can I tell my Center friends who are involved in governing the region that it is calm and that none of our employees need to go home?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question. If one sits in the board of a region, one really needs to ensure that a budget is established that reflects the mission of the hospitals and primary care before deciding on the budget.

I am not mentioning Värmland right now but returning to Västra Götaland. They themselves ordered an external report which reached the regional executive board in December - it is public. They concluded that they do not have a budget process that takes into account the hospitals' missions and what needs they have. It was some old systems that applied, and so they received these funds.

I must understand the healthcare crisis and the layoffs from that aspect. I hope that the member goes home and has a serious conversation with their colleagues about how you allocate the money, how you use the money here.

The government will continue to provide support to healthcare, just as was done in the autumn budget. It is necessary in order for us to be able to retain healthcare staff.

(Applause)

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Mona Smedman (C)

Madam Speaker! I hear that the Minister has good intentions, but they also need to be put into action. It is a matter of urgency now. Regions and municipalities really need to be informed quickly, otherwise, the layoffs and terminations will rain down on both employees at home in Värmland and in other parts of the country. Neither the Minister nor Sweden will be served by that.

(Applause)

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I am very pleased with the member's commitment. I also hope that party friends locally find ways for this.

I demand that the regions themselves first analyze their operations and do not just assume a budget that just happens, without knowing where the patients will go if they were to close a hospital. Patients do not disappear. Healthcare needs do not disappear. That which looks like quick solutions from some finance department rarely works in healthcare. One must understand the healthcare system's needs when creating a budget.

The government will return.

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Ulrika Westerlund (MP)

Madam Speaker! Now perhaps Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson thinks that we have coordinated, but we actually have not. I also watched TV over the weekend and saw the Prime Minister state his now well-known promise that no one in healthcare would have to be laid off. It was very welcome, but concretization and delivery are now very welcome.

This situation has been well known for a long time. Sweden's regions are in a very pressured economic situation. During 2024, the regions are estimated to have a deficit of approximately 24 billion kronor. It is being said that the situation in welfare has not been this serious since the economic crisis in the 1990s.

In a survey in the newspaper Vårdfokus, 19 out of 21 regions say that they will cut back on healthcare during 2024, and several regions have introduced hiring freezes - this despite the fact that the situation in large parts of healthcare is acute. It is therefore clear that the government has so far not chosen to act to improve the acute situation within healthcare. Therefore we now ask: When and how will you deliver on the Prime Minister's promise?

(Applause)

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question. I have already touched upon it in several answers, but let me continue.

One now has a budget situation that is tough: In the autumn, one received notice of a specific sector grant that could go directly into pension costs, but also just before Christmas, an unexpectedly early notice regarding the other money – there were a total of 16 billion for healthcare in the budget. One must then ask: How do they land in our region?

We enabled the regions to reduce the need for savings. When you stand there as a regional politician, it is a rather tough situation to manage all the responsibility you have. Therefore, I am glad that several regions actually have revised budgets in the spring. They say that they cannot fully see the situation now but are flagging for a revised budget. Norrbotten will do so, for example. I believe it was a wise measure that they decided on – to wait for the situation and see how it looks, but also to ensure that there will be wise changes if changes need to be made.

Now we see that, for example, fast-track education is being withdrawn in almost all regions – one region is not. This will have far-reaching consequences. It may seem to be a small budget item, but one must analyze it carefully.

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Ulrika Westerlund (MP)

Madam Speaker! It is not surprising that it has turned out this way. Already in the autumn, we warned the environmentalists that it was a budget of cuts for welfare that the government placed on the floor of the Riksdag.

That the situation has become as serious as it is now is a consequence of the Sverigedemokraternas and the government's economic priorities. So now we wonder: Will the government think long-term and, for example, increase the grants from the state to the regions with cost increases to avoid this type of promises and future fire brigade call-outs?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is still not entirely correct that inflation started with the government's budget. Inflation had already started during the previous government. That was when it peaked. We had to make the decisions we have made with a tight budget in order not to contribute to increased inflation.

Right now we see that it is slowly moving in the right direction. Many households are noticing that it has improved. The problem for the regions is that they have a pension agreement where the costs remain throughout 2024. That is the tough situation for the regions today.

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Marie-Louise Hänel Sandström (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Education Minister Mats Persson.

In my role as a member of the Education Committee, I make many site visits, primarily in western Sweden and Gothenburg, where I come from. There is a lot of automotive industry there, battery factories for example. The constant question is what we are doing about the skills shortage. It is also said that it is urgent. We see how we are being overtaken internationally. We have a need for, for example, skills in mathematics, technology, and natural sciences. We also lack girls who study these areas.

These competencies are perhaps extra relevant now that we have had an astronaut, Marcus Wandt, who has been up in space. We know that it requires a lot of research and innovation and that one must start early. A so-called STEM strategy exists in Europe, and we need to have that in Sweden as well.

My question to the Minister for Education is: What is important about the STEM strategy for Sweden, and what does a STEM strategy actually mean?

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Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for an excellent question. It is exactly so – Sweden is an engineering nation. Our country is built by engineers, and in the future, we will also obtain prosperity and money for our welfare by developing new innovations and by our researchers and companies constantly developing the latest technology.

Just as the member says, the government has decided to develop a STEM strategy. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We have not previously had such a strategy, but many other countries do. The purpose is to get more young people to engage in technology, to get more girls to choose technical education, and to ensure that we can be the engineering nation we want to be. It is about having the right role models. It is about having an education system where we focus on mathematics and reading, so that our children learn to calculate properly. It is also about investing in engineering education, which the government does in the budget that we have decided on. The engineering nation Sweden is important for us as a country, and we prioritize it.

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Marie-Louise Hänel Sandström (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you very much for the answer, which makes me calmer. Still, I am a little worried, because we have a shortage of teachers in these subjects. We must get more teachers.

Just as the Minister says, we must also get more people interested, and it must happen very early. The strategy must include investments already in preschool and further in primary school and upper secondary school, so that interest can be raised. I hope it is included in the STEM strategy that this must be done early and that girls should also see the fun in these subjects, as the Minister also mentioned.

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Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! I completely share the view that this is something that must be started early. It is an early interest in technology and mathematics that makes one choose those types of educations later in life. I completely share the view that it is a matter of starting early. From the government's side, we envision measures all the way from preschool up to university where the focus is on the engineering nation Sweden.

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Magnus Oscarsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren. In Sweden, we have 300,000 forest owners. Many forest owners are concerned about how the forest policy has literally run into a ditch. At many sawmills, there is concern that the companies cannot get timber and over the logging stops. It is alarming for the forest industry and the pulp and paper industry. Thousands of jobs are threatened within the forestry sector.

Last week, the government decided to appoint a new forest inquiry, even though the previous red-green government conducted a forest inquiry. Why was a new one needed?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question. The simple answer is that the current government has a different view than the previous government on how we should use the fine resource that we have in the forest. Certainly, a forest investigation has been conducted previously, but it is about what questions one poses. This government wants us to utilize the full potential of the forest, so that it is involved and contributes fully in the climate transition and creates jobs and growth throughout the country.

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Magnus Oscarsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.

Worst of all, I think, it is for all those forest owners who have managed their forests for generations. When it is perhaps time for a generational change and rejuvenation felling is needed, it becomes no; the forest may not be felled. In the worst case, the forest owner does not receive a single krona in compensation.

Why is the question of species protection not included in the forest investigation?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the follow-up question. This is something that has been quite debated since our presentation, even though both I and the Minister for Climate and the Environment were very clear at the press conference that it will be a parallel effort. What many forest owners see as the major problem is the uncertainty in the regulatory framework; there is a lack of predictability. Therefore, it is urgent. For that reason, we have chosen to break out that part, so that it can be implemented quickly here.

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Elin Nilsson (L)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Rural Affairs. Sweden has one of the world's best animal welfare standards. With the steps now being taken by the government towards a permanent abolition of mink farming, animal welfare will become even better in Sweden. Animals should not be kept under conditions where they cannot express their natural behaviors. It is something that we Liberals have fought for for a long time. We have also fought for a very long time for a phase-out of the fur industry.

Now there is financial support in place for such a decommissioning. In connection with the presentation of this support in the autumn, I asked a question to the Minister for Rural Affairs here in the chamber regarding what the minister did for an assessment of the support's effect. Now I want to follow up on that question. We are only in February, so the question is asked very early, but I wonder if the Minister for Rural Affairs already sees any effects of the government's policy.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Elin Nilsson for the question. Yes, it is a bit early; the budget began to apply at the turn of the year. In the budget, there is money for a controlled winding down of this type of activity. But when the state is to pay out money, there must be order and regularity. A regulation is needed for how it should proceed. Right now, it is this work that is ongoing.

There is money in the budget for 2024 and 2025, so that these entrepreneurs can carry out their liquidations during that period. After that, there will not be any more money. I believe that will cause many of the entrepreneurs to wind down their operations during 2024 and 2025. But to make this extra clear, we have simultaneously communicated that we will look into a ban on this activity after this.

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Elin Nilsson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer. I wonder if the Minister has received any reactions from the industry and perhaps can share them.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is clear that it is not a simple matter to tell a branch that has existed for quite a long time that we now want it to be phased out. But we have had a good dialogue, I think. The reaction has been that the outcome has been accepted. I believe that is also the key when one is to make this type of transition. It can be stated that other political forces have shouted loudly about this but have not gotten anything done. But we have achieved it through a good dialogue and priorities in the budget.

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Caroline Helmersson Olsson (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Education Minister Mats Persson. Students have been compensated for the large price increases through increased student grants, including students who study with SPSM's special grants for adapted komvux. The problem is that the increase for them only concerns the compensation per hour, while in the ordinance there is a ceiling of 9,700 SEK per month that has remained unchanged since 2012. This means that students in adapted komvux can only study for 84 hours per month before they hit the ceiling for these student grants. The motivation to study full-time thus decreases. As is known, food prices are equally high for everyone.

My question to Mats Persson is: Does the Minister for Education intend to do anything about this unreasonable and unjust regulation regarding the ceiling?

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Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question. It is quite true that the government has prioritized increasing the compensation to Sweden's students. Over the last two years, students have received tangibly much more money in their wallets. This has been important, because we have a growing inflation that entails major problems in society. This has been an important priority for the government that I am very proud of. It is a strength for Sweden that we have an education system where one can receive compensation when studying and where one can educate oneself several times over and receive several chances.

Regarding the specific activity that the member highlights, there is a ceiling that has been in place since 2012. It is an issue that the government is following closely.

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Staffan Eklöf (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Rural Affairs Kullgren.

The Swedish Food Agency and the Public Health Agency have received a government mandate to specify national dietary goals to support authorities, regions, municipalities, and the business sector. They propose, among other things, that the impact of diet on biodiversity should be improved. That is good. But it is to be achieved through the sub-goal that Swedes should eat 30 percent less meat by 2035. The goal does not take into account important details that the authorities themselves partially reason about. This means that the goal could result in abandoned grazing lands, closed farms, a reduction in biodiversity in the agricultural landscape, and reduced self-sufficiency. The goal would have been more accurate for biodiversity if it had meant that the proportion of Swedish-produced meat and Swedish-produced dairy products should increase by a certain percentage, alternatively that the import of meat should decrease.

What does the Minister intend to do to ensure that the agencies' goals do not lead to reduced food production and impaired biodiversity in the agricultural landscape?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

We have relatively recently received this assignment given by the previous government and have therefore not taken any final position in the government on how we should handle this proposal.

However, I can state that when we have discussed the Nordic nutritional recommendations within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the government has been very clear that one must weigh in more aspects when talking about dietary advice. Preparedness is one aspect.

Sweden is a country that has very good conditions for keeping animals for many different reasons. We cannot cultivate our entire country. But something that grows in principle in our entire country is grass. And then cows are very important. They eat grass and convert it into nutritious food for us humans.

This is the government's position on this issue.

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Tony Haddou (V)

Madam Speaker! It would not be an exaggeration to say that healthcare is facing a full-scale crisis with severe deteriorations. The cuts being rolled out right now are the most extensive since the crisis of the 90s. Sweden's largest hospital in my hometown of Gothenburg must drastically reduce its staff due to the government's budget cuts. Healthcare staff who are already today sounding the alarm that they are on their knees have far too much workload.

To save healthcare, 15 billion kronor is required. Vänsterpartiet has today presented a proposal in the Committee on Finance that the government must immediately provide healthcare with these funds. This must happen now so that we can stop staff from being laid off. We want a clearer statement from the government. We have proposals on the table to provide the money needed to save healthcare.

What does the government intend to do? Here is your chance.

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

I really want to emphasize that I agree that it is a very difficult situation for the regions. And it is not the regions that we feel sorry for, but the patients who do not receive the care they need and the employees who feel that they cannot fulfill their work because there are too few of them.

There is a need to provide support - I have said it before, and it remains - but also for the regions themselves to look at their own operations.

Let me still compare it with the situation in Stockholm, where one previously at Karolinska University Hospital had more managers than care beds. Now they have changed that and have more care beds than managers. I am very happy about that.

But there are changes to be made so that one actually ends up in the right place, where one prioritizes healthcare and ensures that it is done in the best possible way.

It is clear that the challenge facing Sahlgrenska is very great. But then one must add what the region itself notes, that one allocates comparatively less money to healthcare than other regions and that one does not have a budget process that ensures what mission the hospitals have.

The state needs to provide support, and the regions need to do their part.

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Anders Karlsson (C)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren.

We have received very good information in the Committee on Environment and Agriculture this week regarding food preparedness and have had a discussion about the level of self-sufficiency.

At the same time, we saw last week that county administrative boards are simultaneously planning to move wolves from the densely populated areas to the less densely populated areas for wolves in Sweden.

Is this a policy that the Minister for Rural Affairs considers compatible with the rather tough requirements we need to set on self-sufficiency and increased requirements on food?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Anders Karlsson for the question.

The government's position is that we want to see a significantly smaller wolf population than the one we have today. We have taken note of the motions that the Riksdag has submitted countless times to previous governments and are trying to resolve this.

But I think it is a good perspective. I meet quite a few farmers who simply state that they choose not to expand their operations because they have a large presence of wolves. They move their animals closer to the center of the farm because they are afraid of attacks. They want to ensure that they have better control over their animals. Not to mention all the sheep farmers. Lamb production is far too small in Sweden given the good conditions that we actually have for it. Many of these farmers state that it is because the wolf is too close and that it affects them too much.

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Emma Nohrén (MP)

Madam Speaker! I would like to ask a question to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren regarding African swine fever. One and a half years ago, the Committee on Environment and Agriculture visited Latvia. We sat in a meeting and discussed the experiences from there and what to do when African swine fever arrives. When we left there, we received flashes on our mobiles that we had African swine fever in Sweden.

Two weeks ago, the committee was in Fagersta with the aforementioned and looked at the effects. What we saw was that everything has functioned fantastically when it comes to the fight against the swine fever. Society has truly stepped up, and the hunters have stepped up. Fences have also been built. It has functioned as intended.

The problem is all the other activities around it that are now being affected. The association life cannot carry out its activities. Business owners, restaurants and others are simply being brought to their knees, and they have no possibility of receiving compensation. It is in the epizootic law that it is stated that one receives compensation for, for example, slaughter weight. But what about everything else? The question is therefore: Does the government have anything else? Will a mandate be given to Tillväxtverket so that those affected can get their funds?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! I can answer for what falls under my area of responsibility. I agree with Emma Nohrén that this has been carried out in a good way. Authorities and not least hunters and civil society have stepped up in a fantastic way.

I also thank you for the opportunity to urge those who consider themselves directly affected to de facto seek these funds. This is, in fact, a new phenomenon in Sweden. We have the epizootic law. If there is a salmonella outbreak in an animal stable somewhere, it is quite simple to calculate this. But here, it is new activities that potentially can be directly affected.

But when we look at this, and I have spoken with the Swedish Board of Agriculture, we see that it is relatively few who have applied and had their case reviewed. Therefore, I think that in a first instance, one should start from that basis based on the epizootic law. That is what I am responsible for in this matter and what I can say here today.

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Johan Hultberg (M)

Madam Speaker! Today is International Childhood Cancer Day. Pleasantly enough, today 85 percent of all children affected by cancer in Sweden survive. But the vision and the overarching goal must, of course, be that we shall eradicate childhood cancer and ensure that every child who is affected survives.

The Moderates have for a long time fought for us to update the national cancer strategy that we have had in Sweden since 2009 and that we should include a specific childhood cancer strategy in it, a strategy that focuses on central issues such as access to advanced drug treatment within precision medicine and on how we can create better coherent care chains with a special focus on the transition from pediatric to adult cancer care.

My question to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs is: How does the government intend to ensure that childhood cancer care is included in the upcoming updated strategy, and how does it intend to include the EU's cancer plan in the work?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question!

Yes, it is a fantastically good development regarding pediatric cancer care. Children and parents often tell us that they receive the best care. But they also tell us that almost all support disappears when the child turns 18 and ends up on the adult side. It is one of the things we will focus on: to achieve a better transition from child to adult for those who are specifically affected by cancer. It is also about the need for rehabilitation, which can sometimes be lifelong. We need to ensure support for children, and perhaps also for parents, in a better way than today.

We will, of course, take support from the work that the EU has done with the European cancer plan. When the EU made its compilation of the countries about a year ago, we came out very well in it. We are far ahead, but the problem areas we have, we need to work on. It is about the fact that we do not reach all children and all families. There are large differences depending on who you are and where you live. This we need to work on moving forward, and we will return to that.

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Lili André (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Education Minister Mats Persson.

If one studies to become a nurse or a civil engineer, it is almost guaranteed that one will get a job within one's field of study after graduation. But if one chooses a social science education, the competition is even tougher, and the job opportunities are fewer. There is a skills shortage in several industries, and we need to ensure that the educational offerings and the number of places per education match the labor market's needs – not least when the studies are financed by the state.

My question is therefore: What does the Minister for Education intend to do so that young people who choose to pursue higher education will match the labor market's needs with greater accuracy?

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Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the questioner. This is a very important question.

When we use society's resources for education, we naturally want it to solve the skills shortage problems we have in Sweden. This is not least about the needs of the welfare system and the needs of the green transition, so this is a very important issue. Looking at the plans for the coming years, one sees that the government is now in a very clear way prioritizing more educational places in the core of the welfare system, not least when it comes to nurses and – above all – the technical side, where it is about more places for our engineering programs.

This is an investment that is good for the individual, but above all, it is good for all of us because Sweden becomes wealthier by more young people choosing educations that, at the other end, lead to jobs.

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Magnus Manhammar (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Education Minister Mats Persson. It concerns popular education.

First, I want to say that it is nice to see the Minister for Education here, and I thank you for the discussions we have had on this subject earlier. It is an important subject. We have folkbildningen to thank for democracy in Sweden. Without folkbildningen, we would probably not be sitting in this chamber or have democracy in this country.

When measuring how strong democracy is in different countries, one usually looks at how strong civil society is. The lifeblood of civil society – that which is the energy and the blood of civil society – is precisely popular education in the form of study associations and so on. Unfortunately, we have seen that this year cuts of 250 million are being made to the activities of study associations in Sweden. It has also been announced that the government will cut further next year; it concerns a total of 350 million that year.

I therefore ask the Minister if the intention is to continue cutting back on popular education and in that way unfortunately weaken democracy in Sweden.

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Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the questioner.

I do not at all share the view that the government is tearing apart the people's education. On the contrary, the government is making clear priorities in a tough economic situation where we have high inflation and must ensure that we take responsibility for Sweden. In a tough economic time, we make clear priorities.

What the government is doing is prioritizing real education. The coming year is about tens of thousands of new places of study within vocational colleges and komvux - and not least within the folk high schools, which are an important part of an education system. They give people the opportunity to get a job and also the opportunity to educate themselves throughout their lives. As part of that funding, we are making a redistribution of money from folk education to, among other things, folk high schools and other activities.

Politics is not about promising everything to everyone, politics is about prioritizing. The government prioritizes education.

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Mona Olin (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Education Minister Mats Persson.

In October 2021, the inquiry into criminal record checks and exclusion of students presented its report. The inquiry focused on important vocational educations where public trust and security interests are crucial and analyzed, among other things, the need for criminal record checks for admission to these educations. It proposes that serious crimes in the criminal record should be checked.

The reason the investigation proposes such a check already at the time of admission is that it is often a prerequisite for licensure or employment after completed education. The current regulatory framework affects other eligible applicants, who are denied access to a study place in favor of someone who lacks a real possibility of obtaining licensure or employment within the profession.

Does the Minister for Education intend to take measures to introduce background check controls for applicants to certain central education programs, including the medical program?

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Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the questioner for a very important question. This is something that the government is actively working on.

Preparatory legislative work is underway to increase society's opportunities to prevent people who are unsuitable for certain professions from qualifying for those types of professions. Ultimately, it is about the fact that we all carry the trust of the Swedish people, and that one as a parent of a child in school, or as a patient in healthcare, or in other activities, should be secure that the person who has qualified for a profession does not have a criminal background that is unsuitable for the profession they are to practice.

I believe that this is an important issue, not least for the legitimacy, the confidence in, and the trust in the system, and there is therefore legislative work ongoing in the Government Offices regarding these issues.

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Linda W Snecker (V)

Madam Speaker! Region Östergötland is running at a deficit of 1.7 billion kronor. Warnings and layoffs threaten the staff at US in Linköping and Vrinnevi in Norrköping.

Vänsterpartiet has submitted a proposal in the Committee on Finance for an additional 15 billion for healthcare. I think it is clear and fine that we in the Riksdag represent the whole country. We are desperate over what is happening in our home regions. I do not defend the moderately-led Region Östergötland in any way, but I defend the people of Östergötland's right to healthcare. The government and Minister Ankarberg are not providing the answers that the government owes.

How is the government going to stop the warnings from healthcare personnel that we are currently seeing across all of Sweden?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for raising such an urgent issue.

We have four regions that are not making any savings at all, and we actually have three that are borrowing for operations. It is a very tough situation. At the current moment, there are somewhere around 5,300 people who have been laid off, which is many. Someone might tell me that it is usually not as many who are ultimately laid off, but it is still about an enormous number of people. We need to retain the healthcare staff we have.

That is why the government prioritized money for welfare in the tight budget we presented in the autumn. We also ensured that we gave early notice regarding all budget funds so that they could be included in their budgets and make the need for savings less. Just as we have said, we will now also return, because the regions – or healthcare, I should say – need resources to be able to retain staff.

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Stina Larsson (C)

Madam Speaker! During the election campaign, many spoke well about the countryside. There was talk about all the regulatory simplifications that were to come, about better conditions for agriculture, and about clearer ownership rights to the forest. But these proposals have been conspicuously absent.

Regarding what concerns the forest, it is truly urgent. For species protection and compensation for high nature values, we must find a solution now. But what is the government doing? Well, they are appointing yet another forest inquiry, which will not be completed until 2025 and which overlaps with what the Environmental Goals Commission is already working on.

Furthermore, there is a forest investigation that was delivered as recently as 2020 and a species protection investigation. It is simply a matter of choosing among the proposals, regardless of which perspective one has. Our forest owners are worth more than this. We need decisiveness and leadership for the countryside, not new investigations.

What message does the Minister for Rural Affairs have for the forest owners who, due to the government's paralysis, are sitting and waiting for a decision and want to cultivate their forest already today?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Stina Larsson, for the question!

With all due respect, I believe that forest owners all over the country are significantly more secure with this government than with the previous one, which the Center Party supported.

Certainly, things have happened. Just as I was mentioning earlier, it is clear that we must conduct a new investigation if we have investigations where the question has been wrongly posed and where we do not feel we have received the answers we want, so that the forest can be fully utilized and contribute to the climate transition and to jobs and growth throughout the country.

It is a fairly high pace, something we have been praised for. The first partial report should be ready by the turn of the year, and then the entire investigation should be finished some way into 2025.

I and the Minister for Climate and Environment have also been very clear that the species protection issues and the compensation linked to them should be handled in a parallel track. If we had lumped them together in the same investigation, it would have certainly taken even longer.

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Rebecka Le Moine (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question also goes to the Minister for Rural Affairs and concerns the subject of forestry. We have just received directives for a new forestry investigation that unilaterally focuses on production.

Sweden has, in all years, met the goals set for production but has never met the goals set for the environment. I and many with me wonder what the government and the Minister for Rural Affairs intend to do to provide good conditions for all forest owners who are more interested in profitability than in clear-cutting. I want answers on how the government and the Minister for Rural Affairs intend to benefit all who are more interested in profitability, for it is very low in forestry for individuals while at the same time large companies make billion-dollar profits at the expense of the countryside.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

A very clear message in the investigation is that we in the government stand behind the forest policy's ambition for equal goals for the environment and for production. This is something that shall continue.

It has rather been the opposite, that the new proposals and regulations from the EU have put more and more pressure on the forest owners and that it is becoming increasingly unclear how one, perhaps in the second, third, fourth, or fifth generation, will be able to ensure that the forest and its opportunities remain for future generations. There are too many uncertainties, and this is something we need to work on sorting out.

The environmental perspective will always be important in forestry. That is the case for the government, but it is also the case for very many forest owners. They are the ones who know their forest, and they should be given more to say.

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Alexandra Anstrell (M)

Madam Speaker! I originally had a question for EU Minister Jessika Roswall, but I realize now that it may perhaps be delegated. It concerns an announcement that we decided on in this chamber during 2019/20, that the government should push for a trade permit so that we can sell products in Sweden.

The announcement was directed at the government, but it did not intend to drive the issue, which still remains. Today, one may have a license to hunt seals, but one is not allowed to sell products, which contradicts good hunting ethics.

My question is: Is the government driving the issue in the EU that we should receive a trade authorization so that sale products can be sold?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question!

The Government considers that the sale of seal products from hunting should be permitted in the same way as products from other game. Just as the member is pointing out, it goes against the interests of the vast majority of hunters to fell a game animal but not take care of it afterwards.

The ban is counterproductive, and I have been clear about this towards my colleagues in Brussels at council meetings. The Commission will this year initiate an evaluation of the regulation on trade in seal products and of the directive on trade in the same products.

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Torsten Elofsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren.

Of all the food we eat today, only half comes from Swedish farms. In a large-scale crisis or a war, there is a great risk that the import of the other half of our food will be hindered or, in the worst case, interrupted.

The Swedish Board of Agriculture was allocated 20 million kronor in December to develop proposals for measures that strengthen Sweden's civil preparedness within food production, but Lantmännen estimates the cost of maintaining food preparedness to be in the billions.

My question is: How does the Minister for Rural Affairs view the possibility of achieving a strengthened preparedness?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

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

I see it as good, but measures are required. We have a fantastic agriculture with the potential to increase production in Sweden, if the right conditions are given and if the competitiveness and profitability become better. It is somewhere there that one must start, for it is only to be stated: The food that we cannot produce in peacetime we will never be able to produce in times of crisis or, ultimately, war.

The state shall do its part, and regions and municipalities need to do their part. But every individual citizen in this country also needs to do their part. The absolute simplest thing one can do every day is to choose the Swedish-made food and look for the symbols that ensure that the product one chooses comes from a Swedish farmer. Then one does the best one can to ensure that we have a food preparedness and strengthen the security of supply in Sweden.

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Matilda Ernkrans (S)

Madam Speaker! I wonder if the government and the Sweden Democrats are about to betray workers, entrepreneurs, and ordinary people again. In many markets where Sweden and the EU have trade relations, unfortunately, human rights violations were committed, and the labor law protection is weak.

So we cannot have it that way. Large parts of the business community, the trade union movement, and civil society want clear legislation on this at the EU level. Now, such a proposal is on the table, which imposes an obligation on companies to counteract negative effects for the environment and human rights in their operations and their value chains.

The EU decision has however been postponed, and it is the Swedish government that is about to back out of the agreement at the last minute. This is completely incomprehensible. The government also has an unequivocal yes to the agreement from the Riksdag and the EU Committee.

Is this correct, EU Minister Roswall? Why is the government going against the Riksdag and its mandate? Why is the government about to block a historic settlement that strengthens workers' rights and which is good for Swedish competitiveness?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Matilda Ernkrans, for the question!

I am not a hundred percent sure which proposal Matilda Ernkrans is referring to, but it could be the question of sustainability reporting, which has an abbreviation. As many here know, the EU is the world champion of various abbreviations – I see Håkan Svenneling nodding. In that case, it concerns a proposal that we have negotiated for a number of years and which we have judged to be far too burdensome for the business community, in the current form that the proposal on the table has.

That is why we from the Swedish side have been clear that the negotiations so far have not been sufficiently good. As said: If Matilda Ernkrans and I are talking about the same proposal, a vote has not yet taken place, but we have from the Swedish side been clear that we do not consider it to be a good proposal and that it is not sufficient in accordance with the agreement that we have with the Riksdag.

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Mattias Eriksson Falk (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren.

During 2018, it was discovered that a population of stone marten had established itself in the areas around Bromölla in Skåne. The stone marten is an invasive species that can cause very large damages.

In recent years, Jägareförbundet has received funds from Naturvårdsverket to combat the species and eradicate the population in Bromölla, because a viable population that spreads would cost society a lot of money to manage.

The hunt has been successful. Only a small population remains now. However, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has decided to cut the funds in these budget cuts.

My question to the Minister of State is: Will the Minister for Rural Affairs work to ensure that the stone marten does not have a spread that, in the long run, risks costing society billions of kronor?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! The government's work is distributed in such a way that it is the Minister for Climate and Environment, Romina Pourmokhtari, who is responsible for the issue.

The work to combat invasive species in Sweden is very important. Just as the member says, invasive alien species are something that threatens biological diversity.

That is why the government invested 50 million kronor per year for three years. As the member highlights, it is the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management that have the overall responsibility for this. They work together with the County Administrative Board.

It is the authorities who have the responsibility. Exactly how one works with this, Romina Pourmokhtari will have to return to. But of course, the stone marten is something that must be combated. We will return to the question.

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Madam Speaker! I would like to highlight the horrific situation for healthcare in Gaza, but instead I want to ask about another healthcare system that is failing, namely the Swedish healthcare system.

At home in my Värmland, the consequences of the government's healthcare policy are visible. There is a deficit of nearly 1 billion kronor and patient fees are being increased by 50 percent. As my colleague Mona Smedman pointed out, there is now a plan to issue layoff notices to 750 employees in healthcare in Värmland.

The people of Värmland have been clear. Thousands of people demonstrated in -20 degrees because they are worried about a deteriorating healthcare system.

Now the government decides, and that includes the rural affairs minister Peter Kullgren from Värmland, whether healthcare receives any Ackopengar or if it will receive Kristersson warnings and Svantesson cuts. Will there be more money for the Värmland healthcare?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question, even though the comparison that the Member initially made is not correct! The situation in Gaza is something else entirely than it is in Sweden.

It is necessary that we from the state side support the regions. They cannot bear the consequence of the pension agreement they have entered into by themselves. They also cannot bear the consequence of the inflation by themselves.

The government bears the real pharmaceutical costs for the most part. They increase by 4 billion in just a couple of years. The state takes that cost. Not a single member has asked a question about it. The cost for medical equipment also increases due to inflation.

We must press down inflation. It has the fastest effect for the regions. But the costs for the pensions remain. There, the government needs to step in and support and back.

It is exactly as the member says. It affects patients when we do not have enough staff. The regions themselves must do their homework. The government will support them in their work.

(Applause)

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Anders Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker! Handelshögskolan in Stockholm has had enough. Joyful grades from upper secondary school mean that it does not trust the grading system. Therefore, Handelshögskolan is now introducing a requirement to have taken the higher education entrance exam with a test result of at least 1.25 in order to be admitted.

At the same time, there is another picture. To be admitted to the primary school teacher education, it is sufficient that you have 0.0 on the higher education entrance exam and passing grades from upper secondary school. Imagine if the passing grades are also high grades. What happens then to the teacher education, our future teachers, and the teaching profession?

I can think that it is very worrying, not least considering that it is the teachers who from below de facto are those who must build the foundation for the knowledge nation Sweden.

Education Minister Mats Persson: What is the government doing to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession?

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Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question!

First and foremost, I want to say that I understand the Stockholm School of Economics' actions. It is a problem in Sweden that we have "joy grades" (glädjebetyg). Alarms are being raised on their part that higher education is being "gymnasified." It is an overall lower level of knowledge among those who begin the education, and one is not sure that the grading has been correct. Therefore, the government has appointed an inquiry that shall review the occurrence of joy grades and see how measures can be taken against joy grades.

Regarding the teachers, the government has additionally appointed a special inquiry which is currently looking into the question of introducing minimum levels regarding, for example, the high school exam or equivalent to enter teacher training. We need better teachers in Sweden, and we need to get the best students to choose to become teachers. That is not the case today, but that is how it shall be in the future.

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Dzenan Cisija (S)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Health and Social Affairs.

In January, we had a high-profile marathon debate on the ongoing healthcare crisis. The Minister then told the media that it is not enough to stand in the speaker's chair and speak for a very long time.

But that seems to have been enough for Prime Minister Kristersson, who has now on several occasions promised that people within healthcare shall not be "laid off". More precisely, the Prime Minister has promised that the government will cover increased costs resulting from inflation.

My question is: Will the government be able to keep its promise to cover increased costs in the regions resulting from inflation?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question!

I will come to the Riksdag as soon as you call. There is no doubt about that. I will stand in the speaker's chair as long as you ask questions and answer them. But it is the work that is done in the Government Offices that is essential. We work on that all the time.

It is a matter of seeing what it is that the regions need. How could one shape a support to achieve the effect we want, namely that it is the healthcare staff who stay? It is a matter of not providing warnings without making changes that support. It is the core of the welfare that we should spend the money on.

We have had a situation where we allow other parts of our operations to swell. I usually call it politics-driven administration. We often have many assignments that we want to request. It is background material, comparisons, and process managers for this and that. It affects the operations in terms of detailed reports and meetings. But it may not always benefit the healthcare.

We need to examine ourselves and make changes. But we must ensure that we have healthcare staff, because we need that.

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Carita Boulwén (SD)

Madam Speaker! Gender dysphoria among children and young people has increased avalanche-like in our country by over 2,300 percent in ten years, which is deeply worrying. The majority are young girls with other psychiatric comorbidities.

It is of the utmost importance that the care provided is safe, secure, and evidence-based. All medical measures under consideration should be preceded by thorough investigations to ensure that irrevocable decisions are not made unnecessarily. All medical and surgical gender reassignment has lifelong consequences, which is difficult for a young person to oversee.

Instead of lowering the age limit and making it easier to change legal gender, with the risk that more and more young people are given gender-affirming care and treatment, a thorough investigation of the reason for the large increase should be conducted.

My question is: Does the Minister for Health intend to work towards a thorough investigation into what the large increase in gender dysphoria is due to? How does the Minister intend to ensure that care and treatment are based on science and proven experience?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! The Government has already taken several measures. Since January 1, it concerns national highly specialized care for gender dysphoria, which in itself implies a quality stamp. We thus ensure that we have the best methods and that they are based on evidence and proven experience. This measure has therefore already been taken.

The Government has also tasked the National Board of Health and Welfare to monitor the use of gender-controlling hormones because this has major consequences.

Regarding the parts that belong to the policy that the government can influence, we have taken measures aimed at ensuring safe and secure care for patients when they seek care. Then there is another process ongoing in the Riksdag, and we will have to return to that when the Riksdag has made its decision.

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Monica Haider (S)

Madam Speaker! The support for commercial service has existed for many years and is an important support for grocery stores in rural areas. It saves stores all over the country.

Now in times of inflation we see that the support is being eroded. Costs have increased very rapidly in recent years, but the support has been at the same level since at least the year 2000. It is 250,000-300,000 kronor that one can receive.

According to Tillväxtverket, it is time to increase the support. We can now read in the regulatory letter to Tillväxtverket that the government has tasked the agency with reviewing the ordinance.

My question to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren is therefore: Should I interpret it as that the government is considering increasing the support for commercial service?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! Commercial services, grocery stores, are important for being able to live, exist, and operate in the entire country. It was among other reasons why the government last year, which was tough for many stores not least in the countryside, ensured that more money was sent into the system. It was something that was welcomed with open arms. In a situation where inflation is high, electricity prices are high, and some trade is declining, this is an important supplement for the retailers around the country.

I will not speculate on where the government will land, but I think it is good that the mandate exists and that we can review the forms for this type of support. I ask to be allowed to return to the issue when we have come further.

The question period was hereby concluded.

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