Question Time
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 S asks about healthcare capacity during crises and Nato requirements. 2 KD argues that the government has provided support to manage inflation and increase healthcare capacity 2, that healthcare capacity is an obvious part of preparedness 2 and that capacity must be secured 3. 4 5 KD argues that the government could not reach an agreement on gender dysphoria and that the Riksdag handles the issue. 6 7 M argues that the government has introduced temporary supplementary grants for families with children and emphasizes the work principle. 8 9 M argues that the Children's Ombudsman is prioritized and that they will return with proposals. 10 M argues that investigations regarding sickness benefit-qualifying income are ongoing. 11 M wants to see rule changes for cultural workers and gig workers. 12 M argues that it is a waste of resources to retire senior employees. 13 M argues that the government has made a decision on reduced tax for pensioners. 14 M argues that municipalities have the responsibility for LSS interventions. 15 M argues that low availability at Försäkringskassan is concerning. 16 KD argues that healthcare staff should be protected, administration should be reviewed 16, that the tax base is crucial 16 and that a delegation for efficiency is important 17. 18 C argues that active labor market policy with reduced employer contributions is required. 19 L argues that reduced taxes on work are part of active labor market policy 19 and that vocational training is the way to bridge the skills gap 19. 20 L argues that the proposal on unemployment insurance is an improvement. 21 M argues that the government will analyze the Climate Policy Council's report and that the council's role is to highlight improvement potential. 22 M argues that the cooperation agreements with the USA on cancer care involve improvements. 23 M argues that investments in mental health are important. 24 M argues that it was a time-pressured situation at the UN hearing. 25 C argues that seniors want freedom of choice within elderly care. 26 C argues that more national steering is required for leisure aids. 27 S argues that social services need to be reformed. 28 29 M argues that the elderly should have the right to freedom of choice and that welfare technology increases security. 30 M argues that the government is investing in skills development and medical safety. 31 32 M argues that they want to limit mobile phone use within Sis. 33 34 KD argues that they prioritize equitable healthcare and cancer strategy 33 and that cancer care has received doubled resources 34. 35 M argues that Försäkringskassan's queues are due to underfunded reforms from the previous Social Democratic government. 36 L argues that the government provides a country and opportunities, but sets requirements that one must learn Swedish, society, and values 36.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Speakers (72)
- TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN
- Mikael Dahlqvist (S)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Mikael Dahlqvist (S)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Mona Olin (SD)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Mona Olin (SD)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Isabell Mixter (V)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Isabell Mixter (V)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Martina Johansson (C)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Martina Johansson (C)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Mats Berglund (MP)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Mats Berglund (MP)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Ulrika Heindorff (M)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Ulrika Heindorff (M)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Yusuf Aydin (KD)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Yusuf Aydin (KD)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Malin Danielsson (L)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Malin Danielsson (L)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Jessica Rodén (S)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Michael Rubbestad (SD)
- Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
- Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Ulrika Liljeberg (C)
- Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
- Annika Hirvonen (MP)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Mathias Bengtsson (KD)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Jonathan Svensson (S)
- Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
- Clara Aranda (SD)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Nadja Awad (V)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Christofer Bergenblock (C)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Malin Höglund (M)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Dan Hovskär (KD)
- Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
- Anna Vikström (S)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN
- Daniel Persson (SD)
- Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
- Anne-Li Sjölund (C)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Johan Hultberg (M)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Karin Sundin (S)
- Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
- Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
- Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN
I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson, Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson, and Minister Anna Tenje.
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 relates to his/her performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties. Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall answers both general political questions and questions within her own area of responsibility.
Mikael Dahlqvist (S)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs. In the midst of a tense and uncertain global situation with war in Europe, armed conflicts in the Middle East, and an increasingly aggressive geopolitical agenda internationally, Sweden must quickly build up a civil defense and a crisis preparedness within health and medical care. But with the current conditions, it will be very difficult. The stakes are high, and thousands of healthcare workers will have to quit. Swedish healthcare is already in crisis, with constant overcrowding.
During the morning, a public inquiry was conducted on civil defense and crisis preparedness within healthcare. The message from the inquiry was very clear. Healthcare must, among other things, be able to double the number of care beds.
According to SKR, at least 24 billion were needed here and now for healthcare. The government announces 6 billion kronor.
My question to Acko Ankarberg is: Will the government, based on the given economic frameworks for health and medical care, be able to guarantee that the capacity in health and medical care is met in the event of a crisis or war situation, both from a civilian and a military perspective?
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! Yes, we have spent three hours together with the Committee on Health and Welfare. I and also many authorities had the opportunity to be present to specifically discuss healthcare's role in the preparedness, as a part of the total defense.
Just as the member points out, the need for healthcare capacity is a self-evident part of ensuring a functioning healthcare system in a crisis and in a war situation during an armed attack. That is why the government has not only provided support now, during a crisis situation resulting from inflation, to the regions. There, we are providing 9 billion more, as we have announced. It is a special support so that they can manage the inflation. We also have 5-6 billion to increase healthcare capacity and shorten the queues.
But it is necessary that we do the planning together. I want to point out to the member that the Defence Committee's proposal to double the number of care beds involves an increase of 14,000-15,000 care beds. I do not think the member anticipates that. It is about looking at which care capacity needs to increase in the event of an armed attack and in these situations. The Swedish Agency for Health and Social Services' statement is that it concerns 2,000-2,300 beds.
Mikael Dahlqvist (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you very much for the answer, Acko Ankarberg Johansson!
Even our membership in Nato will place greater demands on Swedish health and medical care, we were informed of today. Among other things, Nato assumes that we will have access to four field hospitals, and the defense assumes that one will have access to licensed medical personnel, because the defense does not have it today.
My question is: How will the government be able to tackle the increased demands from the current economic crisis?
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the supplementary question! I would like to hear the Social Democrats' view on this regarding doubling the number of healthcare places, the extent that the Defence Committee proposes. I believe we need to have a discussion about what we mean by what is stated in the report, perhaps on page 285.
But when it comes to how we are to manage the crisis, it is exactly as the member says. We must first ensure that we have a healthcare capacity for today's situation. We do not have that. We have too low a healthcare capacity. It must increase. I am very pleased with the cooperation we have with the regions in order to manage both the temporary crisis and that which is long-term.
Mona Olin (SD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Social Services. We see a sharply increased number of young people being diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The majority of them also have a psychiatric comorbidity, which risks remaining untreated when one chooses to focus on the gender dysphoria.
The basic mission for politicians and legislators must be to offer care that is as safe and secure as possible. Since the last referral round on the gender identity law, many new findings and questions have emerged, which the majority choose not to include in the new proposal.
How does the Minister view the fact that a committee, regardless of what position one holds on the issue, shows no interest in incorporating the latest research and knowledge in the relevant area before a new bill is submitted?
(THIRD DEPUTY SPEAKER: We have just consulted here. This is not a question of the exercise of official duties, but it is a question of the Riksdag in this situation. Here, it is a question of the ministers' exercise of official duties or of a general political issue - it is naturally important to clarify that. The member may reformulate the question.)
Yes, then I choose the exercise of official duties. When one signs a debate article, where one stands behind a proposal, with one's name and one's ministerial title, it is in my eyes the exercise of official duties. It is when one uses one's official title.
Does the Minister feel secure with a committee preparing a bill without taking into account the latest research?
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I am responsible for healthcare and am happy to participate and answer the question. The question of gender dysphoria and a new law has been under the government's work. We could not reach an agreement. Therefore, it is now the Riksdag itself that is handling the question. The Riksdag will handle it in the appropriate manner, and the Committee on Health and Welfare is responsible.
Mona Olin (SD)
Madam Speaker! This was actually a supplementary question. But that the Minister for Social Services can stand behind a proposal in the capacity of a minister and then cannot answer a question on how the minister views how the proposal is being developed, I cannot understand.
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! It also happened this week, during the interpellation debate, that someone wanted to ask me a question but actually had a question for another minister. It happens sometimes. But the rule is that one answers for the portfolio for which one has been given responsibility. One has to live with the fact that it is I who answer questions concerning healthcare.
On this issue, the government did not reach an agreement. The Riksdag is now handling the issue in the appropriate manner in the Committee on Social Affairs. It will be handled in the Chamber eventually, and there I assume that the members will have a lively debate and make wise decisions.
Isabell Mixter (V)
Madam Speaker! My question is directed to the Minister for Social Insurance. The economic situation for families with children is acute. Yesterday, a survey was released by the Red Cross, Save the Children, Majblomman, and the Tenants' Association regarding the economic situation of families with children. The results are depressing. Four out of ten single parents have had to borrow money to be able to pay for basic expenses. Three out of ten cohabiting parents with lower incomes have had to do the same. It is a large increase from last year.
The economic space for families with children has decreased significantly compared to 2023. A large proportion would manage at most 1,000 kronor in increased expenses per month. It is therefore enough for one to have a sick day or need to stay home with a sick child for the calculation not to add up.
The government's contribution for cleaning assistance and shoe polishing hardly helps these families.
How does the Minister intend to ensure that all children in Sweden can grow up with a decent standard of living?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! A big thank you to the Member for the question! It is undoubtedly a very important question when it comes to how inflation has hit incredibly hard against all households, against companies, and also against the state. But it hits extra hard against particularly vulnerable people and not least single women with children.
The government has on several occasions presented proposals and made decisions regarding a temporary supplementary grant specifically for families with children. It is a grant that is specifically targeted at particularly vulnerable families with children with poor finances. This has been very accurate. This is, of course, an issue that we follow very closely. We will also present our amendment budget in due course.
Isabell Mixter (V)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer. That inflation is having an impact and that is the reason why it looks like this is a recurring answer from the government. But the government has also actively chosen to prioritize other things than the finances of families with children - the rot- and rut-deductions and lowered taxes. Now we see how the situation is worsening.
What does the government intend to do now to help these families and ensure that children do not have to grow up in long-term poverty?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! The government is making several efforts, not least to strengthen households' purchasing power but also to get growth in Sweden started again. To re-establish the work principle and ensure that more people get jobs and that more can work more is perhaps the single most important measure to strengthen the economy and combat inflation, but also to ensure that more families with children have more means to move with.
Then there are particularly vulnerable families with children, not least single women with children. There we have had the temporary supplementary grant, which has further strengthened the finances of these families with children. We will return with more in the year-end budget further ahead.
Martina Johansson (C)
Madam Speaker! Children in social care may need support from an adult when there are failures in the care, attention, and treatment, or when incorrect decisions are made regarding the child's care and treatment.
There are currently proposals on the government's desk regarding child advocates via civil society to provide this support to, among others, girls at Sis who are subjected to abuse. These are proposals that strengthen the rights of children and young people, and they have been with the government for approximately seven months.
My question to Camilla Waltersson Grönvall is: When will the government prioritize this issue of introducing children's representatives through civil society and present proposals for it in the Riksdag?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for a very pertinent question.
The question of being able to strengthen the situation for vulnerable children and young people in Sweden is an extremely high priority for this government.
We have a number of investigations that we in the opposition pushed forward. The proposals are now being prepared, just as the member rightly points out, within the Government Offices.
An important part concerns ensuring that, not least girls who today are under Sis's roof, get better conditions. That question is addressed, among other things, by the investigation on the future of child and youth care, where the focus lies on ensuring that these children and young people shall have the right to care and treatment. Not infrequently, they have been exposed to some trauma.
Looking at how civil society can support these children and young people, who have often been without support from any adult, is a priority issue that is being prepared in accordance with the proposals that currently exist.
Martina Johansson (C)
Madam Speaker! I thank Camilla Waltersson Grönvall for this.
When I ask these questions to the government, I get the answer that they are being prepared, that they are important and that they are being prioritized.
When the government is simultaneously to introduce visitation zones to limit the rights of children and young people, this is being prepared in three months.
Then I have a follow-up question. I wonder if the question regarding the introduction of visitation zones is not sufficiently prepared, since this is happening in three months, or if one actually does not prioritize the rights of children and young people.
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! We have an extensive battery of proposals regarding strengthening the situation of children and young people within youth care. It is these questions that I am answering. The members will have to wait until this preparation is complete. But we will return with several proposals that strengthen the situation of children and young people.
Mats Berglund (MP)
Madam Speaker! I would like to ask a question to Minister Anna Tenje regarding income qualifying for sickness benefit. It is something that often works well but which in many cases causes problems. Just this past week, we in Sekotidningen have been able to read about Mattias who unfortunately managed to write himself out from the Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) just before he started a new job, where he unfortunately injured himself immediately. He lost his SGI and thus his entire sickness benefit.
In the newspaper Arbetet, we read about Anna, who has the diagnosis ME, who had received incorrect information from Försäkringskassan and lost her SGI.
In Svenska Dagbladet the other day, there was an article about the gig workers who never receive any SGI.
We therefore have a regulatory framework that completely unnecessarily excludes people from our social insurance. But there are proposals, for example in the SGI investigation, that would rectify the regulatory framework.
My question to the Minister is: Does the Minister intend to take these proposals into account and change the regulatory framework for the calculation of income qualifying for sickness benefit?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Mats Berglund for the question.
It is an important issue that Mats Berglund highlights. It creates problems when one does not have any accumulated sickness benefit-qualifying income if one becomes ill and needs help and support. We shall have compensations and benefits in Sweden that are there for those who need them when one becomes ill.
As the member tells, there is an investigation that has now been out for consultation, and the preparation of the consultation responses that have been received is currently ongoing.
But there is not just one investigation, there are actually two. The previous government appointed a new investigation before the previous one was even finished. There are therefore many proposals to take a position on. Furthermore, it is the case that these two investigations have come to different conclusions that contradict each other.
This work is substantial and not entirely uncomplicated. But it will continue in the Government Offices for some time to come.
Mats Berglund (MP)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer. The final referral responses on the investigation I mentioned were submitted about three months ago, and I know that they also differ. But above all, according to the responses representing artists, cultural workers and the creative sector but also sports, one would like to see the regulatory change that the investigator in that investigation proposes, i.e., a calculation based on historical income instead of on expected and future income.
Does the Minister of State consider it a good proposal that is worth implementing to provide both cultural workers and gig workers with better protection?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Many thanks, Mats Berglund, for the follow-up question!
Just as I said, a rather large and extensive piece of work has been carried out in both investigations. The referral responses have, as mentioned, been submitted now, and now we are making a compilation. I do not intend to anticipate the work that is now to be carried out in the Government Offices, but it is a very interesting piece of work.
Ulrika Heindorff (M)
Madam Speaker! Yesterday, the Plus Commission was launched, an initiative to foster a more positive view of life experience and to better utilize untapped senior competence.
According to a Demoskop survey that the commission has initiated, a full 85 percent of the Swedish people believe that there is a clear limit already at the age of 50 when one is no longer attractive on the labor market. It is extremely alarming.
John Mellkvist, secretary general of the Plus Commission, says that Sweden loses out on great values when such a large and capable part of society is kept outside and that the pension norm continues to be documented strong, which causes many to leave the workforce despite good conditions and a need to continue working.
My question goes to Minister Anna Tenje: What is the government doing to counter ageism and to take advantage of the senior workforce?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Many thanks for the question, Ulrika Heindorff!
I had the great privilege of speaking at the launch of the Plus Commission yesterday, and I can do nothing but agree. It is among the greatest waste of resources we are undertaking in Sweden when we routinely retire away a large part of the knowledge and experience that our senior employees possess.
I believe we need to rethink. Given the large skills shortage that exists in almost all industries, we are eager to be able to attract new labor, perhaps steal from a competitor, or come up with new ways of working. But we are a bit bad at taking care of the staff we have. We need to have more flexibility and greater diversity in the labor market, and we must ask our senior employees if they can imagine staying for a few more years. Above all, we must highlight senior employees' great capacity and knowledge and their great value on the labor market.
Ulrika Heindorff (M)
Madam Speaker! The older one becomes, the more the desire to continue contributing increases. If you ask 30-44-year-olds, it is 17 percent who say that they want to continue working after reaching retirement age, while among those aged 60 and over, it is 32 percent.
The Minister has partially answered the question, but how can the government further encourage the employers to match the great will that exists?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! I believe we can do quite a lot on the theme of attitude change and work together to raise the issue of ageism and age discrimination.
We have already made a decision on reduced tax for persons who have reached retirement age. If you continue to work after reaching the target age, you get extra reduced tax, which means more money in your pocket.
The latest announcement from Pensionsgruppen, which I have the privilege of leading, is that we will continue to work on the possibility of pausing the occupational pension. If one has retired and the occupational pension has started, it can now be paused if one wishes to return to work. It will also provide economic incentives to continue working.
Yusuf Aydin (KD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Social Services.
Serious crime and its preliminary stages are today linked to certain areas. Families are threatened, and children and young people are recruited into gangs directly from the youth center or school. To stop this development, new methods are required.
That crime prevention work is crucial. A proposal we Christian Democrats have pushed and had passed in the government is so-called relocation programs, where entire families are to receive help to move to a better place if the children have become trapped in the violence of gang crime. Today, children and young people are faced with having to quit the gang and leave the family. It is not a good choice if we are to strengthen the family and get more to quit the gangs, but if an entire family can receive support to move to another location, it is easier to break away.
What is the government doing to get this in place as soon as possible?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for a very pertinent question.
How we are to counter the criminal gangs and stop the recruitment of children is a high-priority issue for the government. We are now conducting work that is equally crime-preventive as it is crime-combating. The new Social Services Act will be important in order to be able to work early and preventively, and here the municipalities' responsibilities will also be clarified.
We know that parents are the most important part of prevention, and we invest large resources in parenting support. Large resources are also invested in schools to strengthen this. In recent days, we have also presented a crime prevention decree, which is based on a very broad social preventive effort, and housing measures will be important.
Yusuf Aydin (KD)
Madam Speaker! I am glad that we have a government that puts the family and the parents at the center when it comes to preventive work, which gives children and young people better conditions for growing up.
What other measures does the government see that can be taken to strengthen preventive work and stop children and young people from being drawn into crime?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! Now we have a paradigm shift where we turn the focus toward providing support very early, already at MVC and BVC. We also welcome family centers to emphasize how important parenting support is. When I travel around the country, I am constantly receiving confirmation that this is an important and evidence-based part of this work. Another example is school social teams. It is a concrete measure where the social services are given the conditions to work together with the teachers in the school.
Malin Danielsson (L)
Madam Speaker! Earlier today, the Parliamentary Ombudsmen were in the Riksdag and presented their annual report. A recurring theme is the processing times of authorities, and among other things, criticism is directed at long processing times regarding LSS. Ivo also highlights the situation for persons with disabilities in his report *What has Ivo seen 2023?*, where it is written that persons with disabilities do not receive housing and support within a reasonable time. Among other things, non-executed decisions for interventions granted according to LSS have increased by 55 percent for personal assistance and 11 percent for companion services compared to 2022.
My question to Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall is therefore: What general measures is the government taking to ensure that persons with disabilities receive the support they are entitled to, specifically when it comes to tackling the long processing times and decisions that are not executed within a reasonable time?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for an important question.
The LSS legislation is an important freedom legislation for people to be able to participate fully in society. Perhaps we Moderates and Liberals feel a little extra responsibility here because it was a bourgeois government that at one time launched this legislation.
Each municipality has the ultimate responsibility to ensure that individuals receive the support and help they need. The municipalities shall also plan interventions for people with physical and mental disabilities. In this context, it may be worth mentioning that since 2022, an investigation has been ongoing with the mandate to analyze and take a position on whether Ivo needs expanded or clearer opportunities to intervene when supervision reveals deficiencies. The investigation shall also submit proposals on how Ivo, through its supervision, can work to ensure that municipalities can plan their interventions for individuals and execute these within a reasonable time.
Malin Danielsson (L)
Madam Speaker! The idea behind LSS is that one should be able to live a life like everyone else. Long processing times and non-executed decisions have major consequences for the individual. It can involve people who, due to rapid changes in their illness, need to rely on the goodwill of relatives while waiting for support, or people who are not given the opportunity to leave their home due to a lack of companion services.
It is good and important that the government follows the work on Ivo, but are there more measures the government could take?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! Let me emphasize that the purpose of the investigation More Effective Supervision of Social Services is for the government to receive more grounds to be able to proceed with any measures. The investigation is to be submitted to the government on March 29. We will therefore in the near future receive further grounds to return to the Riksdag and discuss.
Jessica Rodén (S)
Madam Speaker! During the past year, we have seen a worrying trend where the accessibility of Försäkringskassan's services has seriously deteriorated. The limited new telephone hours introduced in December last year have led to a situation where over 100,000 calls are not answered every month. People who are ill, on parental leave, or have a disability are left in a very vulnerable position where they are forced to wait in endless telephone queues, if they are even allowed to join the queue.
It has been clarified that this reduced availability is a direct consequence of the savings that the government is implementing. My question to the Minister for Social Insurance is therefore: In light of Försäkringskassan's important and crucial role for social insurance protection to function in practice, what measures does the minister intend to take to remedy these serious availability problems at Försäkringskassan?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! I would like to extend a big thank you to Jessica Rodén for the important question.
The Försäkringskassan's operations shall be legally secure and efficient and characterized by good service and high availability. The agency's management has now initiated a savings program to bring the economy into balance. As part of the agency's savings program, telephone hours have been limited, which the member very rightly pointed out. This is done to prioritize the work with the case balances within the different benefit categories. It is always a trade-off whether one should prioritize the case balances and work on reducing them, as that in turn can also reduce the burden on the telephone system.
The Government places great emphasis on our authorities having order and clarity in their finances and that efficient work is being carried out, but the development we are now seeing with low accessibility to Försäkringskassan is very concerning.
Michael Rubbestad (SD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson.
The Moderates and the Liberals have put forward a proposal for simplified possibilities to change gender. In addition to the fact that SD and KD strongly oppose the proposal, the concern from authorities is great. The Police Authority says that the proposal can be exploited for criminal purposes because the change of personal identity numbers in several stages makes them impossible to follow in the crime register. Criticism is also raised regarding the risk that the proposal can be exploited for the financing of terrorism and money laundering. The Swedish Public Employment Service's criticism highlights fears that persons will be able to change their gender identity in different registers, for example that a convicted pedophile could change legal gender a few times and then work with children at a preschool.
We view with great concern the many consequences that the proposal could lead to. I share the Minister for Employment's concern regarding the effects the proposal could have if implemented, and how does the Minister intend to ensure that criminals or pedophiles do not exploit the labor market?
Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
Madam Speaker! It is very important that the Riksdag, when it now handles this legislation, ensures that it does so in a correct manner. It is legislation that is intended to protect people who are very vulnerable and live under quite difficult conditions in a Sweden that, unfortunately, in many parts is still characterized by prejudices.
How each authority shall ensure that no unwanted consequences arise from the fact that we are now updating this legislation – just as has been done in many of our Nordic neighboring countries – the committee will, of course, take care of. As was previously explained here during the question period, it is the Riksdag that now owns this issue, and now I address the audience: We have a division which says that the Riksdag then handles this and that the government does not interfere in it.
Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)
Madam Speaker! As everyone knows, the so-called reform space is something that arises by the government choosing not to increase the appropriations to, above all, municipalities and regions. If we indexed the state grants for school, healthcare, and care to cover the cost increases, there would be very little left of the reform space, something that Civil Minister Erik Slottner has stated in this chamber.
One could say that if the reform space is used fully for something other than increased state subsidies, it is about automatic cuts. Now, this government has only used 40 percent of the reform space to increase the state subsidies. To afford tax cuts, they have therefore decided on large cuts.
The Prime Minister guaranteed last week that no healthcare personnel would be laid off. Since then, the government has announced that an additional 6 billion shall be given to healthcare. However, the layoffs continue. My question to the Minister for Health is: Which knees have the regions not understood that they are to conjure with to avoid the layoffs, as the Prime Minister promised?
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question. The member is welcome to return at another occasion with which healthcare staff have been dismissed. So far, that has not occurred.
I am very happy that so many regions are working to protect healthcare staff. Other things need to be reviewed, because the administration has grown, and it is the healthcare staff that we must protect.
What the member primarily highlights is the indexing of state grants, and that is indeed a separate issue. I myself have been a municipal politician for a very long time – I started in 1986, so I understand that I am terribly old! – and at that time I also occasionally thought so, in times when inflation was high. But when inflation was low, I did not like indexing the state grants at all, because we still had to ensure that we had money for wage increases. After a while, I learned that what is important is the development of the tax base. That is what allows me to manage my operations here in the municipality.
Pleasantly enough, we could see that the tax base increased more than projected for 2023, which reduces the deficits in most regions. That is where we must put all our effort moving forward.
Ulrika Liljeberg (C)
Madam Speaker! I have a question for Minister Pehrson.
Many in Sweden need and want a job to go to, but the future for them does not look bright. In company after company in region after region, large layoffs are now being issued. These are uncertain times in the Swedish economy and in our labor market. At the same time as we have a shortage of skills and labor, unemployment is not decreasing.
Centerpartiet believes that an active labor market policy with reduced employer contributions, better education and matching, and a special focus on getting young people into work is required. My question to the Minister is: What measures does the government intend to take here and now to reduce unemployment and get more people into jobs this year?
Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
Madam Speaker! I appreciate that lower taxes on labor are included in the broad active labor market policy. It is music to my ears. But it is not enough. Education is also required.
The government is now using the difficult situation that Sweden finds itself in with a recession and high inflation - an inflation that we are now working to push back, even though it is too early to call it a day. We are therefore investing heavily in vocational training, not least through the universities of applied sciences, this fantastic work, to ensure that people enter education that then leads to important jobs as electricians or battery builders - there are amounts of work that need to be performed. There are hundreds of thousands of vacant jobs, but the skills gap is too large. In that case, it is education that is the way.
Annika Hirvonen (MP)
Madam Speaker! The government's climate action plan has just been reviewed by the experts in the Climate Policy Council. The grade is not approved. The experts tear down the government's climate action plan and argue that the report does not meet the requirements of the Climate Act. They even write that the words in the heading itself, "all the way to net zero," are misleading and factually incorrect.
Now that you in the government have received it in black and white that the climate action plan increases emissions despite the fact that they must reduce them, I wonder if Minister Waltersson Grönvall considers it a problem that the state's independent expert council finds that the climate action plan lacks objectivity. Or in plain Swedish: Is it a problem that the government is lying to the Swedish people straight to their faces about climate policy?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Annika Hirvonen, for the question!
The government has just, only a few hours ago, received the Climate Policy Council's report. The government will now analyze the content of the report, which has thus just been handed over.
The Climate Policy Council's role is to review the sitting government's climate policy, and it is part of their core mandate to highlight the potential for improvement in the conducted climate policy. It is clear that they are providing comments now, just as they previously expressed sharp criticism of the red-green government's climate policy and the measures in that government's climate action plan. Our government took note of the criticism of the previous government's climate action plan when we designed our plan.
The report has been received today, and we will, of course, analyze the content and respond to this.
Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)
Madam Speaker! When cooperation agreements with the USA are discussed, it is often about defense issues, but Minister Ankarberg Johansson was recently in Washington and signed a renewed cooperation agreement on cancer care and cancer research.
I therefore believe there are grounds to ask the Minister: What can the renewed cooperation agreement mean for Swedish cancer research and, in the long run, for Swedish cancer care?
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question!
It was two important decisions regarding cooperation that we signed in the USA this week. It concerned both Nato, where we submitted our instruments, as they are called, and cancer care, where I had the privilege of signing an agreement with the USA on behalf of Sweden.
It is about education and research but also about treatment, prevention and medicines - everything that is connected to the entire cancer care. The work has been ongoing for several years, and the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs have worked together.
An agreement can be seen as a piece of paper, but this time it is an agreement on how we are to carry out things. We have placed the focus on the implementation and on ensuring that the sectors are brought together in a better way.
We have also committed ourselves to having an annual meeting – what we call a summit in English – where we follow up on what we have done over the past year. Next year it will be held in Sweden, and I hope that we can then report many improved areas of cooperation for better cancer research and cancer treatment.
Mathias Bengtsson (KD)
Madam Speaker! The Government has in the recent budgets allocated large resources to the Swedish welfare, most recently 6 billion kronor to the regions' health and medical care, in the upcoming spring amendment budget. It is very welcome, for example for Region Dalarna which, according to the latest forecast, has a deficit of 1.1 billion kronor.
We know that more money alone will not solve all of Region Dalarna's problems, but there must be more long-term measures - other types of measures. From this perspective, the government's announcement of an efficiency delegation for health and medical care is extra interesting, and this is something I would like to ask the Minister for Health and Social Affairs about.
Why does the Minister see a need for such a delegation? Could an efficiency delegation help Region Dalarna in the long term?
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question!
When the government presented its proposals to support the regions so that we can retain healthcare staff, there were five different points in total. I know that 6 billion might be more visible, but the other parts were also important.
One of them concerns a delegation that is to look at the difficulty that many regions have. For a long time, there has been an imbalance in the economy. Put simply, there have been more employees than there was a budget for. This has been attempted to be managed, and one knows what mission one has. If one has had an imbalance in the economy for a long time, however, one cannot change this in a short time, but one must work more long-term.
We have a delegation that will work together with the regions, which themselves apply if they want to be part of the work. We allocate 250 million kronor annually for support to regions that apply and want help, but then they need to show that they can find a long-term solution to the imbalance in the economy.
The delegation to help the regions find better efficiency, I believe, is very important, but it is also the other measures, which I would like to return to at a later time.
Jonathan Svensson (S)
Madam Speaker! The Government and the Sweden Democrats have thrown Sweden into several parallel crises which mean that many people are now losing their jobs. At the same time as the salaries are increasing and unemployment is on the rise, the Government and the Sweden Democrats choose to move forward with proposals for deteriorations in the unemployment insurance (a-kassan) which, among other things, mean that the compensation is lowered after 100 days.
The deterioration will hit hard against many people who today are about to lose their jobs. Particularly hard it will hit those who have low wages, often women, who are now losing their jobs but are not covered by the increase of the ceiling in the a-kassa. They will find it harder to put food on the table. They will find it harder to pay the rent. They will find it harder to pay for the children's sports activities.
Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Employment: What is his answer to all those who are now losing their jobs and at the same time receive a lower compensation from the unemployment insurance fund and in that way find it harder to put food on the table?
Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
Madam Speaker! We should probably get the timeline in order. Easter comes before Christmas.
We have a proposal that has been out for consultation on reforming the Swedish unemployment insurance and raising the ceiling and the floor for those who have the lowest benefits. This I call improvements.
We link the compensation to income instead of to each hour worked to make it easier and more efficient so that more people who are entitled to unemployment insurance receive it in a timely manner. These are improvements.
The Social Democrats have in their own motions here in the Riksdag stated that one should work with a more linear tapering, but I understand that the Social Democrats now do not think that is good.
Finally, the goal is that no human being should have to be unemployed. We shall re-establish the work line and the education line so that people get jobs, for example, the 100,000 jobs that are available to apply for already today.
Clara Aranda (SD)
Madam Speaker! It is thanks to the judgment delivered by the Supreme Administrative Court that objective examination findings shall not be a requirement in medical certificates, so that persons with psychiatric illnesses can no longer be denied sickness benefit to the same unjust extent as before.
That there have for a long time been requirements for objective examination findings in medical certificates indicates serious deficiencies in knowledge of and understanding of psychiatric diagnoses. There are today significant knowledge gaps which mean that we have a sickness insurance system that is not adapted for the now most common cause of long-term sick leave, which hinders a legally secure handling and at the same time affects the legitimacy of the sickness insurance.
For this reason, I would like to ask Minister Anna Tenje: Does the government consider it a priority to build a stronger research-based knowledge base within the health insurance with a specific focus on the area of mental health, and what measures would in that case be relevant?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Many thanks, Clara Aranda, for a very pertinent question! I agree with many of the points you raised in your question.
I can state that the government has now made several different initiatives concerning the promotion of mental health and the prevention of mental ill-health and suicide in order to create better conditions for good care and support for persons who have mental ill-health.
Approximately 1.6 billion kronor we have chosen to invest in 2024 to strengthen the work within the area of mental health and suicide prevention. We do this through an agreement with SKR. This work includes funds to strengthen preventive and promotional work, including countering sick leave.
More research is definitely needed given that more and more people who are currently on sick leave also have mental ill-health as a basis, just as the member highlighted. Therefore, I think it is particularly pleasing that Forte, together with Försäkringskassan, in 2023 announced research funds to contribute to increased knowledge on mental ill-health with a focus on rehabilitation, cooperation, and a sustainable working life.
Nadja Awad (V)
Madam Speaker! On March 11, the UN began the latest inquiry of the Swedish government to see how it complies with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Before the hearing, Funktionsrätt Sverige compiled a report that up to 110 organizations stood behind. The main message was that there has been a regression regarding rights for persons with disabilities. It concerns everything from the low employment rate to the lack of special support in school, the limitation of the right to personal assistance, the cuts within the sickness and activity compensation, and so on.
During the hearing, the government failed to answer the criticism. They requested to provide written answers to several questions, even though the government had already received the report from Funktionsrätt Sverige in January.
My question is: How is it that the delegation was so unprepared and could not answer many of the questions asked regarding concrete measures and what is being done? What lessons has the Minister for Social Services drawn?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for important questions, Nadja Awad!
The issues regarding disabilities are very important. I want to see it as an opportunity to consult and have a dialogue with the UN committee that works with disability issues. It is an opportunity to focus on the issues where improvements are needed.
A large and extensive preparatory work had taken place. I can truly emphasize that. Almost all departments in the government had been involved. I do not know if the member has taken part in the dialogue itself, but it is a very time-pressured situation.
It is also fully permitted to respond in writing. That is what we did even when the government met the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child a year ago. It is therefore a fully legitimate way to provide full answers to the UN Committee, also so that it will be correct and proper.
Christofer Bergenblock (C)
Madam Speaker! Last week, I participated in a seminar on freedom of choice in elderly care. It was organized by SPF Seniorerna in collaboration with Vårdföretagarna. It was not only I who participated, but so did Minister for Health Anna Tenje.
At the seminar, a report was presented showing that nine out of ten seniors expect freedom of choice within elderly care, that they can choose home care companies and elderly housing. It is not the least surprising. It is clear that one wants freedom of choice throughout life.
What is even more surprising is that the majority of Sweden's municipalities cannot offer this today. Even more surprising is that the Minister could not provide a single example of any initiative that the government has taken to increase the elderly's opportunity for freedom of choice.
My question to Minister Anna Tenje is: What initiatives does the government intend to take to increase the elderly's opportunity for freedom of choice?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you very much for an important question, Christofer Bergenblock!
I also enjoyed that debate. It was particularly interesting to see the result, that nine out of ten expect to be able to choose elderly care when they get older. It is not strange; we choose throughout our lives. We choose preschool and school for our children, and we choose a health center.
Of course, I believe that the elderly should have the right to choose elderly care, who comes through the door when it comes to home care, but also which housing they should live in, if they need it.
Given that and that discussion, we have today the Public Procurement Act and LOV, which the municipalities have at their disposal. Unfortunately, there are not many municipalities that take advantage of it. It was particularly sad to note that there were previously 24 municipalities that had a choice, but that the new government in Uppsala municipality, with the Social Democrats at the helm, has recently decided to withdraw it.
I do, however, respect the municipal self-government and the municipalities' right to choose for themselves whether they shall have freedom of choice or not.
Malin Höglund (M)
Madam Speaker! My question is also addressed to Minister for Pensions and Social Insurance Anna Tenje.
The vast majority of elderly people want to stay in their own homes for as long as they possibly can, with the help of home care and relatives to have the possibility of assistance during all hours of the day.
Over the last ten years, welfare technology has become increasingly common, both in the home and in residential facilities. It involves everything from medicine robots that dispense medication to sensors in the floor or in the bed. New technology and digitalization have become increasingly common within elderly care.
How does Minister for Pensions and Social Insurance Anna Tenje view the developments regarding welfare technology? And what is the government doing in this area?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you very much for an important question, Malin Höglund!
Welfare technology is incredibly exciting, and it is moving forward quite quickly. It is, among other things, a way to complement the employees' important work and to free up resources, which can then be used to help and support the elderly when welfare technology cannot be present or used. But it is above all a way to increase the security, safety, and independence for the elderly.
I am positive about welfare technology. We have therefore given SKR an additional 20 million to support the introduction of welfare technology in the municipalities. We have also drafted a law that is to facilitate the introduction and use, so that there will be no confusion in the municipalities.
At today's government meeting, we also actually made a decision to task Socialstyrelsen with analyzing the effectiveness of welfare technology but also highlighting good examples of its use. In this way, the municipalities shall be able to receive better support and assistance from the state in these important issues.
Dan Hovskär (KD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson.
Healthcare is one of the Christian Democrats' most prioritized issues. We are pushing for the issue of equal healthcare throughout the country. Now the regions are receiving a supplement of 6 billion kronor to strengthen healthcare, which is very good.
The Christian Democrats consider cancer care to be a particularly important area. I am interested in hearing how the work with the new cancer strategy is progressing.
I also noted, like member Jesper Skalberg Karlsson, that the minister was in the USA, in Washington, last week and signed a healthcare agreement with the USA within the cancer area. I do not know if she can elaborate further on what it means for Sweden.
Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, member!
Cancer care has received doubled resources through the government's budget this year. For many years, approximately 500 million has been given annually. Now it is over 1 billion. I believe that it truly increases the conditions to strengthen many parts of the care that need it.
We also need an updated cancer strategy. The foundations of the strategy adopted in 2009 remain. It is a national strategy specifically for cancer, and it is forward-looking. But a lot has happened since then regarding technical gains in precision medicine, treatment methods, and therapies.
We have also missed certain parts. There is too little focus on rehabilitation. Many need lifelong such [rehabilitation] after treatment. But it is also about the transition from child to adult. Children also need to be given a clearer role in the cancer strategy. Therefore, we have initiated the work to revise the cancer strategy.
That is why it was appropriate to conclude the agreement and to visit American institutions. They have just developed their own national plan for cancer. We can look at what they have done, in order to learn from them as well.
Anna Vikström (S)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Anna Tenje.
Now I often hear that there is a great concern that the needs of elderly care are not seen but obscured when there are major problems in the rest of society. The Health and Social Care Inspectorate conducted a major review of elderly care last year. It showed, among other things, that there was a competence shortage, that the availability of nurses was too low, and that there were deficiencies in the handling of medicines.
Both during and after the pandemic, it has been clear that there are deficiencies in healthcare within elderly care. My question is therefore: What does the Minister intend to do regarding healthcare within elderly care in the municipalities, beyond the possibility of doctors being employed by the municipalities?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Many thanks to Anna Vikström for an important question!
My perception is not at all that elderly care is being hindered in any way. Out on my countless study visits across the country, I rather think that elderly care and its problems and opportunities are being highlighted from many different aspects. Above all, I think that the municipal politicians are very hungry when it comes to improving and strengthening the work.
Since I took office as minister and responsible for elderly care, we have commissioned several different inquiries, not least to strengthen the parts that the member highlights in their question. This involves, for example, strengthening medical safety and creating opportunities for more people to take an interest in and be attracted to professions concerning geriatrics and aging. Above all, it is a matter of ensuring that the supply of competence is strengthened, and therefore, through Äldreomsorgslyftet, we are investing specifically in skills development so that the lowest level is raised significantly. These are important measures that I have worked on.
TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN
I want to remind all participants in the question period that even during the question period, all speakers must address the Speaker – no "you", "you" (singular/plural), or first names.
Daniel Persson (SD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Pensions and Social Insurance, Anna Tenje.
More than before are unable to get through to Försäkringskassan's telephone customer service. Since August 2023, the number of calls that have not received an answer has been over 100,000 per month according to the agency's own statistics. Over the last five years, the average time in the telephone queue has increased in rounded figures from 8 minutes to 16 minutes - a doubling of the waiting time for the telephone customer service.
My question is: Does the Minister intend to take measures to resolve the long telephone queues?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Many thanks, Daniel Persson, for an important and pressing question that has already been raised here in the chamber today!
I can state that the basis for the increased telephone wait times at Försäkringskassan is the strained economy. Försäkringskassan itself highlights that the agency has a structural deficit in its economy and that certain reforms decided by the Social Democratic government have been underfunded. This concerns, among other things, the care allowance and the strengthened assistance. Obviously, the pandemic and inflation have also had a very large impact.
As I have pointed out, the focus has now been on clearing the backlog of cases. This is prioritized because it can also reduce the pressure on the telephone system. But just as I have already said, I am now saying that the increased times in the telephone queues are very concerning.
Now, Försäkringskassan has an ambition that 75 percent of all calls should be answered within 30 minutes. I am following the issue very closely, and I assume that Försäkringskassan is doing everything it can to achieve that goal.
Anne-Li Sjölund (C)
Madam Speaker! All people shall have the right to an active leisure time. But often that freedom is limited for those who have a disability and need special aids. Different regions make different assessments. If one moves from one region to another, one can lose their aid. It is not certain that you will get the aid you need in the region you have moved to.
We in the Center Party want to see a solution with more national governance and coordination, something we have also submitted a motion on. But unfortunately, nothing seems to be happening from the government's side. Therefore, I would like to ask Camilla Waltersson Grönvall: What is the Minister doing to create equal access to leisure aids throughout the country?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you to Member Anne-Li Sjölund for an important question!
Sweden is a country and a democracy where everyone should have the opportunity to participate fully and be a part of society. In that case, it is important that everyone also has the prerequisites for this. Therefore, the fact that municipalities and regions make different assessments is a concern that I believe we must speak openly about.
The government is reviewing how we can in different ways ensure that we achieve a more equal assessment; that is the starting point for the government's functional policy. There, I can mention the first part of the interpreter services investigation, where we are now ensuring that the regions receive a collective responsibility regarding this issue.
Johan Hultberg (M)
Madam Speaker! Security at the State Institutions Board has long been under criticism. In recent years, however, the agency has worked actively to address the deficiencies, a work that has been intensified since we received a moderate-led government which, among other things, has significantly increased resources to Sis to raise both security and quality within the operations.
On Tuesday, I was in Värmland and visited the Sis-hemmet Klarälvsgården, which is now working to increase its security in order to achieve the highest security classification. The authority must continue its security work, but legislative changes are also needed to increase security.
We Moderates have long argued that we need to limit the use of mobile phones and electronic means of communication within Sis. I am therefore very pleased that the government has presented such a proposal before the Riksdag. Can the Minister for Social Services tell us more about what the proposal entails and what the consequences will be in practice?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Johan Hultberg, for the question!
Not a day goes by without me wishing that more had been done earlier. It is a fact that children and young people today can use their mobile phones from Sis-hem and not only have contact with criminal networks but de facto be controlled by the networks, which in this way also expand their power inside the walls of Sis-hem. We have also seen that from inside Sis-hem, one has the possibility to simply order drugs or weapons with the help of their iPads or phones.
With the bill that is on the Riksdag's table, we are now finally putting a stop to this. It will mean increased safety when one is in the care of society, something that one should have a self-evident right to.
Karin Sundin (S)
Madam Speaker! The Swedish social services have often and for a long time been harshly criticized for their exercise of authority. The Social Democratic government therefore appointed an inquiry with the mandate to propose measures for a more legally secure, preventive, and knowledge-based social service.
It is, of course, a comprehensive task to reform the Social Services Act, but now several years have passed. In all the country's social services administrations, people are asking what happened to the reform that they are all waiting for. It has been one and a half years since the Tidö Government took office. There are now twice as many ministers at the Ministry of Social Affairs as before – three of them are here in the chamber today. But the list of planned government bills is completely empty.
My question to Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall is: What are you actually doing? When will the new Social Services Act arrive?
Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Karin Sundin, for the question!
I wish that the investigation which was on the table when I took office as Minister for Social Services had not been so deficient. If one asks Sweden's social directors and SKR, they can emphasize this.
There is so much in this investigation that is not yet in place because the previous Social Democratic government gave a directive to investigator Margareta Winberg that there were not to be any cost-driving proposals. In that case, it is difficult to have ambition increases.
For this government, it is important that the social services receive the right tools, and we have higher ambitions than that. Therefore, we will build upon the Social Services Act that we have decided on. We are discussing, in accordance with our good relationship with SKR, the Swedish social managers, and the various trade unions, that July 1, 2025, is a good date for entry into force. Then we will gradually expand what the Social Democrats did not have the strength to do.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! In February, the investigation report Goals and meaning of integration was presented. It states there that integration will also be about "society's will and ability to include new residents in formal and informal contexts" and about "respecting people's differences." The report also mentions attitude surveys that measure Swedes' attitudes toward immigration and integration, as well as questions about racism and discrimination. It is implied that the failed integration would in some way have been the fault of ethnic Swedes and that a more welcoming attitude among ethnic Swedes would lead to better integration of immigrants.
My question to the Minister for Employment and Integration is the following: Who is it that is supposed to adapt to whom, really?
Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)
Madam Speaker! I thank you for a very important question. How do we live together? It is well that people are just a bit polite and smart and step up?
From the government's side and from the political side, we shall be clear that we provide a country and provide opportunities, but we also set requirements. One of the requirements that this government sets for people who come to our country is that they shall learn Swedish. Another is that they shall learn how Swedish society functions and what values drive Sweden. We can start with our constitution. In Sweden, children have their own rights. In Sweden, women and men have equal rights. All of that, one must work with. Then, one must ensure that one obtains an adequate education if one does not have such.
We provide a country. We provide opportunities. But we also set requirements. Language, education and knowledge of how Sweden works - then it's just a matter of going!
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.