Question Time

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

I welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Niklas Wykman, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson, Minister Jessika Roswall, and Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed.

Question Time

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 performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties. Minister Niklas Wykman answers both general political questions and questions within his own area of responsibility.

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Mikael Damberg (S)

Madam Speaker! I would like to direct my question to the Minister for Finance.

The Swedish people have been hit by a formidable cost crisis. Many ordinary families with children have seen their household costs increase by perhaps 100,000 kronor a year. At the same time, the large banks in Sweden have made billion-kronor profits: last year, 2023, a result that led to them being able to distribute over 120 billion in profit to their owners.

One reason for the banks' large profits is the lack of competition in the banking sector. Against that background, we Social Democrats have proposed several things. We have proposed that SBAB, the state-owned bank, could be given new tools to be able to compete and improve the conditions. We have proposed a bank tax that could be returned to households and their economy.

My question to Niklas Wykman is: What measures does the government plan here and now to improve competition in the financial market and strengthen the consumers' position?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Mikael Damberg for an important question.

It has been and is tough times for Swedish households. Inflation is indeed the worst enemy of pensioners and wage earners. It erodes the margins in the household economy. It is also harmful for Swedish competitiveness and for Swedish growth in the longer term. That is why the government's priority clearly has been that we should return to price stability and that the Riksbank should have the opportunity to reach its price stability goal for the Swedish economy.

Competition in the banking market is important. There are reasons to take measures to sharpen it. A number of such measures have been the proposals regarding making it easier to receive amortization statements digitally, but also the investigations that have been regarding interest rate differential compensation.

There is much to do here, more than can be contained within a minute, but it is good that all parties are working actively in this direction.

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Mikael Damberg (S)

Madam Speaker! It is good that it will be easier to change banks in the future. It is an investigation that we commissioned and which the Minister is working on.

We Social Democrats have also submitted other proposals, such as increasing transparency and making it easier to compare banks with one another. But we also want to give the state bank new tools such as a salary account, so that it can compete with other banks on tougher terms and offer better conditions for those who borrow money.

Does the Minister for Finance think it could be an interesting proposal to proceed with?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I think that some of the proposals that have come from the Social Democrats, in the same way as many of the proposals that the government has presented and that have appeared in various investigations, are good and urgent. Hard competition in the market benefits consumers in the long run.

Using a single state-owned company with a special mandate must always be done with caution based on the regulatory frameworks that exist in the EU, but also based on the different types of side effects it can have for competition, that very much risk is concentrated in one place, and so on. I therefore want to urge a certain degree of caution in acting in that way.

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Leonid Yurkovskiy (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Jakob Forssmed and concerns the new gender identity law, which will make it easier to change legal gender.

The age limit will be lowered from 18 to 16 years, and no gender dysphoria diagnosis will be required. At the same time, a confirmation of a gender identity through a legal gender change can then lead to proceeding with a medical treatment, which in turn can lead to even more young people regretting it – perhaps when it is too late.

In this context, it is also important to remember that the target group for the new law often suffers from mental illness in addition to the gender dysphoria itself. With the low age limit and, as mentioned, the lack of a diagnostic requirement, a risk is created that persons with mental illness do not receive the correct care and, in the worst case, that irreversible damage is done.

Therefore the question: How does the Minister view the risks associated with a new gender identity law for young people with mental ill-health?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the questioner for the question.

The Government has chosen not to proceed with the referral to the Council of Legislation regarding Improved opportunities to change gender. The issue is handled by the Riksdag and is being prepared in the Committee on Social Affairs. Questions regarding the matter may be referred to the members of the Riksdag.

(ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN: I want to remind of the importance that the questions asked fall under the minister's area of responsibility.)

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Leonid Yurkovskiy (SD)

Madam Speaker! I know that the government's representatives have on several occasions avoided answering the question precisely because this is a committee initiative. But I hope that the Minister realizes that regardless, this will have an impact on the government's work in general, but in particular on the Minister's area of responsibility. Several of the government's representatives have also expressed themselves on this with their titles.

As I see it, the government has not taken into account the consequences of the upcoming legislation and has largely remained uncritical.

I would like to thank you for the brief answer but still give the Minister an opportunity to elaborate on the reasoning regarding how one actually views the risks with the law.

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you again for the question.

As I have noted, this is a matter that is currently being prepared by the Riksdag. That type of question should be addressed to the members of the Riksdag and in the debates and contexts where these matters are being prepared.

I am sure that this issue will be able to be handled in a reasonable way. Then, of course, it is up to the government to handle all issues in the best possible way, given the circumstances. But in this situation, it is reasonable to ask that type of questions to the members of the Riksdag.

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Hanna Gunnarsson (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Defence.

The Defense Commission is now in its final stage. Without revealing anything, we recently had a very interesting discussion about personnel issues. The personnel are, of course, the most important resource, both conscripts, soldiers and civil servants as well as officers.

In January, the government appointed an inquiry into personnel issues in the Armed Forces, which was very long-awaited and good. There are many issues being addressed there, such as age limits, conditions, the position of the Conscription Board, leaves of absence, time limits, war placements, and much more that is important.

The investigation has been given a lot of time. It is to be completed by July 1, 2025. It is given one and a half years, until after the next defense decision.

My question to the Minister of Defence is: Can the Minister imagine that parts of the investigation on personnel supply can be reported earlier than July 1, 2025?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Hanna Gunnarsson for the question but also for her deep personal commitment to the personnel of the Armed Forces, which I truly appreciate.

The investigation was commissioned in January and concerns a number of different issues. It concerns how we can increase availability when it comes to civil personnel, reserve officers, employed soldiers, and also conscripts.

It is exactly as Hanna Gunnarsson says, that the Swedish Armed Forces' personnel are the backbone of our defense capability. We will not be able to achieve increased growth if we do not also get more people within the Swedish Armed Forces. That is also why I believe it is important that we expand the conscription, so that we can get more people who can seek roles as a soldier, reserve officer, specialist officer, or officer.

I do not rule out that there are possibilities to move faster, either if one investigates faster or if one can land on a partial report. It is important that we get as good conditions as possible to grow quickly, and then we must, of course, try to take that into account.

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Hanna Gunnarsson (V)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Defence, for that answer! I believe it would have been very good if one could have moved forward a bit faster with certain issues and potentially been able to make partial opinions. There are indeed a number of issues that we already agree on. We do not agree on the GSS/K soldiers and the twelve-year limit, and many parties want to change the regulatory framework. There is an announcement regarding the leave of absence for the reserve officers. It is the same with the independence of the Conscription Board.

I am taking this with me and hope that the Minister for Defence can speed up certain things in the investigation.

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I have also urged the investigator Roland Ekenberg, who also has close contact with the Defence Preparation Board, to take into account the final report coming from the Defence Preparation Board on 26 April concerning war organization and basic organization. Some of these matters concern legislation; there it is more difficult to act faster. But some concern regulations and general approach, so I do not rule out that there is a possibility to move faster than one and a half years.

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Anne-Li Sjölund (C)

Madam Speaker! It is very good that funds are being allocated to strengthen children's and young people's opportunities for active leisure. We are in complete agreement on that. But when it comes to the government's choice to administer the money via a state leisure card, we differ.

Until now, one could say that the leisure card (fritidskortet) has a Swedish record in regulatory complications and time-consuming bureaucracy even before it has been introduced. The card was intended to start applying this year, but it has now been postponed to 2025 at the earliest. And not only that: The cost of the complications amounts to millions of kronor - money that could have gone directly to community life, a significantly straighter path to activities for children and young people.

Today, the proportion of children and young people participating in sports or cultural activities is decreasing. It is a problem for public health and contributes to social exclusion. There is still a chance for the government to back down from this. My question to Social Minister Jakob Forssmed is therefore the following: Why is prestige and bureaucracy more important for the government than that children and young people across the entire country should be given the opportunity for an active leisure time here and now?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! With the leisure card, we are trying to do something new to engage, not least, those who today do not have access to the sports movement and are not in the clubs. We want to give them increased opportunities, not least the children who are in socio-economic vulnerability. We saw in the Pep report the other day that it is an increasing proportion who quit or do not start at all with sports or any leisure activity. To then direct a support that can only go towards this and does not compete with the food budget or the electricity bill is, naturally, extremely important.

Then we need to build a robust system for this. It is complicated and complex. It is something that we are working hard to get in place. It involves a large processing of personal data, for example, and it requires extensive legislation and that authorities cooperate, while at the same time it must be simple and reasonable to use both for the individual and for the association. It is naturally complicated to develop such a system, but this is the purpose, and when we get this in place, I am convinced that it will make a big difference.

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Anne-Li Sjölund (C)

Madam Speaker! Just as I said initially, the money that the government is spending on the leisure card could have done good immediately and in a very effective way if they had only made it available to the association life. Instead, the money is being spent on administration and bureaucracy that no one is requesting, to no use whatsoever. Because the project is dragging on, the question arises where the money that was supposed to go to children and young people during the current year is going. My follow-up question to the Minister therefore becomes: How will this year's allocated money come to children and young people?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! We will very soon, in the near future, report how we intend to use the money for the current year so that it reaches the community life and can be of use, not least when it comes to preparing for what I believe we will see, namely that more children and young people will become engaged.

I note that the Center Party says that we are in agreement on the measures here and on supporting community life in this way. I note, however, at the same time that the Center Party strikes out the entire initiative on the leisure card in its budget alternative. They do have some smaller initiatives, but they do not at all correspond to what the government wants to do.

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Elin Söderberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Finance.

The Riksbank stated in a report last year that a delayed or protracted climate transition increases the risk of large price movements and uncertainty in the financial markets. The European Central Bank and the European Systemic Risk Board presented a report during 2022 on which systemic risks may follow from climate change. The report stated that because the financial system is closely interconnected, the risk that climate risks are amplified and spread through the system likely increases.

The government is now pursuing a policy that significantly increases greenhouse gas emissions, worsens climate-related risks, and contributes to the fact that we in Sweden do not reach our climate goals. I wonder: Has the Minister for Finance analyzed the consequences for the financial market of the government's current climate policy, or is there a lack of such an analysis?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! The government has a policy that, for the first time, ensures we reach our net-zero emissions goal by 2045. That is very good. We must be careful for our planet and our fellow human beings, animals, and nature.

When it comes to the economic risks or the risks to the financial system associated with climate work, I want to say that they are actually divided into two parts. The first is the risks that are inherent in climate change itself. This can involve a number of different types of impacts on our economy and on people's living conditions. The second is linked to the side effects that can result from regulations. Asset prices can shift very sharply when, for example, a production method becomes much more expensive or even becomes illegal.

Therefore, it is very good that central banks and governments carry out these types of analyses and assessments. It is an important part of the stability work, quite simply. It is a growing and important part of the economic analysis and assessment.

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Elin Söderberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Finance, for the answer!

I can recommend that the Minister for Finance read the Climate Policy Council's report. It clearly shows from that report that the government does not have a plan for the entire way to net zero. The Climate Policy Council states that that claim lacks objectivity.

We can observe that there are large gaps in the government's climate action plan which mean that we today are on track to miss our commitments for 2030. From the answer, I cannot see that the Minister for Finance has made any analysis of the Swedish consequences.

In this speech, Jacob Risberg (MP) agreed.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I believe that the level of qualification in the debate has outpaced the Green Party's analysis somewhat. This is a very intensive work that is ongoing not only in central banks, national governments, and parliaments but also in the EU cooperation, with taxonomy and very intensive work to, in total, create good conditions for transition and for capital for transition. It is also about careful monitoring of the risks associated with this. Here, a very intensive national and international work is taking place, not least in the EU.

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Jörgen Berglund (M)

Madam Speaker! In January this year, at the People and Defense national conference in Sälen, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Sweden will contribute a reduced battalion to the brigade located in Latvia and which is led by Canada, as part of NATO's work for stability, peace, and deterrence. My question to Defense Minister Pål Jonsson therefore is: How is that work progressing?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Jörgen Berglund, for the question! The work is progressing well, both with the military integration of Sweden into Nato but also the design of the reduced battalion that Sweden intends to have in Latvia. The work is proceeding according to plan. This is also happening in close dialogue with Denmark, which has had that rotation before Sweden. This is partly a Swedish-Danish cooperation, and we have also held close dialogue with Canada, which has the primary responsibility for the entire brigade as such.

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Jörgen Berglund (M)

Madam Speaker! Yes, that sounds very good, of course. One also becomes a bit curious. I am thinking of such work as is now being carried out in, for example, Latvia with foreign forces of various kinds, as part of NATO's, so to speak, deterrence capability. Are there further things that the government is considering that Sweden could contribute within the framework of NATO?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Yes, it does. The Swedish contribution in Latvia aims, just as Jörgen Berglund knows, to strengthen NATO's capability, deterrence, and defense. NATO is a defensive defense alliance, but it is very clear that an attack on one country is an attack on others. Therefore, the reinforced military presence in Latvia is important. This is, of course, also partly a consequence of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Alongside that, we are looking at whether we can contribute to NATO's standing maritime forces and possibly also to Air Policing missions in the future.

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Larry Söder (KD)

Madam Speaker! Earlier this spring, the government announced at a press conference that it had tasked the Financial Supervisory Authority with taking a position on a raised mortgage ceiling. Both the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Financial Markets, who were present, explained the positive effects that this could have.

As I see it, there is a clear effect: that unsecured loans in connection with house purchases decrease. Thus, costs decrease, and the security for the individual increases.

We could later learn that the Financial Supervisory Authority at this point in time did not want to make those changes.

We Christian Democrats believe that a raised mortgage ceiling, together with a removal of the second amortization requirement, would ease the housing market. My question to the Minister for Finance is: How will the government proceed with a raised mortgage ceiling?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Larry Söder, for a good question! It encompasses many dimensions of problems. It is about the insufficient functionality we have in the Swedish housing market. It is about the high indebtedness we have generally among Swedish households, which puts a very hard pressure on households when interest rates rise and which can also be a stability problem for the Swedish economy. And it is particularly about the rapid development of unsecured loans, loans without collateral, which we have seen.

The government is taking several measures to counter this development. It makes households very vulnerable when they have very large debts and not corresponding assets.

A proposal to counter this was this matter regarding the mortgage ceiling. It is an issue that the Financial Supervisory Authority owns. They responded dismissively regarding this. However, an investigation is ongoing that is to review how the regulatory frameworks should function in total. It is to be finished in the autumn. We intend to return in connection with that.

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Larry Söder (KD)

Madam Speaker! I believe that young people entering the market for owned housing to a considerable extent take out unsecured loans to manage to pay the final part of the house purchase. I believe that a raised mortgage ceiling could help young people to be a bit more secure in their house purchase. I also believe that what I mentioned regarding the other, the amortization requirement, could help young people to enter the market for owned housing.

Does the Minister for Finance see an opportunity to work with the two parts simultaneously in order to facilitate things for young people?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! This was a possible measure that the Financial Supervisory Authority could have taken but chose not to take. We have an investigation that is reviewing the collective rules in this area. As Larry Söder describes, one can have strong suspicions that these caps result in more unsecured loans, more insecure loans. They also cost households more.

But now there is an investigation looking into these rules. We will have to return in the autumn to how we should act in this matter. But in the core description, Larry Söder is clearly right. This risks driving blank loans and creating different types of thresholds into the owned housing.

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Fredrik Malm (L)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Defense Minister Pål Jonson. Ukraine is now in desperate need of ammunition, in particular, and of equipment and weapons to win the war against Russia.

The European Union has promised to provide Ukraine with 1 million artillery shells. This promise was made a year ago. Now, only one-third has been delivered, and this is also far too late.

Not enough defense materiel is being produced within the EU or Sweden. Ukraine is suffering as well as our own security interests. At the same time, North Korea, to name one example, has sent up to 3 million artillery shells to the Russian imperialist side. We are falling behind.

What can Sweden do to speed up the production and shipments of, in particular, ammunition to Ukraine?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Fredrik Malm, for an important question! Sweden has sent defense materiel to Ukraine for over 30 billion. We sent our 15th support package, which was the largest so far, about a month ago, worth approximately 7 billion. It also contained artillery ammunition.

Alongside this, we are working in a number of ways on how we can strengthen the support. One way to get more artillery ammunition quickly involves the so-called Czech initiative, which we are also involved in financing. It is based on procuring artillery ammunition outside the EU. It is an advantage, because then we can quickly get that artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

We have also given a new assignment to the Armed Forces to develop new packages, as Sweden will continue to support Ukraine. We will also work to ensure that the Swedish defense industry has the opportunity to sell much more directly to Ukraine, and we can contribute with financing in that way.

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Fredrik Malm (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you very much for the answer. I have a follow-up question. There is currently an ongoing discussion within the EU regarding a reassessment of the European Central Bank's guidelines for ethical investments. At present, weapons investments are classified as non-sustainable investments.

We have a similar challenge in Sweden, where both Miljömärkning Sverige AB and Pensionsmyndigheten, in their guidelines, classify investments in weapons as non-sustainable investments.

Now, it should be pointed out that the Minister for Defence is not responsible for these activities. But does the Minister for Defence consider, more generally, that it is a reasonable view on weapons investments?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I believe that a lesson from this war is that a strong defense industrial base is part of a country's collective defense capability. We see this by the fact that this is a war of attrition. In that case, it is important to have a strong defense industrial base.

The work that is now taking place at the European level, where the guidelines for the European Investment Bank are being reviewed, we welcome. We think it is natural that this work is being done. The Prime Minister has also expressed this.

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Matilda Ernkrans (S)

Madam Speaker! We are well aware of the EU Minister's commitment to the EU. In times of crisis and uncertainty, we need cohesion in Europe for the best of Sweden and the Swedish people.

At the same time, we see populist right-wing forces on the advance. They can reap successes in the upcoming EU election, in addition to the influence they have already gained in many EU countries' governments. Research shows that parties with populist tendencies tend to want to provide less support to Ukraine against Russia. Therefore, I want to ask the EU Minister: How do the government and the EU Minister view this threat from the right-wing populist forces and the fact that there could be reduced support for Ukraine from the EU's member states? And what can this, in turn, do when it comes to our own security?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Matilda Ernkrans, for the question! It is a bit multifaceted, I would say.

From this Riksdag, we have broad support to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as is required. I am very grateful for that. It also strengthens the government's work at the EU level.

The question that Matilda Ernkrans weaves in a bit concerns the challenge that we all actually face now, as we have an upcoming European Parliament election. It is about a risk that we need to counteract. It is about how we can counteract disinformation. We have a broad work on that.

Then I would like to say something about what we saw in the latest discussion regarding what we have discussed several times: the support for Ukraine when it comes to trade concessions. There, I would say that it is governments of different characters, all around Europe, that we have had challenges with. But the Swedish support is, as said, extremely strong.

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ANN-CHRISTINE FROHM UTTERSTEDT (SD)

Madam Speaker! After our Swedish delegation in the Nordic Council visited our border regions in Sweden-Norway and Sweden-Finland, it is clear that it is the border issues that we should focus on and devote most of our work to.

During 2023, however, only 5 of the 34 individual barriers were resolved that had been prioritized. We thus have a very long way to go toward the goal of the Nordic region being the world's most sustainable and integrated region.

I therefore want to ask the Minister for Nordic Affairs how she will work to ensure that we in the Nordic region can resolve the border obstacles as they are identified as quickly as possible.

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

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

We have a vision for 2030. It is a long way until we reach it, and it is short on time. That is why it is extremely important that we try to speed up our work. We must prioritize, and Sweden's government has, during the presidency, prioritized precisely integration and border barrier issues.

I myself have ensured that we have this prioritization, and that I in my contacts with the coordinating ministers always have the issue of border obstacles on the agenda. There are two parts to this. Just as the questioner points out, on the one hand, there are too few border obstacles being demolished. On the other hand, one can say that it may have been the easy obstacles, and now we have some quite difficult border obstacles ahead of us.

So, it is about removing more border barriers, but also about reviewing how our work on border barrier issues can be improved and streamlined. It is a dual effort that is ongoing, partly among the coordinating ministers and partly, I know, in the Swedish delegation of the Nordic Council. At the Nordic Council's latest session in the Faroe Islands this week, the question was probably raised several times. I am, in any case, trying to do what I can.

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Social Affairs.

On March 20, a conference on child poverty in Sweden was organized where all parliamentary parties participated. At the conference, a report on the economic difficulties of families with children was released. More than every second single parent and three out of ten cohabiting parents with lower incomes have had difficulty paying for children's extracurricular activities. This should concern the minister.

An effective way to support families with children who are struggling is through the housing allowance. At the conference, all parliamentary parties except M and SD stated that they want the housing allowance to be increased in line with cost developments. Since there was a majority in favor of implementing such a proposal, I have submitted an initiative on this to the Social Insurance Committee, which only V and MP voted for.

I wonder if it is common for the parties to spread falsehoods at different conferences.

My question is: How will the Minister for Social Affairs ensure that families with children have a reasonable standard of living that gives children and young people the opportunity for leisure activities?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the Member for an important and pressing question!

One answer is what we have already touched upon during this question period, namely the leisure card which is intended to make it possible to pay for leisure activities without it having to compete with the grocery bill or the electricity bill. It is complicated, but we are working hard to get the card in place during next year.

I also want to emphasize that the government has raised and subsequently maintained the temporary increase of the housing allowance by 40 percent, which for a single parent with a child can mean an increase as large as 2,000 kronor per month. It has made an enormous difference, and we have just also announced that it is being extended further. It is very important, not least to protect this group which has a very tough economic situation.

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Anna Lasses (C)

Madam Speaker! I love trains. But it must be stated that there is chaos in the rail traffic right now. It is about a lack of maintenance, staff shortages, and failures in leadership.

The train also plays a decisive role for the country's security and defense, which is particularly relevant now that we have joined Nato. This applies especially, perhaps, to how it works at the border crossings to Denmark, Norway, and Finland. I therefore wonder what the Minister for Defence does concretely within his area to meet the needs that are linked to our Swedish railway.

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Anna Lasses, for an important question!

We are working intensively at the Ministry of Defence, naturally in close dialogue with Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson, on how we need to adapt Swedish infrastructure against the background of our NATO membership. We have also had the opportunity to seek and also receive funds through the EU to strengthen what is called military mobility, that is, that one should have the possibility to transport large amounts of defense materiel across borders. Not least, this concerns cooperation between Sweden and Norway, which has the EU's longest common border. We thus have an intensive cooperation between our departments.

We also coordinate much of that work within the framework of Nato. There will be expectations within Nato that we strengthen our infrastructure precisely to make the new defense plans that Nato is establishing credible. In that case, a robust infrastructure in all its parts is a very important component. That work is ongoing.

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Jacob Risberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to EU Minister Roswall.

Climate is the defining issue of our time, and the last few months show that we have already globally passed the targets for 1.5 degrees of warming. From the Tidö group, the argument is often heard that Sweden's share of the climate impact is very small and that it is therefore more important what happens in China, the USA, and also at the EU level. Let us therefore see what happens at the EU level and how the minister's own party acts there.

Yesterday, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation published a report showing how the Swedish MEPs have acted regarding the climate. It is not surprising that the climate-denying party SD is the worst, but following that come the Moderaterna. How is it that the government's party votes against climate-strengthening measures and, in several cases, also works to lower the requirements further? It is not only in the EU Parliament; we also see in the Council of Ministers how the government time and again acts against a number of climate-strengthening measures.

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Jacob Risberg, for the question! Probably as expected, I do not share that view at all. The Government has, as Jacob Risberg and I have had discussions about several times here, worked hard during the presidency to get Fit for 55 in place. It is an important key for all of us when it comes to addressing our climate problems and challenges. The climate transition, as said, does not stop at Sweden's border, but it is something that we must solve together - a typical EU issue that requires common answers.

When it comes to certain legislative files, I have sometimes been critical of the EU, because there is far too much detailed regulation rather than goal-oriented regulation. Situations in the different member states differ. One issue, for example, is the forest, where I usually highlight Cyprus as an example of a country that has a different type of nature than what we have in northern Sweden.

Where we do not see that legislation at the EU level provides the necessary positive changes for the climate, we therefore need to take a stand sometimes.

(Applause)

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Johanna Rantsi (M)

Madam Speaker! Around ten o'clock in the evening on January 2nd this year, my home municipality Mölndal was shaken by a powerful explosion. It was a bomb of several kilos. It was criminals who carried out a bombing against an apartment building in central Mölndal. In the same building, fires have since been set on four occasions during the evening and night following the bombing. During the latest fire, many required hospital treatment.

Neighbors are rightly concerned. Of course, Mölndal Municipality and the police are working on safety-enhancing measures, and I know that our government is working both strategically and hard to make all of Sweden, including Mölndal, safer.

Madam Speaker! I would therefore like to take the opportunity to, on behalf of the people of Mölndal, ask Minister Niklas Wykman if he can account for what measures the government is taking to deal with criminals who instill fear in residential areas in this manner.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Johanna Rantsi, for the question! The organized and boundless crime that we face in Sweden is an enormous and utterly horrific social problem. I can, in the same way as Johanna Rantsi, testify to what it is like when bombs are detonated near where one lives. So, we shall not have that in Sweden.

Unfortunately, there is no solution to tackle organized crime. It is about residency bans and security zones, visitation zones, as they were previously called, more police resources, more police tools, and locking up people who commit that type of crime for longer periods so that they are not out in society causing destruction. Furthermore, it is about working intensively to stop the recruitment, the attraction, and the allure of becoming a criminal with the help of groundbreaking measures in school and social services.

Overall, it is about everything from repressive measures to more about safety, security and control, to better preventive measures. Sweden has done too little for too long. Now we are doing everything we can.

(Applause)

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Liza-Maria Norlin (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to EU Minister Jessika Roswall.

The fishing industry has a long tradition in our country and is incredibly important. It obviously provides good and nutritious food for our plates. But it is also a key from a preparedness perspective and for living coastal communities.

A large part of the conditions are decided in the EU. I would therefore like to ask Minister Roswall what the government is doing at the EU level to safeguard small-scale coastal fishing in our Baltic Sea.

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! It is Minister for Rural Affairs Kullgren who can answer this, but as EU Minister, I have a handle on what my colleagues are doing.

I naturally share the view on the importance of the small-scale fishing's important role. It was one of the important starting points that Sweden had when we negotiated this in October last year and where Peter Kullgren represented us.

The Commission's proposal implied a stop to small-scale herring fishing, but we managed to change that. Now that fishing can continue. Sweden also pursued the most restrictive line regarding the quotas in total, with regard to the stock's status and the industry's long-term importance.

I can state that with Sweden's work in these issues, we have achieved success in that the quotas have been reduced, and if Sweden had not pushed forward, we would likely have ended up at much higher levels. This shows once again how successful Sweden has been in the discussions.

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Ingela Nylund Watz (S)

Madam Speaker! The bank frauds, not least against the elderly, are a painful and ruthless crime, which we were all alerted to in Uppdrag granskning in February. The Government saw itself compelled to intervene with decisiveness and summoned the major banks to find out what they are actually doing. The message was that if the banks do nothing, the Government is prepared to take measures, for example, legislation.

The banks are to get back to us with an announcement, but there is no deadline - at least not what I have picked up. De facto, not much has happened more than at one bank during this period.

My questions to Minister Wykman are therefore the following: When will the banks report on their mandate to the government? What minimum level does the government consider the banks must have for self-regulation before the government is prepared to legislate on delay mechanisms for transfers or blocks on transfers to accounts that are not approved?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Ingela Nylund Watz for a very pertinent question.

What we have seen in reviews in the media, but which unfortunately most of us can relate to in our proximity among family, friends and relatives, is that the frauds are completely unacceptable and appalling. They must be met with force.

We have summoned the banks and the Police Authority to ensure that they are working effectively on the issue. Just as Ingela Nylund Watz says, the banks will return to the government in the near future with their list of measures. Based on that, we will, of course, have to make an assessment of whether we need to proceed with legislative measures or other types of measures.

The police, other authorities, telecommunications companies and society at large need to do a lot to address those types of problems. A heavy responsibility absolutely rests on the banks. Now we shall see what they have to report, and after that we can make an assessment of whether we need to return with, for example, legislative measures.

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Björn Tidland (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Finance.

Since children find it more difficult than adults to filter and be critical of messages online, they are extra susceptible to advertising messages, especially regarding the trading of skins in various video games. Therefore, the rules for games aimed at children need to be sharper than what applies today.

One noted problem is so-called skins that are bought and sold for large sums, and this is de facto a form of gambling for money. If there were requirements for, for example, BankID, it should make it more difficult for minors to gamble away large sums of money.

Does the Minister for Finance consider that current rules and laws capture the problems regarding gambling in the form of skins aimed at children?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Björn Tidland for a very topical question. It is complicated to answer in one minute, but I will try to do my best.

In some of the cases, this is classified as gambling. That is also how I interpret the issue, that is to say gambling. In that case, the existing legislation applies. One is not allowed to arrange gambling for children under 18 years of age. It is, therefore, prohibited.

When it has been established that it is a matter of gambling for money, there is very extensive legislation and different types of measures that authorities can take to counter this and to judge and prosecute those who in different ways commit violations of the law. That is good.

Then there is, at times, a borderline area, and in those cases, it is a matter of judgment. It cannot be ruled out that more general legislation or clearer legislation in the area is needed here.

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Andrea Andersson Tay (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Jakob Forssmed in his capacity as responsible for civil society issues.

DN reports on how a woman involved in the group Rebellmammorna has lost her job at the Swedish Energy Agency after being portrayed in the media as a security risk. This occurred despite her having been open about her climate activism at all times, having undergone a check by Säpo, and having been approved to work at the agency.

Minister colleague Carl-Oskar Bohlin has gone so far as to have held a dialogue with the Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency to follow up in detail on how the agency has handled this.

The Rebel Mothers are a group that works to shed light on the climate crisis. Their method is to sit together in a circle on the ground and sing songs about being worried for their children's future. Their demonstrations are completely peaceful, which is also confirmed by the police.

We have in Sweden a constitutionally protected right to manifest and express our opinions, and it is this right that Rebellmammorna exercise. Should association activists be able to work at Swedish authorities?

(ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN: I see that there has been a small conversation here in front that has landed in that Minister Niklas Wykman, Moderaterna, takes the answer.)

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Questions regarding an individual's employment and the routines that exist around security classification and security-cleared services and so on are not subjects for public debate, but it is a matter for the relevant authority and for the laws and regulations that apply to this.

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Lars Püss (M)

Madam Speaker! I have just returned from the Nordic Council's theme session in the Faroe Islands. One might think that it is a question for Jessika Roswall, but it is not. Furthermore, during the past year, I have been part of a group that has reviewed the Helsinki Agreement on how we should deepen the Nordic cooperation.

After both Finland's and Sweden's entry into Nato, a question has emerged with all clarity in the discussions, namely that defense and security policy should also be discussed in the Nordic cooperation. I have known since earlier that our Minister for Defence is a warm Nordenvän, and he himself has sat in the Nordic Council. In which areas does he consider it most urgent to deepen the Nordic cooperation?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Warm thanks, Lars Püss, for an important question!

Nordic cooperation rests both on a common interest in that we share threats and on that we share a deep commonality of values. It creates good conditions for further developing an already good Nordic cooperation. Above all, Sweden and Finland have had a deep cooperation. By the entire Nordic region now being fully integrated into Nato, completely new opportunities are obviously created, fundamentally because we will have a common defense planning.

At the next meeting with Nordefco, which is the primary expression of Nordic defense cooperation, we will hopefully also sign a new vision for Nordic defense cooperation until 2030. I see good conditions for all parts of the Armed Forces, not least the air defense, to have good conditions to deepen their cooperation. We also have an intensified dialogue linked to, among other things, infrastructure in order to be able to promote mobility across borders when it comes to military resources and capabilities.

(Applause)

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Finance.

The number of frauds against the elderly has increased sharply in recent years. Criminals cynically exploit the vulnerability and helplessness of elderly people and thereby gain access to their life savings. It hits these people very hard mentally, and they lose trust in their fellow human beings, which we also saw in the report in Uppdrag granskning.

The banks' security work has not quite kept pace with digitalization, which has led to weaknesses. Much of the responsibility has been shifted to the customer, who bears the majority of the risk. Therefore, we Christian Democrats have wanted to investigate the issue of the financial responsibility for banks in cases of bank fraud.

How does the government intend to proceed in order to combat this type of crime, which affects the most vulnerable in society?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for another question on this very important area.

As the Chamber has already heard once, the banks will in the near future return to the government and present their measures. If these are not sufficient, it cannot be ruled out that legislation will be introduced in this area and other areas. For example, telecommunications services are also used to commit this type of fraud. A heavy responsibility rests on the banks, but it is ultimately the state that must counter the crime through the justice system. There are also other important links in this work. Everyone must step forward and do their part; it is not possible to hide behind one another in the fight against this type of crime. Here, therefore, everyone needs to do their part.

One thing that needs to be watched out for is that one does not, through various types of rules, open up for new types of fraud, for example by establishing straw men who deceive each other and in this way generate new criminal profits.

It is complicated, but the banks' technological development should make it possible to access this in a more efficient way. If the proposals the banks come up with are not sufficient, we will return to them.

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Adrian Magnusson (S)

Madam Speaker! Every week we see examples of how market failures harm our country in various areas. We have seen how criminals exploit market solutions to run, for example, health centers, vaccination clinics, and HVB homes. We have heard Säpo warn that children are being radicalized in private preschools and schools. During the pandemic, we all saw how a lack of stockpiling and an overly privatized healthcare system made it difficult when we needed to pivot to care for all covid patients. Last year, records were broken in train delays, and on top of that, we now have a large number of accidents on our roads.

We Social Democrats see this and can only conclude that it is time for a new direction for Sweden.

How does the Minister for Health view the marketization within healthcare and the pharmacy market? What is he willing to do to address the problems that are raised?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for an important and pressing question.

A very active effort is being carried out in the Government Offices, not least to curb welfare crime. The shadowy actors who enter our welfare systems to appropriate funds from them will not succeed. We are conducting a very active effort with this in a long line of departments, and there is high pressure in this work, which has been reflected in a long line of initiatives to address this type of problem.

Does it mean that one should do exactly what the Social Democrats want? I do not think so. I still believe that private healthcare companies and healthcare providers that are serious and long-term and want to be involved in making large and important contributions also have much to contribute in these systems and contexts. It has been shown historically that they have been able to contribute with efficiencies, new thinking, and new ways of working that have also come to have significance for the rest of the healthcare system.

But the systems must work. Those who have no business being there must be removed from there. It is the government's firm decision to ensure this.

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Göran Hargestam (SD)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Defense Minister Pål Jonson.

The Norwegian Ministry of Defence released a proposition this week regarding the Norwegian defense commitment 2023-2024, which contains an increased focus on retaining and recruiting personnel. The initiative points to a new incentive structure for career and salary development in order to counteract the extensive problems that exist with personnel supply.

In the American and British defense forces, there is a more widespread and proven incentive structure, with housing, contributions to university studies, and so on.

Does the Minister of Defence intend to advocate for the government to conduct a review of the laws and regulations that limit the current incentive structure to only concern salaries and career development, where the Armed Forces could instead offer certain personnel segments a more creative palette of benefits and incentives according to the American and British model?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! We are working in a number of different ways to strengthen the Armed Forces' personnel supply. We previously discussed the investigation that Roland Ekenberg is conducting, which examines how we should increase the availability of civilians, officers, reserve officers, and conscripted soldiers.

To this, we will have taken measures. We have indeed financed in order to be able to expand the number of places at the officer training from 250 to 275, and we have raised the compensation levels for the officer candidates. We have thus taken a number of measures to strengthen personnel supply in all parts. But I do not rule out that we will need to take more measures. The Armed Forces are strongly dependent on their personnel, who are its most important component. We will, of course, also consider what the Defence Preparation Board says in its final report, which will arrive on April 26.

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Alexandra Anstrell (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister of Defence.

The Minister of Defence knows that I have long been active and interested in issues regarding personal equipment for our conscripts and soldiers. How is it going generally? Have they received any new personal equipment? And more specifically: How is it going with underwear for women, such as bras and panties? We have, after all, had women in the Armed Forces for over 30 years.

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Alexandra Anstrell for the question and for her deep personal commitment in this area.

There have been major deficiencies in personal equipment for a longer period of time, and that is not good. We have taken measures to address this. It is about ensuring that there is a balance between goals and means – we did increase the defense appropriation by 28 percent, or 27 billion, this year. We have also tasked the Armed Forces to regularly come to the Ministry of Defence and report on how the work with organizational equipment and personal equipment is progressing. It is important that there are good conditions for those performing national service.

We also want more women to seek a career in the defense, either as officers, soldiers or reserve officers. In that case, it is obviously extra important that the existing deficiencies are addressed, not least when it comes to ballistic protection for women and underwear.

The reports I have received so far from the Armed Forces indicate that the situation looks significantly better this year than it did last year, so it is heading in the right direction.

(Applause)

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Lena Johansson (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Defence.

Sweden has a long tradition of sending soldiers and other personnel on international missions. There are foreign veterans represented in all of Sweden's counties. There is a great deal of knowledge, competence, and experience here that will benefit all of Sweden before, during, and after the mission.

We all feel a great sense of gratitude and pride towards our veterans and their relatives, and previous governments have worked very actively with the veteran policy.

The Minister for Defence has previously here in the chamber in an interpellation debate raised the issue of a veteran center similar to the one in Norway, where both veterans and their relatives are offered recovery, networking, and recreation. It is also called a recreation center.

In view of this, I would like to ask Minister of Defence Pål Jonson if the Minister intends to take any further measures regarding the issue of a Swedish recreation center in accordance with the Norwegian model.

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Lena Johansson for the question about veterans. If there is any issue I believe we should strive for a broad consensus on here in the chamber, it is precisely the issue of the recognition of our veterans.

We have now presented a veteran strategy. I did that in December. We are discussing how we can then proceed with concrete content in this. It could, for example, involve a veteran center for recreation for soldiers who have been on international missions.

I have personally had the opportunity to visit the center located outside Kongsvinger and think it is an impressive operation. I do not rule out that we could take similar measures in Sweden. At the same time, there are a number of voluntary organizations that offer that type of service and support.

We will continue to work on these issues, and we will strive for a broad political consensus just as we do when we deploy soldiers abroad. Veteran policy is part of the overall policy that we have for international missions and veterans.

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Staffan Eklöf (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Nordic Cooperation.

We who are members of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Minister have just returned from a meeting in the Faroe Islands, where the focus was on security and preparedness. We received an interesting visit there from Louise Dedichen, Norway's head of the military mission to Nato. Among other things, she told us that young men and women in Norway are queuing to perform their military service and are disappointed if they do not get to make their contribution.

Several speakers underlined the importance of cohesion for having good preparedness and security. I agree that cohesion is absolutely crucial for security preparedness but also for other societal values. Here we can unfortunately see large differences between our different Nordic countries, where Sweden stands out and now partially lacks the glue that has bound us together in previous generations. This could weaken our role in the Nordic preparedness.

I wonder: How are we in Sweden to increase our cohesion and the will to defend our home on earth? Can we learn anything from the other Nordic countries?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I answer the question as I interpret it to be about what will to defend we have.

Most international measurements indicate that we have a strong will to defend in Sweden. That is fundamentally good. We have seen expressions of it. For example, after the full-scale war in Ukraine broke out, we have seen an increase in applications to the Home Guard of over 600 percent. We have seen examples of many more people also engaging in the voluntary defense organizations. There are also measurements that point to an increased interest among those eligible for conscription to perform their military service after the war broke out. That gives hope.

I believe that what Staffan Eklöf is referring to is that many young people in the recruitment survey perform the self-assessment that they do not have the ability to fulfill the conscription. I know that the Swedish Defence Readyness Administration is now reviewing the possibility of ensuring that those subject to conscription also need to submit a certificate to verify if they have deficiencies that could prevent them.

In general, however, most measurements indicate that there is a strong will to defend in Sweden. This is, of course, extremely important for our defense capability.

(Applause)

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Ewa Pihl Krabbe (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Forssmed.

The leisure card is, in principle, the government's only initiative on culture and leisure for children and young people. Nevertheless, its introduction is being postponed time and again.

Försäkringskassan has had the assignment to investigate and prepare the administration of an execution register, i.e., a register of which associations one can use one's leisure card at. Försäkringskassan however flags significant costs for introducing and administering this register of associations. The authority says itself that even if resources are added, there is a major challenge in obtaining a developed register with adequate quality during 2025. There is thus a clear risk that the assignment will not be completed even by next year.

My question then is: Will the authority, i.e., Försäkringskassan, receive increased appropriations to manage this, or is the intention that it should be covered within the existing appropriations to the authority?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! Many thanks, Member Ewa Pihl Krabbe, for the question!

We will work to ensure that this is introduced during 2025. We will, of course, include this material just like other materials in order to establish a system that is as good and robust as possible, where as many funds as possible go to the youth and children who are in great need of entering these activities. This is what we are working on, and this is one of the important materials needed to get a system as good as possible.

This is really not the government's only initiative on culture and leisure for children. For example, we are now making a large and long-term targeted initiative to strengthen association life in vulnerable areas where it is weakest so that more children and young people can have an opportunity to participate in association life. There shall be more leaders and more long-term contexts that one can turn to in order to find a sense of belonging instead of other types of communities that are destructive.

I was in Gothenburg myself yesterday and saw how these funds will be put to use specifically to strengthen local community life in vulnerable areas. It is an initiative that I am very proud of.

(Applause)

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Eric Palmqvist (SD)

Madam Speaker! We Sverigedemokrater have repeatedly asked the government about so-called farm sales. In response, we have been told that the government is working on preparing a referral to the Council of Legislation that shall enable farm sales of alcoholic beverages while simultaneously protecting Systembolaget's monopoly.

Social Minister Jakob Forssmed has communicated that farm sales could become a reality as early as 2025, among other places on the newspaper Expressen's debate page. Since the government intends to notify the EU Commission of the proposal in accordance with customary notification procedures and applicable directives, it is, however, required that the process does not drag on if the prediction of 2025 is to hold.

Let us state that farm sales have been requested for a long time. The issue has been investigated three times, and finally, the work to realize this is underway. My question to the Minister for Social Affairs is therefore: How is the work with the Council of State referral progressing, when does the government expect the Riksdag to be able to make a decision on the issue, and will the proposal also cover distilled beverages?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Eric Palmqvist for the question. It is not only in the newspaper Expressen that this has been reported, but also in some other media.

The work continues. We have continued ambitions that this shall be introduced during the first half of 2025. We still have the ambition that this shall be introduced, and we see the conditions for small-scale and artisanal farm sales will be positive for the tourism industry, not least in the countryside.

We also see that it is important to safeguard Systembolaget in this context, and therefore the proposal will naturally also contain restrictions of various kinds.

We assume that we will get a good process in the EU context. It is a prerequisite for us to meet the schedule. But the government's work keeps the schedule to get it in place.

It is a complex and complicated issue, but there is no reason for us to change any messages in this, rather we stick to what we have said and have all ambitions to deliver on this.

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Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)

Madam Speaker! With unrest that is constantly escalating around the world and with wars in our direct vicinity, our preparedness should also be stepped up. Membership in Nato is an important piece of that work, and the Minister for Defence has spoken about it before in this question period.

We have now been members of Nato for a month. I would like to ask Minister of Defence Pål Jonson how the work is progressing with the military integration and if there are any lessons from the first month that the Minister of Defence can share with us here in the chamber.

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Marléne Lund Kopparklint, for the question!

Sweden has great experience of cooperating with Nato from before. We have done so in Afghanistan, in Kosovo and in Libya, and we have also participated in almost all Nato exercises.

During the recent period, we have naturally also become integrated into NATO's joint defense planning. This work is going well. We feel deeply welcomed into the defense alliance, also because we have important military resources and capabilities that we can strengthen NATO with. We have, for example, unique capabilities when it comes to the Baltic Sea area. We also have what is called subarctic capability, that is, the ability to operate in very demanding environments.

We have had a close dialogue with Finland regarding what lessons there are. They usually point out that one should remember the three "i's": the intensity when it comes to membership, the amount of information, and the identity – to constantly think that we are Nato and that Nato is no one else. These are some of the general lessons we have drawn after the first month in the defense alliance.

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Heléne Björklund (S)

Madam Speaker! The serious and worrying security situation we find ourselves in is debated in almost all issues and is used in all possible contexts.

I have myself participated in discussions here in the chamber and asked questions to both the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the procurement of Gotlandstrafiken. There, we received the answer that Trafikverket has not received any specific reasons to stretch the rules to take into account the security situation. In the latest debate with the Minister for Infrastructure, it was referred to that the issues must be driven at the EU level, and he assured me that the government will do so.

My question goes to EU Minister Jessika Roswall: How are these issues handled in the EU? Is anything being discussed about the fact that we might need to push a bit, and that the current security situation in all of Europe means that we must stretch the procurement rules a bit so that the security situation is taken into account?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Heléne Björklund!

Since I have just said that I have a handle on all my colleagues, I must return to this. As Heléne Björklund says, it is the Minister for Infrastructure who is responsible for infrastructure issues. That being said, it is entirely correct that defense issues, security issues, and preparedness issues are issues that enter all committees and all the different constellations that we cooperate with, regardless of whether it concerns Nordic issues, Nordefco, as Pål Jonson pointed out, or the EU.

The general answer today is that when we talk about security issues at the EU level - from the top down to all the different ministerial levels - infrastructure is one part, civil preparedness is another, and military preparedness is a further one, but the question is, of course, also on the agenda at the highest level, also for the infrastructure ministers.

I apologize for the general answer, but it is a major issue that affects us all.

Question time was hereby concluded.

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