Question Time

FÖRSTE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Anna Tenje, Minister for Employment and Integration Mats Persson, Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand, and Minister Andreas Carlson.

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. Minister Anna Tenje answers both general political questions and questions within her own area of responsibility.

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Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Mr. Speaker! Unemployment is rising in Sweden. We are now witnessing mass unemployment. Youth unemployment is rising. Long-term unemployment is rising. The fact is that we have the highest unemployment level in ten years. Despite this, the government continues its passive line. Every other krona for job initiatives has been removed since the government took power in Sweden. This meets criticism from trade unions and employers. Even the Fiscal Policy Council has criticized the government's job policy very clearly.

My question goes to the Minister for Employment: When does the Minister intend to change the government's labor market policy? When does he intend to take into account the criticism that is now coming from very many actors that active job initiatives are needed to combat unemployment?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Ardalan Shekarabi for the question. When the government took office, inflation in Sweden was 10 percent. The Swedish people have felt it. It has been and is very tough for many in the private economy. It is clear that it is felt on the labor market when interest rates have been raised.

Today, the Riksbank announced that it is making a double increase of the repo rate, which means that we now see how the interest rates are slowly returning, how the investments in the economy will increase, and how the jobs will become more and unemployment will decrease. It is tough in the Swedish economy. It is a long winter on the labor market. But far off in the horizon, we see that it turns because the government has been responsible. Together with the Riksbank, we are now ensuring that ordinary people get better and better.

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Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Mr. Speaker! It seems as if the Minister for Employment did not quite hear my question. I did not ask what the Riksbank is doing, but what the government is doing. Every other krona for job initiatives has indeed disappeared. The Fiscal Policy Council, employers, and the business community criticize the government's passivity. The people who are unemployed do not get access to the right education so that they can take the jobs that exist.

What adjustments is the government making to its labor policy in light of the fact that we now have the highest unemployment in ten years?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I must correct myself. The Riksbank is naturally lowering the interest rate, and we are all happy about that.

During the coming year, 120,000 people will be able to attend a vocational education in Sweden. They will be able to attend an education to take a vacant job that awaits at the other end. Bus driver, electrician, and healthcare assistant are professions and educations that lead to jobs. Next year, 120,000 people will be able to attend a vocational education. That policy makes a difference in pushing back unemployment.

(Applause)

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Culture. Within the support for cultural journals, which is distributed by the Swedish Arts Council, there are examples of journals that obviously have an anti-democratic, anarchist, and revolutionary agenda. One example of this is Tidningen Brand, which has close links with Afa. The organization Afa is mentioned by Säpo as a violent left-wing extremist.

We are, therefore, talking about organizations that want to overthrow our democracy and our society. This is financed by state tax funds, which I and the Sverigedemokraterna see as concerning, to put it mildly.

I want to ask the Minister for Culture how she intends to handle this and how one can resolve the whole matter so that organizations and journals such as these will not be able to receive state funds in the future.

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is quite obvious that there has been much for the government to address when it comes to media policy. In some way, one must ensure that we have a functioning democratic infrastructure within media policy. It must hang together. We shall have a strong public service that stands on its own feet and is independent. At the same time, we shall have commercial free media that can balance this well.

From January 1, we have a new media support. It does not apply to the journals, but for them we have instead chosen to appoint a journal inquiry that shall look at how one can work with journals from a transition perspective. The journals also need to make the transition that regular media are in the middle of.

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I believe that the investigation of the journals will result in something very good.

I feel that we Tidö parties have taken hold of issues regarding extremism, antisemitism and such with force. As I see it, the investigation of journals may perhaps not touch upon that specific question. Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Culture if she thinks it would be interesting to review whether, for example, the democratic conditions that we have for media support and civil society in general can also be applied to the journals.

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! There are absolute reasons to discuss democratic conditions for all types of tax funds provided in the form of grants. When it comes to media support and grants to media and magazines, it is also relevant to consider the balance that must exist. By introducing a media support, one can actually also make it even more difficult to assess and, above all, more dependent on other factors. When discussing support for media in general, it is correct to think about the media's independence even when speaking about democratic conditions.

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Mr. Speaker! Göteborgs-Posten reported at the beginning of the week about 57-year-old Marie who was diagnosed with breast cancer just over ten years ago. After tough treatments, she lost her job, and today she lives with chronic cancer and therefore cannot work. She receives sickness benefit of 543 kronor per day, and her finances have plummeted. If she had not lived together with someone, she would have little prospect of managing the situation.

Marie has received the question from Försäkringskassan regarding how much longer she has left to live. She says in the interview: They asked how much longer I have left to live, meaning how much longer I will be a burden and a cost for them. That is how she perceived the question.

In the same article, questions are posed to Anna Tenje, responsible minister, regarding the reasonableness of living on 543 kronor per day. I would therefore like to ask Anna Tenje if the government will take any initiatives to raise the ceiling for the sickness benefit for job seekers.

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks to Isabell Mixter for a very good question. It is, of course, heart-wrenching and special to receive that type of question. It is a difficult situation when one finds oneself in a palliative stage of a disease where the future prospects look bleak.

Of course, we shall have a health insurance, a sickness benefit, and a health insurance system that is there when it is needed most. We shall have a secure system.

The question that Isabell Mixter poses to me, I cannot answer here and now today, just as I answered when the questions came in the newspaper, but this is a question that I am following very closely.

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer.

What is also mentioned in the interview, in the minister's answer, is that cancer care is to be improved in Sweden.

It is remarkable that this government speaks of improving healthcare when we are simultaneously facing the deepest healthcare crisis in decades. Healthcare personnel are being laid off on a rolling basis. It is almost comparable to some kind of Trump rhetoric. It is actually a lie that healthcare is being improved.

How does the Minister believe that cancer care should be improved with your budget?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the follow-up question.

As we all know, healthcare is an issue that primarily rests on the responsibility of the regions and the taxation rights taken from the regions.

This government has, during the budgets for 2023 and 2024 as well as for 2025, the coming year, made major investments in healthcare and extra investments, not least to increase accessibility and shorten the queues with extra billions in that regard. Cancer care is also up for revision, and agreements have recently been signed.

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Jonny Cato (C)

Mr. Speaker! The government is good at holding press conferences about the misery in the Swedish labor market. The government is even worse at delivering concrete measures to push back unemployment. Instead, the new minister seems more eager to discuss whose fault it has been historically. I can instead state that it is now Mats Persson's responsibility.

The situation on the Swedish labor market is starting to become acute. What concrete measures is the government prepared to take so that it becomes more profitable to work and cheaper to hire, and so that more foreign-born individuals get the first really important job?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Jonny Cato for his question.

The government is first making many efforts to reduce unemployment. The most important thing we can do is to ensure that we can now get lower interest rates in the Swedish economy and that we can push back inflation. It is a prerequisite for the economic wheels to roll faster, for unemployment to decrease, and for more jobs to be created.

Secondly, we ensure that 120,000 Swedes next year are given the opportunity to attend a vocational education, that is, an education that leads to a job and a profession, often in an industry that is crying out for labor.

Thirdly, we see to it that it becomes more profitable to move from benefits to work. It should always pay to work compared to living on benefits. The person who gets up in the morning and is at work at seven o'clock should feel that it pays off for him or her to go to work and do their best compared to the person who lives on benefits.

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Jonny Cato (C)

Mr. Speaker! I can state that the measures presented fall under the responsibility of other ministers and not the Ministry of Employment.

It is perhaps a bit synonymous with the entire parliamentary term that the list of bills from the Ministry of Employment has been empty – empty, empty, empty. That is somewhat how the government's labor market policy looks. It is always someone else's fault – the Centre Party's or someone else's – or else it is the Riksbank that is supposed to solve the problem.

What does Mats Persson, as Minister for Employment, intend to do to push back unemployment?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I believe that the most important thing for the Swedish people is that more people have a job to go to. Then, I honestly believe that people do not care so much about exactly which department handles which issues.

It is important that we have a policy where there is vocational training to attend and a policy with high expectations for a person to support themselves. We are now lowering the tax for everyone who works in Sweden and ensuring that there are educations so that one can take the jobs that exist. For the shortage occupations where there is a cry for competence, one can attend a training and thereafter get a job.

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Jacob Risberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Trafikverket already pleaded early in 2024 for 195 million to maintain current availability in the transport agreements with regional public transport authorities. These are funds that the government has chosen not to include in the budget for 2025. Now, several public transport authorities across the country are facing withdrawn lines, worsened availability, and great uncertainties regarding how sudden costs will be covered.

As an example, a missing state grant means 25 million kronor in increased costs for Tåg i Bergslagen and 18.4 million kronor for Region Kalmar län. The alternative could be that the lines are completely discontinued, which will have a direct negative impact on passengers, businesses, and regional development in a way that cannot be accepted.

Does Minister Andreas Carlson intend to provide the funds that Trafikverket has demanded in order to be able to maintain current availability in the traffic agreements?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Jacob Risberg for the question.

As the member is well aware, the basic principle is that traffic shall primarily be operated on commercial terms, but there is procured traffic and cooperation agreements so that deficiencies in the availability of the infrastructure do not arise. This also applies to the instruction that Trafikverket has to enter into and be responsible for regarding the state's agreements on transport-politically justified interregional public transport, including air traffic that is not maintained under another regime and where the conditions for commercial operation are lacking.

I want to remind the members and the Riksdag that for a procurement in transport on the appropriation, there will be 50 million kronor more in next year's budget, and Trafikverket has not yet made decisions on the cooperation agreements for some of the sections that the member raises.

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Jacob Risberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer.

It is not only Bergslagen and Kalmar that are affected. Many important train and bus lines in northern Sweden are also threatened because the cooperation between Inlandståg and Norrtåg risks ending in a lack of funding.

But the agreements that are now being threatened occur more or less randomly from the outside when agreements expire. The short-sightedness in this procedure is reflected in the fact that information is provided with only a few weeks' notice.

Does the Minister of Justice consider that the government has given the relevant transport authorities sufficient time to be able to handle the situation that has arisen on their own?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! This is, of course, an important issue that the government is following very closely. But I want to repeat once again that it is Trafikverket that, in its instruction, has the mandate to enter into agreements, and no decisions have been made regarding Stångådalsbanan, Tåg i Bergslagen, the bus traffic in northern Sweden, and Norrtåg, which the member points out.

It is of course important to have as much time as possible, but I want to remind again that there is more money in the budget bill for 2025 than in this year's budget for these agreements.

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Noria Manouchi (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Moderate housing policy rests primarily on three objectives. It shall become easier to build housing, easier to buy housing, and easier to rent housing.

This is also the basis of the housing policy work that the government is conducting. This became clear, not least earlier this week, regarding the raised mortgage ceiling and the lowered amortization requirement.

Recently, Minister Carlson received a memorandum with several proposals aimed at enabling more detention centers and institutions to be built in a faster and more cost-effective manner.

I wonder, partly, how much faster the Minister believes we will be able to expand the stock, and partly whether the same simplifications in the Planning and Building Act could be applied to shorten the lead times for the construction of housing.

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Noria Manouchi for the question. It is, of course, important to shorten lead times and to simplify regulations. The specific investigation that the member refers to concerns increasing the pace of the expansion of prisons and institutions in Sweden.

This has been a so-called fast-track investigation. It has come forward with a number of different proposals, including regarding temporary building permits and also simplifications and the possibility of exemptions for municipalities regarding permanent building permits. It also concerns that the state, during extraordinary acute situations, should be able to step in and make decisions to build facilities and prisons.

The investigator himself points out that it could shorten lead times by several years compared to the five to seven years or up to eleven years that it takes today. But no more exact time specification than that is given in the investigator's proposal, Mr. Speaker.

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Noria Manouchi (M)

Mr. Speaker! If we are to be able to meet Kriminalvården's space requirements, it is of course necessary that this type of measures are put in place.

I wonder about proposals to shorten the lead time for the construction of housing. After the eight lost years with a Social Democratic government, which lacked both the energy and, in that respect, the will to reform housing policy, I wonder what further reforms we can expect from the bourgeois government.

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! They are far more numerous than I have time to account for in 27 seconds in the chamber.

Let me state that the proposals contained in the investigation will be sent out for consultation quickly. We can gather views regarding detention centers and institutions. The pace remains high to address the structural obstacles that affect housing construction.

We have announced that we will submit a proposition to the Riksdag during 2025 regarding the Building Permit Inquiry's proposal which aims to facilitate and simplify the construction of housing.

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Camilla Rinaldo Miller (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Pensions Anna Tenje, who also leads the Pensions Group's work.

Due to an error, or rather an oversight, the cohort born in 1957 was seen in the previous government's proposition as retirees in terms of labor law but as working professionals in terms of tax law. This led to them paying more in tax than other cohorts.

We Christian Democrats pushed for them to get their money back. The government and SD have now ensured that the mistake committed is rectified, and the 57s have received their money back. It is good in every way. If one has made a mistake, one takes responsibility for it and rectifies it.

The retirement age will be adjusted on several occasions in the future. Therefore, year groups born in 1959 and 1966 can also be affected if we do not parallel-adjust the regulations and taxes with transitional rules related to the retirement age.

Does the Minister take the measures required to ensure that this is not repeated?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for the question, member!

The raising of the retirement age to 66 was definitely not handled well by the previous government. The error with the 57s was discovered quite clearly. The current government changed this in the previous budget and then provided compensation for the tax so that the 57s got their money back.

At the same time, we have, of course, acted proactively so that we do not end up in this situation again. The Government has therefore been clear about taking the measures required so that the 59s do not end up in the same situation and be mistreated in the same way as the 57s were. That mistake will not happen, as we have rectified it.

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Camilla Rinaldo Miller (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister!

My follow-up question concerns enabling more equal pensions. We know that women take responsibility for children and family, often reduce their working hours and perform more unpaid work. This has consequences for their pension later in life.

Today, there is an opportunity for spouses with joint children to voluntarily share the premium pension. We Christian Democrats want the premium pension to be shared automatically and equally, and also that the fee for transferring the premium pension between spouses be abolished. How does the Minister view such a change?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for the follow-up question!

There are several different proposals on the table regarding equal pensions and possible ways forward. One must however note that the pension system as such is gender-neutral. It is often the labor market that is not equal. The pension system is equal. It is how much one has worked that leaves an impression in the pension envelope.

We must work on the work environment so that more women can move from part-time to full-time, work more and also work longer. We can also look at the questions of how to share the earned pensions within one and the same family and also between cohabitants.

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Helena Gellerman (L)

Mr. Speaker! I direct my question to Andreas Carlson.

The Liberals want to create growth in all of Sweden. A basic framework for us to achieve this is that we have transport systems that work. Here, the interaction between road, railway, shipping, and aviation needs to become much better.

At the same time, aviation has been under very heavy pressure for many years, primarily due to its climate impact but also due to the pandemic. An aviation tax was introduced, and organizations' travel policies have heavily deprioritized aviation.

These measures are very growth-inhibiting. The establishment of companies across our country is being hindered, and the measures have not contributed to the aviation's transition.

Now we have removed the aviation tax. How does the Minister think we can achieve transport-neutral travel policies, where one is also prepared to pay for biofuels for aviation?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Helena Gellerman is focusing on a pressing issue that I encounter many times when I make visits around the country. Many cherish the local and regional airport.

They say: It is very important for our business life, very important for our preparedness, very important for ambulance aviation and very important for many different reasons and so that ordinary people can manage their lives in our sparsely populated country with distances many times larger.

Then one asks a question. What does it look like in your own travel policy in the municipality or the region? Do you subsidize all modes of transport in the same way, or do you advise against using air travel? When I have asked that question, several people go home and check and see that they themselves are counteracting their own airport's competitiveness.

There are also good examples. Östersund has recently reviewed its travel policy, and Skellefteå has had a travel allowance-neutral travel policy for some time. I view that very positively.

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Helena Gellerman (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.

I think that one should naturally take the train if it is an efficient means of transport for a specific stretch.

But today's travel policies really prioritize trains over flights, even if the flight would provide shorter travel times, would be cheaper, or would increase available working time for the employee, provide lower travel allowances, or provide less time away from the family. Still, trains are prioritized over flights.

The real problem is climate emissions and not aviation. How can we stimulate the use of biofuels?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is exactly as the member says: It is possible to add as much sustainable aviation fuel as can be today. Then the public sector can participate and contribute to the transition of aviation while simultaneously contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of domestic flights. We see a very tough situation right now for domestic flights, which are important for the whole of Sweden to function.

The government has reviewed our travel policy so that we include all modes of transport in a travel-means-neutral policy, and I think more can follow that example.

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Lawen Redar (S)

Mr. Speaker! Culture's share of the Tidö budget is the lowest in 20 years. According to the Minister for Culture, the broad tax cuts will create room to buy a painting, a book, or a music or art subscription.

Reality is completely different. Now they are closing down the youth rehearsal rooms, and they are turning off the lights in the premises that previously were meeting places for popular education, study associations, civil society organizations or local gatherings.

The cultural school's term fees have been raised in almost half of the country's municipalities. The regional operations, which fund theaters and museums, are forced into cuts due to weak support for the municipal and regional sector. Unemployment among the country's art and culture creators has risen by almost 30 percent in two years, also as a consequence of this culture budget.

My question to the Minister for Culture is: How does the government intend to counter this impact and these effects on the role of culture in society and culture throughout Sweden?

(Applause)

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! We often return to the "saying" that it is a small portion of the budget. I think it is therefore important to point out that the total expenditures in the state budget in recent years have increased significantly because we are in a situation that requires the buildup of the defense, including civil defense. We also need to invest in both civil and military support to Ukraine. We are carrying out significant investments in the police and the justice system. And we are investing in the cultural area!

Next year, the culture budget will increase by over 230 million kronor, but the reason why the culture budget's share of the total state budget still decreases is that we are increasing expenditures in other areas that are prioritized. I believe the member thinks that is perfectly reasonable, just as I and many others in Sweden do.

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Mona Olin (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Anna Tenje. An investigator has been tasked, in a so-called fast track, to review whether the municipalities should be given expanded opportunities to conduct background checks of employees and persons who are offered employment or assignments in the municipalities.

On repeated occasions, elderly people have become victims of violence, abuse, and theft by precisely those individuals who have had access to their homes to provide them with support and help in the home or in a special housing facility. Everyone should be able to feel safe in their own home, not least those who are extra vulnerable.

Now this investigation only applies to employment in municipalities, but those who have home care are affected regardless of whether it is municipal or private activity that is responsible for the care and support. My question is therefore whether the Minister sees that there is a need for the same regulatory framework when employing care and support personnel in private ownership.

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, Mona Olin, for a very important question! It has been very important for the government to appoint this fast-track investigation given that all elderly people should be able to feel safe in their own homes, regardless of whether it concerns ordinary housing or a special housing unit. The person one lets across the threshold must be someone one can feel safe with.

That is why we appointed the inquiry, which in a fast-track would investigate the possibility of providing a legal basis for the municipalities when it comes to being able to look at both load registers and suspicion registers. When we say that we want to secure elderly care for all elderly people, I assume that we mean just all elderly people. We do not mean only those who have chosen a municipal residence or who have home care in municipal administration, but obviously all elderly people.

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Anne-Li Sjölund (C)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Andreas Carlson. The Infrastructure Bill was presented just over a month ago. It contains large investments in maintenance, which the Center Party views positively.

However, we see that the railway is being sidelined. There were expectations of receiving answers regarding the government's intentions for double tracks on Nya Ostkustbanan. But the questions remain after having read the bill.

The green transition in northern Sweden places high demands on a well-functioning railway. Therefore, the New East Coast Line becomes important for the entire country's competitiveness and not just for Gävleborg and Västernorrland. Without the New East Coast Line, Norrland's green industrialization stands still. The trains will go neither north nor south if we do not build away Sweden's longest bottleneck - from Gävle to Kramfors.

Both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Enterprise have promised, both before and after the election, that the railway shall be completed by 2035. If this is to be possible, construction must start by 2027 at the latest. Can the responsible minister answer whether we will get double tracks on the Ostkustbanan with construction starting in 2027?

(Applause)

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The member is well aware of what the processes look like regarding the prioritization of infrastructure and the planning of the long-term transport infrastructure.

The government has just presented the infrastructure bill and placed it on the Riksdag's table. The Riksdag has not even decided on the framework that the government proposed, which is historically large, a total of 1,171 billion kronor, with a focus on maintenance. But there are also approximately 100 billion for new investments. This is a framework reduction of a full 27 percent compared to the framework that exists in the current plan.

When the Riksdag has made a decision on this, the government will task Trafikverket with preparing proposals for measures, and then the government will make a decision on the national plan. It is in that situation that individual objects will be included. They are also not naturally included in the infrastructure bill in ordinary cases, but it is in the proposal the government submits for the framework, which we hope will be passed here in the Riksdag in a few weeks.

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Märta Stenevi (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Inflation is falling. This is not due to anything the government has done, but is mainly due to the fact that Europe has now gained better control over its energy supply, while at the same time Sweden's workers have taken on an enormous responsibility and accepted a large real wage cut.

Before an interpellation debate a few weeks ago with Minister Anna Tenje, I asked the Riksdag's investigation service to assess what effects the government's budget will have on a household with a single woman with two children living in Stockholm, where the woman works as a childcare worker. Next year, she will lose almost 500 kronor net per month as a result of the government's budget, and I have still not included the rent increases that await.

At that time, the Minister replied that it needs to pay to work. I therefore want to also now ask Minister Anna Tenje what measures she intends to take to facilitate for single women who are low-income earners to support themselves and their children. For goodness' sake, the government also counts those who take care of our children as working?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! I must admit that I do not agree with the member that the inflation fight that the government has engaged in and focused on in recent years has not been effective. It has been effective, and it has also ensured that inflation is no longer digging large holes in household finances. But despite this, it remains very tough.

When Märta Stenevi makes her calculation, she forgets to include the fact that the single woman lives in Stockholm. If Märta Stenevi had truly wanted to talk about what hits hard against a hard-working single woman, she would have talked about the increase in the municipal tax and the increase in the regional tax in Stockholm, not to mention the increase of the SL-card and the withdrawn buses. It will definitely make it significantly harder for the single woman to ensure that the children can get to the various leisure activities and she herself to work.

If Märta Stenevi really wants to help – start in her own party and ensure that taxes are not raised too much for hardworking parents of small children!

(Applause)

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Åsa Coenraads (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Plus Commission wrote some time ago about the costs of senior employees not being allowed to work to the extent they wish. The ageism we are currently seeing affects the opportunities for older people to enter the labor market and continue working longer. I would therefore like to ask Minister for Pensions and Social Insurance Anna Tenje how the government views the work of promoting the work line specifically for senior employees and the increasingly widespread ageism we see in society.

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, Åsa Coenraads, for a very important question!

One of the greatest waste of resources in Sweden right now is that we routinely retire people with great experience and competence for the simple reason that they have reached a certain given age. We must stop this, because we cannot afford it. Every single industry has a crying need for competence and experience. Not least, it is actually also visible in the pension envelope if one retires earlier.

Getting more people to work longer is a win-win-win situation. It is good for one's own finances. We are now lowering the tax extra much for those who continue to work after the retirement age, and we are making it possible to pause the occupational pension so that one can move in and out of the working life significantly more easily. It is also a great win socio-economically, and one also gets to retain the expertise.

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Roland Utbult (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand.

Today, the Christian Democrats' cultural policy program is being presented, with many proposals to strengthen and support culture. One of the proposals concerns more types of organizations, for example cultural associations, becoming eligible for gift tax deductions. I have myself motioned regarding the need for a review of the tax rules when it comes to the business sector's investments in and sponsorship of culture.

The government has in recent days given an additional mandate to the investigation reviewing tax incentives for donations to non-profit activities. My questions are therefore: What is the government doing to facilitate donations to and sponsorship of culture, and how important is this additional mandate to the government's investigation?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the questions.

When I talk about private financing, I always want to start at the other end and say that certain culture will always need public funding. That which is the state's responsibility shall the state continue to take responsibility for, but we also believe that culture becomes more independent if it is allowed to stand on more legs. Therefore, it is important to increase culture's freedom by reducing public dependence.

A first step in this is the supplementary directive that we recently gave to an existing investigation which is precisely about looking at sponsorship within both sports and culture. It is a step in the right direction. There are more we need to take, but it feels very exciting that this government has finally addressed the issue of private financing. It has not been done for many parliamentary terms, despite it being talked about.

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Martin Melin (L)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Infrastructure.

Today, the police's right to use blue lights and sirens to request a clear path is regulated in the Road Traffic Ordinance. The way the Road Traffic Ordinance is currently designed, however, partially limits the police's ability to work effectively. During a surveillance operation, for example, the police are not allowed to use blue lights and sirens to drive against a red light or to get other road users to move out of the way in order to get into position or catch up. If the police become aware that there is a wanted person who is dangerous at a certain location, they are not allowed to drive with blue lights and sirens or against a red light to reach that location. This becomes a problem primarily in large cities, where the traffic is as it is.

My simple question then is: Can the Minister for Infrastructure not ensure that this is put on the agenda and change the traffic ordinance so that it becomes effective for the police in their daily work?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Martin Melin for putting the question on the agenda - when it is the subject of a question during the Riksdag's question period, it is certainly on the agenda.

What I can state is that the traffic ordinance already today specifies that the driver of an emergency vehicle may break traffic regulations and request a clear path in cases that this person deems urgent. The right for drivers of emergency vehicles to deviate from traffic regulations in urgent cases is generally designed to cover several different situations.

Overall, I assess that the traffic ordinance itself is flexible for the police, while at the same time the requirement that a situation must be judged as urgent ensures that respect for the blue-light institution is maintained among other road users. Then this can be a matter of interpretation that may deserve further attention, but the traffic ordinance itself allows the police and others who have emergency vehicles the flexibility that the traffic ordinance allows.

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Jonathan Svensson (S)

Mr. Speaker! From the latest figures released by Arbetsförmedlingen, it can be read that 45,000 young people in the age category 18-24 years are registered as unemployed with the agency. This is an increase of over 13 percent since September last year. Young people who do not succeed in getting a first job or who lose their first job risk falling into long-term exclusion. This is obviously tragic for the individual but also entails great costs for society.

Despite the escalating and gloomy developments, the government is relatively passive. In the list of bills from the Ministry of Employment, it is practically completely empty in this area.

I therefore want to ask the Minister for Employment when the government will realize the seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in and when the government will return to the Riksdag with proposals that can handle youth unemployment.

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Jonathan Svensson for an excellent and very important question.

Nothing is more important for our society than our children and youth and what future they are given. All of this begins with how the school functions. Today, there are too many children and youth who can do too little when they leave school and therefore cannot get a job and support themselves. The most important thing we can do is therefore to invest in school and education so that more graduate from upper secondary school with complete grades or study a vocational education so that they can take a job.

The entire government's policy is about ensuring that there is an opportunity to get an education in many different ways. The individual must take their own responsibility in order to be able to take the jobs that exist, but investments in education and in vocational training are the most important way for more people, not least more young people, to be able to get a job.

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Roger Hedlund (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Andreas Carlson. Priority in the housing queue has for a long time been abused in favor of migrants. The Sweden Democrats have for a long time pointed out how unreasonable this is and said that we need to take a critical stance toward this action.

The Sweden Democrats' position is to change in this order. My question to the Minister is therefore: Does the Minister share our position regarding avoiding priority for migrants in the housing queue?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to priority placements, I would like to say that the big problem today is that there is uncertainty for the municipalities regarding to what extent it is possible to reserve housing for applicants - they can be elderly, younger, families with children or people in shortage occupations - and use so-called priority placements for, for example, women who have been victims of violence without losing the opportunity to collect a queue fee.

Today, the government made a decision on a bill regarding measures for a better housing supply. I am pleased that the Sweden Democrats support it.

The proposals in the bill clarify that a purchase fee may be charged even if apartments are reserved for applicants in the queue or distributed according to a priority system. The proposals clarify what applies regarding the collection of fees in the case of a reservation of priority, and it does not affect the municipalities' possibilities according to the Act on receiving certain newly arrived immigrants for settlement.

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Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment Mats Persson.

It is the case that we have an unemployment rate of 8 ½ percent in Sweden, and it is increasing. It is of course nice that the minister had friends who could give him a new job when he lost the old one, but that is not the case for everyone in this country.

The government often uses inflation as an excuse for how things look, but one could have, for example, lowered the employer contributions and thereby been able to lower inflation, as the National Institute of Economic Research proposed and as we have proposed. Instead, they raised the employer contributions and inflation, so it cannot be used as an explanation.

Is the government soon ready to actually contribute so that ordinary people can also get new jobs? One can, for example, lower the cost of hiring, lower the employer contributions, and tax-exempt the first ten employees, as we have proposed. We must achieve a labor market policy that ensures it is not just Mats Persson who gets a job with the government's labor market policy. When is the government ready to deliver?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Niels Paarup-Petersen for the question!

This government is lowering the tax for everyone who works. Everyone who works in Sweden gets a tax cut thanks to this government. We are lowering the tax because we know that it makes it more profitable to work compared to living on benefits. We do it because we want to support households in an economically tough time, and we know that it makes the economic wheels turn faster so that we get more jobs in the Swedish economy and more people get a job to go to.

We are making large investments in vocational training, and we are making it easier and cheaper for small businesses to hire. On a broad front, the government is therefore ensuring that there are more jobs in the Swedish economy and that more people have a job to go to. This is very important, and it is something that the government prioritizes very highly.

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Mats Berglund (MP)

Mr. Speaker! We have read in the media about a round-table meeting between Sweden's national minorities and the investigator for the cultural canon, and we have read that it unfortunately ended quite badly. The minorities felt that they will not be included in the project and that no dialogue will be conducted. This is also confirmed in a rather clear way by the investigator.

It would mean that the investigation directives will probably not be followed, at least not in that part. But, I think, the project and the cultural canon are more than the investigation. The important thing is perhaps that the national minorities and the indigenous people are listened to and treated in a respectful manner.

My question to Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand is this: Will a constructive dialogue be conducted with the national minorities and the indigenous people, the Sámi, in a respectful manner so that they are involved in the project regarding the cultural canon and, if so, how, or if not, within the framework of the investigation?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

When it comes to the committee's work, it is the case that the committee conducts it independently but very much based on the directives that the government has decided. In the directives, it states that one shall create an open and inclusive process and that one shall have a dialogue with both the indigenous people, the Sámi, and the organizations of the other national minorities.

I assume that the committee is working based on the directives it has received. We have also ensured this at the ministry by having my State Secretary have a meeting with the chairman, where they agreed on the way forward and that the directives shall be followed.

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Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to direct my question to the Minister for Pensions and Social Insurance, Anna Tenje.

On February 22 of this year, the government decided to commission an investigator to examine whether the municipalities should be given expanded opportunities to conduct background checks of employees and persons who are offered employment or assignments in the municipality. Last week, on Friday, the investigation was submitted to the Ministry of Justice.

Elderly people in the municipality should be able to feel safe in their homes, regardless of where they live in Sweden. The elderly who have home care or other healthcare should be able to feel safe and be able to trust the staff who enter their homes to provide care and support. How will this investigation help the municipalities to safeguard the safety and security of the elderly?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks to Malin Höglund for an excellent question!

Guaranteeing the safety of the elderly in their own homes is a very important issue. Taking extracts from the suspicion register, as the investigation proposes, is obviously not a guarantee that one ensures that nothing happens. As a responsible employer, one must also do everything else. One must take references, and one must conduct interviews. But the possibility that the investigation proposes to take extracts from criminal records and suspicion registers is yet another tool to guarantee, as far as it is possible, that the elderly can feel safe in their own homes. The safety of the elderly trumps the sexual offender's opportunity to work within elderly care every day of the week.

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Gudrun Brunegård (KD)

Mr. Speaker! In the infrastructure bill, the government is making a larger investment than ever before to catch up on the maintenance debt for roads and railways. Trafikverket has received everything it has requested.

Previously, the government's focus has been on facilitating commuting and freight traffic, but in the budget, the Transport Agency's appropriation for contracted traffic has unfortunately not received the increase that the Transport Agency requested. This has resulted in the state support for, for example, my own commuting route on the Stångådalsbanan being questioned.

What measures can the government take so that this railway line, which is so important for Kalmar län, does not run the risk of being shut down due to an uncounted budget item?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Gudrun Brunegård for her commitment to this issue. I can testify to the Chamber that it shows. The commitment to specifically the Stångådalsbanan and for the infrastructure in Kalmar län is something that one associates with Gudrun Brunegård, and for that, I am grateful. I appreciate that commitment. She has shed light on the issue.

Regarding the specific question about traffic agreements, I have answered a similar question earlier during the question period, Mr. Speaker. I would, however, like to remind that the funds are thus increasing during the next year by approximately 50 million kronor for just the traffic agreements and that it is Trafikverket that makes the decisions. Agreements have not yet been entered into, nor has a decision been made not to do so.

The government is closely monitoring the agency's work with the transport agreements and the use of available funds. This is, as the member for Kristdemokraterna knows, an important issue for the whole of Sweden to function, so we are following it closely.

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Jessica Rodén (S)

Mr. Speaker! The Prime Minister said earlier this autumn that there is light on the horizon and that the fight against inflation has been won. He did so in connection with the government's statement and in the presentation of the budget bill.

Against that background, the government refrained from investing in families with children. There were no increases in the child allowance; instead, there were reductions in the housing allowance.

Today the news came that inflation amounted to 1.5 percent in October compared to 1.1 percent in September. At the same time, we see that unemployment is increasing.

We know who are hit hardest by this – it is the families with children and those who are most economically vulnerable. I therefore wonder when these vulnerable families with children will get to see the same bright horizon as the government.

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, Jessica Rodén, for a good question!

The government's line has been very clear. The fight against inflation has been the single most important measure to avoid continuing to dig large holes in the finances of households and companies, and also in the public finances. Now we have won the battle against inflation. We see the light at the horizon, and therefore we were given the opportunity to invest in a growth budget - to get the wheels rolling again and get the companies to grow, expand, and be able to hire more again.

It must become more profitable to work than not to work, and we must create conditions so that more people can work. It is also the single most important measure for a family with children in financial distress – that children see their parents go to work and that it pays to work.

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Ulf Lindholm (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Today we have over 360,000 registered at Arbetsförmedlingen, and the government stated early on that one can be forced to move to the locations where the jobs are. For those who are registered in an a-kassa, there is a possibility of sanctions, but the majority of the unemployed are not members of any a-kassa and are not covered by the regulatory framework. According to Arbetsförmedlingen, there is no basis for sanctions unless the applicant has broadened their geographical search area.

My question therefore goes to Minister for Employment Mats Persson: Are you prepared to investigate the issue so that Arbetsförmedlingen, similar to the unemployment insurance fund (a-kassan), can introduce sanctions against those who do not make an effort to apply for the jobs offered, even outside their own area?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Ulf Lindholm for an excellent question! The government's jobs policy is about the fact that we have high expectations of people. We set requirements; to set requirements is to care about people. We believe that all people can contribute to the Swedish labor market.

In this lies that one has many rights but also obligations. One such obligation is to do one's utmost to find a job, even if that job is in a different location than where one currently lives and works.

The government is now raising the requirements in all our welfare systems - it concerns the mandates of Arbetsförmedlingen and other authorities - to ensure that job seekers seek the jobs that are available to a greater extent and that we set higher requirements on people. This permeates the entire government's policy, based on the premise that our social contract is built on the idea that those who do not have a job shall do their utmost to get one.

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Katarina Luhr (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The year 2023 was a record year when it comes to evictions of children. In total, 674 children experienced during the year that their families or one of their parents were evicted. I do not yet know what the figure will be this year, but since 2018 we see an increasing trend in Sweden regarding child evictions.

When a child is evicted, the consequences can be that the child needs to leave their social environment, such as school, their friends and their evening activities, while the family may need to move around between temporary accommodations. Living under insecure housing conditions has a very negative impact on a child's life and often affects the child's health and schooling.

The government announced in January this year that it would move forward with a proposal for state rental guarantees for families with children, where it would make it mandatory for municipalities to offer rental guarantees for families with children. In September, new news arrived: No state rental guarantees will be allocated for families with children. My question to Minister Carlson is therefore whether any new proposal regarding rental guarantees for families with children will be forthcoming.

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Katarina Luhr, for a very important and pressing question! This makes, I believe, many members of Parliament here in the chamber engaged - so do I.

I can inform that the Enforcement Authority has a special mission to improve the work and reduce the number of evictions where children are involved. The social services also have great powers to, if one acts in time, contribute to avoiding that families with children are evicted; it is very important.

Regarding the specific question about rental guarantees, this is a proposal that the government continues to prepare and which I see as very important to prepare at a high pace. We have not given any indication that this will not be introduced, but it will continue to be prepared based on the proposals in the Karolina Skog investigation.

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Denis Begic (S)

Mr. Speaker! Today we have heard that if it is not the previous government's fault, it is the migrants' fault that things are going badly.

If one reads or takes hold of matters and things, one sees, for example, that the construction and real estate industry is incredibly critical of the budget bill. They demand support to manage the deep crisis in the sector and simultaneously point out that housing construction is at record low levels. Despite the need, especially among young low-income earners, too little is being built. Construction costs have skyrocketed, which makes it difficult for many to achieve the dream of their own home. This affects society as a whole. The opportunities to work, study, and create an equal society are deteriorating.

My question therefore goes to Minister Andreas Carlson: What concrete measures will the government take to reverse the negative trend, and how do we ensure that housing is built at prices that ordinary people can actually afford?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Firstly, we are allocating 1.53 billion SEK in the budget for housing policy development in the north. We are earmarking funds to lower the credit guarantee fees. To lower the price, we are working to shorten lead times, because time is money. We are simplifying and improving regulations. We are working very actively to make attractive land available in different parts of the country.

An important part when it comes to pricing is that price transparency needs to increase in the building materials chain. We have given a very clear mandate to the Competition Authority to review this and come up with proposals for measures regarding the system of hidden and sometimes retroactive discounts, which is very difficult to oversee for the individual and many times affects the end consumer, regardless of whether one is going to build a villa or is a tenant in a rental apartment.

The government is therefore working very actively and also meets with great appreciation for the direction we are pursuing.

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Daniel Persson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Anna Tenje. Livränta is for those who have injured themselves or become ill at work and therefore lost at least one fifteenth of their income during an entire year or longer. In recent years, significantly fewer have applied for this compensation, and more applications are rejected. The number of people who receive livränta has decreased by 80 percent over 20 years.

ISF looks closer at this matter in the report Requirement of duration in work injury pension, and one concludes that a large part of the explanation lies in unforeseen consequences of the sickness insurance reform 2008. For that reason, I want to ask: Does the Minister intend to review the work injury insurance?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, Daniel Persson, for a very good question! A well-functioning occupational injury insurance is a very important part of the work line and, together with other measures that prevent occupational injuries, contributes to people wanting to work and remain in the workforce.

That the number of persons who are recipients of life annuity has decreased during recent years has somewhat different explanations. There is an outflow from the insurance of persons who have been granted life annuity but instead have switched to old-age pension. According to the Occupational Injury Inquiry, the main reason for this is that fewer people apply for life annuity while the proportion of applications that lead to receiving life annuity has actually increased.

I have the investigation on the work injury insurance on my desk. It contains several complex proposals that need to be prepared. If you are more interested, I think you can stay in the chamber, as Isabell Mixter and I will debate this in an interpellation debate in just an hour.

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Lena Johansson (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Culture. Despite the fact that costs for the cultural sector are increasing and inflation is cutting into the cultural workers' budgets, the cultural support has not kept pace with the development. This threatens not only cultural life but also freedom of expression and the voluntary commitment, which is a foundation in our society.

In the latest government budget in this area, this has now also affected the Amateur Theatre Federation through staff cuts in an already small staff group, but also by having to shut down the only magazine for amateur theatre. In that case, the government's policy appears problematic.

My question is directed to the Minister for Culture: How does the government justify letting amateur culture wither away, and what does the Minister intend to do to ensure that this sector receives the resources required for the future?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! The economic situation that has prevailed in Sweden in recent years also affects culture. Culture is in no way exempt from it. High inflation over a long period and a recession are things that also hit the cultural institutions.

That is why the government has presented a budget where we increase the culture budget by over 230 million kronor and also contribute almost 9 billion kronor into the cultural cooperation model, which is the model where the state, the regions and the municipalities join forces to enable, for example, amateur theaters and other forms of art and culture in the country to continue to exist and function for access to culture in the whole country for all residents.

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Björn Tidland (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Housing and Infrastructure, Andreas Carlson.

The Älvsborg Bridge in Gothenburg is a well-known landmark and has become a symbol for the city with its mighty arch over the Göta älv. For almost 60 years, the bridge has functioned as a lifeline between the mainland and Hisingen. Between 2016 and 2023, the bridge was renovated, and among other things, joints between bridge segments were replaced. During this time, accessibility was limited, which resulted in queues that the people of Gothenburg patiently endured in the knowledge that the bridge actually needed to be renovated.

When the work was finished, it went wrong anyway. A section was damaged, which is why the speed is now reduced to 50 kilometers per hour, which means that queues still occur despite all the billions in renovation costs and all the years of queues and limited accessibility.

So I come to the question itself: How is the Minister working to ensure that Trafikverket ensures the quality of completed works, for example when it concerns the Älvsborgsbron in Gothenburg?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Björn Tidland, for the question! The Älvsborg Bridge is an important part of the transport infrastructure in Gothenburg and in Västra Götaland, and it is obviously of great importance to maintain it so that accessibility can be upheld. The member points out that the bridge is nearly 60 years old, which means that major renovations and maintenance work need to be carried out. This has been happening since several years back and will also continue during the coming years.

I understand that road users may find roadworks disruptive and that accessibility cannot be fully maintained at all times. But regarding the technical details concerning the execution of the works currently underway, I must refer to Trafikverket.

I would, however, like to use my remaining ten seconds to remind everyone, not just the member and not just when it concerns this specific item, to observe the speed limits that are in place during maintenance work, because it is a workplace for everyone working there. That is also what I want to have said on this issue.

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Åsa Karlsson (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Carlson.

The construction of the Norrbotniabanan has stood still for large parts for 23 months. The appeals regarding the Dåva-Skellefteå section reached the government's desk in November 2022 and took an entire year to handle. On 7 December 2023, the decision came from the government that the railway plan had gained legal force.

We have now witnessed that the government is delaying making a construction start decision for the section. It has been eleven months since the railway plan gained legal force, but we have no construction start notice. The current handling of the Norrbotniabanan is unusually slow, especially considering that the Minister for Infrastructure has expressed that the work on the railway should be intensified. The municipalities also need to receive a notice so that they can manage their part of the planning. It is unsustainable for the municipalities not to have a timetable to adhere to.

My question to the Minister is: When will the building permit for Dåva-Skellefteå be issued?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I understand the question and the commitment. I have encountered it in many places along the way and in the affected municipalities, with whom I appreciate a good dialogue. I cannot comment on whether just this process has been unusually slow, but it is of course a very important and pressing issue that we are processing in the Government Offices.

This is nothing that we are dragging out, but it is combined with a number of complicated trade-offs that need to be made. In the first stage, it concerns the administrative matter that the member points out in the first part of their question, in order to prepare for the construction start decision.

But we are working on the issue, and I hope to be able to return as soon as possible with a decision. But I have no decision in the question period today as to when a decision will be able to be made.

The question period was hereby concluded.

Question Time

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