The National Audit Office's report on the state's management of land encroachment
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the National Audit Office's report on the state's management of land encroachment. SD considers it important to have equal treatment between authorities and a similar valuation to show respect for landowners 1. SD argues that the authorities largely have a uniform and efficient management, but that some valuations lack equality 1. SD sees the need for a uniform system for how land encroachment and compensation are handled, as well as that the state's money is used effectively 1. SD suggests that legal costs be investigated to balance the power dynamics and that the authorities need a more coordinated way of working to achieve greater equality 1.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Roger Hedlund (SD)
Mr. Speaker! What is being discussed in the chamber today is the National Audit Office's report on the state's management of land encroachment. The National Audit Office has audited the government's and certain authorities' management of land encroachment. The report was submitted to the Riksdag and the government in November 2023, and the Auditor General presented the report to the Committee on Civil Affairs in January 2024.
Mr. Speaker! The review has included Svenska kraftnät, Naturvårdsverket, Trafikverket, Skogsstyrelsen and partially Lantmäteriet.
This report is important, and this review is important in the context that we are talking about land encroachment on private landowners and the importance of having respect for the landowners who are affected today and that we have a system that works safely and well.
It is important with equal treatment between the authorities, i.e., that the authorities work in a similar manner, which means equal treatment towards the landowners regardless of which authority is working on an issue regarding infringement on the landowner's land.
It is also important that one has a similar valuation those times when compensation is given for an encroachment in such a way that one has respect towards the landowners and that there is consistency between the decisions and predictability for the landowners regarding what a land encroachment would entail.
It is obviously far-reaching for private landowners to have an encroachment. Therefore, it is important that one has this respect fully when working with these issues. It is the case that society sometimes has a need to make land encroachments. In those cases, we need to look at society's needs but at the same time respect those who are affected by the fact that society has a greater need than the individual landowner and ensure that this is treated in a respectful manner.
Mr. Speaker! The Swedish National Audit Office's overall conclusion is that the authorities have, to a large extent, a uniform and effective management of the land encroachments. It feels reassuring to read the Swedish National Audit Office's report, where they have gone to the bottom of this, and see that it is the conclusion that exists. That makes me, as a Sverigedemokrat, feel secure in these issues.
There are a number of conclusions that the Swedish National Audit Office draws which we need to monitor in order to ensure further improvements in this area.
The conclusions in the National Audit Office's report include, among others, that property owners are treated differently between authorities, even though it is argued that, overall and to a large extent, a uniform and efficient management takes place. Certain types of valuations lack purposefulness and equivalence. There is, therefore, still a fair amount of work to do in this area. It is also unclear whether state resources are used in a cost-effective manner when handling different forms of land encroachment. We therefore need to continue to monitor these issues.
The Government has responded to the National Audit Office's report and stated that it will appoint a so-called "letter" investigator whose task is to review compensation for the surrender of land in connection with the expansion of the electricity grid. Just the expansion of the electricity grid is something that is currently topical and which will occur to a large extent. Therefore, it is important that one gets to the bottom of, above all, that part of the land encroachment. But we assume that the letter investigator's mandate includes a broad review to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, the matters that the National Audit Office raises in its report are rectified.
The Sweden Democrats see the need for a uniform system for the authorities on how land encroachment and compensation are handled. We see that need based on the report that the Swedish National Audit Office has submitted. We also see a need to follow up on the costs for and the reporting of the payment of compensation in relation to the goal of the operation: to ensure that the state's money is used in an efficient way.
Mr. Speaker! Since a review of this area was last conducted in 2005, the authorities have developed their processes and routines, primarily with the aim of treating property owners equally within each respective authority. Success has been achieved in that area, and it is clearly evident in the National Audit Office's report. Today, there are few property owners who object to the valuation that the state provides in the event of a land encroachment. It is also very few who sue the state or appeal compensation decisions. At the same time, one must keep in mind that the authorities often have a knowledge advantage and can act with the support of mandatory legislation. One should therefore not get too caught up in the fact that property owners today do not object to valuations, sue the state, or appeal the compensation decisions. However, we can still see it as that the changes made since 2005 have probably had a positive impact on precisely those areas.
In order to prevent the authorities from having the knowledge advantage that a larger authority has over individual landowners, one can look at how compensation for legal costs occurs to see if one can help the landowners through compensation for legal costs, but also to balance the power dynamics by not imposing fees in the same way. Use of the voluntary bonus could also facilitate the processes.
In most cases, it is considered clear which valuation methods are used in land encroachment. What is needed is to look at certain valuation methods and what they imply when the individual appraiser has greater room for interpretation when assessing individual cases. Not all valuation methods are entirely obvious and, to put it simply, cannot be put into an Excel document but rather lie at an individual level. Here, based on the National Audit Office's report, we mean that the authorities need to have a more coordinated way of working in order to be able to achieve greater equivalence even in these instances.
These are important starting points for the government's continued work to ensure that we get a good outcome in this issue, achieve an effect in the system, and create great - or greater - justice in cases of land encroachment. These are important considerations to make to ensure that the individual landowners feel respected and have the opportunity to influence in these instances.
The thoughts that we highlight in this discussion are important to keep in mind, as ownership is a crucial issue in society and so that everyone feels involved in the process.
Mr. Speaker! We continue to monitor the work in this matter. We also move for approval of the Sweden Democrats' reservation in the committee report.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.