In line with intended changes in the structure of government ministries presented at the shift of government on 19 October this year, the King has in today’s session of the Council of State established four new ministries as of 1 January 2002: the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The new ministries will succeed the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, which will cease to exist.

Due to these changes, the King has in today’s session of the Council of State resolved that Ms. Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (now chief of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and of church affairs in the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs) shall be chief of the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs from 1 January 2002; that Mr. Dagfinn Høybråten (now chief of health affairs in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs) shall be chief of the Ministry of Health from 1. January 2002, that Ms. Kristin Clemet (now chief of the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs – except church affairs) shall be chief of the Ministry of Education and Research, and that Ms. Ingjerd Schou (now chief of social affairs in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs) shall be chief of the Ministry of Social Affairs from 1 January 2002.

From 1 January 2002 State Secretaries Berit Øksnes Gjerløw and Yngve Johan Slettholm have been appointed as state secretaries in the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, State Secretary Kristin Ravnanger as state secretary in the Ministry of Health, State Secretaries Bjørn Haugstad and Helge Ole Bergesen as state secretaries in the Ministry of Education and Research, and State Secretary Osmund Kaldheim as state secretary in the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The Office of the Prime Minister has from 1 January 2002 appointed Political Advisor Gjermund Løyning as political advisor in the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, Political Advisors Pål Christian Roland and Line Henriette Holten Hjemdal as political advisors in the Ministry of Health, Political Advisor Elisabeth Aspaker as political advisor in the Ministry of Education and Research, and Political Advisor Jan Otto Risebrobakken as political advisor in the Ministry of Social Affairs.

From 1 January 2002 the King has in today’s session of the Council of State appointed Secretary General Trond Fevolden as secretary general in the Ministry of Education and Research, Secretary General Anne Kari Lande Hasle as secretary general in the Ministry of Health, Secretary General Helge Sønneland as secretary general in the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, and Director General Ellen Seip as secretary general in the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Certain transfers of responsibility between government ministries from 1 January 2002, were also resolved in today’s session of the Council of State. Among them, responsibility for ownership in state companies will be gathered in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

To the editor: For more information on today’s ministry changes, we refer to our separate press releases on the new ministries. From 1 January 2002 the list of Kjell Magne Bondevik’s second government is as follows:

Prime Minister:
Revd. Kjell Magne Bondevik (Chr.)

Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Mr. Jan Petersen (C)

Minister of Finance:
Mr. Per-Kristian Foss (C)

Minister of Culture and Church Affairs:
Ms. Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (Chr.)

Minister of Agriculture:
Mr. Lars Sponheim (Lib.)

Minister of Justice and the Police:
Mr. Odd Einar Dørum (Lib.)

Minister of Health:
Mr. Dagfinn Høybråten (Chr.)

Minister of International Development,
deputy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson (Chr.)

Minister of Petroleum and Energy:
Mr. Einar Steensnæs (Chr.)

Minister of Children and Family Affairs:
Ms. Laila Dåvøy (Chr.)

Minister of Education and Research:
Ms. Kristin Clemet (C)

Minister of Fisheries,
also repsonsible for the coordination of Nordic cooperation affairs:
Mr. Svein Ludvigsen (C)

Minister of Labour and Government Administration:
Mr. Victor Danielsen Norman (C)

Minister of Social Affairs:
Ms. Ingjerd Schou (C)

Minister of Trade and Industry:
Mr. Ansgar Gabrielsen (C)

Minister of Transport and Communications:
Ms. Torild Skogsholm (Lib.)

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development:
Ms. Erna Solberg (C)

Minister of Defence:
Ms. Kristin Krohn Devold (C)

Minister of the Environment:
Mr. Børge Brende (C)