In today’s session of the Council of State, the King has resolved to divide the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs into the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs from 1 January 2002. All affairs that today belong to the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs shall be transferred to the new ministries. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs will cease to exist.

Due to this, the King has in today’s session of the Council of State resolved that Mr. Dagfinn Høybråten (now chief of health affairs in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs) shal be chief of the Ministry of Health from 1 January 2002, 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 the same point of time.

The King also appointed State Secretary Kristin Ravnanger as state secretary in the Ministry of health from 1 January 2002, and State Secretary Osmund Kaldheim as state secretary in the Ministry of Social Affairs from the same point of time.

The Office of the Prime Minister has from 1 January 2002 appointed Political Advisors Pål Christian Roland and Line Henriette Holten Hjemdal as political advisors in the Ministry of Health, and Political Advisor Jan Otto Risebrobakken as political advisor in the Ministry of Social Affairs from the same point of time. From 1 January 2002 the King has appointed Secretary General Anne Kari Lande Hasle as secretary general in the Ministry of health, and Director General Ellen Seip as secretary general in the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Ministry of Health
Central areas of responsibility for the Ministry of health will be those now handled by the Minister of Health in the ministry of Health and Social Affairs: health emergency preparedness, municipal health service (except nursing and care), dental health service, specialist health service, psychic health service, medical rehabilitation, medicament and retail pharmacy, public health, politics concerning genetic engineering and biotechnology, and food safety affairs. In addition come certain matters now handled by the Minister of Social Affairs, such as health efforts for alcohol and drug addicts.

The Ministry of Health shall also be responsible for the administration of directorates and institutes within its sector, as well as for owner’s control of the five regional health enterprises that from 1 January 2002 will be in charge of the country’s public hospitals.

The Ministry of Health will have six departments: department of administration, department of budget and economy, department of ownership, department of public health, department of health law and department of health services.

Ministry of Social Affairs
Central areas of responsibility for the Ministry of Social Affairs will be those now handled by the Minister of Social Affairs in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs: social security, social service, nursing and care service, politics related to alcohol and narcotics, efforts against alcohol and drug misuse, poverty issues, and politics related to the elderly and disabled persons.

The Ministry of Social Affairs shall be professionally and administratively responsible for directorates and institutions within its sector.

The Ministry of Social Affairs will have four departments: department on administration and budget, department of social affairs, department of nursing and care, and department of social security.

To the editor:
For further information we refer to the ministries involved.