In today's session of the Council of State the King has made the following changes in the ministries, effective from 1 January 2006:

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry og Children and Family Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Research will be closed down. A ministry of labour and social inclusion, a ministry of children and equality and a new ministry of education and research will be established.

The Ministry of Health and Care Services will have alcohol and drug matters transferred from the present Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

The Ministry of Modernisation will be renamed as the Ministry of Government Administration and Reform.

Ministers in charge of the new ministries will be Mr. Bjarne Håkon Hanssen – the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, Ms. Karita Bekkemellem – the Ministry of Children and Equality and Mr. Øystein Djupedal – the Ministry of Education and Research.

Secretary general in the new ministries will be Ms. Ellen Seip in the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, Mr. Harald Nybøen in the Ministry of Children and Equality and Mr. Trond Fevolden in the Ministry of Education and Research.

The Ministry of Education and Research (KD) will consist of the entire present Ministry of Education and Research, and parts of the present Ministry of Children and Family Affairs (nursery school affairs).

The Ministry of Children and Equality (BLD) will consist of the remaining parts of the present Ministry of Children and Family Affairs.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion (AID) will consist of the present Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (except the section for alcohol and drug matters) and parts of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

The government represents the Labour Party (Lab.), the Socialist Left Party (Soc.) and the Centre Party (Cent.). The list now looks as follows:

Prime Minister:
Mr. Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)

Minister of Finance:
Ms. Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development:
Ms. Åslaug Marie Haga (Cent.)

Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)

Minister of Defence:
Ms. Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)

Minister of the Environment:
Ms. Helen Oddveig Bjørnøy (Soc.)

Minister of Petroleum and Energy:
Mr. Odd Roger Enoksen (Cent.)

Minister of Development Cooperation:
Mr. Erik Solheim (Soc.)

Minister of Trade and Industry:
Mr. Odd Eriksen (Lab.)

Minister of Transport and Communications:
Ms. Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)

Minister of Education and Research:
Mr. Øystein Kåre Djupedal (Soc.)

Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion:
Mr. Bjarne Håkon Hanssen (Lab.)

Minister of Justice and the Police:
Mr. Knut Storberget (Lab.)

Minister for Children and Equality:
Ms. Karita Bekkemellem (Lab.)

Minister of Culture and Church Affairs:
Mr. Trond Giske (Lab.)

Minister of Health and Care Services:
Ms. Sylvia Kristin Brustad (Lab.)

Minister for Renewal and Government Administration :
Ms. Heidi Grande Røys (Soc.)

Minister of Agriculture and Food:
Mr. Terje Riis-Johansen (Cent.)

Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs:
Ms. Helga Pedersen (Lab.)