Change of state secretary

In today’s session of the Council of State the King has appointed Mr. Snorre Wikstrøm (35), study secretary, Oslo, as state secretary to Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg from 1 January 2008. At the same time Mr. Morten Wetland has been honourably discharged as of the same date. Wetland has been state secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister since 17 October 2005.

Snorre Wikstrøm comes from the post as study secretary and head of the political department at the Norwegian Labour Party. He has formerly been political advisor to the Labour Party’s parliamentary group, campaign secretary at Oslo Labour Party, project secretary at Hedmark County Municipality and political advisor at Oslo City Council. He has also been member of the board of Oslo Labour Party and member of the central board of the Labour Party’s youth movement. Wikstrøm, who grew up at Hamar, holds at Cand. Mag. degree from the University of Oslo 1995, in history, political science and sociology.

The Government represents the Labour Party (Lab.), the Socialist Left Party (Soc.) and the Centre Party (Cent.). The list of state secretaries now is as follows:

To Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)
Mr. Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen (Lab.)
Ms. Kjersti Markusson (Soc.)
Ms. Hege Solbakken (Cent.)
Mr. Svein Fjellheim (Lab.)
Mr. Torbjørn Giæver Eriksen (Lab.)
Ms. Rita Skjærvik (Lab.)
Ms. Hilde Singsaas (Lab.)
Mr. Snorre Wikstrøm (Lab.)

To Minister of Finance Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)
Mr. Roger Schjerva (Soc.)
Mr. Geir Axelsen (Lab.)
Mr. Ole Morten Geving (Cent.)
Mr. Roger Østlie Sandum (Soc.)
Ms. Henriette Westhrin (Soc.)

To Minister of Petroleum and Energy Åslaug Haga (Cent.)
Ms. Guri Størvold (Cent.)
Ms. Liv Monica Bargem Stubholt (Cent.)

To Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)
Mr. Raymond Johansen (Lab.)
Ms. Elisabeth Walaas (Lab.)

To Minister of Research and Higher Education Tora Aasland (Soc.)
Mr. Jens Revold (Soc.)

To Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa  (Cent.)
Mr. Dag-Henrik Sandbakken (Cent.)
Ms. Janne Sjelmo Nordås (Cent.)

To Minister of Defence Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)
Mr. Espen Barth Eide (Lab.)

To Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim (Soc.)
Ms. Henriette Westhrin (Soc.) – environment affairs
Mr. Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen (Soc.) – international development affairs

To Minister of Trade and Industry Dag Terje Andersen (Lab.)
Ms. Rikke Lind (Lab.) – leave of absence from early 2008, date to be decided.
Mr. Øyvind Slåke (Lab.)
Ms. Annelene Svingen – acting in Rikke Lind’s leave of absence.

To Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)
Mr. Steinulf Tungesvik (Cent.)
Mr. Erik Lahnstein (Cent.)

To Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Bjarne Håkon Hanssen (Lab.)
Mr. Jan-Erik Støstad (Lab.)
Ms. Libe S. Rieber-Mohn (Lab.)
Ms. Laila Gustavsen (Lab.)
Mr. Raimo Valle (Lab.)

To Minister of Children and Equality Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen (Lab.)
Mr. Kjell Erik Øie (Lab.)

To Minister of Justice and the Police Knut Storberget (Lab.)
Mr. Terje Moland Pedersen (Lab.)
Ms. Astri Aas-Hansen (Lab.) 

To Minister of Culture and Church Affairs Trond Giske (Lab.)
Mr. Halvard Ingebrigtsen (Lab.)
Mr. Wegard Harsvik (Lab.)

To Minister of Health and Care Services Sylvia Brustad (Lab.)
Ms. Rigmor Aasrud (Lab.)
Mr. Arvid Libak (Lab.)
Ms. Kari Henriksen (Lab.) 

To Minister of Government Administration and Reform Heidi Grande Røys (Soc.)
Ms. Wenche Lyngholm (Soc.)

To Minister of Agriculture and Food Terje Riis-Johansen (Cent.)
Mr. Ola T. Heggem (Cent.)

To Minister of Education Bård Vegard Solhjell (Soc.)
Ms. Lisbet Rugtvedt (Soc.) 

To Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Helga Pedersen (Lab.)
Mr. Vidar Ulriksen (Lab.)