New state secretary in HOD

In today’s session of the Council of State the King has appointed Ms. Ellen Birgitte Pedersen (55), chief municipal medical officer, Øksnes, as state secretary to Minister of Health and Care Services Bjarne Håkon Hanssen. At the same time Ms. Annelene Svingen has been honourably discharged from the office as state secretary to Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad.

Ellen B. Pedersen comes from the post as chief municipal medical officer in Øksnes in the County of Nordland, and is also a lecturer at the University of Tromsø. She has from 2006 and until now been head of a regional coordination group for the primary health service, and has previously been on the boards of regional hospitals. Ms. Pedersen has represented the Socialist Left Party on the municipal council of Øksnes and the county council of Nordland. She has also been moderator of Nordland Socialist Left Party.

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.)
Mr. Per Johannessønn Jordal (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 Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk (Cent.)
Mr. Ola T. Heggem  (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 Labour and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen (Lab.)
Mr. Jan-Erik Støstad (Lab.)
Ms. Libe S. Rieber-Mohn (Lab.)
Ms. Laila Gustavsen (Lab.)
Mr. Raimo Valle (Lab.)

To Minister of Transport and Communications Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)
Mr. Erik Lahnstein (Cent.)
Ms. Hege Solbakken (Cent.)

To Minister of Health and Care Services Bjarne Håkon Hanssen (Lab.)
Ms. Rigmor Aasrud (Lab.)
Ms. Kari Henriksen (Lab.)
Mr. Dagfinn Sundsbø (Cent.)
Ms. Ellen B. Pedersen (Soc.)

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 Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad (Lab.)
Mr. Øyvind Slåke (Lab.)
Ms. Rikke Lind (Lab.) – leave of absence 7 January-1 August 2008
Mr. Arvid Libak (Lab.)

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

To Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen (Cent.)
Ms. Liv Monica Bargem Stubholt (Cent.)
Mr. Geir Pollestad (Cent.)

To Minister of Children and Equality Anniken Huitfeldt (Lab.)
Mr. Kjell Erik Øie (Lab.)

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.)