In today’s session of the Council of State, the King has established the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Research from 1 January 2002. The Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs will cease to exist from the same point of time.

The reason for the change is that the political responsibility for Church of Norway affairs and for grants to other churches and religious communities, was shifted to the Minister of Cultural Affairs at the change of government on 19 October this year. All other affairs under the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs will from 1 January 2002 be transferred to the Ministry of Education and Research, while all affairs under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs will be transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs.

Due to this, 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, while 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 from 1 January 2002.

The King also appointed State Secretaries Berit Øksnes Gjerløw and Yngve Johan Slettholm as state secretaries in the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs from 1 January 2002, and State Secretaries Bjørn Haugstad and Helge Ole Bergesen as state secretaries in the Ministry of Education and Research from the same point of time.

The Office of the Prime Miniister has from 1 January 2002 appointed Political Advisor Gjermund Løyning as political advisor in the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, and Political Advisor Elisabeth Aspaker as political advisor in the Ministry of Education and Research. From the same point of time the King has appointed Secretary General Trond Fevolden as secretary general in the Ministry of Education and Research, and Secretary General Helge Sønneland as secretary general in the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs.

Ministry of Education and Research
Central areas of responsibility for the Ministry of Education and Research will be education politics, administration of public institution of higher education, public study financing, coordination of adult education, approval of – and grants to – private schools and colleges, and coordination of research politics.

The Ministry of Education and Research will have six departments: department of administration, department of analysis and international affairs, department of competence and working life, department of research, department of education, and department of universities and colleges.

Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs
Central areas of responsibility for the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs will be church affairs, foreign war graves in Norway and Norwegian war graves abroad, culture politics, media affairs, sports affairs and lotteries.

The Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs will have five departments: department of administration and economy, department of sports, department of church affairs, department of cultural affairs and department of media affairs.

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