In today’s session of the Council of State the King has resolved that the reorganisation of ministries announced on 18 June 2004, shall take place as of today - Friday 1 October 2004.

The reorganisation implies the establishing of a Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, a Ministry of Health and Care Services and a Ministry of Modernisation. At the same time the Ministry of Agriculture has its name changed into the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Fisheries into the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration will be abolished as of today.

In line with the distribution of responsibility resolved by the Council of State on 18 June 2004, Mr. Dagfinn Høybråten takes over as chief of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Mr. Ansgar Gabrielsen as chief of the Ministry of Health and Care Services, and Mr. Morten Andreas Meyer as chief of the Ministry of Modernisation.

Ms. Ellen Seip has been appointed secretary general of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ms. Anne Kari Lande Hasle secretary general of the Ministry of Health and Care Services and Ms. Karin Moe Røisland secretary general of the Ministry of Modernisation.

Ministry of Labour ands Social Affairs (ASD)
The Ministry comprises parts of the former Ministry of Social Affairs, parts of the former Ministry of Labour and Government Administration and parts of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. The Ministry has the following departments: department of labour, department of working environment and safety, social insurance department, social policy department and department of administrative and financial affairs.

ASD is responsible for the following subordinate services: Aetat, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway, the National Institute of Occupational Health, the National Insurance Administration, the Pension Insurance for Seamen, the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, the Wine Monopoly, the National Insurance Court, the Chief State Mediator, the Labour Court of Norway and the Work Research Institute. Administrative responsibility for state ownership in the Work Research Institute will be transferred to the Ministry of Education and Research as of 1 January 2005.

ASD has responsibility also for areas within the Directorate for Health and Social Affairs. This concerns those sectors of social policies delegated from ASD to the Directorate. Also, ASD is responsible for certain tasks under the Norwegian Board of Health, as the Board has been given administrative authority for municipal decisions under the Social Services Act.

Ministry of Health and Care Services (HOD)
The Ministry comprises the former Ministry of Health and parts of the former Ministry of Social Affairs. The Ministry has the following departments: health department, department of social services, department of public health, department of medical law, department of ownership, administrative department and department of budget and economy.

HOD is responsible for the following subordinate services: regional health enterprises, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Norwegian System of Compensation to Patients, the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, the Norwegian Board of Health, the Norwegian Medicines Agency and the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority.

Ministry of Modernisation (MOD)
The Ministry comprises most of the former Ministry of Labour and Government Administration and parts of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Ministry has the following departments: administrative department, department of readjustment and personnel policy, department of government administration, department of public sector competition, department of IT policy, unit of economic analysis and negotiations staff.

MOD is responsible for the following subordinate services: the county governors, the Norwegian Competition Authority, the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, the Directorate of Public Construction and Property, Government Administration Services, the Data Inspectorate and Statskonsult.

The Ministry of Modernisation is liaison ministry for the Royal House and the Royal Court.

The name changes to Ministry of Agriculture and Food (LMD) and Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs (FKD) do not imply any change in the fields of responsibility of these ministries.