Changes among the state secretaries

In today’s session of the Council of State the King has appointed Mr. Ketil Raknes (37), political adviser, Oslo, as state secretary to Minister of the Environment Bård Vegar Solhjell, and Ms. Ragnhild Setsaas (61), adviser, Trondheim, as state secretary to Minister of Education and Research Kristin Halvorsen from 7 May 2012.

At the same time Ms. Heidi Sørensen has been honourably discharged from her office as state secretary in the Ministry of the Environment, and Mr. Kyrre Lekve from his office as state secretary in the Ministry of Education and Research from 7 May.

Raknes will be new Socialist Left Party member of the state secretaries committee on communication, which is headed by the Prime Minister’s state secretary for press affairs, Mr. Hans Kristian Amundsen (Lab.). Centre Party member of the committee is Mr. Erlend Fuglum, state secretary in 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 of state secretaries is now as follows:

To Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Lab.)
Ms. Rita Skjærvik (Lab.)
Mr. Tor Brostigen (Soc.)
Mr. Dagfinn Sundsbø (Cent.)
Mr. Hans Kristian Amundsen (Lab.)
Mr. Svein Fjellheim (Lab.)
Mr. Snorre Wikstrøm (Lab.)
Ms. Inger-Anne Ravlum (Lab.)

To Minister of the Environment Bård Vegar Solhjell (Soc.)
Ms. Henriette Westhrin (Soc.)
Mr. Ketil Raknes (Soc.)

To Minister of Local Government and Regional Development
Liv Signe Navarsete (Cent.)
Ms. Hege Solbakken (Cent.) – leave of absence 16 January 2012-17 September 2012
Mr. Dag-Henrik Sandbakken (Cent.)
Ms. Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim (Cent.) – acting 16 January 2012
                                                                       - 17 September 2012
Mr. Erlend Fuglum (Cent.)

To Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre (Lab.)
Ms. Gry Larsen (Lab.)
Mr. Torgeir Larsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Justice and Emergency Planning Grete Faremo (Lab.)
Ms. Astri Aas-Hansen (Lab.)
Mr. Pål Lønseth (Lab.)
Mr. Eirik Øwre Thorshaug (Lab.) – leave of absence from 2 February 2012
Ms. Kristin Bergersen (Lab.) – acting from 2 February 2012

To Minister of Finance Sigbjørn Johnsen (Lab.)
Ms. Hilde Singsaas (Lab.)
Mr. Kjetil Lund (Lab.)
Mr. Roger Schjerva (Soc.)
Mr. Morten Søberg (Cent.)

To Minister of Trade and Industry Trond Giske (Lab.)
Ms. Rikke Lind (Lab.)
Mr. Halvard Ingebrigtsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Transport and Communications
Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa  (Cent.)
Mr. Lars Erik Bartnes (Cent.)
Mr. Erik Lahnstein (Cent.)

To Minister of Health and Care Services Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Lab.)
Ms. Ragnhild Mathisen (Lab.)
Mr. Robin Kåss (Lab.)

To Minister of Education and Research Kristin Halvorsen (Soc.)
Ms. Elisabet Dahle (Soc.)
Ms. Ragnhild Setsaas (Soc.)

To Minister of Culture Anniken Huitfeldt (Lab.)
Ms. Mina Gerhardsen (Lab.)

To Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk (Cent.)
Mr. Harald Oskar Buttedahl (Cent.)

To Minister of Government Administration, Reform
and Church Affairs Rigmor Aasrud (Lab.)
Mr. Raimo Valle (Lab.)
Ms. Tone-Helen Toften (Lab.)

To Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm (Lab.)
Mr. Jan-Erik Støstad (Lab.)
Ms. Gina Lund (Lab.)

To Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen (Lab.)
Ms. Kristine Gramstad (Lab.)

To Minister of Petroleum and Energy Ola Borten Moe (Cent.)
Ms. Eli Blakstad (Cent.)
Mr. Per Rune Henriksen (Lab.)

To Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide (Lab.)
Mr. Roger Ingebrigtsen (Lab.)

To Minister of International Development Heikki Holmås (Soc.)
Mr. Arvinn Gadgil (Soc.)

To Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion
Inga Marte Thorkildsen (Soc.)
Mr. Ahmad Ghanizadeh (Soc.)
Mr. Kjetil Andreas Ostling (Soc.)