news has asked all the ministries about committee work that has started after the Labor Party and the Center Party took over power in September 2021. The overview shows that 30 committees have been set up. The vast majority, almost a third of the committees, are set up by the Minister of Health and Welfare. Here is the list of the committees set up by the Ministry of Health and Care, Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap): 9 The Health Personnel Commission (1 February 2023) The Women’s Health Committee (by 8 March 2023) Set up under the previous government. The current government has adjusted the mandate and brought in new members. The hospital committee (committee to examine the health enterprise model) (27 March 2023) Expert committee for the GP scheme (15 April 2023) The consent committee (expert committee on consent competence) (15 June 2023) The quality and organization committee (expert committee for stronger thematic organization in mental healthcare) ( 15 September 2023) Abortion Committee (December 2023) Committee to evaluate the warning systems (1 April 2023) Dental Health Committee (June 2024) Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp): 5 Ministry of Finance, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp): 0 None new committees have been set up under sitting ministers. (Only one working group). Ministry of Labor and Inclusion, Marte Mjøs Pedersen (Ap): 1 The extremism commission was appointed June 2022. Ministry of Education, Tonje Brenna (Ap) and Ola Borten Moe (Sp): 1 Committee for reviewing the quality assessment system in schools. They submitted a partial report on 31 January 2023. Ministry of Children and Families, Kjersti Toppe (Sp): 2 The Child Protection Institutions Committee, which was appointed on 22 June 2022, the Expert Group for Children in Poor Families, which was appointed on 12 August 2022. Ministry of Defence, Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp): 0 Ministry of Local Government and District Affairs, Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp): 1 Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Sandra Borch (Sp), 0 Ministry of Climate and the Environment, Espen Barth Eide (Ap), 2 The Culture and Environment Act Committee was established by Kgl. res. of 22 June 2022. The Natural Risks Committee was appointed on the same date. Ministry of Culture and Equality, Anette Trettebergstuen (Ap), 2 Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, Jan Christian Vestre (Ap) and Bjørnar Selnes Skjæran (Ap): 4 Screening Committee Public committee for a comprehensive review of the permit system in the aquaculture industry Procurement Committee Destination Committee Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anniken Huitfeldt ( Ap) and Anne Beathe Tvinnerheim (Sp): 1 Ministry of Oil and Energy, Terje Aasland (Ap): 0 Ministry of Transport, Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap): 2 Now the government, and especially the health minister, is receiving criticism from the Frp. – I wouldn’t call it action, says Frp leader Sylvi Listhaug. CRITICAL: Leader of the Frp, Sylvi Listhaug, believes it is unusual to set up as many committees as the government does. She demands more action. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / Stian Lysberg Solum She believes that this government has been very eager to set up committees. – Sometimes it makes sense, but sometimes it is an expression of pushing things in front of you, instead of tackling the problems, says Listhaug. Reluctant to quit One of the committees Ingvild Kjerkol has set up concerns the GP crisis. She promised to clean it up when she became minister. – That was the most important thing she had to do. But after she came into government, the GP queues have grown. The number queuing has almost doubled, says Sylvi Listhaug. There are now 218,000 people who lack a GP. In Åsnes municipality in Innlandet, GP Martin Chapman is listed. GP SHORTAGE: Martin Chapman (72) is reluctant to quit his job because there is no one to take over his patients. Photo: Frode Meskau / news He is 72 years old, but does not think he can retire as long as there is no one to take over after him. He believes that new committees and investigations are a waste. – It doesn’t help anything. Because this has already been fully investigated. So I really only perceive this as a training ring that only creates even more uncertainty, says Chapman. – Time for action Party leader of the FRP, Sylvi Listhaug, believes that people see, and are annoyed by, that the government sets up committee after committee. At the same time, it took 10 months before the Minister of Health set up the GP committee. – It looks like an attempt to buy time, almost as if you are trying to train, because there are many tasks that should be solved quickly. We don’t need more committees, we need action, says Listhaug. COMMITTEE: The Minister of Health says they have many important tasks that must be thoroughly investigated and that it is therefore necessary to set up a committee. Photo: Henning Rønhovde / news Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol rejects the criticism. – I don’t set selections for fun. It is to bring about the necessary changes to the health service, so that both this generation and future generations get good health services when they need it, she says. She says they will present many cases to the Storting in 2023, and they must be well researched. Not reassured, Kjerkol thinks Listhaug’s criticism of the GP scheme is hollow. – We are now strengthening the GP scheme more in one year than the previous government did in eight years. It’s action, not talk, says Kjerkol. – Then we have set up an expert committee to look at the entire scheme, so that it is sustainable. The GP at the doctor’s office at Flisa in Åsnes is not reassured. They have unfilled positions and problems recruiting. He believes it is urgent to get a clarification on the situation. URGENT: GP in Åsnes, Martin Chapman, believes it is urgent to get clarification on how the GP scheme will work in the future. Photo: Frode Meskau / news
ttn-69