Netherlands

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The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Dutch: Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport; VWS) is the public health authority of the Netherlands. The current minister is Edith Schippers. She is aided by State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport (Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten-Hyllner).

Responsibilities [link]

The ministry is responsible for three policy areas:

• Public health and health care
• Welfare and social-cultural work
• Sports

Organisation [link]

The ministry is currently headed by two ministers and one state secretary. The ministry's main office is located in the centre of the Hague. The civil service is headed by a secretary general and a deputy secretary general, who head a system of three directorates general:

• Public Health, responsible for safety, prevention and sports
• Health Care, responsible for care, medicine and health insurances
• Youth and Welfare

The ministry is also responsible for several autonomous agencies, most prominently:

• Social and Cultural Planning Office
• Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment

History [link]

There had been a ministry of Social Work since 1952. In 1965 it was also given responsibility for Culture and Recreation and it was named Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Social Work. Between 1951 and 1973 there had been a Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Care. In 1973 a separate Ministry of Health and the Environment was formed. In 1982 these two ministries merged to form the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Sports.^[1] Responsibilities concerning the environment and nature management were given to the newly reorganized Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment and Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries. The ministry built a new headquarters in 2003 designed by architect Michael Graves. In 1996 the responsibility for culture was transferred to the newly reorganized Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.

Ministers [link]

The following politicians have been minister of Health since 1982:

• 2010-now Edith Schippers (VVD)
  • 2010-now Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten (CDA, state secretary)
• 2007-2010 Ab Klink (CDA)
• 2007-2010 Andre Rouvoet (CU, minister without portfolio for youth and family)
  • 2007-2010 Jet Bussemaker (PvdA, state secretary)
• 2002-2007 Hans Hoogervorst (VVD
• 2002 Eduard Bomhoff (LPF)
  • 2002-2006 Clémence Ross-van Dorp (CDA)
• 1994-2002 Els Borst (D66)
  • 1998-2002 Margo Vliegenthart (PvdA, state secretary)
  • 1994-1998 Erica Terpstra (VVD, state secretary)
• 1989-1994 Hedy d'Ancona (PvdA)
  • 1989-1994 Hans Simons (PvdA, state secretary)
• 1982-1989 Elco Brinkman (CDA)
  • 1986-1989 Dick Dees (VVD, state secretary)
  • 1982-1986 Joop van der Reijden (CDA, state secretary)

References [link]

1. ^ Neelen et al. De Bestuurlijke Kaart van Nederland, p.71

External links [link]

• Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport

v t e Government of the Netherlands   Structure and process Structure Government Monarch and the Ministers, including Ministers without Portfolio Council of Ministers Ministers, including Ministers without Portfolio, chaired by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and one or more Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Cabinet (list) Ministers, including Ministers without Portfolio and State Secretaries Formations 2003 2006/2007 2010 Process Demissionary cabinet Dutch cabinet formation   Current ministries General Affairs Interior and Kingdom Relations Foreign Affairs Finance Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation Security and Justice Defence Education, Culture and Science Infrastructure and the Environment Health, Welfare and Sport Social Affairs and Employment   Cabinets Schimmelpenninck De Kempenaer-Donker Curtius Thorbecke I Van Hall-Donker Curtius Van der Brugghen Rochussen Van Hall-Van Heemstra Van Zuylen van Nijevelt-Van Heemstra Thorbecke II Fransen van de Putte Van Zuylen van Nijevelt Van Bosse-Fock Thorbecke III De Vries-Fransen van de Putte Heemskerk-Van Lynden van Sandenburg Kappeyne van de Coppello Van Lynden van Sandenburg Heemskerk Azn. Mackay Van Tienhoven Röell Pierson Kuyper De Meester Heemskerk Cort van der Linden Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II Colijn I De Geer I Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III Colijn II Colijn III Colijn IV Colijn V De Geer II Gerbrandy I Gerbrandy II Gerbrandy III Schermerhorn-Drees Beel I Drees-Van Schaik Drees I Drees II Drees III Beel II De Quay Marijnen Cals Zijlstra De Jong Biesheuvel I Biesheuvel II Den Uyl Van Agt I Van Agt II Van Agt III Lubbers I Lubbers II Lubbers III Kok I Kok II Balkenende I Balkenende II Balkenende III Balkenende IV Rutte Portal:Politics