Norway's justice and emergency preparedness minister, Astri Aas-Hansen, asked the Storting on Wednesday for permission to give an oral briefing on PST, the Police Security Service, and her ministry's management of the service, according to VG and Aftenposten.
"Norway stands in the most serious security policy situation since World War II, which also affects PST," Aas-Hansen wrote in an email to NTB. "We have over time seen that the threat picture challenges PST's capacity to carry out its societal mission."
"Because we take this situation seriously, I have asked the Storting for permission to hold an oral briefing for the Storting about PST and the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness's management of PST," she wrote.
Aas-Hansen said she contributed to Riksrevisjonen's report on PST covering 2019 to 2024 being presented in a version without classified information. "Today's government and previous ministers have contributed to an open hearing, a closed hearing, and answered a number of questions beyond this. I will continue to contribute to the Storting being able to make informed decisions about PST," she said.
Riksrevisjonen wrote in December last year that it was strongly criticisable that PST had not received more resources to handle steadily growing tasks. The Storting later adopted strong criticism of the government. In the proposal for the state budget for 2027, the government will give PST 250 million kroner more.
Aas-Hansen says the government has also ensured better management, simpler rules and closer cooperation between the services.
What to do
- Official preparedness advice: DSB, sikkerhverdag.no.
- Emergency: 112 (police), 110 (fire), 113 (ambulance).