Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have one announcement to make. Today the first meeting of the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Design Council was held, at which the Prime Minister requested Council Chair Makoto Iokibe to provide advice to the Government. This Council has been established as a consultative body to the Government and its findings are planned to be briefed to the Government by the Council Chair at a later date. The Government expects that the Reconstruction Design Council will engage in dedicated efforts to formulate proposals, which should be completed by the end of June. The Government will take the proposals issued by the Council and will promptly reflect them in the basic policy for reconstruction as part of the Government's concerted efforts to work towards reconstruction.

Q&As

REPORTER: I would like to ask a question about the content of the Reconstruction Design Council and the extent of its authority. In his press conference, the Prime Minister stated that the Reconstruction Design Council would also be asked to discuss the fiscal revenues that would be necessary for reconstruction. Does this mean that the Council will be discussing issues such as the cost of reconstruction and requesting the supplementary budgets for reconstruction?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The Council is a consultative body and the results of its deliberation will be announced at a later date in the form of an advisory document. Whether proposals concerning fiscal revenues will be included in that document is for the members of the Council to deliberate and decide.

REPORTER: I believe that the Government is considering giving the Reconstruction Design Council legal status. Will it be a body like the Council on Fiscal and Economic Policy that just gives advice and opinions to the Cabinet and in this case the Reconstruction Headquarters, or will it be a stronger deliberative body that submits proposals that have actual effect?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: How the Council will be described in legal terms is still being finalized. However, given the membership of the Council, including the participation of three governors from affected prefectures, I believe that separate from any legal wording about its status, the proposals that will be formulated by the Council will be extremely influential.

REPORTER: You have just said that the Council will formulate a proposal and submit the outcome to the Government. Is it the case that the ideas and directions for a framework for reconstruction outlined in this proposal by the Council will be of such substance that they will be used by the Government when proceeding with the formulation of the governmental reconstruction plan?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Yes, that is the case.

REPORTER: In a press conference today, President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Sadakazu Tanigaki stated that the time has now come for the Prime Minister to contemplate resignation, indicating that if the current structure continues, it will be to the detriment of the public. What are your views on these comments and if it is now the case that the opposition parties are calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister, what do you think are the realistic possibilities for cooperation in disaster reconstruction efforts that the Government is seeking to implement?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I think that it is only natural that there should be a variety of opinions in each political party. While taking these opinions on board, the Government intends to continue to fulfill its responsibilities. In addition, setting aside such political statements, it is actually the case that all parties are providing their cooperation in response to the disaster, and from the public perspective, I believe that we will continue to receive this cooperation.

REPORTER: I would like to ask for your confirmation concerning some reports that have been circulating concerning the sources of funding for the compensation to be paid by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO). These reports state that there is a fund held under a public-interest corporation that is paid into by each power company for the purpose of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel and other purposes, and that TEPCO is in negotiations with the Government to use the 1 trillion yen paid in by TEPCO as a source of funding for compensation. If you are aware of these reports, could you explain?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: First of all, with regard to the Government having entered into negotiations on this matter, at the very least, I have received no such report to this effect and the reports are therefore not based in fact. Also, the funds set aside for reprocessing and other expenses have already been paid in for the purposes of reprocessing spent fuel, meaning that they have been earmarked for such use. As there is already fuel that requires reprocessing, the funds must therefore be put to use for their primary purpose, so my understanding is that the funds set aside for reprocessing will not form a fundamental source of funding for any other use.

REPORTER: In the Cabinet Committee meeting of the House of Councilors this afternoon, you stated that the Cabinet Secretariat's "secret funds" are being used effectively from the perspective of disaster relief and assistance. What did you mean by this? Is part of the "secret funds" being provided for disaster reconstruction?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I did point out in the Cabinet Committee that as their name suggests, the Cabinet Secretariat "secret funds" are indeed secret and therefore are being allocated for purposes that by their very nature are difficult to announce immediately. However, with regard to improving transparency, it is my wish to decide on a policy where full understandings of the status of use of these funds as well as the results are ensured in maximum transparency. Within this process, though it is not possible to announce the precise uses of these funds, all I can say is that since the disaster occurred, these funds have been used effectively as part of the overall role of the Government to respond to the disaster.

There was one more item that I had to report to you today, regarding the restrictions on shipment of vegetables. Today the Government issued instructions to the governor of Tochigi Prefecture to lift the shipment restrictions on kakina produced in Tochigi Prefecture. For further details, please direct your questions to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

REPORTER: What is the total expenditure for "secret funds"?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The monthly expenditure will be reported each month as has always been standard procedure.

REPORTER: In the vicinity of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, there are concerns that the large amounts of debris may be contaminated with radioactive materials. In both the current Waste Disposal Act and the Act on the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors, there is no provision for situations in which waste materials outside a nuclear power plant are contaminated, and the relevant government ministries and agencies, including the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), have not yet reached a conclusion on the handling of such materials. What are your views on the handling of such debris?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: First of all, in the evacuation area in a 20km radius around the plant, the Government has been making efforts to respond to the situation to the extent that it is possible to do so. This includes assisting people who remain in the area and also security patrols and search missions for bodies, which members of the police service and Self-Defense Forces are carrying out after first having carried out safety measures, including the use of protective clothing. Every effort is being made to respond as quickly as possible to the situation, including the search for bodies and the gathering of various possessions, including photo albums. The debris that remains is not emitting radioactive materials, although there is a possibility that radioactive materials originating from the nuclear power plant are present in the debris. In order to thoroughly dispose of this debris, it will be first necessary to ensure that it is sufficiently safe to enter the area within the 20km radius. In the meantime, until it is safe to enter, various plans for the disposal of the debris will be considered and finalized.

REPORTER: This morning I asked about the Prime Minister's blog. Have you read the blog and asked the Prime Minister about the intentions of the content?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have read the blog. In the situation following the earthquake disaster and nuclear power plant accidents, it is the case that various information and data change significantly on a daily or even hourly basis. Naturally, some preparation is required for the blog to be issued and there is a possibility that in the interval between the blog being uploaded and the contents actually being read by recipients, the situation could have changed dramatically. My understanding is that the blog was put on hiatus due to the possibility of confusion being caused, particularly in the time immediately after the disaster when there was a high possibility of dynamic changes in the situation, which I think was a natural decision to make.

REPORTER: You stated in the recent Cabinet Committee meeting that the Government would like the assistance fund for people affected by the disaster to be implemented before Golden Week if possible. Would this implementation include the people affected by the nuclear power plant accidents as this fund is being organized by TEPCO? What is the status of coordination on this issue?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: In terms of a direct response by the Government, the actual work of distribution will be carried out with the cooperation of local governments, which will take care of the various formalities. The Government has therefore directed that every effort should be made to ensure that the assistance funds can actually be distributed to persons affected by the disaster prior to the Golden Week holiday. With regard to the people who have evacuated from the area around the nuclear power plant, TEPCO is the organization that is responsible for the provision of assistance funds. Strong instructions have also been given to TEPCO to distribute assistance funds prior to Golden Week, and the Government will also work to improve the process. Although it may be difficult to realize distribution of funds to all people prior to the Golden Week holiday, every effort will be made to ensure that funds reach as many people as possible.

REPORTER: Based on the law for the provision of disaster condolence money, I believe that condolence money for bereaved families and relief money will be provided. At the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, these funds were provided for in the supplementary budget. How will these funds be provided on this occasion?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The details of the supplementary budget are being finalized by the Ministry of Finance and other related government agencies and this process of inter-ministry coordination is not something that requires my involvement.