Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary

JAPANESE

Q&As

REPORTER: Has there been any response from Chubu Electric Power Company regarding the request to halt operations at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have not received any communication from Chubu Electric Power at this time.

REPORTER: I believe that the Board of Directors of Chubu Electric Power is holding a meeting today. Do you expect a response from the company by the end of the day?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have heard no such communication to that effect.

REPORTER: Have Prime Minister Kan and the executives of Chubu Electric Power held any discussions or a meeting today?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have not heard anything to that effect.

REPORTER: Do you expect that a response will be forthcoming from Chubu Electric Power today?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The Prime Minister issued the request to Chubu Electric Power as it was ultimately a matter of public safety, and we would like Chubu Electric Power to come to an appropriate conclusion, preferably at an early juncture. However, as the meeting of the Board of Directors will need to engage in various considerations and preparations, while the Government expects a response as soon as possible, there is currently no need to set a specific deadline.

REPORTER: When a conclusion is reached will you be holding a press conference? If Chubu Electric Power accepts the Prime Minister's request, do you think it will be possible to hold a press conference?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I imagine that the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry will make a statement at that time.

REPORTER: Would you be able to hold a press conference to respond to our questions at that time?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I think that basically it would be best to hear the news from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

REPORTER: On a related note, regarding the issue of the restarting of the Genkai Nuclear Power Station in Saga Prefecture, which is currently stopped for a scheduled regular inspection, how does the Government intend to approach the restarting of such power stations that are currently out of operation for regular inspections?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Basically, the Government will confirm the content of the emergency safety measures in place and the status of implementation, and will consider each case, taking into account the views of the local community.

REPORTER: The Governor of Saga Prefecture has stated that he wishes to hear an explanation from the Government about why the emergency safety measures have been deemed to be "appropriate." Does the Government have any plans to provide an explanation on its perspectives on safety?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I have not received such a request from the Governor of Saga Prefecture, so I believe that the operator of the power station will have to provide an explanation about the safety measures that have been implemented and have thus received approval from the Government. I will consult with the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry concerning the ways in which the Government is directly involved.

REPORTER: Unless the Government provides an adequate explanation concerning the reasons behind the request to halt operations at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, the request will serve only to arouse further unease in local governments around the country where nuclear power stations are located. As there are increasing calls for such an explanation to be provided, does the Government intend to provide explanations to local governments where nuclear power stations are located?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Depending on the situation I think that the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry will have to provide further detailed reports and explanations, not only to local governments but also to the general public. In basic terms, the decision of the Government in this case was based on the overwhelmingly high possibility of a large earthquake striking the location of Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, which sets it apart from other nuclear power stations. I think that this fact must be thoroughly explained, not only to local governments concerned, but also to the general public.

REPORTER: I believe that a decision on the national policy on nuclear power will be made based on investigation into the recent accident. When do you expect to launch an investigative committee to examine the causes of the accident?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The Government wishes to launch such a body as quickly as possible and begin investigations. Preparations to that end have already begun.

REPORTER: The Prime Minister has stated in the Diet that such a body would be launched "in mid-May." Is that schedule still correct?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I think that it may be necessary to include a little leeway in the schedule for mid-May, but preparations are being advanced toward that goal.

REPORTER: I have a question on a different topic. In relation to the response to the disaster, I believe that under the stipulations of Article 105 of the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures it is possible to declare a state of disaster emergency. However, in the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake, no such declaration was made. Why was this declaration not made and was it at any time considered by the Cabinet or by the Prime Minister's Office?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The only effect of declaring a state of disaster emergency under the provisions of the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures is to enable the formulation of government ordinances at times when the Diet is in recess, or when the House of Representatives has been dissolved, and there is not sufficient time to convoke an extraordinary Diet session or call an emergency session of the House of Councillors. At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake as the Diet was in session, there would have been no legal effect in making such a declaration. That is the reason why no such declaration was made on this occasion.

REPORTER: On a related note, you have just stated that as the Diet was not in recess there was no need to declare a state of disaster emergency. However, it has been pointed out by some in the Diet that if it had been possible to make such a declaration it may have helped to facilitate the transportation of materials in the initial stages of the disaster response. What are your thoughts on the current regulations, separate from the issue of whether it is possible or not to declare a state of disaster emergency?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: At the very least, even based on the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures, it is not possible to issue government ordinances without due process. Therefore it would have made no difference whether the state of disaster emergency was in place or not.

REPORTER: Based on the lessons of the recent disaster, does the Government intend to amend the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures or implement other measures as part of countermeasures to prepare for a similar disaster in the future?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: In a broad sense the Government will have to engage in a thorough follow-up and examine whether there were any issues or matters that require improvement in terms of disaster response. Although I should not make any prejudgments concerning the outcome of such a follow-up review, I believe that rather than the issue of declaring a state of disaster emergency, what is more important is to examine and decide what preparations and operations can be implemented in advance. For example, in the case of gasoline in particular, I think that it is essential to come up with various scenarios for actual operations in response to a disaster, including by what routes gasoline will be supplied and what should be done if the gasoline stations themselves have been damaged and cannot be used.

REPORTER: I would like it if you could answer the first part of my question, regarding whether or not the Prime Minister's Office considered the declaration of a state of disaster emergency.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: It was given consideration, but it was immediately recognized that as the Diet was in session there would be no legal effect whatsoever in making such a declaration.

REPORTER: I have a question on the distribution of donations. Although we are approaching the two-month mark since the day of the great earthquake, reports indicate, for example, that of the 35 municipalities which qualify for donations in Miyagi Prefecture, donation requests of residents are being received in only 11, or less than one-third, of relevant municipalities. In other prefectures, too, there are reportedly some areas which have not yet begun receiving donation requests from residents. In Sendai City, one person was apparently told by a city employee that it was unclear when the donations will be distributed. It may be that the local governments' ability to respond is maxed out. What are your thoughts on this issue?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Including what you just noted, there are a variety of procedures and processes which are designed for municipalities to play a role. However, a great number of municipalities are struggling to provide comprehensive services because, for example, depending on the circumstances of the municipalities, local government offices themselves were damaged or the office staff themselves were caught up in the earthquake and many are missing or were killed. In response, the Government has provided direct support to such municipalities. Or with the cooperation of all the cities, towns, and villages in Japan, including the Japan Association of City Mayors, support has been provided by those cities, towns, and villages which did sustain damage, under the coordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Or prefectures have provided support to cities, towns, and villages, while the Government has provided matching support to the prefectures. Thus, various forms of support are being provided. However, there is indeed a difference as to what can be done by those who are in direct contact with individual residents and fully understand and recognize the situation of the community and other matters, and those providing support. Each municipality also has its own way of doing things. Even if we suddenly go and exert as much effort as the community members, it will take some time. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, the speed differs by municipality. We realize this is not something that is pleasant to hear for the residents of the aforementioned municipalities. In the process of evaluating the support mechanism, we will do our utmost to conduct further follow-up studies to minimize as much as possible the number of municipalities which are slow to respond.

REPORTER: I believe there were talks about whether or not to submit the draft Basic Act on Reconstruction as early as the beginning of next week. What is the outlook?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I understand that the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) will have the outcome of its talks with the various parties reflected in the not so distant future.

REPORTER: May I ask what will be the role of the opposition parties?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: It is the DPJ that has been discussing the relationship with opposition parties. I have told the DPJ that I would like the outcome to be approved by the Cabinet tomorrow if possible. Leaving aside the question of whether or not that will happen, bearing in mind my wishes, the party, beginning with DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada, is working on this.

REPORTER: One more question. When Minister of Defense Toshimi Kitazawa visited Okinawa, he said something like, "Although there is the issue of post-disaster reconstruction and so on, irrespective of that, I would like a clear budget set aside for the promotion of Okinawa's economy." As the Minister of State for Okinawa, what are your views on this?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I am in complete agreement. While of course I believe the earthquake will inevitably have various financial impacts, I would like thorough measures to be taken for the promotion of Okinawa's economy in light of the historical background. I particularly feel this way as the Minister of State for Okinawa.