Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Q&As

REPORTER: In this morning's press conference, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuyama stated that consideration was being given to the revision of planned evacuation areas in view of radiation hotspots, including the possibility of evacuation advisories and assistance to residents, and a conclusion would be made at an early juncture. Has there been any change since and what is the current status of considerations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: This is not an issue that can be resolved in half a day. As I have said a few days ago, various intensive coordination efforts are underway, including detailed monitoring, assessment of the areas in question and consultation with local governments.

REPORTER: I asked the same question to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuyama this morning, but can you confirm that you are engaged in considerations with a view to letting the people who would be affected know as soon as possible?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: We seek to respond as soon as possible, in particular with regard to monitoring, and come to a decision on whether the residents of the areas in question will be required to evacuate or not.

REPORTER: Today, the House of Representatives Special Committee on Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake has effectively approved the Basic Act on Reconstruction. What are your thoughts on this development?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As I said in my responses to questions in the Diet, I welcome the fact that as a result of tireless and constructive discussions among the various parties it has been possible to create a better draft bill, which the Special Committee has duly approved. I would like to express my respect for the efforts of all the parties.

REPORTER: On a related note, you responded to the questions of the Special Committee concerning the inclusion into the Basic Act on Reconstruction of stipulations for the creation of the post of Minister for Reconstruction and a Reconstruction Agency. How do you think these arrangements will develop from now?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: With regard to the Reconstruction Agency, once a bill is formulated by the end of the year, the Diet will be requested to deliberate its content. The Government wants to request that further efforts and considerations be made at the working level concerning just how quickly this process can be moved forward. I think that a reasonable timeline would be to aim for the end of the year. With regard to the matter of a Minister for Reconstruction, personnel matters are the exclusive preserve of the Prime Minister and not something I should comment on. However, I believe that once the Basic Act on Reconstruction is passed, promulgated and enforced, a swift decision will be made.

REPORTER: In the deliberations of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Reconstruction, it was mentioned that once the bill is passed, probably in the middle of June, there is a desire to ensure that it will almost simultaneously be promulgated and the relevant structures also established. Can we understand that the Government is considering measures to ensure that, if the amendments to the Cabinet Act concerning an increase in the number of Cabinet ministers are not passed at the same time as the Act on Basic Reconstruction, it will still be possible to appoint a minister responsible for the disaster response, including the possibility of giving a minister a dual portfolio?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: If possible, we would like to see the amended Cabinet Act passed following the Act on Basic Reconstruction or at the same time. The amendments do not have to be exactly in line with the Government's proposals, but we would like to gain the understanding of all the parties concerning the posts of the Minister for Reconstruction in particular, and the Senior Vice Minister who works as Head of the Local Response Headquarters.

REPORTER: This is a similar question to the one I asked yesterday, but I believe that today Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Matsunaga met with the head of the Team in Charge of Responding to the Economic Impact caused by the Nuclear Power Station Incident. Could you tell us whether they discussed the draft bill for compensation concerning the nuclear incident and whether the outline of the bill has in fact been decided or not?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: This is something on which diligent work and preparations are being made, but I think you will find that the body with jurisdiction for the formulation of this legislation is not the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). It is, I believe, the Cabinet Office or the Cabinet Secretariat.

REPORTER: Yes, the Cabinet Secretariat. Well, today the share price of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has fallen to 148 yen and it is viewed that it will not be long before shares fall below 100 yen. There are concerns that due to the fact that no draft bill has been submitted following the finalization of the scheme for compensation, there may be a chance that the Government is considering changing course with regard to the scheme. Could you tell us whether work to compile the draft bill is proceeding based on the decided scheme, why it is taking time to complete, and whether this is due only to political reasons?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Diligent efforts are being made in the Cabinet Secretariat to compile the draft bill. This is a practical, working-level issue and when work is completed it will be submitted to the Diet for deliberation.

REPORTER: Are you aiming to submit the draft bill to the current session of the Diet?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Officials at the working level have been asked to complete compilation work on the draft bill as soon as possible.

REPORTER: Minister Kaieda indicated that the draft bill would be submitted to the current session of the Diet, even following the announcement on June 2 by the Prime Minister of his intention to resign. Is your understanding different to his?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: In his statement on June 2, the Prime Minister announced that once certain progress had been made with regard to the response to the nuclear incident and the disaster, he would pass on responsibility to the younger generation.

REPORTER: But putting that aside, Minister Kaieda indicated that the bill would be submitted "during the current Diet session", so does this mean that their viewpoints are at odds with each other?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: As I have stated before, the aim is to submit the bill as early as possible, and that of course includes the possibility of submitting it during the current Diet session.

REPORTER: This is similar to a previous question, but with regard to the localized areas of Minamisoma and Date cities where high levels of radiation have been detected, Chairman Madarame of the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) has recently stated that the current monitoring data is based on information gathered at individual points and that it is necessary to gather data from wider areas. He has also indicated that it is also necessary to look at the environmental conditions of these areas, including whether they are inhabited or not. You have just mentioned "monitoring" yourself and I wonder if we can take that to mean that the premise for this operation is not additional evacuations but rather increased monitoring points as a first step?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: Naturally we will be engaging in a detailed study over a wide area, including considerations of whether people live in the vicinity or whether the locations in question are where people gathered or stay for extended periods. If these studies show that there are even minor concerns about a negative impact on health, we will naturally engage in consultations concerning evacuation. Efforts are already being advanced to engage in monitoring over a wide area rather than specific points and to examine the local circumstances in terms of where people live and other matters. On the basis of those efforts, a response will be made.

REPORTER: In a number of press reports this morning, it was suggested that Minister of Finance Yoshihiko Noda will be a key candidate in the election of the next leader of the party. What is your evaluation of Minister Noda, regardless of his intentions to run in a leadership contest?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: There are a number of press reports on this issue but I think that it is too early to make such a big issue of the situation. My name has also been mentioned in the reports in question, and for my part, I have heard absolutely no specific talk concerning this matter. With regard to your question about Minister Noda, considering the situation objectively and in view of the fact that there is a possibility any comments I make could be misconstrued, I would like to refrain from comment.

REPORTER: In a Diet Committee meeting this morning, the Prime Minister stated that work is progressing towards the goal of removing debris from the living environment by mid August, which sounded as if he was suggesting that his resignation could also be in August. What was the intent of this comment by the Prime Minister?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: The members of the press are adept at finding profound meaning in each and every word, but it is my understanding that the Prime Minister's intentions are as he stated them during the party meeting of DPJ legislators last week.

REPORTER: In the discussions in the recent House of Representatives Special Committee on Reconstruction, both you and the Finance Minister stated that consideration is being given to special accounts for response to the disaster. Is the current status of considerations a neutral one, or does the Government envisage that special accounts will be necessary?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: In discussions among the three parties, one of the conclusions was that there must be clarity and transparency about the fiscal resources for reconstruction and how they will be utilized. This is one point on which the three parties agreed. The Cabinet is also in full agreement with this opinion. As a means of ensuring clarity and transparency, we will be considering the most effective and functional methods, based on the opinions of the three parties, in order to ensure that there is no impediment to the overall process.

REPORTER: Returning to the issue of the draft bill relating to compensation, there are voices within the administration that are urging caution as the bill could be seen as a "lifeline for TEPCO." Could it be that the current political situation, in which the driving force of the Kan Administration is currently weakening due to speculation about the next Prime Minister, is actually hampering the submission of the draft bill?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: It is the case that temporary payments of compensation to the people affected by the nuclear incident at a TEPCO power station must be advanced as soon as possible. Accordingly, it is essential to create a structure to ensure financial support for compensation payments, because if a structure is not completed quickly it could cause a delay in the provision of temporary compensation payments to the affected people. Given this situation, I do not think that the internal political discussions in Nagatacho would be prioritized over such compensation measures.