Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

JAPANESE

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

(Abridged)

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: Also, today, MEXT, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), and the Cabinet Office's Team in charge of Assisting the Lives of Victims around the Nuclear Power Plant have compiled immediate response guidelines for areas outside of Fukushima Prefecture which have radiation levels higher than the surrounding region, which have been distributed to you. The major points are as follows. (1) A guideline has been created to serve as a reference for municipalities and members of the private sector, etc. in measuring radiation levels. (2) MEXT has been designated as the point of contact if an area with radiation levels higher than its vicinity is discovered. The guidelines specify in what situations people should report to MEXT. (3) It was decided that in certain cases, MOE and the Team in charge of Assisting the Lives of Victims around the Nuclear Power Plant will be contacted by MEXT to work together with the municipalities to support the decontamination work. (4) By "immediate" response guidelines, we anticipate that in principle the guidelines will be in effect until the Act on Special Measures Concerning Handling of Radioactive Pollution fully enters into force on January 1, 2012. For details on materials 1-3, please direct your questions to MEXT. For details on material 4, please direct your questions to MOE and the Team in charge of Assisting the Lives of Victims around the Nuclear Power Plant.

And one final issue. On his recent visit to Fukushima Prefecture, the Prime Minister said that all of his meals prepared at the Prime Minister's Office will use rice from Fukushima Prefecture. As such, rice from Fukushima Prefecture was used starting from today's lunch. Fukushima Prefecture rice was used in the lunch served at the vice-ministerial talks of government ministries held today, which I ate as well.

Q&As

(Abridged)

REPORTER: In his press conference following the Cabinet meeting, Minister Edano stated that the Government is considering establishing a ministerial meeting to deliberate reform of electrical power generation. What is the current status of Government considerations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I hear that there has been a proposal for a ministerial meeting on the themes of electrical power generation, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and issues relating to immediate supply and demand. The aim is to hold such a meeting by the end of the month, but the schedule has not yet been decided. I believe that the first issues to be discussed will be those immediately relating to supply and demand, for the winter months and then for summer next year.

REPORTER: If the issues to be discussed in such a ministerial meeting will relate to seasonal supply and demand, I believe that this issue is also being discussed in the Energy and Environment Council. How will discussions be divided between this Council and the ministerial meeting?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: The Energy and Environment Council is tasked with the large theme of addressing particularly nuclear power generation by August next year. However, the ministerial meeting will probably discuss issues of power generation, TEPCO and supply and demand, which are more immediate and pressing issues, and will go into specifics concerning supply and demand in the winter months and in summer next year. Thus, I think that issues to be discussed are largely different.

(Abridged)