Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA:I have an announcement to make concerning the appointment of Senior Vice Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and Special Advisors to the Prime Minister. In today's Cabinet meeting, these positions were approved by the Cabinet, as detailed in the distributed list, with the exception of one person, Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office Akutsu, who had been previously appointed in order to ensure that all possible measures could be taken for disaster prevention in response to Typhoon No. 12 (Talas). The investiture ceremony for Senior Vice Ministers will take place from 4:30pm today and the first meeting of Senior Vice Ministers is scheduled to take place from 7:10pm this evening. In addition, letters of appointment are scheduled to be presented to Parliamentary Secretaries from 8:00pm, with the first meeting of Parliamentary Secretaries is scheduled to start from 8:15pm. The letters of appointment for Special Advisors to the Prime Minister have just been presented to the people in question by the Prime Minister.

Next, I would like to report on personnel matters concerning the Minister for Reconstruction in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and others, which have been duly decided as detailed in the list that has been distributed to you. The position of the Head of Miyagi Prefecture Response Office is currently being decided and it is expected that the decision will be made in the next few days.

(Abridged)