Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

• Appointment of the newly-created post of Minister of State for Space Policy

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I would like to report about the appointment of a Minister of State. The Act on Partial Revision of the Act for Establishment of the Cabinet Office and Other Legislation, which was passed recently, entered into force today. Accordingly, a unit with a "control tower" function in regard to space policy and an implementation function for the measures to develop, improve, operate, etc. the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) will be established at the Cabinet Office. For this reason, among other factors, as of today, Minister Motohisa Furukawa will be asked to take on the post of Minister of State for Space Policy.

Q&As

• The handling of the cost of decontamination from the nuclear power station accident

(Abridged)

REPORTER: According to reports, the Government intends to bill Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) 1 trillion yen for the cost of decontamination from the nuclear power station accident. Is this what the Government is considering as of now?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: With regard to decontamination, after the Government taking budgetary measures, TEPCO will ultimately be billed pursuant to the Act on Special Measures concerning the Handling of Pollution by Radioactive Materials. Decontamination initiatives are now ongoing. We are in the budget execution phase, and the Ministry of the Environment is presently finalizing the reimbursement amount and schedule. In this sense, the situation is slightly different from what is being reported.