長男への確認、明言避ける　菅首相、接待問題で―衆院予算委

　衆院予算委員会は５日午前、菅義偉首相と全閣僚が出席し、２０２１年度予算案に関する基本的質疑を続行した。首相は、総務省幹部に対して国家公務員倫理法抵触が疑われる接待を重ねていたとされる長男に事実関係の詳細を確認したか問われ、「私が内容に立ち入るべきではない」として明言を避けた。立憲民主党の森山浩行氏への答弁。
　この問題に関し、首相は長男と４日も電話で話したと明らかにした。ただ、事実関係の確認をしたかどうかという点については、勤務先の調査を受けた場合は事実に基づいて報告するよう改めて指示した、と説明するのにとどめた。
　総務省は長男の勤務先「東北新社」が手掛ける衛星放送事業の許認可権を持つ。接待を受けたとされる同省の秋本芳徳情報流通行政局長は、会食時に衛星放送に関する話題が出たかどうか「記憶はない」と答弁した。（2021/02/05-12:17）

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday declined to clarify whether he has asked his eldest son for further details about a case in which four senior communications ministry officials were wined and dined by the son in a way that may have violated the national civil service ethics law.
   "I should not go into details of the case," Suga told a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, in response to a question from a lawmaker of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
   Suga said he talked with the son over the phone about the issue on Thursday. He said that he again instructed the son to explain to his company about the issue based on the truth if so asked in an investigation by the firm.
   The ministry has authority to give licenses for satellite broadcasting, one of the business areas for Tokyo-based Tohokushinsha Film Corp., for which the son works.
   Yoshinori Akimoto, head of the ministry's Information and Communications Bureau and one of the four officials entertained by Suga's son, told the committee meeting that he does not remember whether he and the son talked about issues related to satellite broadcasting when they dined together.