小泉環境相、一転「反省」　森、萩生田氏の地元優先も判明―対策本部欠席

　小泉進次郎環境相は１９日の衆院予算委員会で、全閣僚で構成する政府の新型コロナウイルス感染症対策本部会合を欠席したことに関し、「地元会合（優先）は問題という指摘は真摯（しんし）に受け止め、反省している」と述べた。与党からも批判が出ており、姿勢を一転させた形だ。森雅子法相、萩生田光一文部科学相も地元日程を理由に会合を欠席したことが判明した。
　立憲民主党の本多平直氏らへの答弁。小泉氏は謝罪要求には応じなかった。
　小泉氏が会合を欠席したのは日曜日の１６日。本多氏には、地元・横須賀市での後援会の新年会に出席したと説明した。１８日の質疑では政務官が代理出席したとして「危機管理上のルールにのっとった対応だ」とのみ繰り返していた。（2020/02/19-17:51）

Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a flip-flop on Wednesday showed regret at having skipped a government meeting on the new coronavirus outbreak in favor of attending a New Year party held by a group of his supporters in his hometown.
   "I sincerely accept the opinion that it was problematic for me to put priority on the local event, and I regret my action," he told a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament.
   Koizumi, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made the remark in response to questions from opposition lawmakers. But the minister rejected their demand that he apologize.
   On Sunday, the government held a meeting of its headquarters for dealing with the outbreak in Japan of the virus originating in China. Although all cabinet ministers are members of the task force, Koizumi was absent from the meeting while attending the party held the same day in his hometown, the city of Yokosuka in the eastern prefecture of Kanagawa. The city is also part of his Lower House constituency.
   At a meeting of the same Lower House committee on Tuesday, Koizumi defended his participation in the New Year party, saying that Parliamentary Vice Environment Minister Tetsuya Yagi attended the government meeting on his behalf and that this was "in accordance with the government's crisis management rules."