The ruling Liberal Democratic Party plans to propose to other parties that a Diet rule be changed to reduce the amount of time that the prime minister and Cabinet members are required to attend Diet committee sessions. The LDP says that making them less bound to deliberation schedules will allow them more time to concentrate on their duties outside the Diet. But this proposal has the danger of diluting the quality of discussion in Diet deliberations. The LDP and other parties must consider ways to use their time efficiently while ensuring that high-quality question and answer sessions continue.
The LDP reportedly hopes to end the custom of the prime minister appearing in both chambers of the Diet to deliver a policy speech. Instead it would have the prime minister deliver a policy speech just once, and have senior vice ministers reply to questions from Diet members if the prime minister or Cabinet members cannot attend Diet deliberations.
The LDP's idea is apparently based on a September 2012 proposal by Japan Akademeia, a policy proposal body composed of four business executives, a labor leader and an academician.