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1 largest single academic research institution devoted to
2 social science. Our focus is on science and technology and
3 within that area, that broad territory, my specific
4 personal focus has been on the contribution that scientific
5 evidence and scientific expertise does or can make to the
6 policy making process. The particular area of scientific
7 evidence and policy making that I have focused on for much
8 of the last 20 years concerns food additives.
9
10 Q. Can you explain a bit more about how you acquired your
11 expertise in this field?
12 A. When I first approached this area in 1974 I was a
13 novice, but I read some material, initially an article in
14 the New York Review of books, which stimulated my interest,
15 and I approached at that time the Ministry of Agriculture,
16 Fisheries and Food the relevant section to try to find out
17 the extent to which the position in the UK was similar to
18 that in the USA, which had been described in the New York
19 Review.
20
21 I also contacted what was then the Food and Drink
22 Federation to discuss their position, rapidly came to the
23 conclusion that there was something worthy of further
24 investigation and immersed myself comprehensively in all
25 the published text I could find on this matter, initially
26 about the use of additives, about how policies are made.
27
28 Then I started to examine in detail the scientific evidence
29 on the basis of which policies are being made and tried to
30 investigate the ways in which those data were being
31 deployed and the contribution, or the failure to make a
32 contribution, to policy making. I have subsequently
33 participated in numerous conferences on this matter and
34 continued to read and write in this field.
35
36 Q. Right. Would it be correct to characterise you as the UK's
37 leading independent expert on food additive safety policy?
38 A. Yes, I think it would. I am not aware of any
39 individual in this country, other than people working in
40 government or industry or directly funded by industry, who
41 has devoted more time and has more knowledge about this
42 field than I do. I have chosen to make that my area of
43 expertise, yes.
44
45 Q. You have made a statement which we have talked about
46 earlier. Are you happy for that to be taken as read? Is
47 that OK?
48 A. I am indeed happy for that to be.
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I will take that as part of your evidence,
51 Dr. Millstone. In case we overlook it, the styrene facts
52 as well.
53
54 MS. STEEL: You are happy for that to be taken?
55 A. I am indeed, yes.
56
57 MR. MORRIS: Can I explain, to help the court, that we are not
58 going to do what we normally do, work through the statement
59 chronologically; so we may dodge about a little bit.
60