Day 050 - 10 Nov 94 - Page 23
1 some influence over dietary habits, would you say that that
2 is true?
3 A. No, that is not true. The Health of the Nation has not
4 identified advertising in the way that you describe it. It
5 has reported that there are different views on the
6 subject. A group of people, no doubt including you and
7 friends of yours, have expressed the view that that may be
8 so, but the Health of the Nation does not take a position
9 that says advertising does have that effect.
10
11 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, if Mr. Morris is going to contradict the
12 witness on this section, he must show him the passage,
13 I would submit, in the Health of the Nation which supports
14 what he (Mr Morris) is putting.
15
16 MR. MORRIS: I will not go deep into that subject, because
17 I think this is a nutritional -----
18
19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think it is. I think you have really moved
20 off Mr. Miles's area. It is so easy in this case, where
21 there is an element of cross-over, to find that one is just
22 going back to matters which have either
23 already -- Mr. Morris, if I am actually talking to you, it
24 is just as well to listen, and then I will give you time to
25 talk to Ms. Steel afterwards. All I am saying is that
26 everyone has to be wary in this case of straying off the
27 subject with which the particular witness is dealing.
28
29 MR. MORRIS: I did give the witness an opportunity to withdraw
30 the comment about difficult feeders.
31
32 MR. JUSTICE BELL: There we are. I think we have gone back into
33 nutrition.
34
35 MS. STEEL: Can I just ask: you said something along the lines
36 of -- we were on that area just now, but, also, in your
37 examination in-chief -- that you did not see a problem with
38 ads being lively, entertaining, amusing and warm, that were
39 directed at children?
40 A. Yes.
41
42 Q. If those advertisements were showing cigarettes or alcohol,
43 would you think that it was a problem for the ads to be
44 associating those kinds of products with those kinds of
45 emotions?
46 A. The Code specifically prohibits those products being
47 advertised to children.
48
49 Q. Yes, I realise that. But if the advertisements were not
50 prohibited, would you see a problem with cigarettes and
51 alcohol being associated with liveliness, fun, warmth, and
52 that kind of thing?
53 A. I have to say, that is such a hypothetical question
54 that I cannot answer it.
55
56 The reason why it is prohibited is because there is general
57 agreement in society that alcoholic drinks, for example,
58 should not be thrust at children. That is a subject on
59 which there is a large consensus in society; and,
60 certainly, I agree with that view. So I think your
