Day 065 - 09 Dec 94 - Page 63
1 MS. STEEL: She is trying to answer it but in the way she wants
2 to answer it.
3
4 MR. RAMPTON: I believe my question was entirely clear. I hope
5 it was fair.
6
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It seems to me it was -- I am not inferring
8 for a moment that Ms. Dibb is reluctant to answer it. All
9 I would like you to do is answer the question, then by all
10 means say what you want to say about the criticisms of
11 research in any event, because at the moment you are being
12 questioned about the purpose of mentioning commissioning or
13 funding?
14 A. Yes.
15
16 Q. I would be interested because, for instance, the MORI
17 survey was commissioned by the National Food Alliance.
18 I have not so far assumed that I should hold that against
19 the MORI survey and, therefore, I want to know whether I am
20 being asked to hold it against this other research.
21
22 MR. RAMPTON: I sometimes wish your Lordship would not ask all
23 my best questions!
24
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am trying to explain why it is important to
26 answer the question. By all means go ahead and give your
27 explanation.
28 A. Could you ask me the question?
29
30 MR. RAMPTON: The question is, are you suggesting by the fact
31 that you have volunteered that this piece of research had
32 been funded by, I think, the Advertising Association, are
33 you suggesting that that in itself is a reason why one
34 should be suspicious of its results?
35 A. I am afraid a simple "yes" or "no" does not suffice.
36 I am trying very hard to answer that question. I myself do
37 not fully know the answer to that question. I do know that
38 there are a number of serious flaws in this research; for
39 what reasons that may be or how they may have come about,
40 I cannot say. Nonetheless, I think it is relevant to bear
41 in mind and it is a question that is generally required to
42 be known is, who funded a particular piece of research?
43
44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Are you saying more than that if researchers
45 commissioned by a particular body that one should look at
46 it with a critical eye in the light of that, or are you
47 saying more than that?
48 A. Yes, I think I would.
49
50 MR. RAMPTON: Who paid for the MORI survey which you brought to
51 court?
52 A. When I said "agreeing to look at it in a critical
53 light" I think we have been looking at the MORI poll.
54
55 Q. I asked you who paid for it?
56 A. The national Food Alliance.
57
58 Q. That is a very good reason then to be suspicious of MORI's
59 motives in doing the research, is that right? It is
60 nonsense, is it not. MORI's reputation would be in
