Day 109 - 28 Mar 95 - Page 18
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2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you have it right at the back? It is the
3 very last sheet in the bundle. If you do not have it,
4 someone will hand you a copy.
5 A. No, I do not think we do.
6
7 MR. MORRIS: We can hand one up (handed).
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9 MS. STEEL: This was faxed to us last week, but had you seen a
10 copy of this at the time?
11 A. Yes, we quoted it in a fact sheet some years ago. This
12 was, what is this dated -- 1992, yes.
13
14 Q. Is this something that accords with your views?
15 A. Yes. There is a quotation from Dr. Potter, who is now
16 the head of the Farm Animals Department, and he said:
17 "Chicken meat production goes on behind closed doors and
18 the public would be horrified if they could see the
19 conditions in which their Sunday roasts live".
20
21 Q. It says: "Dr. Potter said: 'Cost per pound is now lower
22 than many vegetables, but it is the birds who have paid the
23 price by suffering from forced, rapid growth rates'." Is
24 that something you would agree with as well?
25 A. Yes.
26
27 Q. Would you agree with the whole of what is written there?
28 A. Yes, I think it expresses our view of the broiler
29 system very clearly. Yes, I would.
30
31 Q. When Dr. Pattison was giving evidence, he said that the
32 RSPCA had produced a draft of the freedom food standards
33 for broilers. Have you seen that draft?
34 A. Yes, I have. I have been sent it for my comments.
35
36 Q. Would it be possible for a typical windowless broiler house
37 with a stocking density at or above that in the current
38 Codes of Practice to come under the freedom foods label as
39 set out in the current draft?
40 A. No, it would not because they are demanding not merely
41 windows but open sided sheds, not totally open sided, but a
42 longer length on either side must have netting; not windows
43 but open air, but with netting across to keep birds in and
44 predators out. So that is totally different from the
45 concept of the broiler system as we know it.
46
47 Q. Are there any other aspects in which the ----
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49 MR. RAMPTON: If Ms. Steel has a copy of this document, courtesy
50 of Mrs. Druce, then we ought to be shown it.
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52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is all very well, but Dr. Pattison, when
53 he came, was not asked and could have done and yet said
54 that they would be able to meet it. I really do not know
55 how far that is going to take me. I have to form my own
56 view of what is going on. I may pay attention ----
57
58 THE WITNESS: I do have it with me, but it is marked
59 "confidential".
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