Day 113 - 03 Apr 95 - Page 23

     
     1        this country.
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  So you are saying, in fact, if you had the
     4        electronic system it might result in more cattle being
     5        transported live further?
     6        A.  Yes.
     7
     8   Q.   Because, generally speaking, abattoirs go to markets in
     9        their general locality, is that the position?
    10        A.  That is the drift of it, yes.  There will be a wider
    11        catchment area and more transport, but there will be less
    12        going to market and, possibly, if the animals do not fetch
    13        the price, then they will be taken back again.  In
    14        transport, you always have to think of the loading and the
    15        unloading.
    16
    17   MR. MORRIS:  So, can you summarise what you have seen as the
    18        welfare concerns around markets?
    19        A.  Many of the markets are old-fashioned.  They have been
    20        built in the centres of towns so that access is difficult.
         There is a lot of noise.  The surfaces are not always good
    22        so animals slip down.  The noise of the steel barriers and
    23        so on, the bellowing and mixing of different animals, this
    24        causes disruption because the animals have what I would
    25        call, say, a pecking order when they are in a group -- in
    26        cattle it is actually called a bunt order -- so that all
    27        causes commotion and stress.
    28
    29        As I say, the FAWC, the Farm Animal Welfare Council, has
    30        made recommendations on the marketing that should be
    31        adopted.  Many of those have not been adopted so far.
    32        There are fewer animals now going through markets.  Not all
    33        beef animals go through markets, some are bought on
    34        contract.  A fieldsman goes to the herd to see the animals
    35        and makes an estimate, so that is an alternative compliment
    36        to the auctioning, electronic auctioning.
    37
    38        Also, if I could just finish, I might say that the Farm
    39        Animal Welfare Council which is relevant to the earlier
    40        questions has just initiated a study on the dairy cow, the
         welfare of the dairy cow, because of its misgivings over
    42        that.
    43
    44   Q.   Have you been invited to make a submission?
    45        A.  Yes, and I have.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  When you say you have been invited, were you
    48        actually invited by FAWC or did you choose to make a
    49        voluntary contribution?
    50        A.  No, I received a letter inviting -- for my 
    51        organisation, yes, with other organisations like the RSPCA, 
    52        the British Veterinary Association. 
    53
    54   Q.   So that was to VEGA, was it?
    55        A.  In the name of VEGA, yes.
    56
    57   MR. MORRIS:  It was yourself that prepared the submission?
    58        A.  Yes.  We are in very much agreement here.  If I could
    59        say, the RSPCA, the British Veterinary Association and
    60        ourselves say that if animals have to be slaughtered they