Day 244 - 03 May 96 - Page 08

     
     1        Report on Preston and the Report on Oregon and Michigan.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  That is correct, dated 1983.  That is your
     4        signature, is it, Dr. North?
     5        A.  Indeed.
     6
     7   Q.   Do you stand by that statement?
     8        A.  Indeed.
     9
    10   Q.   Can I ask you a few questions relating to that.  You have
    11        referred to the Advisory Committee Report?
    12        A.  Yes.
    13
    14   Q.   I do not know where it has been put in the documents. It is
    15        the one that you may have.
    16
    17   MR. RAMPTON:  It has not been put anywhere.  It is referred to
    18        by Dr. North so I recently acquired a copy.
    19
    20   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You think I have got a copy, do you?.
    21
    22   MR. MORRIS:  I do not know if ----
    23
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Let me just see.  (Handed).  Do you have a
    25        copy now?
    26
    27   MR. MORRIS:  No, I do not.  That was a marked one, I think.
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think you had better have that back
    30        (Handed) but let us see how we go on.  I will just listen
    31        and if ----
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS:  I seem to vaguely recall that the Plaintiffs said
    34        that they would try to get some copies for the court.
    35
    36   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That may be, but all that is necessary is
    37        that I have in due course, sooner rather than later so
    38        I can remember that it was raised today, photocopies of any
    39        pages from it which you want me to see, or Mr. Rampton
    40        wants me to see, and then I will put them behind Dr.
         North's statement.
    42
    43   MR. MORRIS:  Yes.
    44
    45   MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you have a copy yourself, Dr. North?
    46        A.  Not with me, my Lord, no.  Mine is annotated.
    47
    48   MR. MORRIS:  The status of this report, is this an authoritative
    49        report?
    50        A.  Yes.  The report is the work of a Government Committee, 
    51        the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food, 
    52        which was established after the food scares in 1988/89 as 
    53        an authoritative committee to advise Government on public
    54        health issues relating to food.
    55
    56   Q.   Are they cases where they set up a Working Group
    57        specifically to look into E.Coli?
    58        A.  That is the normal way of working.  The Full Committee
    59        does not deliberate on specific issues; they set up working
    60        groups for that purpose.