Day 106 - 23 Mar 95 - Page 04

     
     1        closely with the meat industry and groups of abattoirs.
     2        I spent a lot of time in abattoirs over the last two
     3        years.  Subsequently, also I am taking quite a keen
     4        interest in ill-health related to pesticide usage.
     5
     6   Q.   When you say "pesticide" is that relevant to pesticide
     7        residues?
     8        A.  Indeed so.
     9
    10   Q.   So you have worked quite extensively with the food
    11        industry?
    12        A.  Yes, the best part of 20 years.
    13
    14   Q.   You have read the section of the London Greenpeace Fact
    15        Sheet which is relevant to this issue?
    16        A.  Yes.
    17
    18   Q.   What is your opinion of the statement that meat is
    19        responsible for 70 per cent of all food poisoning incidents?
    20        A.  At the time it was written, with the knowledge
         available and in the terms written, it was not inaccurate.
    22        It reflected the understanding of the situation at the
    23        time.
    24
    25   Q.   Do you want to expand on that?
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Let us just see where we are going.  You do
    28        not have to put his statements or either of them in, but
    29        equally well you can do, it is up to you.  Equally well,
    30        you can ask him if he avers certain paragraphs of his
    31        statements and then ask him to elaborate, if you want him
    32        to.  I have read both of them carefully.  I read them again
    33        yesterday afternoon, having read them more than once
    34        before, but I will only obviously treat them as evidence in
    35        so far as they are averred by Mr. North.  So, it is a
    36        matter for you.
    37
    38        The reason I say that at this stage is you asked a very
    39        general question and Mr. North has obviously, as anyone
    40        does when they actually have to write a statement,
         I assume, given some care to the words he has used in the
    42        statement; whereas you are asking him, as it were, off the
    43        top of his head to deal with exactly the same topic
    44        verbally from the witness box.
    45
    46   MR. MORRIS:  Have you a copy of your statement?
    47        A.  Not in front of me, no.
    48
    49   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If you look in pale blue volume down in the
    50        very bottom left-hand column, volume 1B.  There is a 
    51        section E right at the back with the No. 1 behind it.  That 
    52        is your original. 
    53
    54   MR. MORRIS:  Put it in front of you.  The first one is one
    55        headed "Proof of Evidence"?
    56        A.  Yes.
    57
    58   Q.   The statistics in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6?
    59        A.  Yes.
    60