Day 067 - 15 Dec 94 - Page 08

     
     1        specifications.
     2
     3   Q.   Right, so if a supplier is not meeting those
     4        specifications, you would still take them on if you thought
     5        that at some stage in the future they were going to make
     6        improvements?
     7        A.  Let me clarify one thing.  Our specifications in
     8        relation to the welfare of animals are based on the Humane
     9        Slaughter Act.  Those are guidelines, those are very
    10        subjective guidelines, and if you focus on any particular
    11        event you would reach the wrong conclusion.  We like to
    12        take the approach that we look at the total welfare of the
    13        animal.  That is very easy to estimate.  If an animal has
    14        no access to water he will obviously die -- we can only use
    15        that.  So, I do not know what -- maybe I do not understand
    16        your question but .....
    17
    18   Q.   The animals in Moscow, I think it was, the animals used in
    19        Moscow, were not given water or did not have water
    20        available while they were waiting for slaughter?
         A.  I was not there.  I have not seen the Russian
    22        operations, but if that is the case I cannot speculate on
    23        something that I have not seen.
    24
    25   Q.   You talked about it yesterday.
    26        A.  I talk based on the documents that were presented.
    27        I never said that I had been in Russia.  No, I did not, and
    28        the transcript will support that.
    29
    30   Q.   You recognised that they had filled out the form saying
    31        they did not provide water while the animals were waiting
    32        for slaughter.
    33
    34   MR. RAMPTON:  No, my Lord, he did not say that.  This is the
    35        trouble unless the witness is shown the document.  It may
    36        not make much difference but what the question was, in
    37        fact:  "Do animals have access to clean drinking water?"
    38        Answer:  "No".
    39
    40   MS. STEEL:   Is that a specification of the Humane Slaughter
         Act?
    42        A.  That comes from the guidelines from the Humane
    43        Slaughter Act.
    44
    45   Q.   I think you implied that you had incorporated the Humane
    46        Slaughter Act or its equivalent into your specifications?
    47        A.  Into the -- that is correct.
    48
    49   Q.   Right.  The supplier in Moscow is not providing clean
    50        drinking water for the animals waiting for slaughter, so is 
    51        that not in contravention of your specifications? 
    52        A.  Let me answer again.  Those are guidelines.  It is not 
    53        a violation of our specification if they deviate slightly
    54        from it.  To answer directly your question, no, it is not.
    55
    56   Q.   So all of those things that are on those charts, are they
    57        all just guidelines; they are not actual specifications?
    58        A.  May I ask you what is your definition of our
    59        specification, your understanding?
    60