Day 102 - 13 Mar 95 - Page 60
1
2 Q. In the light of how the trial has gone in terms of your
3 evidence and the these matters, would you agree to
4 Mrs. Druce visiting Sun Valley to do an expert report?
5
6 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The first thing is whether you have any
7 authority to agree or not to agree yourself, quite apart
8 from any other consideration.
9 A. Yes. I mean I would be advising our company on such a
10 matter and we have already had a request for that visit and
11 we have already said no.
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13 MR. MORRIS: But in the light of what you now know ----
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15 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You must put to him something specific; be
16 more specific.
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18 MR. MORRIS: Well, is Sun Valley afraid of criticism about its
19 welfare practices?
20 A. We are not afraid to open our doors to anybody that we
21 feel is taking an objective view of the practices that are
22 observed. We are not prepared to take everybody and
23 anybody around if we believe that they have motives other
24 than just seeing the operation.
25
26 Q. But if people are motivated by concern for animals, that is
27 their primary concern, is that something that you would not
28 be prepared to subject your operation to that kind of
29 scrutiny?
30 A. I have already said that we will open our organisation
31 to anybody who has an open mind about what they want to
32 see, particularly if we feel that that person has something
33 to offer in terms of working practices. What we are not
34 prepared to do is open our organisation to anybody and
35 everybody from every organisation that one can think of.
36
37 Q. But we are talking about somebody who has already been
38 invited expressly to submit material to the Farm Animal
39 Welfare Council -----
40
41 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Anyone is entitled to say "I am not going to
42 let you through my front door". You are entitled to say,
43 "Is that because you have something to hide?" If you do
44 not like the answer you can question further about that,
45 but what you cannot do is argue the rights and wrongs of
46 it. It is only of relevance to me, if it is, because there
47 is something going on there that they do not want to see.
48
49 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, if Mr. Morris is not willing to ask
50 Dr. Pattison why he will not allow Mrs. Druce to visit
51 I certainly will in re-examination.
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I suggest that is for re-examination if you
54 want to take it up.
55
56 MR. RAMPTON: I certainly will.
57
58 MR. MORRIS: Are you prepared to reconsider that decision?
59 A. I am not prepared to reconsider it.
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