Day 091 - 17 Feb 95 - Page 47


     
     1        Defendants have no proper basis for this cross-examination
     2        because their own expert, what shall I say, refuses to
     3        support this line of cross-examination, in particular, in
     4        paragraph 13.
     5
     6   MR. MORRIS:  I do not know if Mr. Rampton has seen our other
     7        witnesses related to animal welfare and hygiene, but some
     8        do mention -----
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am not going to stop you at this stage.  It
    11        seems to me, quite apart from anything else, we have well
    12        and truly embarked on the topic and it may be that
    13        Ms. Steel has got to the end of the particular questions on
    14        it.
    15
    16        You yourself, Mr. Morris, a few days ago said that, on
    17        reflection, it might be better that you sought to make
    18        amendments.  The reluctance in seeking to do that was that
    19        we did not want to lose time over it.  I think it is
    20        probably important that we have in the pleadings any
    21        allegation which can immediately be related to something
    22        which is in the leaflet, which it might well be argued that
    23        this can in the light of what appears in the "What's your
    24        poison?" box in the leaflet.  I can see you are making a
    25        note of that.
    26
    27   MR. MORRIS:  Yes.  The trouble is pleadings are things that you
    28        have to think about quite carefully, you cannot just chuck
    29        them about.
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No,I am not asking you to do it here and now.
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS:  No.  I am saying generally it is something we are
    34        prepared to do.  We have indicated that we have not had the
    35        time.  We have had trouble drafting up the three or four
    36        I think on the outstanding judgment you are preparing.
    37
    38   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  We will have our five-minute break.
    39        Over that time you can think about whether there is
    40        anything further to be got from Dr. Pattison on this
    41        particular topic.
    42
    43                       (Short Adjournment)
    44
    45   MS. STEEL:  You mentioned about a parasite problem of
    46        coccidiosis, how often does that occur?
    47        A.  Coccidiosis parasites are present in all poultry
    48        farming units.
    49
    50   Q.   All broiler units? 
    51        A.  No, all poultry farming units and it is the normal 
    52        practice to feed a drug to prevent that parasite causing 
    53        any disease problems.  Coccidiosis is a very well
    54        recognised disease.  It has been found ever since poultry
    55        farming started.  It is a problem that occurs in broiler
    56        units and in free range units.
    57
    58   Q.   Was it a common problem in farmyard hens as well?
    59        A.  Yes, the disease has been recorded in farmyard hens and
    60        in the old days very often used to have to be treated.

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