Day 291 - 31 Oct 96 - Page 34
1 been given in public and there is absolutely no
2 justification in reading out from the transcript so that it
3 is given in public once again, that which has been given
4 already. And if I am put to arranging a schedule for you,
5 it will not allow you sufficient time to do that, I can
6 tell you that now. Because there is just no point in
7 reading out again evidence which has been given in public
8 already.
9
10 MS. STEEL: Well, when you are trying to provide a different
11 explanation or analysis of what that evidence is or
12 interpretation-----
13
14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Carry on with rearing and slaughter. I do
15 not accept that. If it was ever so, it is very much out of
16 the date now. It has not been hidden from public view.
17 All you are saying is, 'there was evidence in relation to
18 this', 'the inference we ask you to draw from that is
19 this'. Everything is in the public eye. The evidence has
20 been given in public, and your comment on it has been given
21 in public. But there is no justification whatsoever for
22 taking time on it again. Carry on with the rearing and
23 slaughter, please.
24
25 MR. MORRIS: I just wanted to refer to Mr. Kenny's evidence on
26 day 101. I forget his specific position, Quality Assurance
27 Department, or something. He was asked at page 30, "For
28 chickens in broiler houses having A4 sheets of paper each,
29 do you feel that is humane?" Answer, "In my opinion they
30 did not appear to be under any stress at that time. It is,
31 I think that -- is that what you mean by humane?" So
32 basically, he defends it as humane. If they were to
33 discontinue supplies if they were not complying with the
34 code of practice... But Sun Valley was not complying with
35 the code of practice(??). Something about, if it became a
36 law then they would have to comply with it. That was on
37 the following page, 31. I recommend reading pages 30 to 42
38 of Mr. Kenny's evidence on that day regarding the complete
39 and utter lack of monitoring and any effective policy on
40 animal welfare.
41
42 He concludes on page 31 -- it has not got a line number
43 actually. That is a bit weird.
44
45 MR JUSTICE BELL: The line numbers are not so important.
46
47 MR. MORRIS: It has disappeared off that day. Near the bottom,
48 "The spirit of the codes of practice on stocking density
49 is to prevent suffering. You are right, the spirit is to
50 prevent suffering. In my opinion, the birds in Sun Valley
51 do not suffer." If he is the person in charge of animal
52 welfare and he thinks that the chickens in Sun Valley do
53 not suffer that does not say much of the quality of his
54 evidence on this subject, especially when we compare it
55 with Mr. Walker who recognised that suffering is
56 inevitable. He concludes on page 32, in the middle of the
57 page, "The broiler house system is humane."
58
59 Then he is asked about battery cages. "Do you consider that
60 to be humane as well if they have less than A4 sheet of
