Day 288 - 28 Oct 96 - Page 12
1 - their responsibility for what happens in the supply chain
2 in terms of welfare is the same as -----
3
4 MR JUSTICE BELL: I will wait, I think you are probably pushing
5 at an open door.
6
7 MR. RAMPTON: The door is absolutely wide open so far as that
8 is concerned. Always has been.
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I do not think there is any dispute about
11 it.
12
13 MS. STEEL: In actual fact, Mr. Rampton did say in opening
14 something about how they did not rear or slaughter any of
15 their products. That was something that they wrote to
16 Veggies as well when they demanded an apology from them.
17 They have tried to -----
18
19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Their case is that there was an element of
20 supervision. Do not worry.
21
22 MS. STEEL: I am glad they are finally accepting responsibility
23 for their supply chain.
24
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: As far as I am concerned they always have.
26 There we are. That is one thing you do not have to concern
27 yourself with.
28
29 MS. STEEL: Right. OK. Can I just say, with regards to the
30 point I was making just before last about McDonald's animal
31 welfare policy being to abide by the laws of the country in
32 which they operate. I just wanted to add that obviously we
33 are entitled to the view that the law does not go far
34 enough to protect the welfare of the animals that are
35 reared and slaughtered.
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
38
39 MS. STEEL: Indeed, we probably say it hardly protects them at
40 all.
41
42 MR JUSTICE BELL: You say it stops at a commercial barrier.
43
44 MS. STEEL: Yes. OK. Moving on in the fact sheet, the next
45 paragraph states, "We have the choice to eat meat or not.
46 The 450 million animals killed for food in Britain every
47 year have no choice at all." It is often said that after
48 visiting an abattoir people become nauseous at the thought
49 of eating flesh. How many of us would be prepared to work
50 in a slaughter house and kill the animals we eat? That was
51 a point that was touched on by Howard Lyman, the former
52 cattle rancher, in the part of the evidence I have just
53 read out. Also, I should add that I gave in evidence
54 myself that it was as a result of visiting slaughter houses
55 when I was studying agricultural science that I decided to
56 become a vegetarian. The paragraph is general commentary,
57 it is putting forward the alternatives to -----
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Actually, that paragraph does not fall
60 within the words complained of.
