Day 081 - 31 Jan 95 - Page 43


     
     1        look, or let me ask.  (To the witness):  Do you know of any
     2        guidelines as to chilling room temperatures or the time it
     3        should take to make a carcass reach a certain temperature?
     4        A.  I do not.  There may well be these figures but I do not
     5        know them offhand.
     6
     7   Q.   You cannot help us about that?
     8        A.  No.
     9
    10   MR. MORRIS:  Moving away from the floor plan, it has already
    11        been brought up that EEC licences for a slaughterhouse may
    12        be granted if there are problems in a slaughterhouse,
    13        hygiene problems or whatever, but they are going to be
    14        dealt with in the future, so there is a promise to deal
    15        with them, how does that affect someone like yourself who
    16        is an Environmental Health Inspector, or whatever, where a
    17        plant may be under licence but, in fact, may be having
    18        practices which are not hygienic at that time when you make
    19        a visit?
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I have to say I do not think that is an
    22        accurate summary.  I am not suggesting you intend it not to
    23        be, but we had some evidence to the effect that when the
    24        inspectors come around for renewal of the EC licence or
    25        approval, they might see something which they think ought
    26        to be done and that, rather than not granting the licence,
    27        they may ask for an undertaking that specified work is done
    28        within a period of time.
    29
    30        Mr. Walker, who dealt with this, went on to say something
    31        to the effect that:  "However, if it was a situation which
    32        was unsafe" -- I am not sure that is the word he used but
    33        to that effect -- "then that would be a reason for not
    34        accepting the undertaking or granting of a licence; it was
    35        a matter of judgment".  Are you familiar with that sort of
    36        practice?
    37        A.  That is normal practice, whether it be a food shop or
    38        any other premises, that the extent of the contraventions
    39        or the extent of the noncompliance is relevant to the
    40        action taken.  So, may be a verbal warning, a written
    41        warning of closure or a refusal of a licence; it would
    42        depend on the extent of the problems.
    43
    44   Q.   By the "extent of the problem" that takes into account the
    45        risk factor as judged by the inspector or an enforcement
    46        authority, does it?
    47        A.  Yes.
    48
    49   MR. MORRIS:  So if you make an inspection (and I do not quite
    50        exactly understand the role of the Environmental Health in 
    51        terms of slaughterhouses in general; obviously, you are not 
    52        in that position being in a university) do you actually 
    53        have the power to close a facility down if you feel, not
    54        you personally but an Environmental Health Inspector from a
    55        local authority, have the power to close a facility if they
    56        feel it is not hygienic, for example?
    57        A.  Slaughterhouses are licensed and the licence can be
    58        refused.
    59
    60   Q.   Licensed to the local authority?

Prev Next Index