Day 030 - 03 Oct 94 - Page 69
1 this country. We probably all understand that. The
2 epidemiological, the experimental and biological arguments
3 against fat are distinct from the arguments for fibre, but
4 they do overlap. To some extent the reports conclude, and
5 principal investigators conclude that to some extent it is
6 the obverse side of the same coin.
7
8 Q. It could be, could it not, answer "I do not know" if it be
9 the case, but could it not be that there is a distinct
10 role for vegetable fibre, plant fibre, polysaccharides, as
11 a protective agent in the prevention of cancer and no role
12 at all as a causative agent for fat?
13 A. That is not the view of any of the committees whose
14 reports I have read.
15
16 Q. What do you make of this book?
17 A. Well, that is the state of the art, not only as far as
18 nutritional science is concerned in this country, but
19 again to talk about the status of the report. The
20 important thing about COMA Reports, when they are accepted
21 by government, as that is, is that that is not merely a
22 scientific document. It takes the whole process a stage
23 further. That is a document not only published by the
24 government but endorsed by government. It is the
25 scientific foundation of the Health of the Nation
26 initiative.
27
28 Q. Let us leave the Minister of Health or the Secretary of
29 State for Health, whatever it is, on one side. This
30 document is written and has the stamp, therefore, of
31 approval of a large number of medical and nutritional
32 experts, does it not?
33 A. Indeed so, yes.
34
35 Q. Let us, if we may, leave government on one side. You are
36 very familiar with that?
37 A. Yes.
38
39 Q. Are you not?
40 A. Yes, indeed.
41
42 Q. You have to say "yes" not to be polite to me but because
43 you are recorded on the microphone in front of. Do you
44 have a copy of it in front of you?
45 A. No.
46
47 Q. Do you have a copy?
48 A. No, I have not.
49
50 Q. There used to be one up there for the use of witnesses.
51 Do you have a spare one? (Handed). State of the art.
52 Chapter 3 is about fat, page 39. On 49 we get the
53 particular panel's views about the relationship between
54 the consumption of fat and cancer, yes?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. Do you have that?
58 A. Yes.
59
60 Q. I think it is section 3.5, is it not? It deals with
