Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 76


     
     1   Q.   I asked you a question: "You have told Midland Meat
              Packers about it, have you?"  And you answered: "Yes, they
     2        are -- last week they saw some work that we were doing on
              it and they said, yes, they want to go ahead and take the
     3        equipment".  Question from me:  "Does it have commercial
              as well as animal welfare benefits, this new system?"  You
     4        told us this:  "That is a good question because I honestly
              do not think it does have.  From a commercial point of
     5        view, purely commercial point of view, they are spending a
              lot of money and I do not see what commercial benefits
     6        they are getting".
 
     7        Can I ask you this question, Dr. Gregory:  Does that new
              electrical stunning system for cattle have implications
     8        for animal welfare?
              A.  Yes, it does.
     9
         Q.   In what respects?
    10        A.  I consider that it decreases the errors which are
              intrinsic with the captive bolt gun, and that is, accuracy
    11        of aiming and inefficient shooting; so it is likely to
              produce an effective stun in a higher proportion of
    12        animals.
 
    13   Q.   Does it have any similarities with the one used in
              Australasia which you described to us earlier today?
    14        A.  It does.
 
    15   Q.   Remember you were given -- I have not got a copy, I am
              afraid, any longer -- a paper written by, I think the
    16        man's name was Alastair Mews?
              A.  Yes.
    17
         Q.   Do you remember? It was some kind of submission to the
    18        European Community, was it?
              A.  Yes.
    19
         Q.   Have you still got it there?
    20        A.  No.
 
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Was that the one you read during the break?
              A.  Yes.
    22
         MR. RAMPTON:  I only want you to answer this question.  Are you
    23        able to say what was the nature and purpose of that paper
              from looking at it?
    24        A.  Do you mean from the author's point of view?
 
    25   Q.   No. Can you tell what is the administrative structure into
              which that paper fits? 
    26        A.  Yes, I can.  That meeting was called to discuss the 
              commercial problems which are believed to be inherent in 
    27        electrically stunning poultry.  The industry had been very
              sensitive about increasing the current applied to chickens
    28        because they considered it caused increased quality
              problems.  That meeting was there to try and unify and
    29        debate the issue as to what the realities actually were,
              whether there is a problem or whether there is not.
    30
         Q.   Can you answer my second question:  Do you know

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