Day 102 - 13 Mar 95 - Page 60


     
     1
     2   Q.   In the light of how the trial has gone in terms of your
     3        evidence and the these matters, would you agree to
     4        Mrs. Druce visiting Sun Valley to do an expert report?
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The first thing is whether you have any
     7        authority to agree or not to agree yourself, quite apart
     8        from any other consideration.
     9        A.  Yes. I mean I would be advising our company on such a
    10        matter and we have already had a request for that visit and
    11        we have already said no.
    12
    13   MR. MORRIS:  But in the light of what you now know ----
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You must put to him something specific; be
    16        more specific.
    17
    18   MR. MORRIS:  Well, is Sun Valley afraid of criticism about its
    19        welfare practices?
    20        A.  We are not afraid to open our doors to anybody that we
    21        feel is taking an objective view of the practices that are
    22        observed.  We are not prepared to take everybody and
    23        anybody around if we believe that they have motives other
    24        than just seeing the operation.
    25
    26   Q.   But if people are motivated by concern for animals, that is
    27        their primary concern, is that something that you would not
    28        be prepared to subject your operation to that kind of
    29        scrutiny?
    30        A.  I have already said that we will open our organisation
    31        to anybody who has an open mind about what they want to
    32        see, particularly if we feel that that person has something
    33        to offer in terms of working practices.  What we are not
    34        prepared to do is open our organisation to anybody and
    35        everybody from every organisation that one can think of.
    36
    37   Q.   But we are talking about somebody who has already been
    38        invited expressly to submit material to the Farm Animal
    39        Welfare Council -----
    40
    41   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Anyone is entitled to say "I am not going to
    42        let you through my front door".  You are entitled to say,
    43        "Is that because you have something to hide?"  If you do
    44        not like the answer you can question further about that,
    45        but what you cannot do is argue the rights and wrongs of
    46        it.  It is only of relevance to me, if it is, because there
    47        is something going on there that they do not want to see.
    48
    49   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, if Mr. Morris is not willing to ask
    50        Dr. Pattison why he will not allow Mrs. Druce to visit 
    51        I certainly will in re-examination. 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I suggest that is for re-examination if you
    54        want to take it up.
    55
    56   MR. RAMPTON:  I certainly will.
    57
    58   MR. MORRIS:  Are you prepared to reconsider that decision?
    59        A.  I am not prepared to reconsider it.
    60

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