Day 256 - 04 Jun 96 - Page 29


     
     1        3.  That one bothers me, I must confess, because if we are
     2        going to make recommendations on the basis of what people
     3        might like to do, or might like to enjoy, then we are
     4        basically confounding and polluting the scientific
     5        interpretation, and if we are going to be true to the data,
     6        we should not, in fact, take that into consideration.
     7
     8        If we are charged with making recommendations to the public
     9        that it must take into consideration political and economic
    10        considerations, then we would raise that kind of question,
    11        but if we are going to be true to the data, and analyse it,
    12        then that question really I am concerned about it.  It
    13        tends to raise the spectre of one being biased and
    14        prejudiced in the beginning as they get involved in looking
    15        at these kind of questions.
    16
    17        I have been involved in several of these kinds of issues or
    18        debate on this on several previous occasions and I think
    19        this kind of question simply has no place, to be honest
    20        about it, in trying to formulate hypothesis, or formulate
    21        an interpretation.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  But that is not what he is talking about, is
    24        it?  He is talking about what sort of advice should be
    25        given, generally speaking?
    26        A.  Yes.
    27
    28   Q.   Does that debate what he is saying?  He is just accepting
    29        the reality that you are trying to achieve something and if
    30        you put forward advice which is never going to be accepted,
    31        you are not going to achieve anything?
    32        A.  Right.  I might just illustrate:  We actually were
    33        involved in that discussion.  That debate raised that
    34        question in fact in that green book that you have been
    35        there, the National Journal of Sciences, and we chose at
    36        the end to have a bit of a compromise on it and we did at
    37        that point in time decide that we reducing fat intake down
    38        to 30 per cent of calories was practical, was generally
    39        acceptable, at least at that point in time, although the
    40        data suggested actually that it should be lower than that.
    41        So we did take into consideration, at that time, what was
    42        practical and what was generally acceptable.  Since those
    43        days, I have taken a rather different stand because I think
    44        scientists need to look at that data impassionately (sic)
    45        and just simply look at it ----
    46
    47   Q.   I must say that I think we have gone off on a bit of a side
    48        line here.
    49
    50   MR. MORRIS: Yes.  It comes down to advice, yes. 
    51 
    52   MR. JUSTICE BELL: You know, I think you are in some difficulty. 
    53        If Professor Campbell can give me a useful comment to
    54        consider on Hill's report, well and good, but if he has not
    55        had time to read and digest it, I wonder whether that is a
    56        sensible consideration.
    57
    58        The overall conclusion is on the next page, Professor
    59        Campbell, the last complete long section there from "This
    60        analysis".

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