Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 49
1 A. No, but, for example, if you look at oesophageal
2 cancer, it says:
3
4 "Whilst alcohol and tobacco are of overwhelming importance
5 in the West" -- which is at the bottom of page 14 -- he
6 then goes on to say: "Poor nutrition is even seen to be
7 important in the developing world", and this is something
8 which in oesophageal cancer we see some of the widest
9 variations in incidence throughout the world.
10
11 Q. Right, but obviously other factors might get a mention but
12 this report in total is basically about diet and cancer not
13 about alcohol and smoking.
14
15 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I just be clear. This morning, you were
16 asked a question about alcohol and you said "diet overall"
17 and, rightly or wrongly, I assumed that to "diet" included
18 any alcohol which you ingested?
19 A. Indeed yes, my Lord.
20
21 Q. And that is what you had in mind when you made that answer?
22 A. Indeed, yes.
23
24 MS. STEEL: There is not a specific section about alcohol
25 consumption though; is there?
26
27 MR. MORRIS: I think it starts round about page 30, I am not
28 quite sure.
29
30 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
31
32 MR. MORRIS: It goes through the whole range of dietary
33 components which do not include alcohol. It seems that the
34 name referred to diet but they do not include alcohol.
35 A. No. I think ----
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That cannot be right because if one looks at
38 14?
39 A. If I may say ----
40
41 Q. It mentions alcohol.
42
43 MR. MORRIS: Sorry, which page?
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Bottom of page 14,.
46
47 MR. MORRIS: 14?
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
50 A. I think the majority of the discussion that takes place
51 later on concerns the factors where there is greatest
52 controversy. I think we would all accept that the position
53 regarding alcohol is fairly clear. Thus, the major part of
54 his discussion later on is to discuss those areas where
55 there is a lack of clarity.
56
57 MR. MORRIS: The page 14 mentions smoking. Smoking is not part
58 of diet, is it? The point is that this report, when it
59 starts looking at the dietary components which it is
60 concern with, which seems to be from page 30 onwards, goes
