Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 41
1
2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is to me to decide. Dr. Arnott has
3 given his answer. I have just got to read the words off
4 the page and look at the body of the report as well and see
5 what I think 'may' means in a particular article. It is
6 clear to Dr. Arnott that 'may' does not connote a serious
7 risk, it connotes a possibility. Is that right?
8 A. That is correct, my Lord, yes.
9
10 Q. It means the possibility may in a particular case be a
11 serious risk but one has to look for some extra wording to
12 push one in that direction. Is that right?
13 A. That is correct, yes.
14
15 MR. MORRIS: So, for groups such as the World Health
16 Organisation study group on diet and chronic diseases are
17 they very careful about the wording they use then?
18 A. One would hope so.
19
20 Q. I mean, are they the sort of author -- we did bring this up
21 before, we do not want to go over it again, but if they use
22 words like 'may' or 'constitute a', or whatever, they would
23 be using those words very carefully?
24 A. I would hope so. I would believe so, yes.
25
26 Q. In making representations to governments all over the
27 world?
28 A. As I have said already, what they are trying to do is
29 to give basic, sensible advice to populations which, as you
30 say rightly, are throughout the world of varying degrees of
31 education and ability to understand. So that, you know,
32 these are recommendations which will be understood by these
33 different populations.
34
35 Q. Right. So, if they say "dietary factors are now known to
36 influence the development of a wide range of chronic
37 diseases, including various cancers, coronary heart disease
38 etcetera", they would be using those words very carefully?
39 A. Yes, but it depends what cancers they are talking
40 about. For example, there is a much clearer relationship
41 between certain aspects of our diet, such as alcohol intake
42 and, say, cancers of the mouth and the pharynx and the
43 oesophagus, than there is between diet and breast cancer,
44 for example.
45
46 Q. I think we have gone into the cancers?
47 A. You have chosen a generalised statement without
48 specifically relating it to what I believe are the cancers
49 that we are meant to be discussing, which are cancers of
50 the breast and the large bowel.
51
52 Q. The book goes into detail.
53
54 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If I may interrupt you, Dr. Arnott has given
55 much more detailed evidence about what he thinks. I do not
56 think it is much use asking him questions like the WHO is
57 ----
58
59 MR. MORRIS: He has given ----
60
