Day 030 - 03 Oct 94 - Page 28
1 encourage people to take action to reduce the amount of
2 deaths from cancer by 15 per cent". It is a European
3 Union document.
4
5 Q. It says at the bottom, "This leaflet was produced by the
6 Cancer Education Co-ordinating Group of the United Kingdom
7 and the Republic of Ireland". What kind of status does
8 that group have?
9 A. About 35 cancer charities in this country have formed
10 together to form the CECG, Cancer Education Co-ordinating
11 Group. They are the body that is the formal liaison with
12 the European Union Europe against Cancer campaign, so the
13 CECG is one of the bodies that in this country would issue
14 recommendations with that status.
15
16 Q. Would you like to just take us through the
17 recommendations, only the relevant ones -- not smoking and
18 alcohol, but ones relevant to diet and cancer, just to
19 draw the court's attention to them?
20 A. Well, this photocopy is about 15th generation, but
21 I will have a go. I think the relevant one is No. 6.
22
23 MS. STEEL: We will hand a better copy up.
24
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have read (6) and underlined that already
26 with another witness. I have read (3): "Avoid being
27 overweight". But I have not underlined anything else. So
28 if there is anything else there which I should
29 particularly look at within this sphere, let me know.
30 A. Perhaps also, my Lord, I think fibre is referred to
31 from time to time in the context of this case, No. 7. But
32 you are right, of course, that it is (6) and (3) first and
33 then (7). Those are the relevant ones.
34
35 MR. MORRIS: So this is the position which you predict will be
36 the official position of the UK government next week; is
37 that correct?
38 A. That is wrongly phrased. It is certain that the
39 position, the European Union position, Europe against
40 Cancer position next week, will be the same as, or
41 relevantly similar to, the statement here, because this is
42 a previous statement that would not change. I do not know
43 when this was issued, not this year.
44
45 I think as far as the UK government is concerned, as
46 I have already said, the UK government bases its position,
47 as a matter of invariable policy, on reports produced by
48 the relevant COMA Committee or COMA panel, to be more
49 exact. As I say, the one on diet and cancer is now
50 sitting.
51
52 Q. Just out of interest, do you know when that is likely to
53 produce a conclusion?
54 A. 1996/97. Let me say also, it does not follow from the
55 fact there is a COMA Committee sitting on the subject that
56 the UK government would make no public statement whatever
57 on the subject. In the case of cardiovascular disease,
58 for instance, there have been successive COMA reports on
59 diet and cardiovascular disease going back to the mid
60 1970s, although it is true that this is the first one
