Day 061 - 05 Dec 94 - Page 55
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2 MS. STEEL: It does not make any difference if you read on.
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4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you are asked to read on read on anyway.
5 It is a convention that if you are asked to read on you do,
6 and then we can see whether it make any difference.
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8 MS. STEEL: "They had seriously considered getting a ventral
9 neck cutter. They have subsequently introduced on. It
10 takes time to -- ventral neck cutters are not used. You
11 have to get one specially; they are not available. So they
12 have got a ventral neck cutter now." But that was quite
13 some time; there two visits that he made and both times the
14 company was not complying with the codes of practice. Does
15 that concern you?
16 A. Yes, that would concern me and I think the company have
17 responded now by putting in the appropriate equipment.
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19 Q. Was that after you put pressure on them?
20 A. Barbara Crawford put some pressure on.
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22 Q. About that particular?
23 A. About that particular piece of equipment.
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25 Q. How long do you put up with suppliers transgressing the
26 codes of practice before you actually enforce this policy
27 of refusing to accept suppliers from such companies?
28 A. I said to you it is not a matter of how long do you put
29 up with something. If it were to go on on a continuous
30 basis, we would certainly discontinue purchasing from the
31 supplier. On this occasion Dr. Gregory identified problems
32 on two occasions and it has been put right. I would not
33 call that continuous.
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35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Shall we have a five-minute break now?
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37 MS. STEEL: I have a couple of other things about the codes of
38 practice I have found, so maybe I will ask them and then we
39 can have the break. Mr. Gregory was being asked the
40 stunning of pigs on page 55: You mention in your statement
41 that you could not see any backup gun at the stunning pen.
42 That is right, is it not?" He says: "In plant B?" "Yes.
43 So that means it would not have been readily available?"
44 He said: "That is likely." Question: "That is something
45 that is contrary to the codes of practice?" He said: "That
46 is correct", because if there is a problem with stunning
47 and you cannot reload, then you cannot do an immediate stun
48 after. Is that something McDonald's has investigated, this
49 breach of the code of practice here?
50 A. No, it is not something I was aware of. Certainly had
51 it been so on a continuous basis then I would have been
52 aware, but I do not think it is.
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54 Q. Well, how you would be aware of it?
55 A. We are talking of one-off occasions only here.
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57 Q. How do you know it is a one-off occasion? You are making
58 these assertions, but you do not know that, do you?
59 A. Because I explained to you the supplier would send
60 their representatives to the abattoirs. They go there very
