Day 101 - 10 Mar 95 - Page 52


     
     1   MR. MORRIS:  Because animals suffer in transport, do they not?
     2        A.  There is additional stress in transport without a
     3        doubt.
     4
     5   Q.   If they die they are suffering, are they not?
     6        A.  There is a very small percentage of the birds that
     7        arrive dead after the transport and it is imperative to
     8        keep that down to an absolute minimum, but I do not know
     9        they are ever going to be able to eliminate that though.
    10
    11   Q.   Would it concern you if it was five times the rate of -- if
    12        Mr. Rampton would stop heckling me -- would it concern you
    13        if it was five times greater?
    14        A.  I know what the figure is for dead on arrival.  I think
    15        it is .2 per cent.
    16
    17   Q.   Whatever the figure is would it concern you if it was five
    18        times the rate of the death rate in the broiler shed, i.e.
    19        in a two-hour period?
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The comparison is that if you have chickens
    22        for two hours, for instance, and a lorry the death rate is
    23        five times greater than you have if you have chickens
    24        walking around in a unit.  Now whether or not the rate of
    25        death on the road concerns you or not, does the mere
    26        comparison between the amounts of deaths on a lorry and the
    27        amounts of death in the chicken house concern you over a
    28        given period of time?
    29        A.  Over a similar time period, it is to be expected
    30        because of the stress that is imparted.
    31
    32   Q.   It does not mean to say you should not be concerned -- if
    33        I can reduce it to absurdity -- if you said to someone, "Do
    34        you realise that the half minute it takes to cross the
    35        Strand is statistically more dangerous than the half minute
    36        sitting in this court", the answer would be "no".  That
    37        does not mean to say that one should not be concerned about
    38        the dangers of crossing the road; it is just that the
    39        comparison does not take one anywhere.
    40
    41   MR. MORRIS:  Well, except that lorry drivers and car drivers get
    42        prosecuted if they cause death.
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Go on to something else.
    45
    46   MR. MORRIS:  The actual figures I worked out are 20 times
    47        greater for transport in Broiler sheds.
    48
    49   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I do believe that if Mr. Morris has a
    50        case to put, it may be that birds should not be transported 
    51        at all; it may be that they should walk or that they should 
    52        fly.  But if he has a positive case and from the same world 
    53        to put about the conditions of transport to this witness,
    54        then let him do so.
    55
    56   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, put that to him.
    57
    58   MR. MORRIS:  I put to you that animals suffer in transport
    59        before they are killed in the slaughterhouse, birds?
    60        A.  Sorry, is that a question?

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