Day 067 - 15 Dec 94 - Page 45


     
     1   Q.   No.
     2        A.  I cannot speak for all the years that we have been in
     3        operations.  I can tell you personally I have not sent the
     4        Humane Slaughter Act to our suppliers in the US because I
     5        am under the assumption they already have it, and that is
     6        their responsibility.  We do have some discussion about
     7        it.  We do discuss the intent of the law -----
     8
     9   Q.   Have you sent it out to anyone else?
    10        A.  Mr. Morris, you continue to interrupt me.
    11
    12   Q.   Yes, I do want to stick to the point.
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If you try to keep your answers fairly short,
    15        there is less risk of that happening.
    16
    17   MR. MORRIS:  Have you ever sent it to anyone else apart from US
    18        suppliers?
    19        A.  No, I have not.
    20
    21   Q.   So all these people around the world who are, in your
    22        theory, meant to comply with the Humane Slaughter Act of
    23        the USA, how do they even know it exists and how do they
    24        know, if they do know it exists, what it says?
    25        A.  I thought I answered your question a while ago when you
    26        asked me the procedure that we go about approving a
    27        supplier.  When I talk about it, you can go back to the
    28        transcript.  I expressly said that we have plenty of
    29        discussions, that our suppliers or the new suppliers will
    30        visit some of the other suppliers.  A lot of our suppliers
    31        visit the US -----
    32
    33   Q.   Do you tell them that they must get a copy of the Humane
    34        Slaughter Act?
    35        A.  Sir, I must ask you to give me the courtesy of
    36        finishing my answer.  I give you the courtesy of asking me
    37        and not interrupting.  Would that be fair?
    38
    39   Q.   I will try but I am trying to ensure you ------
    40
    41   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am afraid you must try harder.  You have
    42        done pretty well so far.  When Ms. Dibb was giving some
    43        very long answers and some long pauses and when Mr. Rampton
    44        interrupted or, rather, spoke in one of them, that caused
    45        consternation and the same must apply to this witness.
    46
    47   MR. MORRIS:  I am sorry.  You carry on and add what you like.
    48
    49   MS. STEEL:  I do not know, to be fair, I think that Ms. Dibb was
    50        actually told to answer the questions directly on a number 
    51        of occasions. 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  Let him finish, Mr. Morris.
    54
    55   THE WITNESS:  When we had those discussions prior to the
    56        approval process, they come to the US, they spend time with
    57        our suppliers.  I have spent many days with those suppliers
    58        going over all of the regulations, going over all of our
    59        policies, and I have never ever approved a supplier to
    60        which I feel they do not have the capability of complying

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