Day 058 - 30 Nov 94 - Page 49


     
     1        herbicides and fertilizers were not being used in those
     2        days or in that case?
     3        A.  No, because the condition of the soils as in most cases
     4        in this country would not require it.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  We will have our five-minute break now.
     7
     8                            (Short Adjournment).
     9
    10   MR. MORRIS:  The RSPB, Royal Society for the Protection of
    11        Birds, are they a well-respected organisation in terms of
    12        concern over the forest environment for wildlife?
    13        A.  Yes, they are a well-respected body.
    14
    15   Q.   Are you aware that they produced a report in 1985 -- sorry,
    16        I am looking at it but I am not directly quoting from the
    17        Forestry and the Flows of Caithness and Southerland
    18        pamphlet by RSPB, one of Mr. Hopkins' references -- are you
    19        aware that they produced a report on the effect the flow
    20        country was having on the birds in that area?
    21        A.  I am not particularly aware of that specific report,
    22        but I do know that they had a considerable influence in the
    23        changing policy that took place in the Caithness area.
    24
    25   Q.   So you are aware that they were concerned -- hold on a
    26        second -- in fact are you aware that because of their
    27        concern for the effect on bird populations they were
    28        calling for the Secretary of State of Scotland to halt the
    29        further planting in the flow country at the end of the 80s,
    30        would that be a correct position?
    31        A.  They were calling for a conclusion to the planting
    32        programmes which had covered about 30 per cent of that peat
    33        land and at the end of 1980s the Forestry Commission,
    34        entirely agreeing with the approach that was being taken,
    35        agreed that a sufficient change had taken place and the
    36        work stopped.
    37
    38   Q.   If we go to your references again, it is A to J, volume 2,
    39        orange II, page 737, it is tab B page 737.  Have you got
    40        that, 737?
    41        A.  I have a piece of paper with a few dots on it.
    42
    43   Q.   We can barely make out an outline of Great Britain, yes,
    44        with the dots?
    45
    46   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is jolly difficult.  Now it is mentioned
    47        it is not  ----
    48        A.  My Lord, I do have an original document if that would
    49        be any help.
    50 
    51   MR. MORRIS:  It might help.  On page 740 we have an identical 
    52        map in terms of -- it is in the same document.  Would that, 
    53        effectively, be the same outline of the country that they
    54        are using?
    55        A.  It is indeed.  In point of fact, the only difference is
    56        that one of them includes the sawmills and other things
    57        than paper mills, and the one you are now referring us to
    58        is just the paper mill.
    59
    60   Q.   Would it be safe to assume on page 737 that there are no

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