Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 27


     
     1        what?
     2        A.  What they do is that they produce a response document
     3        which is picking up the items that are mentioned as
     4        recommendations, or whatever, in this FAWC report.  They
     5        will say whether they propose to introduce legislation,
     6        whether they propose to recommend extra research or whether
     7        they propose to include in a code of practice, depending on
     8        the type of item that they are talking about.
     9
    10        A good example in the past that has happened as a result of
    11        FAWC recommendation has been the banning of the use of the
    12        veal crate system in the UK.  We have heard a lot about
    13        this system recently, so most people are familiar with it.
    14        It was regarded by FAWC as an unacceptable farming practice
    15        and this ended up with a recommendation to government which
    16        was accepted that the crate system would be abolished.
    17
    18   Q.   Pause there.  What, if anything, has come out of this April
    19        1992 Report?
    20        A.  One of the recommendations in this report is that the
    21        industry should do further work on leg problems.  With that
    22        in mind, the industry has now sponsored a research and
    23        surveillance project which involves a number of different
    24        companies collating data on leg problems.  So this is an
    25        example where the government have gone to the industry and
    26        they have asked them to do further work as a result of this
    27        report.
    28
    29   Q.   But have they done anything with regard to stocking
    30        densities?
    31        A.  No, they have not.  There has been no -- this 34 kilos
    32        per square metre has always been in the MAFF code of
    33        practice, but it has never been a legislative.
    34
    35   Q.   So far as that is concerned, unless they go to legislation,
    36        would not expect them to do more because they are merely
    37        saying that the 34 per square metre which we have already
    38        in our code of practice should continue at least for the
    39        time being?
    40        A.  That is correct, yes.
    41
    42   Q.   I understand now, yes.
    43
    44   MS. STEEL:  Have McDonald's asked you to change the stocking
    45        density, reduce the stocking density?
    46        A.  No, they have not.
    47
    48   Q.   They have not.  So, they are quite happy with the stocking
    49        density as it is now?
    50        A.  Yes. 
    51 
    52   Q.   At the back of this document on page 23 there is a list of 
    53        the proposed legislative controls, and that includes the
    54        stocking density.  What has happened to these proposals?
    55        A.  The proposals, if we take No. 1, there is no change in
    56        the legislation on that.  There is no legislation on it
    57        anyway.
    58
    59   Q.   So whose hands is that left in at the present time?
    60        A.  That is with the MAFF.

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