Day 107 - 24 Mar 95 - Page 79
1 residues.
2
3 Q. But that is in a vegetable which is grown ------
4 A. Please bear with me. The whole point is that the
5 crystallization comes -- it also shows, as I suspected
6 elsewhere, that the techniques are faulty in meat. It was
7 only last week I and my colleague became aware of a report
8 which the government has been holding back for over a year,
9 and we were agitating and I became aware of some of the
10 contents of it, and I am increasingly becoming more and
11 more concerned. Of course, this trial tends to focus one's
12 minds. I did not strictly expect to be heavily burdened
13 with discussing pesticides. I suppose, really -----
14
15 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Mr. North, what I would like to know is when
16 you first reached the view that there was positive evidence
17 of pesticide residues in meat for human consumption in this
18 country, not your reserve about whether it was or the
19 extent detectable, the positive evidence that it was there?
20 A. Well, I have always known it. It was there to a very
21 small amount -- to put in a framework, I had not really
22 taken the time or thought to form an opinion. I have been
23 out there collecting a lot of evidence on issues entirely
24 unrelated to this trial. Very recently doing an awful lot
25 of work on it, even up to Wednesday where I spent my whole
26 time interviewing or listening to, I set up a meeting of
27 victims, alleged victims, and in fact that almost certainly
28 influenced my discussions with the Defendants the night
29 before the trial. It was very much on my mind that evening
30 having spent the whole day talking about it and hearing
31 papers on this, on pesticide related issues. That itself
32 crystallized my thought as to form an opinion.
33
34 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, those are all the questions I have at the
35 moment.
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Thank you, Mr. North.
38
39 (The witness withdrew).
40
41 I would like to be helped in due course as to when it is
42 thought Mr. North might come back. It will depend on when
43 he can manage to draft a further statement on the two
44 topics really which he has kindly offered to do so. For
45 the time being, we are going on to Miss Druce on Monday
46 morning, are we?
47
48 MR. MORRIS: Yes. Can we clarify what we are able to talk about
49 with Mr. North between now and the next time he gives
50 evidence, completes his evidence?
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Pesticides you can. What else is it that you
53 would -- pesticide residues you can. What other topics are
54 there which you might want to?
55
56 MR. MORRIS: Are there any matters relating to the Preston or is
57 that matter for -----
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, that as well. You can talk to him,
60 unless Mr. Rampton says otherwise, as far as I am concerned
