Day 061 - 05 Dec 94 - Page 65


     
     1
     2   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Perhaps I should have asked Mr. Gregory.  How
     3        do abattoirs run in this country?  Do the abattoirs buy the
     4        stock which they slaughter and send out as carcasses, offal
     5        and whatever, or are they paid a fee for slaughtering or
     6        may it be a mixture of both?
     7        A.  Generally they buy for slaughter and they may send out
     8        as carcasses or part carcasses or as deboned meat.
     9
    10   Q.   So they buy the stock?
    11        A.  Yes.
    12
    13   Q.   And they sell the meat on after slaughter?
    14        A.  Most do.
    15
    16   MR. MORRIS:  You said that your Quality Assurance Department has
    17        access to the vets' reports in abattoirs.  Is it abattoirs
    18        or abattoirs and farms, the veterinary reports?
    19        A.  It would be abattoirs mostly.  Generally the QA people
    20        would not be going to the farms.
    21
    22   Q.   My notes of what you said on whenever it was, Thursday or
    23        whenever it was, was that the QAD goes to abattoirs and
    24        farms, but in fact they do not?
    25        A.  No.  Basically they would go to abattoirs, not to
    26        farms. That is not to say they have never been to a farm;
    27        they probably have, but not generally.
    28
    29   Q.   When they have access to veterinary reports these, this is
    30        presumably during the three visits a year.  Would this be
    31        Barbara Crawford basically?
    32        A.  It may be her assistant Keith Kenny.
    33
    34   Q.   He also makes visits?
    35        A.  Yes.
    36
    37   Q.   How many people from McDonald's visit, say, abattoirs?
    38        A.  Two.
    39
    40   Q.   Two people.  They go to about three a year each?
    41        A.  No.  I would say three to four in total for the two
    42        people.
    43
    44   Q.   In total.  Then when they are there they get access to the
    45        vets?
    46        A.  If they require them.
    47
    48   Q.   If they require.  Are you aware that some companies that
    49        supply meat have people permanently based at abattoirs that
    50        supply them? 
    51        A.  Doing what? 
    52 
    53   Q.   I am talking about, for example, Sainsbury's?
    54        A.  Yes.
    55
    56   Q.   Are you aware they have people based in their abattoirs to
    57        check that standards are being maintained?
    58        A.  I have to say I was not aware.  I am not surprised but
    59        I was not aware.
    60

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