Day 114 - 04 Apr 95 - Page 73
1 again another day: Are you or have you ever been a member
2 of the Farm Animal Welfare Council?
3 A. No. I should perhaps explain that I am a member of the
4 RSPCA but only a just a subscriber.
5
6 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is something I could become a member,
7 could I, or is there a qualification?
8 A. No, you would be very welcome. Next time I come -----
9
10 Q. It is not an indication of particular knowledge or
11 expertise or experience?
12 A. No, no. I just wanted to make it clear that was an
13 interest that I had. I am not a member of the Farm Animal
14 Welfare Council but I have submitted evidence to them.
15 I must say I am very pleased that this report, for
16 instance, does recommend changes that I myself have put
17 forward, obviously, with others.
18
19 MR. RAMPTON: You approve then of the RSPCA, I take it,
20 otherwise you would not pay a subscription; is that right?
21 A. I am a member, a critical member. I have been involved
22 in criticism of their Freedom scheme.
23
24 Q. Yes. Because, I suppose, those schemes concede too much to
25 the farmer, is that right, in your view?
26 A. I think I would say they concede more to delusions of
27 the customers with euphemisms. My organisation actually
28 has a campaign against adding VAT to food -- virtue adding
29 tricks -- because, for instance, we are concerned about the
30 bandying about of farm fresh, country fresh, free-range,
31 and these words ------
32
33 Q. Do not let us get into the Trade Descriptions Act,
34 I understand that.
35 A. It is a question that you were asking me about who we
36 are affecting mainly. We are trying to prevent the
37 customer being deluded. I think if I could come to a
38 relevant point, what has dogged us for years since the
39 1930s when we got rid of the poleax was that the new
40 processes with various contraptions were called "humane
41 killing". We have been stuck with that for years, people
42 using this word "humane". Yet here we are with people like
43 Neville Gregory still working away to overcome the
44 shortcomings in what is supposed to be a humane system.
45
46 Q. Who do you mean when you say "us" and "we"? You used it
47 repeatedly. Do you mean the animal welfarists generally?
48 A. I mean in my closest circle the groups I work with, the
49 researchers in VEGA and with other researchers with similar
50 interests and with similar activities with government
51 bodies and with manufacturers as well. Also I represent a
52 broader constituency of people in the RSPCA and Compassion
53 and World Farming, Animal Aid and organisations like that.
54
55 Q. Finally this. You told us that you had experienced the
56 shock or whatever it is delivered by an electric goad or
57 crop. Did I hear that correctly?
58 A. Yes.
59
60 Q. Describe its effect on a human being, a medium sized, even
