Day 098 - 07 Mar 95 - Page 49


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The one thing you should not feel anxious
     2        about is filling time.  We can always -- everyone in court
     3        can use any unscheduled non-court time they get.
     4
     5   MR. MORRIS:  I cannot remember whether you said, but I think you
     6        said that you are back to using your own trucks for
     7        transport for animals to the plant; is that correct?
     8        A.  We are back to it, did you say?
     9
    10   Q.   No, sorry, when animals get transported to your plant?
    11        A.  Yes.
    12
    13   Q.   You use your own trucks for the markets, is that correct,
    14        but not for the farms?
    15        A.  I think that is general practice, that we reduce --
    16        yes, that we firstly use them for the things we are
    17        collecting from market and, secondly, the other point is
    18        that farmers very often bring in their own cattle on their
    19        own trucks or on contract.
    20
    21   Q.   Are your trucks kind of standard?
    22        A.  Yes.
    23
    24   Q.   How many trucks do you have?
    25        A.  I do not know.
    26
    27   Q.   Are the markets that you get animals from from all over the
    28        country?
    29        A.  Yes.
    30
    31   Q.   So what would be the furthest one away?  Would you go all
    32        the way to Cornwall, if necessary?
    33        A.  Yes.
    34
    35   Q.   So do you know what the percentage of animals that die in
    36        transit are, approximately?
    37        A.  I do not know, to be honest, but I would think it is
    38        very small.
    39
    40   Q.   When you say "very small" what are we talking about, one
    41        per cent or two per cent?
    42        A.  I would say I do not know.  All I can tell you is that
    43        it is a very, very small amount.
    44
    45   Q.   What about the percentage that are sick or disabled on
    46        arrival -- you mentioned that before -- do you know that?
    47        A.  No, I mean these things kept and recorded by the
    48        veterinary surgeon or the meat inspection staff.
    49
    50   Q.   No-one has ever reported that to you? 
    51        A.  It is not my field, really. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Would that not worry you in terms of meat quality, if there
    54        were injuries being sustained or sickness being sustained
    55        in transport?
    56        A.  Yes, it would.  I mean, if there was a large number of
    57        animals arriving in that condition, yes.
    58
    59   Q.   Behind your statement you included -- you do not have to go
    60        to it if you do not want to -- the Welfare of Red Meat

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