Day 061 - 05 Dec 94 - Page 54


     
     1        slightest bit interest in the welfare of the animals; your
     2        only interest is in making money out of those animals and
     3        conforming to the laws, being seen to conform with the laws
     4        of the country, which you have just said what your welfare
     5        policy in fact is; it just the laws and the guidelines of
     6        the country?  That was a question.
     7        A.  Oh, was it?
     8
     9   Q.   I am putting it to you that you do not have any animal
    10        welfare.
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just put it simply.  What is being put to you
    13        is that McDonald's do not care about the animals (we are on
    14        chickens particularly at the moment) which are processed
    15        into food sold at McDonald's outlets, that McDonald's only
    16        concern is to turn a good profit; that is what is being put
    17        to you.
    18        A.  The answer to the question is the same as it was
    19        earlier, and that is that our job is to conform to the
    20        industry standards and the industry codes of practice.
    21        I am not sure that the horror story that Mr. Morris
    22        referred to right there would be any different if the
    23        chickens came from the farmyard; may be even worse.  I know
    24        for a fact from farmers I have spoken to that many chickens
    25        in free range farmyards actually go around with bones and
    26        fractures for all of their life, not the last week or so.
    27
    28   MR. MORRIS:  We are talking about your company, what it does and
    29        your claims ----
    30        A.  I have answered that.
    31
    32   Q.   --- about having any welfare considerations at all for
    33        animals in your care beyond what the law stipulates or the
    34        guidelines stipulate?
    35        A.  Oh, I agree with that; we do not go beyond what the law
    36        stipulates.  We work within the letter of the law until
    37        somebody tells us that we are not and then we will correct
    38        that situation.
    39
    40   MS. STEEL:  The codes of practice are not, strictly speaking,
    41        law according to Mr. Gregory, and I believe that is
    42        correct.  They are recommendations in order to ensure some
    43        kind of welfare for the animals, although obviously it is
    44        quite a big area of dispute; there are a lot of people
    45        thinking they are not sufficient.  Talking about the
    46        slaughter of chickens, on 28th July on page 24 of the
    47        transcript the question is asked: "Just going back to the
    48        point about some birds may appear to be effectively
    49        stunned, but they could come around before they actually
    50        die.  That is why the codes of practice recommend that 
    51        unless, if there is not a cardiac arrest then both carotid 
    52        arteries are cut in order to produce a humane kill?" 
    53        Dr. Gregory said "Yes."  Question: "Neither of those
    54        methods was used in February?"  He said: "Yes, neither were
    55        used".  Then he was asked: "Despite the recommendation that
    56        you made after your visit, neither of these methods was
    57        being used by the time of your second visit?"  He said that
    58        was correct.  So, he appears ----
    59
    60   MR. RAMPTON:  Read on, please.

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