Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 26


     
     1   Q.   The Brazilian stocking density, you said eight birds per
     2        square metre, why do you not have that stocking density
     3        here?
     4        A.  Because it would be totally uneconomic, given the
     5        design of the houses that we have and totally unrealistic
     6        in economic terms.
     7
     8   Q.   So that is for economic reasons.  Do you feel that Sun
     9        Valley is above the MAFF recommendations?
    10        A.  I do not believe that Sun Valley or anybody else should
    11        necessarily be above the recommendations.  I think each
    12        organisation has to assess its capabilities.
    13
    14   Q.   So you can take or leave them?
    15        A.  These recommendations we by and large comply with and,
    16        as I say, when you have a committee of people you do not
    17        necessarily always get a consensus.  You get a consensus
    18        report, but you do not always have individual agreement on
    19        what is right and what is wrong.  There is no scientific
    20        evidence which suggests that this figure is right.  It is
    21        merely a guideline.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It may not make any difference to Ms. Steel's
    24        point at the end of the day, but she has referred to this
    25        as the MAFF recommendation, whereas I understand that it is
    26        the ----
    27
    28   MS. STEEL:  It is published by the MAFF, it says on the back.
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, I appreciate that -- that it is the Farm
    31        Animal Welfare Council recommendation to MAFF?
    32        A.  That is correct.
    33
    34   Q.   Which, as Ms. Steel has pointed out, MAFF published?
    35        A.  Yes.
    36
    37   Q.   Do MAFF then go on to make recommendations or is the way
    38        they, effectively, do that to publish the recommendations
    39        made to them?
    40        A.  As I understand it, the Farm Animal Welfare Council
    41        Report is sent to government ministers, Minister of
    42        Agriculture, and then the MAFF respond to that report in a
    43        way where they will say whether they are going to take up
    44        recommendations from that report; some they will accept and
    45        others they may say require further research before they
    46        can implement them.
    47
    48   Q.   What are the consequences, if their decision is of the
    49        former kind, that they accept the recommendations?  Do they
    50        then publish a report such as this, or this is short of 
    51        legislation? 
    52        A.  Yes.  This is not a legislative document. 
    53
    54   Q.   No, no.  They find themselves in a situation where, for
    55        whatever reason, they are not prepared to legislate, that
    56        is, introduce a new Act of Parliament or regulations under
    57        powers in an existing Act of Parliament, but, nevertheless,
    58        they accept the FAWC recommendation.  What do they do
    59        next?  Do they publish FAWC's recommendations or do they
    60        bring out circulars or recommendations of their own or

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