Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 39
1 Q. Let me show you something which is rather more specific,
2 not quite so Civil Service diplomatic, if you like to put
3 it that way, or I do, which is the conclusions of the World
4 Health Organisation Study Group.
5
6 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I just get one thing straight?
7
8 MR. RAMPTON: Yes.
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is the panel's conclusion. It is not the
11 government's conclusion at all.
12 A. Yes, I would agree with that. It is the panel's.
13
14 Q. It is the panel, and although they are observers and there
15 is a Secretariat, I think all the observers are medically
16 qualified, although you could say they are civil servants
17 as well (a number of them). I would like to be corrected
18 if I am wrong about this, but where it refers to "the
19 panel", I have always understood that it is the members of
20 the panel.
21
22 MR. RAMPTON: Yes.
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: And the members of the panel are all
25 medically qualified, are they not?
26 A. Yes, I would agree with that. I think, perhaps, the
27 confusion here is this -- the conclusion is talking about
28 cancer itself, whereas, if we look further on, there are
29 many different types of cancer. There is breast cancer,
30 bowel cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer. There are many
31 different types of cancer.
32
33 That conclusion there is talking about cancer in general,
34 and there is not sufficient evidence that a decrease in fat
35 intake would prevent cancer in general, but for specific
36 cancers - what are called "dietary related cancers", then
37 there is strong evidence. For bowel cancer, for instance,
38 there is strong evidence.
39
40 MR. RAMPTON: I am sorry, I have to contradict you, you see,
41 because I would like you to look -- can you put that little
42 grey book down, please, for the moment. Perhaps you need
43 Mr. Riley's help -- look at another document. It is orange
44 volume 4. (Same handed). This file is in two sections
45 and I would like you, please, to turn to the second section
46 and to the last tab, which I believe is 26.
47 A. This one goes up to 24 and there is some handwritten
48 ones.
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is right at the back.
51
52 MR. RAMPTON: It is the World Health Organization report.
53 A. This is the World Health Organisation report.
54
55 Q. Yes. Can you tell me what yours has on the front of it.
56 A. "Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic
57 diseases. Report of HAO Study Group. Report series 797".
58
59 Q. Has it got Geneva 1990 on it?
60 A. "World Health Organisation, Geneva 1990".
