Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 41


     
     1
     2   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is to me to decide.  Dr. Arnott has
     3        given his answer.  I have just got to read the words off
     4        the page and look at the body of the report as well and see
     5        what I think 'may' means in a particular article.  It is
     6        clear to Dr. Arnott that 'may' does not connote a serious
     7        risk, it connotes a possibility.  Is that right?
     8        A.  That is correct, my Lord, yes.
     9
    10   Q.   It means the possibility may in a particular case be a
    11        serious risk but one has to look for some extra wording to
    12        push one in that direction.  Is that right?
    13        A.  That is correct, yes.
    14
    15   MR. MORRIS:  So, for groups such as the World Health
    16        Organisation study group on diet and chronic diseases are
    17        they very careful about the wording they use then?
    18        A.  One would hope so.
    19
    20   Q.   I mean, are they the sort of author -- we did bring this up
    21        before, we do not want to go over it again, but if they use
    22        words like 'may' or 'constitute a', or whatever, they would
    23        be using those words very carefully?
    24        A.  I would hope so.  I would believe so, yes.
    25
    26   Q.   In making representations to governments all over the
    27        world?
    28        A.  As I have said already, what they are trying to do is
    29        to give basic, sensible advice to populations which, as you
    30        say rightly, are throughout the world of varying degrees of
    31        education and ability to understand.  So that, you know,
    32        these are recommendations which will be understood by these
    33        different populations.
    34
    35   Q.   Right.  So, if they say "dietary factors are now known to
    36        influence the development of a wide range of chronic
    37        diseases, including various cancers, coronary heart disease
    38        etcetera", they would be using those words very carefully?
    39        A.  Yes, but it depends what cancers they are talking
    40        about.  For example, there is a much clearer relationship
    41        between certain aspects of our diet, such as alcohol intake
    42        and, say, cancers of the mouth and the pharynx and the
    43        oesophagus, than there is between diet and breast cancer,
    44        for example.
    45
    46   Q.   I think we have gone into the cancers?
    47        A.  You have chosen a generalised statement without
    48        specifically relating it to what I believe are the cancers
    49        that we are meant to be discussing, which are cancers of
    50        the breast and the large bowel. 
    51 
    52   Q.   The book goes into detail. 
    53
    54   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If I may interrupt you, Dr. Arnott has given
    55        much more detailed evidence about what he thinks.  I do not
    56        think it is much use asking him questions like the WHO is
    57        ----
    58
    59   MR. MORRIS:  He has given ----
    60

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