Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 12

     
     1   Q.   Have you got the pamphlet?
     2
     3   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Your brochure?
     4        A.  No, I have not.  I have nothing with me.
     5
     6   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, it should be in tab 7 of volume IX of the
     7        yellow.
     8
     9   MS. STEEL:   If you turn to the page of the pigs?
    10        A.  This one?
    11
    12   Q.   In the middle, yes, that is the one.  The finishing unit
    13        that is on the right ---
    14        A.  Yes.
    15
    16   Q.   -- we can see five buildings there?
    17        A.  Yes.
    18
    19   Q.   This is why I am getting confused because what does a unit,
    20        a finishing unit, represent?  That can be more than one
         building?
    22        A.  No, "a" unit is in the singular, is it not?  That is a
    23        combined unit of, or one unit of a multiple of piggeries
    24        there.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, that is what is being put to you.
    27
    28   MS. STEEL:   So how many of these buildings would there be in
    29        each of those units?
    30        A.  This can vary from one of our contract farmers who can
    31        be finishing as few as probably 150 pigs.  Our biggest one,
    32        he finishes about 3,800 pigs on a unit.
    33
    34   Q.   That picture there, is that a picture of a Suffolk unit?
    35        A.  Yes, they are known as Suffolk houses, yes.
    36
    37   Q.   Are Suffolk houses something that is a fairly new design?
    38        A.  No, and there is a variation on the Suffolk unit.  But
    39        the basics of a Suffolk unit is it is a kennel system with
    40        straw.  They have been going for years, generations.
    41
    42   Q.   OK.  I thought I read somewhere in someone's statement that
    43        it was a new building.
    44        A.  You can build a new Suffolk, of course you can, but it
    45        will be based on ---
    46
    47   Q.   No, no, a new system, sorry.
    48        A.  -- old design.
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can I try to assist?  What would particularly 
    51        help me, if you can possibly do it, is for you to put in 
    52        cross-examination what the practices were which Mr. Bowes 
    53        might know of, either on his own farms or on suppliers', in
    54        1989 or 1990 or in the years immediately before that which
    55        you criticise, and would say justifies what is said in the
    56        leaflet so far as pigs are concerned, or makes it fair
    57        comment.
    58
    59        If you try to keep your eye on that ball, it will probably
    60        be most helpful to your own case and will certainly assist