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The SEP had first called for such an inquiry in June 1996,
following the Health Minister's announcement that 10 people aged
below 42 years of age had died from a new strain of CJD and that
its possible cause was BSE infected beef. As the SEP predicted
at the time, far from the announcement bringing to an end the
10 year cover-up by the government and food industry, the campaign
of lies and intimidation increased. To defend the profits of
the meat industry, the health of millions was knowingly sacrificed.
The SEP explained that working people must take the fight
for the truth into their own hands, rather than relying on the
parties controlled by big business, who were implicated in the
crisis. To aid in this, the SEP commissioned Barbara Slaughter,
a leading member of the SEP and reporter on the International
Worker, to investigate the BSE/CJD scandal. For nearly four
months Slaughter conducted detailed research -- interviewing
relatives of nvCJD victims and scientists and attending the CJD
carers conference earlier this year in Warwick and an inquiry
into the Canterbury Mills rendering plant in Kent. |
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At the May 17 hearing, Slaughter presented the conclusions
of her investigations before a panel of six commissioners and
a public audience from across Britain. Those presenting submissions
included: Professor Richard Lacey and Dr. Harash Narang, both
leading scientists working in the field of BSE/CJD, Dr Jean Shaoul
of the University of Manchester, author of the Public Interest
Report, BSE: For Services Rendered? -- The drive for profits
in the meat industry, water quality technician Paul Mitchell
and medical laboratory technician James Kinnear. Sybille Fuchs,
representing the Socialist Equality Party of Germany, detailed
the consequences of the BSE crisis for the European and international
working class. Moving testimony about the plight of victims was
given by Anthony Bowen, whose wife Michelle died of nvCJD aged
29, Frances Hall, whose son Peter died aged 20, and Stan Mellowship
whose daughter Donna was dying from the disease, as well as a
written submission by Gerry Callaghan whose brother Maurice,
died in Ireland aged 30.
In opening the inquiry, Chairman Barry Mason explained that
its purpose was to..."bring out the truth about the economic,
social and scientific questions posed by this crisis. We approach
this investigation from a definite standpoint -- that of the
defence of ordinary working people whose lives, health and livelihoods
are threatened by the unsafe production of food. We will not
subordinate the search for the truth to the preservation of the
profits of the beef industry nor the political fortunes of its
defenders." He ended his remarks by calling for a minutes
silence for all the victims of CJD.
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