Hi Bitflipper, sorry, for some reason I didn't get an email that you'd replied.
 
Thanks. In this case I'm using Soniccouture's Imogen Heap's Box of Tricks. However it is sorted now, though I'm slightly puzzled as to why.
 
When I wrote the OP, the problem was as described. I then followed the advice to click on the "Auto" tab and actually saw that it had a list if pre-named English parameters. I didn't have to assign anything. I went back to the automation lane for the Kontakt synth track, and in the drop-down list ... boom, no more meaningless numbers, rather, I could now see the same list of English parameter as I saw in Kontakt.
 
Happy ending, though I don't really understand why it happened. I swear I was looking in the same place! Maybe my seditious nephew spiked our turkey stuffing which some special herbs , dunno...