Day 045 - 03 Nov 94 - Page 53
1 A. Yes.
2
3 MS. STEEL: Perhaps then if we look at page 218, which has a
4 definition about-----
5
6 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can you help me, Ms. Steel? There are
7 obviously a lot of figures in this survey which may be very
8 helpful to get a picture of this. Is there any challenge
9 to them, or do you just not know? Are you prepared to
10 accept them for the purposes of the case?
11
12 MS. STEEL: I do not know. I mean-----
13
14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I do not suppose there is any reason to doubt
15 them. Before I devote a lot more thought to where they
16 might take me, it would be nice to know whether you are
17 prepared to accept them or whether they are subject to
18 challenge or not.
19
20 MS. STEEL: I mean, I think when I have something that I think
21 I might argue about, I will probably put it to the
22 witness. But otherwise, then, I am just really going
23 through it to clarify things.
24
25 As far as being prepared to accept them, offhand, right
26 now, I have no reason to doubt their accuracy, but I do not
27 know that I would want to be pinned down right now without
28 thinking about it, in case something else crops up
29 that-----
30
31 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, it is not a criticism, but I am wondering
32 about the expenditure of time, really. Ms. Steel is going
33 through pointing out, as one might in closing speech or at
34 some stage in the case, bits of this document which come
35 from McDonald's that she may or may not think help her
36 case. This is supposed to be cross-examination. Perhaps
37 it would be better if there is some need for clarification
38 or explanation by the witness were a question to be asked.
39
40 MS. STEEL: I am asking questions when I want clarification.
41
42 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You, carry on. What I would like you to
43 think about as the trial goes on is whether you are
44 prepared to say: "Yes, we will accept those figures for
45 the purpose of this trial". I am not trying to lead you
46 into something which is against your interest, which is why
47 I have said think about it and make a decision. Because if
48 one can start from saying: "Well, the figures in this
49 survey are common ground between the parties", then there
50 we are.
51
52 MS. STEEL: Right now I have no reason to doubt them.
53
54 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, I am not putting you to the test now.
55 Think about it, because if you do reach the stage where you
56 can say: "Yes, we accept those figures having thought about
57 the ramifications of it all", then it will help.
58
59 MS. STEEL: Is it possible to leave it as we will accept them
60 for the moment, unless we come across any information that
