Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 13

     
     1   Q.   I was asking in relation to this paragraph in the newspaper
     2        report which says that Britain should supply the
     3        restaurants because its cheapest for all but one of the
     4        chains.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Why not just ask which European countries,
     7        say, within the last five years have been supplied with
     8        patties which are made out of British beef rather than
     9        their own native beef?
    10
    11   MS. STEEL:  OK.  Can you answer that?
    12        A.  In the last five years?
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  That takes you back to 1989, you see.
    15        If the five-year span complicates it, then explain that,
    16        but start with that question anyway.
    17        A.  Certainly, Holland, Belgium and Denmark from time to
    18        time -- not consistently through that period.
    19
    20   Q.   Right.  What is the reason for Holland?
         A.  Why do we supply Holland with hamburgers?
    22
    23   Q.   No, why have the patties supplied to Holland on occasion
    24        been made from non-Dutch beef?
    25        A.  Oh, originally before there was any perceptions about
    26        BSE, all the exported beef was made from British beef, all
    27        the exported hamburgers were made from British beef.  At
    28        the request of the Dutch company, they are now made from
    29        Dutch beef and processed in the UK into hamburgers.
    30
    31   Q.   Yes, but why from British beef?  Why not from Dutch beef in
    32        the first place?
    33        A.  It was never requested, my Lord.  They were quite happy
    34        five years ago to take hamburgers produced from British
    35        beef.  Today they are not because -----
    36
    37   Q.   Do all the patties for Europe come from McKey Foods?
    38        A.  No, only the countries I have mentioned.
    39
    40   Q.   So we can put the other countries on one side?
         A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   They have processes apart from McKey Foods and they use
    44        native beef instead?
    45        A.  That is so, that is correct.
    46
    47   Q.   The three countries you have mentioned, Holland, Denmark,
    48        and Belgium, get the patties from McKey Foods?
    49        A.  Right.
    50 
    51   Q.   So it is a question of whether their beef is exported to 
    52        McKey and sent back in patty form or whether it is British 
    53        beef which goes into patty form for export to those
    54        countries?
    55        A.  That is correct, and of the countries being exported to
    56        today, the only country requesting that you use local beef
    57        for their patties is Holland.  Denmark does not request it
    58        and Belgium is not currently supplied by McKey.  It is
    59        supplied by another processor in Europe.
    60