Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 19
1 A. OK. If these allegations are true, I would not need to
2 have to respond to McKey. You understand -- we have told
3 you previously -- that McKey have 40 quality control checks
4 on incoming raw materials. If the claims are true in this
5 statement, the control checks would not get passed and the
6 meat would be rejected.
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Look, I suggest that you leave it there with
9 this witness. He is just saying he does not think it can
10 be true because of their checks. You are going to call
11 evidence in due course. McDonald's, for all I know, may
12 choose to call evidence in relation to these allegations.
13 That is what we ought to be concentrating on.
14
15 MR. MORRIS: Yes. With respect, Mr. Oakley is responsible for
16 the quality of the meat that arrives at McDonald's. They
17 have specifications and a certain kind of a relationship
18 with their suppliers. You said, for example -----
19
20 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. Are you addressing me still?
21
22 MR. MORRIS: No, sorry, I was going to ask a question.
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, you are not going to ask any more
25 questions on this until we have dealt with it because at
26 the moment I cannot see you will be prejudiced by the
27 course we follow. If, in due course, it turns out that
28 there is truth in these allegations, or some of it, you
29 will be able to say: "Look, whatever Mr. Oakley said about
30 checks and balances and their standards and everything was
31 nonsense in this respect or that respect because of the
32 evidence you have heard in relation to this abattoir and
33 McKey Foods".
34
35 I cannot at the moment see that you can usefully pursue the
36 matter with Mr. Oakley when he has said that he does not
37 know about these matters, and he has made it clear that in
38 his view it could not happen because of the procedures they
39 have. The next step is to wait and see what evidence we
40 have as to whether these faults and failures did exist.
41 Then you can ask me to draw the appropriate conclusions so
42 far as Mr. Oakley's evidence is concerned.
43
44 You have your potential witness there to call. You have
45 got someone coming from McKey Foods who may be much more
46 directly involved and would be able, presumably,
47 straightaway to tell you whether this is a supplying
48 abattoir.
49
50 MR. MORRIS: Can I ask one question about the third page then?
51 McKey's, you have said, supply Holland and Denmark?
52 A. Yes.
53
54 Q. Denmark, it is with UK beef?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. If they are supplying beef from herds which have not been
58 properly checked for being BSE free, as you have said,
59 which is claimed, that would be an infringement of EC
60 regulations, would it?
