Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 25
1
2 Q. You tell us what you know about the use of Brazilian beef.
3 A. I need to understand the question a little better.
4 What is the name of the one we are talking about? Where
5 are we importing into?
6
7 Q. How many years was it when you used beef that had
8 originated in Brazil, used them in the UK?
9 A. How long did we use Brazilian beef for, is that the
10 question?
11
12 Q. Yes. How many years did that take place? For
13 example, during how many years did McDonald's restaurants
14 in the UK use Brazilian imported beef?
15 A. I am not totally sure. It was a relatively short
16 period of time but I am not totally sure how long exactly.
17
18 Q. Give us some impression or idea.
19 A. I would rather not because I am not sure. It would be
20 an opinion and we are not here to give opinions.
21
22 Q. Were you in the Purchasing Department in the mid-80s?
23 A. Yes, I was.
24
25 Q. And in the early 80s?
26 A. Yes, I was.
27
28 Q. So what was your position in the early 80s and the mid-80s?
29 A. Purchasing Manager in the early 80s.
30
31 Q. Of the UK restaurants?
32 A. Yes, for the UK restaurants.
33
34 Q. So just tell us what you remember then of the purchases of
35 Brazilian beef and use of Brazilian beef?
36 A. I remember that Mr. Walker had gained permission
37 through the EC to bring in some Brazilian beef into the
38 UK. He did. It came from, I believe, the Vesty
39 Organisation. The Vesty Organisation in turn wrote to
40 Mr. Walker and told him, if I remember clearly, that the
41 beef originated from farms more than 3,000 kilometres away
42 from a tropical rainforest area, and to suggest that beef
43 from the tropical rainforest area be imported to the -- not
44 imported -- be transported to the boning halls in the south
45 of Brazil was absolute nonsense, because it was so far away
46 and we would not be able to afford the cost of the
47 transportation because that would make the beef cost far
48 too high. That is my total recollection of what happened
49 at that time.
50
51 Q. Have you read Mr. Walker's statement on this and the letter
52 from Lord Vesty that accompanied it?
53 A. Some long while ago, yes.
54
55 Q. You have not read it since it was made?
56 A. Not recently.
57
58 Q. So how does this square with the claimed policy that you
59 have on the use of imported beef?
60 A. I think that was a one-off situation, as I understood
