Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 27

     
     1        starting in the UK -- that was the first restaurant in
     2        Europe, was it, the UK one?
     3        A.  No, the first UK restaurant -- Holland, Germany and
     4        Sweden would have predated UK.
     5
     6   Q.   Do you know when the first European restaurant was?
     7        A.  Not exactly, but I think around three years prior to
     8        the UK restaurant opening.
     9
    10   Q.   So from 1970 or 1971 there may have been a window up to
    11        1978 when McDonald's was not subject to quota?
    12        A.  There may well have been; I honestly do not know but
    13        there could have been yes.
    14
    15   Q.   You cannot take it any further than that because Germany
    16        and France, for instance, might have been subject to these
    17        matters before the United Kingdom was but there we are.
    18
    19   MR. MORRIS:  So before you had your policy in 1986, which
    20        countries, can you remember, had McDonald's -- in UK or
         indeed any countries that you can remember, northern Europe
    22        may be -- taken advantage of the beef suppliers from
    23        outside Europe?
    24        A.  I have really no idea.  And I must correct you.  I did
    25        not say the policy started in 1986.  I said I believed it
    26        was the mid-80s.  I believed.  I did not say it started in
    27        1986.
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You said:  "Around the mid-80s, maybe in
    30        1986".
    31
    32   MR. MORRIS:  Why did you introduce that policy in the mid-80s or
    33        maybe 1986?
    34        A.  I believe as a company begins to get larger you
    35        suddenly need policies for all kinds of things.  This is
    36        one situation -- there would have been many other policies
    37        created at that time, or in the early 80s -- so, I do not
    38        think it is something that came out of any particular
    39        event.
    40
         We did express a wish to Mr. Walker not to import outside
    42        the European Union.  I guess that probably triggered the
    43        thought processes at that time regarding a policy.
    44        Mr. Walker has continually, for example, requested that we
    45        import beef from an EC approved abattoir in Botswana, and
    46        we have continually said "no".  As recently as last year we
    47        said "no" because our policy is to purchase within the
    48        European Union.
    49
    50   Q.   So when you bought this beef -- according to Mr. Walker, it 
    51        was around 1983, if that helps your memory? 
    52        A.  It could be. 
    53
    54   Q.   Mr. Walker said that it was balance sheet beef which was
    55        available -----
    56
    57   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I do think that if Mr. Morris is going to
    58        use Mr. Walker's statement, then the witness should have a
    59        copy of it.  The reference is volume XI of the yellow files
    60        at tab V.