Day 079 - 27 Jan 95 - Page 08

     
     1        meetings on 1st and 6th February -- this is 1992 now, is it
     2        still, or is it 1991 -- 1991, attended by representatives
     3        of the Department of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture,
     4        the Public Health Laboratory Service and McDonald's, so far
     5        as 1st February is concerned, but not so far as 6th
     6        February is concerned.
     7        A.  I have recollections, my Lord, of going to the first
     8        meeting when there were people -- it was a very large
     9        meeting and I am sure the people listed here would have
    10        been represented there.  To my recollection, at the first
    11        meeting there was a discussion on what we would do, what we
    12        would all do, what checks we would carry out and just
    13        generally our action and check and, you know, examining
    14        things.  That is when I took the decision to call in Camden
    15        to do an audit on my factory.
    16
    17   MS. STEEL:   Were there representatives of other suppliers to
    18        McDonald's there?
    19        A.  To my memory, no.
    20
    Q.   What you have said is that it is your recollection there
    22        was a discussion on what you would do.  What did the Public
    23        Health Laboratory Service say to you?  What did they say
    24        was the problem?
    25        A.  My memory of this, seriously, is very weak on this
    26        initial meeting, unless I look at the minutes of the
    27        meeting which I probably have back at my office.  I mean,
    28        you have got to understand that in McKey I am, and
    29        everybody in McKey, we are very proud of the company.  We
    30        are very proud of the standards of the company.
    31
    32        We are a company which is used as an exhibition company
    33        when there are important visitors from other countries,
    34        officially government visitors.  If I was called to a
    35        meeting, my immediate reaction would be 110 per cent
    36        co-operation on a suspected outbreak of food poisoning.
    37        You have also heard me say that I still do not believe it
    38        was in the meat, but that is not my responsibility.
    39
    40   Q.   You may be very proud of your company; is that perhaps the
         reason why you would rather forget incidents which do not
    42        necessarily reflect very well on your company?
    43        A.  I resent that remark.  It has nothing to do with the
    44        philosophy of my company or the standards in my company
    45        which are second to none.
    46
    47   Q.   Did you discuss hamburgers at this meeting?
    48
    49   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you mean "meetings" ---
    50 
    51   MS. STEEL:  At these meetings, whichever. 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  -- because he has not limited it necessarily
    54        to one meeting.  (To the witness):  Did you discuss
    55        hamburgers at any meetings you had with the PHLS and
    56        others?
    57        A.  Meat would have been discussed, my Lord.
    58
    59   MS. STEEL:   Otherwise you would not have been there,
    60        presumably?