Day 122 - 05 May 95 - Page 44
1
2 MR. MORRIS: If it was an important policy anyway, whether or
3 not it affected other departments, could she just go ahead
4 and make it herself?
5 A. She would have to be the judge because she knows she
6 would be held responsible for it. So it would be quite
7 proper for her to, for instance, go and see Paul Preston,
8 and say: "I am thinking of changing policy. This is what
9 I am intending to do Paul; what are your feelings about
10 it?" I think if Paul Preston said, no, she would drop did,
11 but if he said: "Oh I like it" -----
12
13 Q. You said the Executives are sort of a policy-making body?
14 A. Yes, they meet about -----
15
16 Q. Can departments make an important policy change -----
17
18 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think we are right back where we started at
19 the beginning of these questions.
20
21 MR. MORRIS: Even if it did not affect another department, could
22 a department go ahead and make an important policy change
23 without it going through the Executive?
24 A. It would be difficult to say so -----
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can you possibly answer that? You said the
27 head of department has to make their own decisions as to
28 whether they can go ahead with it themselves, or whether
29 they ought it refer if?
30 A. That is right. It is their responsibility to make that
31 decision.
32
33 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is impossible to answer these questions
34 unless you give a particular example.
35
36 THE WITNESS: If I could put in one example, the Construction
37 Department, four years ago, came up with this new concept
38 of prefabricated restaurants. The restaurants are built in
39 a factory, and shipped down on two lorries. The Property
40 Department select a site and they drop this restaurant on
41 it. Now, before they could implement that policy, they
42 have to get the agreement of the Operations Department
43 because it is their job to sell the product. So that then
44 goes to the Executive, the Executive consider it. I was at
45 that meeting. We thought it was a jolly good idea for a
46 good restaurant, and we went ahead.
47
48 MR. MORRIS: So effectively any policy which is important ---
49 A. Would go.
50
51 Q. -- would have to go through the Executive?
52 A. I think if it was important to the company as a whole,
53 it would have to have Paul Preston's agreement.
54
55 Q. As well as the Executive?
56 A. Yes, if it was a very important policy -----
57
58 MR. JUSTICE BELL: He is there as the Executive?
59 A. He is head of the Executive.
60
