Day 078 - 26 Jan 95 - Page 46


     
     1        outside the United States, of purchasing beef only from
     2        within countries where the restaurants operate."
     3
     4        You were not aware of that policy?
     5        A.  Yes, I think I was aware of it.
     6
     7   Q.   Since they expanded outside the United States?
     8        A.  Yes, but I know, I mean, I am aware of that policy,
     9        yes.
    10
    11   Q.   But you were buying beef from outside the countries where
    12        the restaurants operate?
    13        A.  Well, if you are saying I am buying beef within the
    14        EEC, yes, we have one European market.
    15
    16   Q.   I will carry on.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can I just make a point to you about this?
    19        I understand that your point, or part of it, is that
    20        McDonald's say they have a policy which is such and such,
    21        and they rely upon that in part in support of their
    22        contention that they have not taken rainforest beef.
    23        Therefore, I understand that you say it is relevant to see
    24        whether that policy is kept to.  But once you have got a
    25        bit of information about that, I really wonder how much
    26        further you can go with a witness such as this.  One still
    27        has to look to see what evidence there is, if any, that
    28        McDonald's have taken beef from land which has been
    29        rainforest and, if so, how long ago before one sees what,
    30        if any, conclusions one can draw of the kind you are going
    31        to invite me to.
    32
    33        So what I would suggest is, it is a point which I am very
    34        conscious that I should have made earlier when Mr. Morris
    35        was asking questions, there has to be a limit on how far we
    36        go on explorations as to whether there has been a breach of
    37        any policy, which breach does not in itself actually
    38        involve getting beef from rainforest areas.  That is my
    39        feeling at the moment.
    40
    41        You have a number of answers from which you are going to
    42        ask me to infer that if there was a policy it was breached
    43        from time to time, but once we have got that far, what
    44        I have got to be casting around for is to see what the
    45        evidence was that McDonald's actually got beef from
    46        rainforest or ex-rainforest areas when they say they never
    47        did, or subject to what you pointed out in Mr. Cesca's
    48        statement.
    49
    50   MS. STEEL:   I am just trying to clarify, if there is a policy 
    51        what it is supposed to be. 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am not sure ----
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:  I have just one question I wanted to ask.
    56
    57   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Ask that question, but my view at the moment
    58        is that you asked Mr. Oakley about this.  No doubt, you
    59        will ask Mr. Cesca about it.  You may ask others who work
    60        for McDonald's.  How far Mr. Walker can you help beyond the

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