Day 078 - 26 Jan 95 - Page 51


     
     1        Brussels is interested in is that the total licences over a
     2        10-month period add to up to 60,000 tonnes, pick a figure.
     3        They will issue licences up to 60,000 tonnes.  Now where it
     4        comes from that is entirely a matter of the customer and
     5        the agent, i.e. Weddel's, Armers, Swifts, British Beef
     6        Company, any major wholesaler.  The whole world industry
     7        works on connected chains, agents.  You might be selling
     8        for Australia and that gentleman behind you might be
     9        selling for New Zealand, so once you both start talking to
    10        me on the telephone it becomes a matter of price, provided
    11        you both have a licence to pass meat to me.
    12
    13   Q.   But the Vesty's beef which you have finally had access to
    14        after your efforts, had they not been allowed to import
    15        into Europe before that?
    16        A.  Oh yes, they had other balance sheet customers.
    17
    18   Q.   It is just that they had not had McDonald's?
    19        A.  They worked very closely with us to help us get it,
    20        because on routine beef we were buying a lot of beef from
    21        them within the United Kingdom.
    22
    23   Q.   So their involvement in the balance sheet beef scheme, as
    24        far you know, pre-dated and post-dated your actual use of
    25        that beef?
    26        A.  Sure.
    27
    28   Q.   Earlier on you said the forecast for 86, 87 and 88;
    29        I presume you meant 96, 97 and 98?
    30        A.  Did I say 80?
    31
    32   Q.   It says on the transcript.
    33        A.  It was the forthcoming year.
    34
    35   Q.   Now that you pioneered, ironically knowing that you have
    36        had not had access to itself yourself, the idea that
    37        hamburger companies could have access to balance sheet
    38        beef.  Has the volume of balance sheet beef increased since
    39        you stopped -----
    40
    41   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Where does this go now?  Just explain to me
    42        where this goes now in relation to this case?
    43
    44   MR. MORRIS:  Because Mr. Walker has recognised that they
    45        pioneered access for hamburger companies to balance sheet
    46        beef which includes beef from Brazil.  I am just seeing
    47        (this is like a final question really) whether the volume
    48        from Brazil has increased over the years but you do not use
    49        it, have you made a conscious decision.  So there are two
    50        questions: has the volume increased from Brazil since you 
    51        stopped ---- 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you know about that?
    54
    55   THE WITNESS:  I do not know, my Lord, because as I have not been
    56        interested in balance sheet I have not followed it.  I do
    57        not know what the tonnage available was last year and I do
    58        not know who bought it.
    59
    60   MR. MORRIS:  Just a couple of final questions on the letter from

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