Day 074 - 16 Jan 95 - Page 69
1
2 Q. When you talked about the Barnet store out of your £907,000
3 turnover a year, what is the profit margin?
4 A. Do I have to answer that, my Lord?
5
6 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, I am not sure what relevance that has.
7
8 MR. MORRIS: I would not ask if it was not relevant.
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10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That does not follow, I am afraid ---
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12 MR. RAMPTON: It would not be the first time, Mr. Morris.
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14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: -- whether you are a barrister or a litigant
15 in person that it is relevant just because you have asked
16 it. What are you actually trying to get at on this? I do
17 not particularly see why we should enquire into anything
18 which indicates the income of anyone, be it large or small,
19 in this case unless it is directly relevant to some matter
20 in issue.
21
22 MR. MORRIS: We have already discussed the income of the company
23 as a whole and its profit margins and advertising budget.
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25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What is happening up in Barnet got to do with
26 the Kings Road, Chelsea?
27
28 MR. MORRIS: Because evidence was given about the philanthropic
29 donations being made by the Barnet store.
30
31 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I do not think you need to ask about it. He
32 obviously would not give the £3,000 and the £1,000 unless
33 he could afford it. He was quite candid enough to say that
34 he came -- I do not know whether it is right to say humble
35 origins -- he did not always have a lot of money and now he
36 has some, he says he is quite happy to spend a bit in that
37 direction. It obviously brings him goodwill too which is
38 not going to do his business any harm, but he says that is
39 not the prime motive.
40
41 That is all very well, but I am really concerned with what
42 is happening in the Kings Road and was happening in the
43 Kings Road. I am only concerned with what is happening in
44 the Kings Road because it is suggested that that might be a
45 microcosm of McDonald's and environment/index.html">litter as a whole.
46
47 MR. MORRIS: The problem is that every time Mr. Rampton asks
48 questions about how terrific the company is, how much they
49 are donating to the community, that is relevant; whenever
50 we question that, suddenly it becomes: "Well is this
51 strictly relevant?" I think it is relevant to the case.
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I do not think this is because it is obvious
54 that this witness is doing very well in business and is
55 comfortably off as a result of it. I really do not think
56 you need to know more than that. (To the witness): Is
57 that fair?
58 A. Yes, my Lord.
59
60 MR. MORRIS (To the witness): Just one related question: For
