Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 62
1
2 MR. RAMPTON: No, the only allegation about deception which is a
3 permissible issue this the case is in relation to the
4 nutritional quality of the food, as your Lordship's meaning
5 clearly dictates.
6
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Well, you have it in now. It may be a million
8 miles away from whether McDonald's generally present one
9 face to the public while masking another behind, but...
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11 MR. MORRIS: I am struggling a bit because we have moved much
12 faster.
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14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do not struggle. Sit down and think where
15 you are. The other aspect is how much... I would like you
16 to talk to Ms. Steel for a moment. I will not rise, but
17 take your time to discuss it with her and give me some
18 estimate of how much longer you expect cross-examination of
19 Mr. Preston to be, allowing just a few minutes, possibly,
20 in the morning to discuss the question of persons present
21 at the Scope meetings and any further cross-examination
22 which may arise if you are told who was there.
23
24 While it is still in my mind, Mr. Rampton, if they are
25 going to be disclosed no doubt you will bring them, or
26 someone will bring copies of the appropriate pages, but I
27 would like them to be brought anyway in case there is an
28 argument and in case I rule in favour of the Defendants and
29 against you on that. I am not suggesting that that will be
30 my conclusion. I do not know what I will decide, but I
31 would like to go straight on with the case when I have made
32 a decision. So, I do not want any further argument on it
33 but I would like to be able to carry on whichever way my
34 decision goes.
35
36 (To witness) Can I ask a question -- something completely
37 different? When I sat down and read overnight the 3 pages
38 of the 1995 annual report?
39 A. Yes sir.
40
41 Q. It referred to satellite restaurants in the United States?
42 A. Yes.
43
44 Q. What are they? Are they restaurants in other business
45 concerns like big stores; it was Guys' Hospital which made
46 me think of it?
47 A. Well, Guys' Hospital would be a normal standard
48 McDonald's restaurant; full menu, full facilities. When
49 they talk satellite, they normally mean reduced menu, very
50 small, often times reliant, at least in part, for its
51 management, some of its staff on another very close-by
52 restaurant where they sort of run in tandem. The one they
53 term satellite could not really stand totally on its own,
54 it needs another nearby one, sir, to provide back up
55 support, people, possibly supplies at times.
56
57 Q. So. They are distinguished, I see, from traditional
58 restaurants?
59 A. Yes.
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