Day 259 - 10 Jun 96 - Page 43


     
     1   Q.   Did he say exactly how many stores he had visited?
     2        A.  No, he did not.
     3
     4   Q.   Did he say why he had done those particular comprehensive
     5        checks at that particular time?
     6        A.  No, he did not.  I just assumed it is part of his job,
     7        such as the DHSS make random visit to offices.
     8
     9   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Mr. Morris, that would be the common sense
    10        assumption which I would make, unless there is some reason
    11        to think otherwise.  I would expect that once every so
    12        often, someone who is coming in fairly regularly would do a
    13        more comprehensive check.  How far it extended would be
    14        entirely up to him.
    15
    16   MR. MORRIS:  If the evidence we have heard in court is correct
    17        and there is, you know, a few dozen inspectors covering
    18        over 100,000 workplaces, or whatever, they would not able
    19        to make comprehensive checks very often for every company
    20        concerned, would they, unless they were particularly
    21        concerned about a company?
    22        A.  I do not know.  I did not work for the Wages Council.
    23        I do not know how they operate from their office.
    24
    25   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What I am assuming -- I do not suppose for a
    26        moment they check all the records in relation -----
    27        A.  He could not possibly.
    28
    29   Q.   But I am assuming that on two or three occasions, you are
    30        saying, in the six years, they checked a little more
    31        broadly than into a specific complaint?
    32        A.  Exactly.
    33
    34   Q.   A sort of spot check, in that sense?
    35        A.  Exactly.
    36
    37   Q.   I do not know about wages inspectors, but most Inland
    38        Revenue, VAT inspectors, or official inspectors, operate in
    39        that way, on my limited experience; and that is what was
    40        happening here?
    41        A.  Yes, sir.
    42
    43   MR. MORRIS:  There are three types of checks made by wages
    44        inspectors, are there not and I put them to you:  postal
    45        questionnaires, especially to big companies; direct
    46        inspection of stores; and responding to individual
    47        complaints; do you agree with that?
    48        A.  Yes.
    49
    50   Q.   So, the postal questionnaires which you got, did you get 
    51        those every year, or how often did you get the postal 
    52        questionnaires? 
    53        A.  I cannot remember how often they came, but I do
    54        remember we had them and dealt with them.
    55
    56   Q.   Were the visits from Mr. Mills a follow-up to those postal
    57        questionnaires?
    58        A.  Not necessarily, no, not always.  It could have
    59        corresponded.  I do not remember.  I have not got the diary
    60        from then.

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