Day 105 - 16 Mar 95 - Page 14
1 a week", I mean a mixture of sheep and cattle.
2
3 Q. We are only concerned with cattle.
4 A. Yes.
5
6 Q. So the throughput of cattle per week, how many units would
7 there be?
8
9 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why is one sheep carcass equalling five
10 cattle carcasses?
11 A. It is a measure of describing the throughput, because
12 the Meat and Livestock Commission, when they did make a
13 levy on the weighing operations, would charge per unit of
14 inspection, and the Local Authority in costing its
15 inspection charges will in some cases bill the company per
16 unit of inspection.
17
18 Q. Yes, but why are sheep carcasses five times more expensive
19 than -----
20 A. No, they are a fifth of the expense of ----
21
22 Q. Yes, that is what threw me, because I think you said it was
23 the other way round: one sheep carcass equals five cattle
24 carcasses?
25 A. I apologise if I said that, it was a mistake.
26
27 Q. It was the other way round?
28 A. Yes, it was the other way round.
29
30 MR. MORRIS: So can we just try and identify what you say the
31 number of carcasses a week would be going through
32 Jarretts?
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: How many cattle?
35
36 MR. MORRIS: Cattle.
37 A. I would say, as an average figure because it does vary
38 greatly, the market conditions vary so much, but I would
39 say 400 to 500 cattle.
40
41 Q. A week?
42 A. A week.
43
44 Q. So Jarretts are, obviously, motivated to make the largest
45 amount of profit as possible, are they not?
46 A. I would not be prepared to answer that philosophical
47 question.
48
49 Q. In your experience, working as a consultant with over a
50 dozen companies, presumably, all those companies want to
51 make is maximum profits, do they not? That is what they
52 are there for, is it not?
53 A. That is not a complete statement. A company is there
54 to make a maximum profit within the law and within the
55 constraints of the correct business procedures which,
56 I must say, puts a different gloss on your question.
57
58 Q. So if Jarretts are processing 400 to 500 cattle carcasses a
59 week, that is their maximum throughput they feel they can
60 cope with for the size of operation?
