Day 078 - 26 Jan 95 - Page 41
1 not used any Hilton meat since about 1988. Now, if you
2 like, I will tell you what the Hilton scheme.
3
4 Q. When were you getting beef from Canada and the United
5 States of America?
6 A. In the early 80s under the Hilton scheme.
7
8 Q. When did you stop?
9 A. 1988.
10
11 Q. 1988. So, in actual fact, this information was out of date
12 when you printed it?
13 A. Yes, but it may have come back in again.
14
15 Q. So there is nothing to stop you using beef from Canada and
16 the USA if that is what you want to?
17 A. No.
18
19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think when you ask a question like that,
20 which is why I asked the question about whether the LOME
21 scheme beef from Botswana up to 1984 went to McDonald's
22 outlets, you have to make it clear (because until you tell
23 me otherwise I am just concerned with McDonald's) whether
24 your questions relate to McDonald's or generally. For
25 instance: "There is nothing to stop you using beef from
26 Canada and the USA if that is what you want to?" Answer:
27 "No". "But what about McDonald's?" Do you see?
28
29 MS. STEEL: Yes.
30
31 MR. JUSTICE BELL: So I can see how the answer relates to
32 McDonald's.
33
34 MS. STEEL: This pamphlet is about your partnership with
35 McDonald's?
36 A. Yes.
37
38 Q. So there was nothing to stop you using USA Canada beef to
39 supply McDonald's?
40 A. No.
41
42 Q. There was not, right.
43 A. Can I elaborate on that, my Lord?
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Please.
46 A. The Hilton scheme is a scheme which is designed to
47 bring in from the United States of America prime and choice
48 beef, the top quality beef. It is called the Hilton scheme
49 because it is virtually designed to get New York strip loin
50 steaks into top quality restaurants. Brussels gives a
51 tonnage per year on the Hilton scheme. If the tonnage is
52 not taken up on prime cuts, the quota tonnage is available
53 for general trading.
54
55 Occasionally, you can get a quota tonnage and bring in, for
56 example, flanks from Montreal. But you can only get Hilton
57 scheme tonnage when it is not taken up with what it was
58 designed for, prime choice meat coming in for the
59 restaurant trade. When you do bring it in, you can only
60 bring in prime choice flanks.
