Day 152 - 11 Jul 95 - Page 66
1 MR. RAMPTON: It would have been Mrs. Mead who said it, if
2 anybody.
3
4 MR. MORRIS: My recollection is the same as Mr. Rampton's.
5 There was some confusion over that.
6
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I would like, if someone can ----
8
9 MR. MORRIS: Maybe Mr. Davis can help.
10
11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, Mr. Davis may, but I will make a note on
12 my sheet: Query, this is correct. Then we will hear what
13 Mr. Davis has to say.
14
15 MR. RAMPTON: Mr. Davis, assume then, please, that his
16 Lordship's note is correct.
17
18 MR. MORRIS: I do not think we should. I think we should ask
19 the question.
20
21 MR. RAMPTON: Please sit down.
22
23 MR. MORRIS: I do not think you can ask him to assume that. It
24 is a leading question.
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: He can.
27
28 MR. RAMPTON: I am not asking him what it means.
29
30 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think, if I might suggest, Mr. Rampton, ask
31 Mr. Davis if he is familiar with this document. If he is
32 familiar he may be able to explain it. If he is not
33 familiar, then you can put a question on any hypothesis you
34 wish. If it turns out to be a false hypothesis, then the
35 answer will not carry much weight. But you can put the
36 question on any hypothesis you wish.
37
38 MR. RAMPTON: Thank you. Have you actually seen this document
39 before?
40 A. No.
41
42 Q. I did not put it in front of you so you can give evidence
43 about the document, Mr. Davis. Mr. Morris leapt to a
44 conclusion. What I am wanting you to answer is this.
45 Assume for a moment that his Lordship's note is right and
46 this relates to just one week throughout the country?
47 A. OK.
48
49 Q. Then put yourself back in time to Colchester in the 1980s.
50 The question is, were there people in an average week at
51 Colchester during that time, on the payroll, who did not
52 actually come and do any hours at all?
53 A. Could have been, yes.
54
55 Q. Then look at the one to ten hours, do you see?
56 A. Yes.
57
58 Q. 32 and a half per cent worked between 1 and 10 hours.
59 Again, the same question: Casting yourself back in time,
60 would a figure of nearly a third of your hourly paid staff
