Day 118 - 01 May 95 - Page 76


     
     1        apparent.  If it is not actually pleaded or concessions
     2        have been made to you about pleading, you should be able to
     3        say quite openly: "It is relevant, we would argue, for this
     4        reason", and say so in open court in front of the witness
     5        or anyone else.
     6
     7   MS. STEEL:   What percentage of McDonald's employees get income
     8        support or housing benefit?
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, I am sorry, I asked a question and I need
    11        to know the answer. I asked a question and I want you to
    12        answer me as to what the relevance is.
    13
    14   MR. MORRIS:  The relevance is that if McDonald's staff get
    15        benefit, whether it is housing benefit or family credit,
    16        which probably 90 per cent of them do, then effectively the
    17        State is subsidising McDonald's low wages.
    18
    19   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I would want notice of that.  I would
    20        need chapter and verse.  I want it pleaded.  None of this
    21        has arisen and we have no witness evidence about it.
    22
    23   MR. MORRIS:  It is common sense.
    24
    25   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is a serious matter which is completely
    26        new to the meetings, although there has to be some
    27        understanding of your situation representing yourselves so
    28        far as pleading is concerned, you ought to set that out.
    29
    30   MS. STEEL:   It is nothing new.  It is quite obvious that it is
    31        about low pay.  People do not need housing benefit, they do
    32        not need income support, if they are getting a decent wage;
    33        they can live on that.
    34
    35   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Then all you need to do is say whether he
    36        knows to what extent -- just put it like this: Do you know
    37        to what extent, if at all, employees of McDonald's are
    38        claiming housing benefit or any other supplements to their
    39        income from the various state agencies?
    40        A.  I have no idea at all, my Lord.
    41
    42   MR. MORRIS:  Maybe we could leave it there today.
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Go on for just a little while.
    45
    46   MS. STEEL:   Could you get back the blue file, the Defendants'
    47        Documents, please, bundle IV?
    48        A.  Yes.
    49
    50   Q.   If you could turn to tab 26 again, the article I wanted to 
    51        ask you about was the hot-cross bun filler, that is the 
    52        heading on the page with a picture on there? 
    53        A.  Have you any idea how far it is in?
    54
    55   Q.   It is about halfway through I think.  It is from the Sunday
    56        Telegraph magazine of 14th February 1988?
    57        A.  Yes, I have it.
    58
    59   Q.   If you could turn into the fourth page of that, just under
    60        5.47 p.m. which is at the bottom of the first column on

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