Day 085 - 08 Feb 95 - Page 61


     
     1        record there was of this complaint of a customer being ill,
     2        how long would that be kept?
     3        A.  I would say a couple of years, but perhaps a store
     4        would not hold on to it within a restaurant.  If it was
     5        something as serious as that it would have gone to one of
     6        their head office departments at whichever time the
     7        complaint was.  If we are talking about 1991 I cannot
     8        recollect who that individual would have been, but whoever
     9        had responsibility for that would have had a record.
    10
    11   Q.   It would go to the regional office, sorry, or the head
    12        office in London?
    13        A.  I believe regional.  Regional complaints were dealt
    14        with but complaint letters would go to a person in the
    15        region.  Because we were a smaller company at that time
    16        there was less, responsibilities were further spread.
    17        I think that if it was a complaint on sickness then someone
    18        in London would have been contacted by the regional
    19        complaint department or the person responsible for
    20        complaints in the region.
    21
    22   Q.   The memo on the following page, page 545, you would have
    23        seen this one, would you?
    24        A.  Yes.
    25
    26   Q.   Do you remember it?
    27        A.  No.
    28
    29   Q.   You do not remember it?
    30        A.  I have not read it yet.  Allow me to read it and I will
    31        see if I have a recollection. I do not remember the memo in
    32        detail, but I am familiar with what it is saying.
    33
    34   Q.   This is the instruction following the Preston outbreak of
    35        food poisoning to increase the cooking time?
    36        A.  Does it say that?
    37
    38   Q.   Well, it was a question.  I am presuming it is from the
    39        date.
    40
    41   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You might be right, but ----
    42
    43   MS. STEEL:  I did say it was a question.
    44        A.  It does not say it relates to the Preston incident, so
    45        I do not know if it is.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is very soon after the Preston outbreak.
    48        If refers to tests which have been going on.
    49        A.  I think it is -----
    50 
    51   Q.   Do you know whether it was hurried forward or anything like 
    52        that or a decision was actually made because of the Preston 
    53        outbreak?
    54        A.  It would only be speculation.  I was not involved in
    55        head office and making decisions of this magnitude.  I was
    56        operating out in the field.  We have been testing clamshell
    57        grills since 1984.  There are reasons for trying to
    58        replicate the quality of clamshell grills in regular meat,
    59        so that seems to be the reason there.  I would say Preston
    60        happened and we were looking to make sure that we could do

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