Day 072 - 12 Jan 95 - Page 56


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I must say I feel rather differently about
     2        this than someone as an individual being asked what his
     3        personal income is, which could be interpreted as personal
     4        pride.
     5
     6   MR. RAMPTON:  I understand that, though it may well be, I know
     7        not, that Mr. Stump's personal position is related directly
     8        to the amount of turnover.
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If we come to that we can deal with it.
    11
    12   MR. RAMPTON:  I want to make it clear that my reason for
    13        intervening is not simply that Mr. Stump who is obviously
    14        somewhat reluctant to answer, but that your Lordship will
    15        remember, for example, some questions were asked the other
    16        day about Mrs. Thatcher, as she then was, and Mr. Love and
    17        Sir Bernard Ingham, matters of that kind.  It has since
    18        become apparent that the only reason those questions were
    19        was asked so that the Defendants could disseminate damaging
    20        publicity about McDonald's.  It is for those reasons that
    21        I am as suspicious as I am.
    22
    23   MR. MORRIS:  Mr. Rampton keeps making unsubstantiated comments
    24        like that.  If he has any proof that that was the reason
    25        those questions were asked, then he should bring it before
    26        the court.  If he can prove that was the reason I asked
    27        those questions, then that is up to him.  Otherwise he
    28        should not make such ridiculous unsubstantiated comments.
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am going to allow you to ask a question
    31        about turnover, because we have some figures of general
    32        McDonald's turnover.  At the moment I do not see why anyone
    33        should be particularly self-conscious about what the
    34        turnover of a particular restaurant is either.  Keep the
    35        financial figures directly on the point that are you aiming
    36        at.
    37
    38                  (The witness returned into court).
    39
    40   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I want you to answer the question in so far
    41        as you can as to the turnover of the Kings Road Royal
    42        Avenue restaurant.  If there are any further questions
    43        about figures and if Mr. Rampton takes any objection to
    44        them, I will decide upon them as they come, but I would
    45        like you to answer that question if you have the
    46        information.  It is not expected to be spot-on, unless you
    47        do have a spot-on figure.
    48        A.  Yes, sir.  The approximate sales for last year were
    49        £1.6 million, that was net sales.
    50 
    51   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What do you mean by "net sales"? 
    52        A.  Well, after the VAT and ---- 
    53
    54   MR. MORRIS:  Do you have company pressure or guidelines on the
    55        labour costs of crew staffing that you should not go above?
    56        A.  There is no figure that we should not go above.
    57
    58   Q.   No, but I mean what is the guideline for your store?
    59        A.  It would be whatever labour percentage we need to meet
    60        the company guidelines on operational standards.

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