Day 207 - 23 Jan 96 - Page 08
1 18 years -----
2
3 MR. RAMPTON: "Is".
4
5 MR. MORRIS: "... is still under 18 years old". I mean, was it
6 actually illegal at that time to work after 12 o'clock for
7 an under 18 year old?
8 A. I am not sure.
9
10 Q. Do you know when the law changed?
11 A. No.
12
13 Q. You do not know when the law changed?
14 A. I have no recollection of the date.
15
16 Q. Do you remember the law changing?
17 A. I do.
18
19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Changing in what respect?
20 A. Well, in respect of the legal age for the person to
21 work past the hours of -- I do believe it is 12 o'clock for
22 a person of that classification.
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I had better be educated about that at some
25 stage. I am sitting here quite happily thinking that over
26 all the years I am considering women under 18 were not
27 allowed to work past 10.00 and men under 18 were not
28 allowed to work past 12.00.
29
30 MR. RAMPTON: No, my Lord. It is in volume 12 somewhere.
31
32 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Someone had better put me right.
33
34 MR. RAMPTON: It did change. It is a question of law. It is
35 not a matter for the witness. It changed long before this
36 date, some time around -----
37
38 MR. JUSTICE BELL: In what respect did it change?
39
40 MR. RAMPTON: I think the law changed. I do not want to answer
41 that, unless I have -----
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I mean, did it become illegal for the first
44 time or became legal?
45
46 MR. RAMPTON: It became legal to go on working past midnight,
47 but the precise times and ages and the precise date, it is
48 in volume 12. There is, in fact, a McDonald's memorandum
49 about it which your Lordship has seen. It is a long time
50 ago. It is in Mr. Nicholson's evidence, I think.
51
52 MS. STEEL: I think it might have been 1992, but I am not sure.
53
54 MR. RAMPTON: McDonald's sent a memo round saying: "The law has
55 changed but Company policy remains as the law was".
56
57 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, thank you.
58
59 MR. RAMPTON: I will try to find it for your Lordship.
60
