Day 240 - 24 Apr 96 - Page 20

     
     1        beef patties in the United States and any evidence which
     2        helps me to a conclusion one way or another on that I will
     3        happily receive, but whatever may be said about the
     4        relevance of McDonald's doing anything misleading or
     5        unconscionable in the attitude with those they negotiate or
     6        speak to, for instance with regard to nutrition, I do not
     7        see it as any part of any issue in this part of the case.
     8
     9        What I am anxious to do is not spend time on change of
    10        attitude with McDonald's and whether it was the right one
    11        or the wrong one, save in so far as it is really directly
    12        helps me, on whether any Central American beef has ever
    13        ended up in a McDonald's North US beef patty.
    14
    15   MS. STEEL:  I basically had finished on the point, but the point
    16        I was on is something that Mr. Morris raised with
    17        Mr. Cesca, which is whether it was basically in McDonald's
    18        interest to have the confusion over the beef labelling laws
    19        because it meant that they were benefiting from it.
    20
    MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think that does take me back to what
    22        evidence there is, if any, that they have actually had any
    23        Central American beef in their patties but, anyway, you are
    24        aware of the point so bear it in mind.
    25
    26   MS. STEEL:  The next letter in our file is in tab 9 which is a
    27        letter dated 26th July 1982 to Mr. Graham Hooper.  Is that
    28        one of the ones that you wanted to comment on?  If you do
    29        not, then just say "No".
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If you do want to comment -- it is a bit
    32        unfair on you, Mr. Secrett, coming into this courtroom and
    33        hear me expounding, after listening to the evidence for
    34        nearly 2 years, on what I understand the issues in the case
    35        to be.  But if you took on board what I have just said, and
    36        it may be too much to expect you to do so at short notice,
    37        I would like you to bear it in mind.
    38        A.  I will try and tread this delicate path and hope
    39        I succeed.
    40
    Q.   Yes, do that.
    42        A.  In relation to the letter to Mr. Hooper, I think that
    43        it is significant that Elizabeth Densmore on July 26th,
    44        1982 says, and I read from the second paragraph:
    45
    46        "As a result we can assure you that the only Brazilian
    47        beef used by McDonald's is that purchased by the 6 stores
    48        located in Brazil itself."
    49
    50        That statement, it seems to me, contradicts other 
    51        statements that have been made such as in the letter from 
    52        Annette Allen to Mr. Wright. 
    53
    54   Q.   I think that is comment on ----
    55
    56   MR. MORRIS:  Were you informed during your negotiations with
    57        McDonald's about the imports of Brazilian beef into the UK
    58        just prior to your meetings you had with McDonald's?
    59        A.  I am sorry, could you repeat the question?
    60