Day 061 - 05 Dec 94 - Page 03


     
     1        issues, you said you had something to say about the 100 per
     2        cent paper bags?
     3        A.  Mr. Rampton did, yes, that is right.  I spoke with the
     4        buyer concerned at McDonald's office and also with the
     5        buyer concerned at Perseco, and I was told by the buyer
     6        concerned at McDonald's office (from whom I obtained the
     7        information of 100 per cent unbleached and recycled) that,
     8        in fact, at the time he gave me the information that was
     9        correct.  I asked him what he meant by that, and he said
    10        several years ago -- and I said:  "Could you be more
    11        specific than 'several years ago'?"  And he said:  "In 1991
    12        we did put 100 per cent bleached (sic) and recycled
    13        material bags into the restaurants".
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Did you mean bleached and recycled or
    16        unbleached?
    17        A.  Sorry, unbleached and recycled bags into the
    18        restaurants and, in fact, the supplier had so many
    19        complaints that the bags were splitting he had to withdraw
    20        them after a while.  It was not a test in the restaurants.
    21        It actually went out into the market.  He had so many
    22        complaints he had withdraw them and revert back to "between
    23        80 and 90 per cent", were his words.  That depends on the
    24        quality of the recycled material available at a point in
    25        time.
    26
    27        I asked him what the current position was today.  He said
    28        that is still the current position today, but in March 1995
    29        technology has moved on, the supplier has new equipment, he
    30        has access to better raw materials, recycled raw materials
    31        and, in fact, in March 1995 he will be putting back 100 per
    32        cent unbleached and recycled bags into the restaurants.
    33        So, the statement at the time I was given it, was correct;
    34        it was not correct when I was answering you on Friday.
    35
    36   MR. MORRIS:  Did you check out the figure the supplier gave you
    37        with anybody else in the company?
    38        A.  Which figure?
    39
    40   Q.   Over the weekend.  You said the 100 per cent figure you
    41        checked with the supplier; did you check with anybody else?
    42        A.  No, I did not check with the supplier.  I checked with
    43        the McDonald's buyer and the Perseco buyer.
    44
    45   Q.   Who was that?
    46        A.  Paul Edwards -- he is the McDonald's buyer.
    47
    48   Q.   That is what he told you then, the 100 per cent?
    49        A.  At the time -- he actually gave me the figures
    50        originally when I put the statement together. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Right.  Did you check out with anybody else? 
    53        A.  I checked with Perseco.  The gentleman concerned who
    54        was Purchasing Manager for Perseco at the time is no longer
    55        with Perseco, and they were not able to find any
    56        information from anyone else.
    57
    58   Q.   Paul Edwards works for McDonald's, does he?
    59        A.  He does, yes.
    60

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