Day 233 - 26 03 96 - Page 52

 
 

                                                                  DAY 233
 
 
 
 
 
     1        understanding is basically -- the working understanding and
     2        the working practice is basically that if McDonald's ask
     3        for a document they will be given it.  Obviously, it has to
     4        be related to their company; I am not talking about other
     5        companies that those suppliers supply to.
     6
     7        So, I would say that they have an obligation to disclose
     8        the documents, that they are within their power because
     9        they are quite capable of asking for them and they will be
    10        given to them, and if it turns out that the suppliers
    11        suddenly have changed their policy or practice that has
    12        been going on, as far as we can understand it, from what
    13        Mr. Cesca says, it has been going on for years, if they
    14        suddenly turn around and say, "No, we are not going to give
    15        them to you", well, then, the Plaintiffs can come back and
    16        say that is the position and we will have to deal with it
    17        then.  But, on the face of it, it is clear they are capable
    18        of getting hold of those documents without any problems
    19        whatsoever and without having to give any reasons
    20        whatsoever.  So they should be ordered to disclose them.
    21
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  What did you want to say in addition in
    23        relation to the Heathrow documents or the Mr. Rensi video?
    24
    25   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, can I hand that up.  I have stuck it
    26        together as best I can.  Your Lordship's Post-its are still
    27        on it.  I hope they are in the right place.  (Handed).
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Thank you.
    30
    31   MR. MORRIS:  The Heathrow documents -----
    32
    33   MS. STEEL:  Can I say incidentally about that map that was
    34        handed up, I did verify those particular things with
    35        Mr. Cesca and I could look up the references if you do want
    36        them.
    37
    38   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    39
    40   MR. MORRIS:  The Heathrow documents.  It is just, basically, we
    41        are waiting for a response from the Plaintiffs about
    42        whether they still have a national computerised information
    43        system for employment matters and can access relevant
    44        documents from the Bath store, and we think it might be
    45        helpful if they were given a deadline to do that because it
    46        could probably be done at the press of a button in five
    47        minutes.  It might encourage them if they had a deadline,
    48        say, by Thursday, or something.
    49
    50   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, Mr. Morris' -- I have said it before and 
    51        I will say it again -- his ignorance of computing science 
    52        is about as great as mine.  It is not Bath anyway; it is 
    53        Heathrow.
    54
    55   MR. MORRIS:  Sorry, yes; Heathrow.
    56
    57   MR. RAMPTON:  In order to get that information out of the
    58        computer, if it is still there, one would have to write a
    59        whole new programme.  What that involves I do not yet know
    60        and I will certainly tell your Lordship when I do.  It is
 
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