Annual Financial Report

RNS Number : 8019S

British American Tobacco PLC

22 March 2016

 

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO p.l.c.

Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 December 2015 and Annual General Meeting 2016

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (the "Company") reports that the following documents are being mailed to its shareholders (as applicable) today, 22 March 2016. Those documents with a web-link shown will also available to be viewed or downloaded on the British American Tobacco website as indicated:

(1)    Annual Report 2015 (including the Strategic Report 2015) www.bat.com/annualreport

(2)    Performance Summary 2015 www.bat.com/annualreport

(3)    Notice of Annual General Meeting 2016 www.bat.com/AGM

(4)    Proxy Form 

(5)    Proxy Form - South Africa 

(6)    Voting Instruction Form - South Africa 

In compliance with Listing Rule 9.6.1, copies of each of the above documents will be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism as soon as practicable and will be available for inspection via the following link: www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

The Company made its Preliminary Announcement of its audited results (which included a Directors' responsibility statement) in respect of the year ended 31 December 2015 (the "Preliminary Announcement") on 25 February 2016. Further to the Preliminary Announcement and with reference to the requirements of Rules 4.1 and 6.3.5 of the Disclosure Rules and Transparency Rules ("DTR"), the following disclosures are made in the Appendices below.

Appendix A to this announcement contains a description of the Principal Group risk  factors (page 37 of the Annual Report 2015) and Appendix B is a statement of related party disclosures (page 190 Annual Report 2015). Together these constitute the material required by DTR 6.3.5 to be communicated to the media in unedited full text through a Regulatory Information Service. This material is not a substitute for reading the full Annual Report 2015. Any page numbers and cross-references in the extracted information below refer to page numbers in the Annual Report 2015.

The Annual General Meeting of the Company is scheduled to be held at Milton Court Concert Hall, Silk Street, London EC2Y 9BH on Wednesday 27 April 2016 at 11.30am.

G C W Cunnington

Deputy Secretary

22 March 2016

Press Office:

Will Hill/Anne Vickerstaff  020 7845 2888

Investor Relations:

Mike Nightingale 020 7845 1180

Rachael Brierley 020 7845 1519

APPENDIX A

PRINCIPAL GROUP RISK FACTORS

Overview

The principal risk factors that may affect the Group are set out below.

Each risk is considered in the context of the Group's strategy, as set out in the Strategic Report on pages 8 and 9. Following a description of each risk, its causes and potential impact on the Group are summarised. We also explain the activities we are undertaking to mitigate each risk.

The Group has identified, actively monitors and is taking action to mitigate many different risks. This section does not include them all, but focuses on those risks that the Directors believe to be the most important after assessment of the likelihood and potential impact on the business. Not all of these risks are within the control of the Group and other factors besides those listed may affect the Group's performance. Some risks may be unknown at present. Others, currently regarded as immaterial, could become material risks in the future.

The risk factors listed in this section and the activities being undertaken to mitigate them should be considered in the context of the Group's internal control framework. This is described in the section on risk management and internal control in the corporate governance statement on page 61 of the Annual Report. This section should also be read in the context of the cautionary statement set out below.

Assessment of Group risk

During the year, the Directors have carried out a robust assessment of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business model, future performance, solvency or liquidity.

The principal risks facing the Group have remained broadly unchanged over the past year, particularly with regard to the principal risks included in Marketplace, Excise and tax, Operations, Regulation and Litigation risk factors.

The Board has considered the risks associated with the inability to recruit required talent and the loss of existing talent. The impact of the risk has increased to reflect the challenge posed by negative perceptions of the sustainability and corporate reputation of a tobacco business and is now listed as a principal risk facing the business.

In addition, the Board has considered the foreign exchange rate exposure risk. An assessment of the current exposure to transactional foreign exchange rate risk has resulted in an increase to the risk rating.

A solvency and liquidity risk has also been disclosed as its assessment underpins our Viability Statement set out below, although the mitigation plans reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring.

With regard to the Group's revised operating model and single IT operating system, another key risk factor reported in 2014, in view of the good progress on deployment, the Board considers that a combined risk, focusing on sustainability and benefits realisation, describes more accurately the context of the current risk. As such, the risks have been merged into a new combined risk, which is the failure to achieve sustainability of the operating model and its benefits. This is not considered to be a principal risk and as a result it is not reported again this year.

The risk of failure to lead the development of the Next Generation Products category has also been removed from the principal risk factors as progress has been made in several areas which mitigates the risk.

Cautionary statement

The Strategic Report and certain other sections of the Annual Report contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risk factors associated with, among other things, the economic and business circumstances occurring from time to time in the countries and markets in which the Group operates. It is believed that the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable but they may be affected by a wide range of variables that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated.

Viability Statement

The Directors have assessed, in accordance with the requirements of the 2014 revision of the UK Corporate Governance Code, the viability of the Group. The Directors have considered a number of factors that affect the resilience of the Group, including the principal risks (as described on pages 39-44) which are reviewed, with the mitigating actions, at least once a year. The Directors also took account of the Group's operational and financial processes, which cover both short-term (1-2 year financial forecasts, 2-3 year capacity plans) and longer term strategic planning. This includes a sensitivity analysis regarding core drivers to ensure the business is able to continue in operation and can continue to meet the liabilities as they fall due.

The Group operates in a unique environment, being subject to inherent uncertainties with regards to regulatory change and litigation, the outcome of which may have a bearing on the Group's viability. The Group maintains, as referred to in note 30 "Contingent Liabilities and Financial Commitments" [on the Notes on the Accounts to the Annual Report] , that, whilst it is impossible to be certain of the outcome of any particular case, the defences of the Group's companies to all the various claims are meritorious on both law and the facts. If an adverse judgment is entered against any of the Group's companies in any case, appeals will usually be made, the duration of which can be reasonably expected to last for a number of years.

The Directors have no reason to believe the Group will not be viable over a longer period. However, given the inherent uncertainty involved regarding litigation and regulation, the period over which the Directors consider it possible to form a reasonable expectation as to the Group's longer term viability, based on the stress testing and scenario planning discussed above, is three years.

Details of the principal risks are set out in the following tables.

A. Marketplace risk factors

Competition from illicit tobacco trade

Definition

Illicit trade - in the form of counterfeit products, smuggled genuine products and locally manufactured products on which applicable taxes are evaded - represents a significant and growing threat to the legitimate tobacco industry. Most illicit products are sold at the bottom end of the market and in contravention of applicable regulatory requirements.

Excise increases can encourage more consumers to switch to cheaper illegal tobacco products, providing greater rewards for smugglers. The risk is exacerbated where current economic conditions have resulted in high unemployment and/or reduced disposable incomes.

Global volume of illicit trade is estimated to be up to 12% of consumption. In the next decade, we believe that the problem is likely to increase, driven by the increased regulatory and compliance burden for legitimate manufacturers and further significant excise increases.

Time frame: Long term

Principal causes

·     Unexpected and significant excise increases and widening excise differentials between markets.

·     Unintended consequences of regulation, e.g. plain packaging, graphic warnings, display bans and ingredients restrictions.

·     Extra compliance costs imposed on the legitimate industry giving a competitive advantage to illicit manufacturers.

·     Economic downturn.

·     Lack of law enforcement and weak border controls.

Potential impact

·     Erosion of brand value, with lower volumes and reduced profits.

·     Reduced ability to take price increases.

·     Investment in trade marketing and distribution is undermined.

Strategic impact: Growth (organic revenue growth)

Mitigation activities

·     Dedicated Anti-Illicit Trade (AIT) teams operating at global and country levels and internal cross-functional coordination.

·     Active engagement with key external stakeholders.

·     Cross-industry and multi-sector cooperation on a range of AIT issues.

·     Global AIT strategy supported by a research programme to further the understanding of the size and scope of the problem.

·     AIT Engagement Team (including a dedicated analytical laboratory) works with enforcement agencies in pursuit of priority targets.

Risk owner: Director, Legal and External Affairs

Market size reduction and consumer down-trading

Definition

As a consequence of steep excise-led price increases and the continuing difficult economic and regulatory environment in many countries, market contraction and consumer down-trading are expected to remain principal risks facing the Group.

A number of instances of market contraction have arisen, particularly in Europe, Australia, Brazil and Russia.

Time frame: Short/Medium term

Principal causes

·     Downturn in the economic climate impacting consumers' disposable incomes.

·     Changes in the regulatory environment.

·     Continued above-inflation price rises.

·     Targeted growth of low-priced brands through aggressive pricing.

Potential impact

·     Volume decline and portfolio mix erosion.

·     Funds to invest in growth opportunities are reduced.

Strategic impact: Growth (organic revenue growth)

Mitigation activities

·     Geographic spread mitigates impact at Group level.

·     Quarterly brand reviews are presented to the Global Marketing Leadership Team as well as to the Management Board.

·     Economic outlook embedded into quarterly performance reviews in markets.

·     Key market reviews at Management Board meetings.

·     Close monitoring of sales volume by segment to detect changes in consumer purchasing patterns in markets.

·     Clear portfolio and pricing strategies, ensuring balanced portfolio of strong brands across key segments.

·     Increased focus behind product quality and innovation across all segments to provide tangible differentiation and improve the price-value ratio.

·     Overlap with many mitigation activities undertaken for other principal risks facing the Group, such as competition from illicit tobacco trade, significant excise increases or structure changes and inability to obtain price increases.

Risk owner: Regional Directors

Inability to obtain price increases and impact of increases on consumer affordability

Definition

Annual manufacturers' price increases are among the key drivers in increasing market profitability. The Group faces a risk that such price increases will not materialise.

Time frame: Short/Medium term

Principal causes

·     Increased regulation reduces the ability to build brand equity and enhance the value proposition to the consumer.

·     Stretched consumer affordability arising from deteriorating economic conditions and rising prices.

·     Sharp increase or change in excise structure reduces opportunities for manufacturer-led pricing.

·     Competitor pricing activities.

Potential impact

·     Inability to achieve strategic growth metrics.

·     Funds to invest in growth opportunities are reduced.

·     Volumes may reduce faster than anticipated due to accelerated market decline.

·     Down-trading and growth of illicit trade.

Strategic impact: Growth (organic revenue growth)

Mitigation activities

·     Key market and pricing reviews at Management Board meetings.

·     Pricing, excise and trade margin committees exist in all markets with regional and global support.

·     Robust business cases underpinning key innovative launches.

·     Clear portfolio and pricing strategies, ensuring a balanced portfolio of strong brands across key segments.

Risk owner: Regional Directors

B. Excise and tax risk factors

Significant excise increases or structure changes

Definition

Tobacco products are subject to substantial excise and sales taxes in most countries in which the Group operates. In many of these countries, taxes are generally increasing, but the rate of increase varies country by country and between different types of tobacco products.

A number of significant excise increases have taken place over the past three years, for example in Australia, Russia, Brazil, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine and the Philippines. To date, the Group has been able to balance these increases with its geographic spread and continues to develop effective measures to address the risk.

Time frame: Long term

Principal causes

·   Fiscal pressures for higher government revenues.

·   Increases advocated within the context of national health policies.

·   Insufficient opportunity to engage with stakeholders in meaningful dialogue.

Potential impact

·     Consumers reject the Group's legitimate tax-paid products for products from illicit sources or cheaper alternatives.

·     Reduced legal industry volumes.

·     Reduced sales volume and/or portfolio erosion.

·     Some absorption of excise increases.

Strategic impact: Growth (organic revenue growth)

Mitigation activities

·     Requirement for Group companies to have in place formal pricing and excise strategies including contingency plans, with annual risk assessments.

·     Pricing, excise and trade margin committees in markets, with regional and global support.

·     Engagement with local tax and customs authorities, where appropriate, in particular in relation to the increased risk to excise revenues from higher illicit trade.

·     Portfolio reviews to ensure appropriate balance and coverage across price segments.

·     Monitoring of economic indicators, government revenues and the political situation.

·     Central team in place to define the excise management framework, develop training materials, monitor and engage with international financial institutions on excise and anti-illicit trade matters.

Risk owner: Regional Directors

Disputed taxes, interest and penalties 

Definition

The Group may face significant financial penalties, including the payment of interest, in the event of an unfavourable ruling by a tax authority in a disputed area.
Time frame: Short /Medium term

Principal causes

·     Unfavourable ruling by tax authorities in disputed areas and aggressive auditing and/or pursuit of tax claims.

Potential impact

·     Significant fines and potential legal penalties.

·     Disruption and loss of focus on the business due to diversion of management time.

·     Impact on profit and dividend.

Strategic impact: Productivity (capital effectiveness)

Mitigation activities

·     End-market tax committees.

·     Internal tax function provides dedicated advice and guidance, and external advice sought where needed.

·     Engagement with tax authorities at Group, regional and individual market level.

Risk owner: Finance Director

C. Finance risk factors

Foreign exchange rate exposures

Definition

The Group faces transactional and translational foreign exchange (FX) rate exposures for earnings/cash flows from its global business. During periods of sterling strength and FX rate volatility, as seen in 2015, the adverse impact on the Group's results can be significant.

Time frame: Short /Medium term

Principal causes

·     FX rate exposures arise from exchange rate movement against the functional currency and against sterling, the Group's reporting currency.

Potential impact

·     Fluctuations in FX rates of key currencies against sterling introduce volatility in reported EPS, cash flow and the balance sheet driven by translation into sterling of our financial results.

·     The dividend may be impacted if the payout ratio is not adjusted.

·     Differences in translation between earnings and net debt may affect key ratios used by credit rating agencies.

·     Volatility and/or increased costs in our business, due to transactional FX, may adversely impact financial performance.

Strategic impact: Productivity (capital effectiveness)

Mitigation activities

·   While translational FX exposure is not hedged, its impact is identified in results presentations and financial disclosures; earnings are re-stated at constant rates for comparability.

·   Debt and interest are matched to assets and cash flows to mitigate volatility where possible and economic to do so.

·   Hedging strategy for transactional FX and framework is defined in the treasury policy, a Global policy approved by the Board.

·   Illiquid currencies of many markets where hedging is either not possible or uneconomic are reviewed on a regular basis.

·   The Treasury system provides visibility of FX exposures and the hedge portfolio.

Risk owner: Finance Director

Solvency and liquidity

Definition

Liquidity (access to cash and sources of finance) is essential to maintaining the Group as a going concern in the short term (liquidity) and medium term (solvency).

Time frame: Short/Medium term

Principal causes

·     The external environment (foreign exchange and interest rates) and the availability of financing and business conditions are subject to variability which may lead to stress in the capital structure, liquidity and solvency of the Group.

Potential impact

·     Inability to fund the business under our current capital structure resulting in missed strategic opportunities or inability to respond to threats.

·     Decline in our creditworthiness and increased funding costs for the Group.

·     Requirement to issue equity or seek new sources of capital.

·     Reputational risk of failure to manage the financial risk profile of the business, resulting in an erosion of shareholder value reflected in an underperforming share price.

Strategic impact: Productivity (capital effectiveness)

Mitigation activities

·     Group policies include a set of financing principles and key performance indicators including the monitoring of credit ratings, interest cover, solvency and liquidity with regular reporting to the Board.

·     The Group targets an average centrally managed debt maturity of at least five years with no more than 20% of centrally managed debt maturing in a single rolling year.

·     The Group, through B.A.T. International Finance p.l.c., holds a central banking facility of £3 billion with a final maturity of May 2020 (an additional one-year extension is available at the option of the banks) spread across a wide banking group.

·     Liquidity pooling structures are in place to ensure that there is maximum mobilisation of cash liquidity within the Group.

·     The Group has an externally imposed capital requirement for its centrally managed banking facilities of maintaining gross interest cover above 4.5 times. The Group targets a gross interest cover of greater than 5.

·     Going concern and viability support papers are presented to the Board on a regular basis.

Risk owner: Finance Director

D. Operations Risk Factors

Geopolitical tensions

Definition

Geopolitical tensions, social unrest, terrorism and organised crime have the potential to disrupt the Group's business in multiple markets.

Time frame: Long term

Principal causes

·   Regional and/or global conflicts.

·   Terrorism and political violence.

·   Criminal activity leading to attacks on our people, supply chain or other assets.

·   Economic policy changes, including nationalisation of assets and withdrawal from international trade agreements.

Potential impact

·     Potential loss of life, loss of assets and disruption to normal business processes.

·     Increased costs due to more complex supply chain arrangements and/or the cost of building new facilities or maintaining inefficient facilities.

·     Reputational impact of inability to protect staff and assets from serious harm.

Strategic impact: Growth (organic revenue growth)

Mitigation activities

·     Globally integrated sourcing strategy and contingency sourcing arrangements.

·     Security risk modelling, including external risk assessments and the monitoring of geopolitical and economic policy developments worldwide.

·     Insurance cover and business continuity planning, including scenario planning and testing and risk awareness training.

·     Security controls for field force, direct store sales and supply chain with an emphasis on the protection of Group employees.

Risk owner: Director, Legal and External Affairs

Injury, illness or death in the workplace

Definition

The Group is committed to operating responsibly by maintaining the necessary controls that safeguard the health, safety and welfare of the people who work for the Group, as well as minimising the impact on the natural environment and the local communities in which the Group conducts business activities. The risk of injury, death or ill health to employees and those who work with the business is a fundamental concern of the Group and can have a significant effect on its operations.
Time frame: Long term

Principal causes

·   Failure to assess risk and implement appropriate control measures.

·   Failure to monitor, assess and implement the requirements of regulations that apply to Group sites and operations resulting in non-compliance with environment, health and safety (EHS) standards.

·   Insufficient information, instruction and training on health and safety at work.

Potential impact

·     Serious injuries, ill health, disability or loss of life suffered by employees and the people who work with the Group.

·     Exposure to civil and criminal liability and the risk of prosecution from enforcement bodies and the cost of associated fines and/or penalties.

·     Interruption of Group operations if issues are not addressed quickly.

·     High staff turnover or difficulty recruiting employees if perceived to have a poor EHS record.

Strategic impact: Sustainability

Mitigation activities

·     Risk control systems in place to ensure equipment and infrastructure are provided and maintained.

·     An EHS strategy ensures that employees at all levels receive appropriate EHS training and information.

·     Behavioural-based safety programme to drive Operations safety performance and culture closer to zero accidents.

·     Analysis of incidents undertaken regionally and globally to identify increasing incident trends or high potential risks that require coordinated action to address.

·     Focused programmes within Marketing to address specific risks associated with sales and distribution activities.

·     Dedicated global team to support management of EHS risks.

·     Key issues and incidents monitored regionally and reported globally to oversee compliance.

Risk owner: Director, Operations

E. Regulation Risk Factors

Tobacco regulation inhibits growth strategy

Definition

The enactment of unreasonable regulation that prohibits the Group's ability to communicate with consumers, differentiate our products and launch future products. This increases business costs and complexity.

Time frame: Long term

Principal causes

Pressure from some international health organisations, governments and the tobacco control community to pursue regulation and policy that: is not evidence-based; is designed to eradicate tobacco and nicotine use; excludes the industry from the manufacture and sale of Next Generation Products or regulates them in a way that fails to incentivise their commercialisation; and fails to deliver legitimate public health objectives.

Potential impact

·     Erosion of brand value through commoditisation, the inability to launch innovations, differentiate products, maintain or build brand equity and leverage price.

·     Adverse impact on ability to compete within the legitimate tobacco industry and also with increased illicit trade.

·     Reduced consumer acceptability of new product specifications, leading to consumers seeking alternatives in illicit trade.

·     Shocks to share price on enactment of unduly onerous and restrictive regulation.

·     Reduced ability to compete in future product categories and make new market entries.

·     Constriction of the retail universe and limitations on product visibility.

·     Increased scope and severity of compliance regimes in new regulation leading to higher costs, greater complexity and potential reputational damage or fines for inadvertent breach.

Strategic impact: Growth (organic revenue growth) and Sustainability (balanced regulation)

Mitigation activities

·     Engagement and litigation strategy coordinated and aligned across the Group to drive a balanced global policy framework for tobacco control.

·     Prioritisation of key current and emerging regulatory issues.

·     Stakeholder mapping and prioritisation, developing robust compelling advocacy materials (with supporting evidence and data) and regulatory engagement programmes.

·     Regulatory risk assessment of marketing plans to ensure decisions are informed by an understanding of the potential regulatory environments.

·     Advocating the application of our integrated regulatory proposals to governments and public health practitioners based on the harm reduction principles.

·     Development of an integrated regulatory strategy that spans conventional combustibles and includes Next Generation Products.

Risk owner: Director, Legal and External Affairs

F. Litigation Risk Factors

Litigation

Definition

Product liability, regulatory or other significant cases may be lost or compromised resulting in a material loss or other consequence. Legal costs may increase significantly.

Time frame: Long term

Principal causes

·   Case lost by either a non-Group or Group company may set a precedent for the filing of future claims against the Group.

·   Cases are brought on the basis of the reversal of the burden of proof which places the Group, as a defendant, at a disadvantage e.g. health care recoupment cases.

·   Aggressive court timeline or approach that undermines defence preparation.

Potential impact

·     Damages and fines, negative impact on reputation, disruption and loss of focus on the business.

·     Consolidated results of operations, cash flows and financial position could be materially affected, in a particular fiscal quarter or fiscal year, by an unfavourable outcome or settlement of pending or future litigation.

Strategic impact: Growth (revenue impact)

Mitigation activities

·     Consistent litigation strategy across the Group.

·     Expertise and legal talent maintained both within the Group and with our external partners.

·     Closer integration in Group litigation strategy and cost controls pursued.

Risk owner: Director, Legal and External Affairs

G. People Risk Factors

Inability to recruit or retain talent

Definition

The Group faces a risk of an inability to attract and retain the right people who have the ability and personal leadership to drive and deliver competitive advantage and superior performance.

Time frame: Long term

Principal causes

·     Negative perception of the sustainability and corporate reputation of a tobacco company.

·     Perceived uncompetitive remuneration packages compared to the marketplace.

Potential impact

·     Undesirable voluntary turnover reducing organisational performance and productivity.

·     Critical positions left vacant unbalances skills and capabilities and reduces sustainable leadership to drive the Group strategy.

Strategic impact: Growth (revenue impact) and Winning Organisation

Mitigation activities

·     Group employee communication campaign 'The BAT Way' and leadership team interaction to strengthen employee engagement.

·     Employee engagement 'Your Voice' analysis and global exit interviews to understand employee satisfaction and drive targeted action.

·     Elevating our employer brand and communication digitally through targeted social media channels.

·     Active talent agenda and talent management globally, providing succession planning and stretch development opportunities to enhance the quality of our people and the strength of our talent pipelines.

·     Investment in our leadership development portfolio to challenge and inspire, enabling career development.

·     Benchmarking of reward in line with a global FMCG comparator group.

Risk owner: Director, Group Human Resources

APPENDIX B

RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

The Group has a number of transactions and relationships with related parties, as defined in IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures, all of which are undertaken in the normal course of business. Transactions with CTBAT International Limited are not included in these disclosures as it is a joint operation.

Transactions and balances with associates relate mainly to the sale and purchase of cigarettes and tobacco leaf. Amounts receivable from associates in respect of dividends included in the table below were £145 million (2014: £96 million). The Group's share of dividends from associates, included in other net income in the table below, was £640 million (2014: £518 million).

The below table includes amounts related to the new joint venture in 2015 in Hungary.

	2015 £m	2014 £m
Transactions
-revenue	38	38
-purchases	(270)	(279)
-other net income	639	512
Amounts receivable at 31 December	190	98
Amounts payable at 31 December	(20)	(25)

On 17 December 2012, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group, BATUS Japan Inc. (BATUSJ), entered into an Amendment and Extension Agreement (referred to as the Amendment) with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (referred to as RJRT). The Amendment modifies the American blend Cigarette Manufacturing Agreement (referred to as the 2010 Agreement), effective as of 1 January 2010.

Prior to the Amendment, the term of the 2010 Agreement was scheduled to expire on 31 December 2014, subject to early termination and extension provisions. Pursuant to the Amendment, the Manufacturing Agreement will remain in effect beyond 31 December 2014, provided that either RJRT or BATUSJ may terminate the Manufacturing Agreement by furnishing three years' notice to the other party; such notice was given in January 2016.

During 2014, the Group received proceeds of £94 million in respect of its participation in the share buy-back programme conducted by RAI. This programme ceased in the second quarter of 2014.

On 12 June 2015, RAI completed its acquisition of Lorillard, Inc. and related divestiture transactions to ITG Brands LLC, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, after receiving the required regulatory approval. At the same time, the intention of which was announced on 15 July 2014, the Group invested US$4.7 billion (£3.0 billion) of cash in RAI to maintain its 42% equity position in the enlarged business.

In addition, on 1 December 2015, the Group and RAI announced an agreement providing a framework for collaboration and mutual cross-licensing of vapour product technologies through 2022.

During 2015, the Group acquired a further 24% interest in Souza Cruz S.A. at a cost of £1,660 million. This increased the Group's shareholding to 99%. This transaction is shown as a £1,555 million reduction to reserves attributable to the owners of the parent and a £105 million reduction in reserves attributable to non-controlling interests in note 20 [on the Notes on the Accounts to the Annual Report]. The compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares was approved on 5 February 2016, with Souza Cruz S.A. becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary at that date. The cost of acquiring the remaining shares was £70 million.

During 2015, the Group acquired a further 0.2% interest in BAT Chile Operaciones S.A. at a cost of £1 million. This increased the Group's shareholding to 99%. This transaction is shown as a £1 million reduction to reserves attributable to the owners of the parent in note 20 [on the Notes on the Accounts to the Annual Report].

During 2015, the Group acquired a further 9% interest in BAT Central America S.A. at a cost of £16 million. This increased the Group's shareholding to 88%. This transaction is shown as a £14 million reduction to reserves attributable to the owners of the parent and a £2 million reduction in reserves attributable to non-controlling interests in note 20 [on the Notes on the Accounts to the Annual Report].

For comparative purposes, prior year's acquisitions are disclosed in note 26 [on the Notes on the Accounts to the Annual Report].

As explained in note 12 [on the Notes on the Accounts to the Annual Report], contributions to the British American Tobacco UK Pension Fund are secured by a charge over the Group's Head Office (Globe House) up to a maximum of £150 million.

The key management personnel of British American Tobacco consist of the members of the Board of Directors of British American Tobacco p.l.c. and the members of the Management Board. No such person had any material interest during the year in a contract of significance (other than a service contract) with the Company or any subsidiary company. The term key management personnel in this context includes the respective members of their households.

	2015 £m	2014 £m
The total compensation for key management personnel, including Directors, was:
-salaries and other short-term employee benefits	20	20
-post-employment benefits	4	3
-share-based payments	11	11
	35	34

There were no other long-term benefits applicable in respect of key personnel other than those disclosed in the Remuneration Report.

 

END

 

 

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