Nicola Snook
Secretary
Other statutory and regulatory information
Companies Act 2006
The Companies Act 2006 requires the Company to set out in this report the development and performance of the business of the Group during the financial year ended 31 December 2010, including an analysis of the position of the Group at the end of the financial year, and a description of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Group.
Principal activities
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a holding company which owns, directly or indirectly, investments in the numerous companies constituting the British American Tobacco Group of companies. The principal subsidiaries and associates are listed on the Principal subsidiary and associate undertakings pages. All subsidiary undertakings are involved in activities directly or indirectly related to the manufacture, distribution or sale of tobacco products.
Group results and dividends
The Group results are addressed fully in the financial statements and in the Directors' report: Business review. The Board recommends to shareholders a final dividend of 81.0p per ordinary share of 25p for the year ended 31 December 2010. If approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting to be held on 28 April 2011, the dividend will be payable on 5 May 2011 to shareholders registered on either the UK main register or the South African branch register on 11 March 2011, the record date. The ex-dividend trading dates are 7 March 2011 on the JSE Limited (JSE) and 9 March 2011 on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). As the Group reports in sterling, dividends are declared and payable in sterling except for shareholders on the branch register in South Africa whose dividends are payable in rand.
A rate of exchange of £:R = 11.54580 as at 22 February 2011 (the closing rate for that date as quoted on Bloomberg), results in an equivalent final dividend of 935.20980 SA cents per ordinary share.
From the close of business on 4 March 2011 until the close of business on 11 March 2011, no transfers between the UK main register and the South African branch register are permitted and no shares may be dematerialised or rematerialised between 7 March 2011 and 11 March 2011, both days inclusive.
Further details of the total amounts of dividends paid in 2010 (with 2009 comparatives) are given in note 8 on the accounts.
Share capital
As at 31 December 2010, the Company had an allotted and fully paid share capital of 2,025,756,358 ordinary shares of 25p each with an aggregate nominal value of £506 million (including treasury shares and shares owned by the employee share trusts).
Purchase of own shares
During the year ended 31 December 2010, the Company made no purchases of its own shares. In February 2009, the Directors discontinued the share buy-back programme until further notice.
The Directors intend for the share buy-back programme to be reinstated following the Company's Preliminary Announcement on 24 February 2011. This on-market programme of buying back the Company's ordinary shares of 25p each will be conducted under the authority granted by shareholders at the 2010 Annual General Meeting. In the opinion of the Directors, the exercise of this authority is likely to result in an increase in the Company's earnings per share and will be in the interests of its shareholders generally.
At the 2010 Annual General Meeting, the Company was given authority to purchase up to 199,600,000 of its ordinary shares. The minimum price that may be paid for such shares is 25p and the maximum price is an amount equal to 105 per cent of the average of the middle market prices shown in the quotation for an ordinary share as derived from the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for the five business days immediately preceding the day on which the ordinary share is contracted to be purchased. This present authority for the Company to purchase its own shares will expire at the 2011 Annual General Meeting.
In accordance with the Company's policy, any repurchased shares are held as treasury shares and as at 31 December 2010 the number of treasury shares was 28,960,054. While treasury shares are held no dividends are paid on them and they have no voting rights. Treasury shares may be resold at a later date.
In order that the Directors may further continue with the share buy-back programme, it is proposed that the authority for the Company to purchase its own shares is renewed with the applicable resolution to be put to shareholders at the 2011 Annual General Meeting. Details of the resolution and explanatory notes are contained in the Notice of Annual General Meeting which is sent to all shareholders and is also published on www.bat.com
Significant agreements – change of control
The following significant agreements contain certain termination and other rights for our counterparties upon a change of control of the Company.
On 7 August 2007, British American Tobacco Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (as borrower) and the Company, B.A.T. International Finance p.l.c. and B.A.T Capital Corporation (as guarantors) entered into a term credit facility arrangement with Barclays Capital (as mandated lead arranger), HSBC Bank plc (as agent) and certain financial institutions (as lenders) pursuant to which the lenders agreed to make available to the borrower US$690 million to refinance existing facilities and for general corporate purposes (the Facility). Pursuant to the Facility, should the borrower cease to be a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, the borrower shall immediately repay any outstanding amounts. Where there is a change of control in respect of the Company, the lenders can require all amounts outstanding under the Facility to be repaid.
On 10 July 2009, British American Tobacco Tütün Mamulleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (as borrower), the Company and B.A.T. International Finance p.l.c. (as guarantors) entered into a term credit facility agreement with Barclays Bank PLC (as agent) and certain financial institutions (as lenders) pursuant to which the lenders agreed to make available to the borrower €700 million to refinance existing facilities and for general corporate purposes (the Facility). In December 2010, the borrower prepaid €250 million of the outstanding amount. Pursuant to the Facility, should the borrower cease to be a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, the borrower shall immediately repay any outstanding advances. Where there is a change of control in respect of the Company, the lenders can require all amounts outstanding under the Facility to be repaid.
On 25 November 2010, the Company, B.A.T. International Finance p.l.c. and British American Tobacco Holdings (The Netherlands) B.V. (as borrowers and, in the case of the Company, as a borrower and guarantor) entered into a revolving credit facility agreement with HSBC Bank plc (as agent) and certain financial institutions (as lenders) pursuant to which the lenders agreed to make available to the borrowers £2 billion for general corporate purposes (the Facility). Pursuant to the Facility, should a borrower (other than the Company) cease to be a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, such borrower shall immediately repay any outstanding advances made to it. Where there is a change of control in respect of the Company, the lenders can require all amounts outstanding under the Facility to be repaid.
Details of the change of control provisions contained in the Company's Long-Term Incentive Plans are given in the Remuneration report.
Contractual arrangements
Individual operating companies in the Group have contractual and other arrangements with many third parties in support of the Group's business activities including those covering input materials (filter tow, tobacco leaf and wrapping materials), logistics and distribution and information technology. Such contracts and arrangements may be deemed to be essential to one or more operating companies but there are no contracts or arrangements considered to be essential to the operation and understanding of the business or the Group as a whole.
Articles of Association
The following description summarises certain provisions of the Company's current Articles of Association (as adopted by special resolution at the Annual General Meeting on 28 April 2010), applicable English law and the Companies Act 2006 (the Companies Act). This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Companies Act and the Company's Articles of Association, a copy of which is available on www.bat.com
Share capital
All of the Company's ordinary shares are fully paid and, accordingly, no further contribution of capital may be required by the Company from the holders of such shares.
Objects and purposes
The Company is incorporated under the name of British American Tobacco p.l.c. and is registered in England and Wales under registered number 3407696. Under the Companies Act 2006, the Company's objects are unrestricted.
Directors: appointment and retirement
The Company's Articles of Association provide for a Board of Directors, consisting (unless otherwise determined by ordinary resolution of the shareholders) of not fewer than five Directors, not subject to any maximum, who shall manage the business of the Company.
The Directors and the Company (by ordinary resolution) may appoint a person who is willing to act as a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional Director. A Director appointed by the Directors shall retire at the next Annual General Meeting and will put himself/herself forward to be reappointed by the shareholders. Such a Director shall not be taken into account in determining the number or identity of the Directors to retire by rotation at that next Annual General Meeting.
At each Annual General Meeting, all Directors shall retire from office by rotation who: (1) held office at the time of each of the two preceding Annual General Meetings and who did not retire at either of them; and (2) if the number of Directors retiring in (1) above is less than one-third of the Directors who are subject to retirement by rotation (or, if their number is not three or a multiple of three, is less than the number which is nearest to but does not exceed one-third of the Directors), such additional number of Directors as shall, together with the Directors retiring under (1) above, equal one-third of the Directors (or, if their number is not three or a multiple of three, the number which is nearest to but does not exceed one-third of the Directors).
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and the Articles of Association, the Directors to retire at an Annual General Meeting under (2) above will be those who have been in office the longest since their appointment or last reappointment.
Notwithstanding these provisions contained in the Articles of Association, the Company is not restricted to the number of Directors who may retire and seek re-election each year. The Articles of Association merely set a minimum number of Directors who must be subject to retirement by rotation each year. As a result, since the new UK Corporate Governance Code provides that all Directors of FTSE 350 companies should be subject to annual re-election by shareholders, all of the Directors of the Company will be subject to either election (i.e. those Directors appointed by the Board of Directors during the year) or re-election at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting to be held on 28 April 2011.
A Director who retires at an Annual General Meeting and is not reappointed shall retain office until the meeting elects someone in his place or, if it does not do so, until the conclusion of the meeting.
In addition to any power of removal under the Companies Act, the Company may, by special resolution, remove a Director before the expiration of his period of office and, subject to the Articles of Association, may by ordinary resolution, appoint another person who is willing to act as a Director, and is permitted by law to do so, to be a Director instead of him. A person so appointed shall be subject to retirement as if he had become a Director on the day on which the Director in whose place he is appointed was last appointed or reappointed a Director.
Fees for Non-Executive Directors and the Chairman shall be determined by the Directors but shall not exceed in aggregate an annual sum of £2,500,000, unless determined otherwise by ordinary resolution of the shareholders. The remuneration of the Executive Directors is determined by the Remuneration Committee which is comprised of independent Non-Executive Directors.
Directors: meetings and voting
The quorum for meetings of Directors is two Directors. The Directors may delegate any of their powers which are conferred upon them under the Articles of Association to such person or committee as they consider appropriate.
The Articles of Association place a general prohibition on a Director voting at a meeting of the Directors on any resolution concerning a matter in which he has an interest other than by virtue of his interest in shares in the Company. However, in the absence of some other interest not indicated below, a Director is entitled to vote and to be counted in a quorum for the purpose of any vote relating to a resolution concerning the following matters:
- the giving to him of a guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of money lent to, or an obligation incurred by him for the benefit of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries;
- the giving to a third party of a guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of an obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries for which the Director has assumed responsibility (in whole or part and whether alone or jointly with others) under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security;
- the giving to him of any other indemnity which is on substantially the same terms as indemnities given, or to be given, to all of the other Directors and/or to the funding by the Company of his expenditure on defending proceedings of the doing by the Company of anything to enable him to avoid incurring such expenditure where all other Directors have been given, or are to be given, substantially the same arrangements;
- any proposal concerning the purchase of Directors' and officers' liability insurance;
- any proposal concerning his being, or intending to become, a participant in the underwriting or sub-underwriting of an offer of any such shares, debentures or other securities for subscription, purchase or exchange;
- any arrangements which relate in any way to a retirement benefits scheme or any arrangement for the benefit of the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries including but without being limited to an employees' share scheme, which does not accord to any Director any privilege or advantage not generally accorded to the employees and/or former employees to whom the arrangement relates; and
- any transaction or arrangement with any other company, being a company in which the Director is interested only as an officer, creditor or shareholder, provided that he is not the holder of or beneficially interested in one per cent or more of the equity share capital of that company (or of any other company through which his interest is derived) and not entitled to exercise one per cent or more of the voting rights available to members of the relevant company (disregarding, for the purposes of this proviso: (i) any shares held by a Director as bare or custodian trustee and in which he has no beneficial interest; (ii) any shares comprised in an authorised unit trust scheme in which the Director is interested only as a unit holder; and (iii) any shares of that class held as treasury shares).
The Company may by ordinary resolution suspend or relax to any extent, either generally or in respect of any particular matter, any provision of the Articles prohibiting a Director from voting at a meeting of the Directors or of a committee of the Directors.
Directors: borrowing powers
Without prejudice to their general powers, the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property, assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof, and (subject to the provisions of the Articles of Association) to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.
Directors: interests
Provided that the Director has disclosed to the other Directors the nature and extent of any material interest of his, a Director, notwithstanding his office:
- may be a party to, or otherwise interested in, any transaction or arrangement with the Company or in which the Company is otherwise interested;
- may be a Director or other officer of, or employed by or may be a party to, or otherwise interested in, any transaction or arrangement with any body corporate promoted by the Company or in which the Company is otherwise interested;
- shall not, by reason of his office, be accountable to the Company for any benefit which he derives from any such office or employment or from any such transaction or arrangement or from any interest in any such body corporate;
- shall not infringe his duty to avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or may possibly conflict, with the interests of the Company as a result of any such office or employment or from any such transaction or arrangement or from any interest in any such body corporate;
- shall not be required to disclose to the Company, or use in performing his duties as a Director of the Company, any confidential information relating to such office or employment if to make such a disclosure or use would result in a breach of duty or obligation of confidence owed by him in relation to or in connection with that office or employment;
- may absent himself from discussions and exclude himself from information, which will or may relate to that office, employment, transaction, arrangement or interest; and
- no such transaction or arrangement will be liable to be avoided because of any such interest or benefit.
For the purposes of the Articles, a general notice given to the Directors that he is to be regarded as having an interest of the nature and extent specified in the notice in any transaction or arrangement in which a specified person or class of persons is interested is deemed to be a disclosure that the Director has an interest in any such transaction of the nature and extent so specified.
An interest of which a Director has knowledge and of which it is unreasonable to expect him to have knowledge is not treated as an interest; an interest which consists of a Director being a Director or other officer of, or employed by any subsidiary of the Company is not deemed to be a material interest; a Director need not disclose an interest if it cannot be reasonably regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest; and a Director need not disclose an interest if, or to the extent that, the other Directors are already aware of it.
A Director will no longer be regarded as having an interest in a transaction by virtue of a person connected to the Director having a relevant interest. However, the Director and the Company must still take a view each time a matter is being considered as to whether the interests of the Director's connected persons mean that a Director should be treated as interested in a transaction.
The Directors may (subject to such terms and conditions, if any, as they may think fit to impose from time to time, and subject always to their right to vary or terminate such authorisation) authorise, to the fullest extent permitted by law:
- any matter which would otherwise result in a Director infringing his duty to avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the Company and which may reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest (including a conflict of interest and duty or conflict of duties);
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a Director to accept or continue in any office, employment or position in addition to his office as a Director of the Company
and may authorise the manner in which a conflict of interest arising out of such office, employment or position may be dealt
with, either before or at the time that such a conflict of interest arises, provided that the authorisation is only effective if:
- any requirement as to the quorum at the meeting at which the matter is considered is met without counting the Director in question or any other interested Director; and
- the matter was agreed to without their voting or would have been agreed to if their votes had not been counted.
If a matter, or office, employment or position, has been authorised by the Directors then (subject to such terms and conditions, if any, as the Directors may think fit to impose from time to time, and subject always to their right to vary or terminate such authorisation or the permissions set out below):
- the Director shall not be required to disclose any confidential information relating to such matter, or such office, employment or position, to the Company if to make such a disclosure would result in a breach of a duty or obligation of confidence owed by him in relation to or in connection with that matter, or that office, employment or position;
- the Director may absent himself from discussions, whether in meetings of the Directors or otherwise, and exclude himself from information which will or may relate to that matter, or that office, employment or position; and
- a Director shall not, by reason of his office as a Director of the Company, be accountable to the Company for any benefit which he derives from any such matter, or from any such office, employment or position.
Dividend rights
Holders of the Company's ordinary shares may, by ordinary resolution, declare dividends but may not declare dividends in excess of the amount recommended by the Directors. The Directors may also pay interim dividends if it appears that such dividends are justified by the profits available for distribution. No dividend shall be paid otherwise than out of profits available as specified under the provisions of the Companies Act.
The Directors may, with the sanction of an ordinary resolution of the shareholders, offer any holders of ordinary shares the right to elect to receive ordinary shares credited as fully paid instead of cash in respect of the whole or part of all such dividends as may be specified by the resolution. Any general meeting declaring a dividend may, upon the recommendation of the Directors, direct payment or satisfaction of such dividend to be wholly or partly by the distribution of specific assets. Where difficulty arises in regard to distribution, the Directors may ignore fractions or issue fractional certificates, fix the value for distribution of any assets and may determine that cash shall be paid to any shareholder in order to adjust the rights of such members.
Any dividend which has been unclaimed for 12 years from the date when it became due for payment shall, if the Directors so resolve, be forfeited and shall cease to be owed by the Company.
The Company can cease sending dividend warrants and cheques by post or otherwise if these have been returned undelivered to, or left uncashed by, the shareholder on at least two consecutive occasions, or, if following one such occasion, reasonable enquiries have failed to establish the member's new address. No dividend shall bear interest against the Company, unless provided by the rights attached to the share.
The Directors may elect to make payments of dividends to shareholders by bank or electronic transfer only. Amounts due to shareholders who provide no, or invalid, account details may be held in an account in the Company's name until such shareholders nominate a valid account. The Company shall not be a trustee of any such monies, shall be deemed to have discharged its payment obligations by paying the relevant monies into such account and interest will not accrue for shareholders on any such monies pending payment to such persons.
Voting rights
Voting at any general meeting of shareholders is by a show of hands unless a poll is demanded. On a show of hands, every shareholder who is present in person at a general meeting has one vote regardless of the number of shares held by the shareholder.
Every proxy appointed by a shareholder and present at a general meeting has one vote, except that if the proxy has been duly appointed by more than one shareholder entitled to vote on the resolution and is instructed by one or more of those shareholders to vote for the resolution and by one or more others to vote against it, or is instructed by one or more of those shareholders to vote in one way and is given discretion as to how to vote by one or more others (and wishes to use that discretion to vote in the other way) he has one vote for and one vote against the resolution.
On a poll, every shareholder who is present in person or by proxy has one vote for every share held by the shareholder. A shareholder (or his duly appointed proxy) entitled to more than one vote need not use all his votes or cast all the votes he uses in the same way. A poll may be demanded by any of the following:
- the Chairman of the meeting;
- the Directors;
- not less than five shareholders having the right to vote at the meeting;
- a shareholder or shareholders representing not less than one-tenth of the total voting rights of all shareholders having the right to vote at the meeting (excluding any voting rights attached to treasury shares); or
- a shareholder or shareholders holding shares which confer a right to vote on the resolution at the meeting being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than one-tenth of the total sum paid up on all shares conferring that right (excluding any voting rights attached to treasury shares).
Matters are transacted at general meetings of the Company by proposing and passing of two kinds of resolutions:
- ordinary resolutions, which can include resolutions for the appointment, reappointment and removal of Directors, the receiving of the Annual Report, the declaration of final dividends, the appointment and reappointment of the external auditor, the authority for the Company to purchase its own shares and the grant of authority to allot shares; and
- special resolutions, which can include resolutions amending the Company's Articles of Association and resolutions relating to certain matters concerning a winding-up of the Company.
An ordinary resolution requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast at a meeting at which there is a quorum in order to be passed. Special resolutions require the affirmative vote of not less than three-quarters of the votes cast at a meeting at which there is a quorum in order to be passed. The necessary quorum for a meeting of the Company is a minimum of two shareholders present in person or by proxy or by a duly authorised representative(s) of a corporation which is a shareholder and entitled to vote.
When convening a meeting the Company may specify a time not more than 48 hours before the time of the meeting (excluding any part of a day that is not a working day) by which a person must be entered on the register of members in order to have the right to attend or vote at the meeting.
Winding–up
If the Company is wound up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution and any other sanction required by law, subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, divide among the shareholders the whole or any part of the assets of the Company, and may, for that purpose, value any assets and determine how the division is to take place as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders. Alternatively, with the same sanction, the liquidator may vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees upon trusts for the benefit of the shareholders, but no shareholder will be compelled to accept any asset upon which there is a liability.
Transfer of shares
Shares may be transferred by an instrument of transfer in any usual form or in any other form which the Directors may approve and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor and, where the share is not fully paid, by or on behalf of the transferee. The Directors can, in their absolute discretion, refuse to register the transfer of a share in certificated form which is not fully paid, provided that such a refusal would not prevent dealings in shares in certificated form which are not fully paid from taking place on a proper basis. The Directors may also refuse to register a transfer of a share in certificated form (whether fully paid or not) unless the instrument of transfer:
- is lodged, duly stamped, and is deposited at the registered office of the Company or such other place as the Directors may appoint and is accompanied by a certificate for the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;
- is in respect of only one class of share; and
- is in favour of not more than four transferees.
In the case of uncertificated shares, transfers shall be registered only in accordance with the terms of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 so that Directors may refuse to register a transfer which would require shares to be held jointly by more than four persons.
If the Directors refuse to register a transfer of shares, they must give the transferee notice of this refusal as soon as practicable and in any event within two months of the instrument of transfer being lodged with the Company. No fees may be charged for the registration of a transfer of shares.
Pre-emptive rights and new issues of shares
While holders of ordinary shares have no pre-emptive rights under the Articles of Association, the ability of the Directors to cause the Company to issue shares, securities convertible into shares or rights to shares, otherwise than pursuant to an employee share scheme, is restricted. Under the Companies Act, the Directors of a company are, with certain exceptions, unable to allot any equity securities without express authorisation, which may be contained in a company's Articles of Association or given by its shareholders in general meeting, but which in either event cannot last for more than five years. Under the Companies Act, a company may also not allot shares for cash (otherwise than pursuant to an employee share scheme) without first making an offer to existing shareholders to allot such shares to them on the same or more favourable terms in proportion to their respective shareholdings, unless this requirement is waived by a special resolution of the shareholders.
Alteration of share capital
The Company may, from time to time, by ordinary resolution:
- consolidate and divide all or any of its shares into shares of a larger amount than its existing shares;
- sub-divide any of its shares into shares of smaller amount than its existing shares; and
- determine that, as between the shares resulting from such a sub-division, any of them may have any preference or advantage as compared with the others.
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act:
- the Company may reduce its share capital, its capital redemption reserve and any share premium account in any way; and
- the Company may purchase its own shares, including redeemable shares, and may hold such shares as treasury shares or cancel them.
Disclosure of interests in the Company's shares
There are no provisions in the Articles of Association whereby persons acquiring, holding or disposing of a certain percentage of the Company's shares are required to make disclosure of their ownership percentage, although there are such requirements under statute and regulation. The basic disclosure requirement under Part 6 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and Rule 5 of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules made by the Financial Services Authority imposes a statutory obligation on a person to notify the Company and the Financial Services Authority of the percentage of the voting rights in the Company he directly or indirectly holds or controls, or has rights over, through his direct or indirect holding of certain financial instruments, if the percentage of those voting rights:
- reaches, exceeds or falls below 3 per cent and/or any subsequent whole percentage figure as a result of an acquisition or disposal of shares or financial instruments; or
- reaches, exceeds or falls below any such threshold as a result of any change in the number of voting rights attached to shares in the Company.
The Disclosure and Transparency Rules set out in detail the circumstances in which an obligation of disclosure will arise, as well as certain exemptions from those obligations for specified persons.
Under Section 793 of the Companies Act, the Company may, by notice in writing, require a person that the Company knows or has reasonable cause to believe is or was during the three years preceding the date of notice interested in the Company's shares, to indicate whether or not that is the case and, if that person does or did hold an interest in the Company's shares, to provide certain information as set out in that Act. The Disclosure and Transparency Rules further deal with the disclosure by persons of interests in shares or debentures of the companies of which they are Directors and certain associated companies.
The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers also imposes strict disclosure requirements with regard to dealings in the securities of an offeror or offeree company on all parties to a takeover and also on their respective associates during the course of an offer period.
General meetings and notices
An Annual General Meeting and all other general meetings of the Company must be called by at least 21 clear days' written notice. However, the Companies Act allows for this period of notice for meetings other than Annual General Meetings to be reduced to 14 clear days' notice provided that two conditions are met: (1) a company must allow shareholders to make proxy appointments via a website (such as that hosted by its share registrars); and (2) shareholders must pass a special resolution at the Annual General Meeting every year approving that shortening of the notice period to 14 days. A special resolution enabling the Company to hold general meetings (other than Annual General Meetings) on 14 days' notice will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting to be held on 28 April 2011.
Subject to the resolution being passed, the approval of the shortening of the notice period will be effective until the Company's next AGM, when it is intended that the approval be renewed. The shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine. Rather the Directors will consider on a case-by-case basis whether the use of the flexibility offered by the shorter notice period is merited, taking into account the circumstances, including whether the business of the meeting is time sensitive, and is thought to be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole. Further, the shorter notice period would not be used unless both of the conditions as stated above are met.
Variation of rights
If the capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class of shares may only be varied, either in such a manner as provided by those rights or in the absence of any provision, with the consent in writing of threequarters in nominal value of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of holders of such shares. At any separate meeting, the necessary quorum is two persons together holding or representing by proxy at least one-third in nominal amount of the issued shares of the class (but at an adjourned meeting shall be any one person holding shares of the class or his proxy).
Unless otherwise expressly provided by the rights attached to any shares, those rights shall be deemed to be varied by the reduction of the capital paid up on those shares and by the creation or issue of further shares ranking in priority for payment of a dividend or in respect of capital or which confer on the holders voting rights more favourable than those conferred by the first-mentioned shares, but shall not otherwise be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with them or subsequent to them.
Repurchase of shares
Subject to authorisation by shareholder resolution, the Company may purchase its own shares in accordance with the Companies Act. Any shares which have been bought back may be held as treasury shares or, if not so held, must be cancelled immediately upon completion of the purchase, thereby reducing the amount of the Company's issued share capital. There is no longer a requirement for public companies to have specific authorisations in their articles of association to undertake these actions.
Creditor payment policy
Given the international nature of the Group's operations, there is not a global standard code for the Group in respect of payments to suppliers. In the UK, the operating subsidiaries have signed up to the Better Payment Practice Code under which each company undertakes to: (1) seek agreement on payment terms with its suppliers at the outset of each transaction; (2) explain its payment procedures to its suppliers; (3) pay bills in accordance with the agreed terms and all legal requirements; and (4) inform suppliers without delay when contesting an invoice and settle disputes quickly. Details of the Code are available on the website, www.payontime.co.uk
Non-UK operating subsidiaries are responsible for agreeing terms and conditions for their business transactions when orders for goods and services are placed, ensuring that suppliers are aware of the terms of payment and including the relevant terms in contracts where appropriate. These arrangements are adhered to provided that suppliers meet their contractual commitments.
Creditor days have not been calculated for the Company as it is an investment holding Company and had no trade creditors at 31 December 2010.
Intra-Group pricing
The prices agreed between Group companies for Intra-Group sales of materials, manufactured goods, charges for royalties, commissions, services and fees are based on the normal commercial practices which would apply between independent businesses.
On behalf of the Board
Nicola Snook
Secretary
23 February 2011
British American Tobacco p.l.c.
Registered in England and Wales No. 3407696