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Mpac Group plc

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FY2015 Annual Report · Mpac Group plc
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Annual Report 
and Accounts 2015

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Competitive 
advantage 
through 
technology 
and innovation

 
 
 
 
 
 
Molins is an international specialist 
technology and services group, 
providing high performance 
instrumentation and machinery 
to the FMCG, healthcare and 
pharmaceutical sectors, together 
with extensive aftermarket support.

STRATEGIC REPORT

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1 
2 
4 
6 
9 
12 

Highlights
Our business at a glance
Business model and strategy
Operating review
Financial review
Principal risks and uncertainties

Chairman’s report
14 
17 
Board of directors
18  Audit Committee report
20 

 Remuneration Committee report
21 
Remuneration report
23  Remuneration policy

28  Directors’ report
30 

 Directors’ responsibilities statement

To find out more visit: 
www.molins.com

Independent Auditor’s report

31 
32  Consolidated income statement
33 

 Statements of comprehensive 
income

34  Statements of changes in equity
36  Statements of financial position
37 
Statements of cash flow
38  Accounting policies
42  Notes to the accounts

Five year record
Principal divisions and subsidiaries

71 
72 
73  Notice of meeting
80  Corporate information

 
 
Highlights

•  Sales from continuing operations of £87.0m 

(2014: £87.4m)

•  Underlying profit before tax of £3.8m (2014: £5.3m) 

Statutory profit before tax from continuing operations 
of £2.0m (2014: £3.9m)

•  Underlying earnings per share of 15.1p (2014: 22.4p) 

Statutory loss per share of 20.9p (2014: 1.3p)

•  Reporting structure simplified to two divisions; 
Packaging Machinery and Instrumentation & 
Tobacco Machinery, following disposal of analytical 
services business

•  Improved sales and profitability in Packaging Machinery

•  Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery affected 
by continuing challenging market conditions

Continuing operations

Sales 

£87.0m

(2014: £87.4m)

Underlying profit  
before tax

£3.8m

(2014: £5.3m)

Underlying earnings  
per share

15.1p

(2014: 22.4p)

1

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Our business at a glance

Our businesses
The Group serves its customers 
through its wide geographic 
spread of sales, service and 
manufacturing locations.

The businesses are organised into 
two divisions, each with a particular 
market and product focus. They 
share resources and infrastructure 
where appropriate to support their 
international customer base.

Molins worldwide
The Group has an extensive 
international customer base and sells 
goods and services into a majority 
of countries across the world. Our 
businesses are based in key strategic 
locations, supported by sales and 
service operations in most geographic 
regions and a network of experienced 
and industry relevant agents 
and distributors.

2

Packaging  
Machinery

Instrumentation & 
Tobacco Machinery

Overview

Overview

Langen Group, based in Mississauga, 
Ontario, Canada, in Wijchen, the 
Netherlands and in Singapore, is 
a designer and manufacturer of 
cartoning machinery, case packers, 
end-of-line and robotic packaging 
solutions, as well as a provider 
of complete turnkey projects 
involving design and integration 
of packaging systems.

Molins Technologies based in 
Coventry, UK, is a specialist 
engineering business, developing 
innovative technology and associated 
production and packaging machinery.

Sales

£51.0m

Employees

302

Operating profit

£3.9m

Group sales

59%

The division comprises Cerulean, the 
Group’s quality control, testing and 
analytical instrumentation business 
and Molins Tobacco Machinery, which 
designs, manufactures and services 
secondary tobacco processing 
machinery. Cerulean, based in Milton 
Keynes, UK, with an international 
network of sales and service offices, 
develops, assembles, sells and maintains 
process and quality instruments for the 
tobacco and FMCG sectors.

Molins Tobacco Machinery operates 
globally from its headquarters in 
Princes Risborough, UK, where the 
central engineering, sales and logistics 
teams are located. Additional sales 
and service operations are based in 
the USA, Brazil and Singapore, with 
manufacturing facilities in the 
Czech Republic and Brazil.

Sales

£36.0m

Employees

385

Operating profit

£0.1m

(before reorganisation costs)

Group sales

41%

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Americas 

Established for more than 50 years 
in the region, the Instrumentation & 
Tobacco Machinery division operates 
from its facilities in Brazil and the 
USA; the Packaging Machinery 
division services this geographic area 
from its operation in Ontario, Canada, 
with support from Brazil for its 
activities in South America.

Sales (by location of customer)

£29.6m

Europe, Middle East 
& Africa
The Group supports both its 
multinational and regional customers 
from its businesses in the UK, 
Netherlands and Czech Republic; 
together with extensive sales, 
engineering and field support 
services deployed across the region, 
including in Russia and Egypt. Both 
divisions are well placed to service 
their customers in all parts of Europe, 
Middle East and Africa.

Asia & Oceania 

The Group supports both divisions 
in the region from its principal base in 
Singapore. The Packaging Machinery 
division continues to invest in local 
resources to support growth plans 
in the region. The Group is further 
strengthened through its offices in 
China, India and Thailand, as well as 
through its network of field service 
engineers and agents across Asia 
and Oceania.

£36.9m

£20.5m

Molins 
Technologies

Cerulean

Molins Tobacco 
Machinery

Langen Americas

Molins Richmond 
Cerulean

Langen Europe

Molins sro

Molins Tobacco 
Machinery

Molins do Brasil  

Cerulean

Cerulean

Langen Asia

Langen Asia

Molins Far East
Cerulean 

3

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Business model and strategy

We apply our technological 
know-how to deliver high 
performance instrumentation, 
machinery and aftermarket 
support to a range of markets 
around the world.

ue streams
Reven

High performance
machinery

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Technological know-how

Product development 

Manufacturing 

Aftermarket  
support

Logistics 

Support 

Analytical
instrumentation

Revenue streams

International markets

Nutrition

Beverages

Healthcare

Pharmaceutical

Tobacco

Our strategy
Investing to drive  
profitable growth

Driving operational 
efficiency

Increasing exposure 
to attractive global  
industry sectors  
based on regional  
market drivers

4

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
Revenue streams
High performance machinery
We offer a range of innovative 
processing and product handling 
equipment to meet the requirements 
of our diverse international 
customer base. 

Analytical instrumentation
We develop, assemble and 
manufacture process and quality 
control instrumentation for a range 
of markets.

Aftermarket support
Enabling enduring partnerships with 
customers by providing excellence 
in spare parts delivery, service 
and support to meet ongoing 
customer demand.

Technological know-how
Product development
We innovate through investment 
in focused product development 
to provide solutions to help 
our customers achieve 
competitive advantage. 

Manufacturing
We continuously improve 
our production and assembly 
processes to deliver high 
quality specialist products. 

Logistics 
Our extensive global network and 
long-standing partnerships with 
customers and suppliers enables 
delivery of excellent performance 
on an international scale.

Support
Our specialist sales support 
provides long-term value to 
customers through aftermarket 
spares sales and service to maximise 
customer operational efficiencies.

International markets 
Nutrition
Significant areas of opportunity in 
both developed economies, with new 
product launches, rebranding and 
new packaging styles, and developing 
economies, with increased automation 
of processing lines and a gradual 
move towards pre-packaged foods. 

Beverages
Innovation in liquid, leaf and powder 
beverage forms leads to opportunities 
in a number of areas, such as tea, 
stick-packs and the packaging of 
premium liquor. 

Healthcare
Growth in most geographic regions in 
a wide range of applications, including 
medical devices, personal hygiene 
products and contact lenses. 

Pharmaceutical
A growing sector across all geographic 
regions, from the general packaging 
of products to the high-precision 
processing of pharmaceuticals.

Tobacco
A global industry, with continuing 
innovation in cigarette design, 
including reduced harm and 
e-cigarettes, packaging and regulatory 
compliance requirements, as well as 
increased demand for quality control 
and efficiency improvements.

5

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Operating review

Dick Hunter 
Chief Executive
The Group’s results are being 
reported under two divisions 
which operated in significantly 
different trading environments 
in the year

The Group delivered sales from continuing operations of 
£87.0m (2014: £87.4m) and underlying profit before tax of 
£3.8m (2014: £5.3m).

As announced on 1 June 2015, we disposed of the loss-making 
US-based analytical services business, following the completion 
of a strategic review, and this has resulted in a loss from this 
discontinued operation of £5.8m (2014: £3.6m). Having 
completed this disposal, we are reporting the results of the 
Group’s continuing activities under two divisions, namely 
Packaging Machinery and Instrumentation & Tobacco 
Machinery. The financial information in respect of the 
discontinued business has been separately identified in 
the Consolidated income statement and in the Notes to 
the accounts.

The two divisions operated in significantly different trading 
environments in the year. The challenges within the tobacco 
sector and the general geopolitical environment continued 
to impact the Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery division, 
with our instrumentation business experiencing a downturn in 
business levels, after a relatively strong performance in 2014. 
In contrast, sales and profitability grew significantly in the 
Packaging Machinery division, as strategic initiatives 
gained traction. 

The Board is mindful of the challenges being faced in 2016, 
which we anticipate will include a significant rise in the 
statutory levy payable to the Pension Protection Fund, and 
we also continue to review strategic growth opportunities. 
We therefore consider it appropriate to retain more funds 
within the Group and, as a result, a reduced final dividend 
of 1.5p is proposed, which, together with the interim dividend 
of 2.5p, results in a dividend for the year of 4.0p. 

Packaging Machinery
The division supplies highly automated product handling, 
cartoning and robotic end-of-line packaging machinery and 
systems, and operates from three locations, in Mississauga, 
Canada; Wijchen, the Netherlands; and Singapore. In addition, 
it provides technical consultancy and innovative machinery to 
solve packaging and processing challenges from our base in 
Coventry, UK.

Sales increased by 26% to £51.0m (2014: £40.5m), aided by 
a strong order book coming into the year. As anticipated, 
operating margins improved year-on-year, with operating 
profit rising to £3.9m (2014: £1.8m). This reflected the impact 
of increased operational efficiencies from higher volumes.

6

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015These results benefited from our strategy of focusing on a 
more standardised range of products for our target sectors 
of nutrition, beverages, pharmaceutical and healthcare. 
The international sales and service structures that we have 
established over the past three years have helped position 
the division so as to meet the needs of both multinational 
and regional customers in most parts of the world. We are 
continuing to focus on developing our activity in Asia where 
customers increasingly are mechanising manual packing 
processes in order to reduce cost and improve quality.

While sales in the second half showed a significant uplift 
on the same period in 2014, there was a distinct softening 
in market conditions across all regions in the period, with 
customers taking longer to finalise purchasing decisions. 
As we entered 2016, this trend has continued and the division 
started the new financial year with a lower order book than 
last year’s strong position. While we are now more cautious 
about the trading backdrop, there are a significant number 
of prospective projects being discussed. 

Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery
The division comprises both the Group’s tobacco machinery 
activities and its quality control, testing and analytical 
instrumentation business, which has customers in both 
the tobacco and other FMCG sectors. The instrumentation 
business is based in Milton Keynes, UK, with sales and service 
offices in China, India, Singapore and USA. It supplies and 
supports process and quality control instruments and within 
the tobacco industry it is the market-leading supplier. The 
division also designs, manufactures, markets and services 
machinery for the tobacco industry and provides extensive 
aftermarket support to its customers globally. This part of 
the division is headquartered in Princes Risborough, UK, 
where the central engineering and logistics teams are 
located together with the main distribution centre for spare 
parts. The UK sales and service teams support sales across 
Europe, Middle East & Africa, with the sales, service and 
distribution operations in Virginia, USA and in Singapore 
supporting the North American and Asia Pacific regions. 
There is a manufacturing facility based in Curitiba, Brazil, 
which serves the South American markets and the main 
machining and assembly operation is in Plzen, Czech Republic. 
The Plzen operation also supports the Packaging Machinery 
division, as well as servicing a number of non-tobacco 
industry customers. 

Sales in the year reduced to £36.0m (2014: £46.9m), reflecting 
lower sales across both parts of the division, and this resulted 
in a significantly reduced operating profit of £0.1m 
(2014: £3.6m), before non-underlying items.

Within the tobacco machinery business, the sharp contraction 
in demand experienced in 2014 did not reverse and order 
prospects remained limited and very competitive, resulting 
in a reduced overall order intake. However, we secured a 
number of projects with customers in South East Asia, 
North Africa and North America, while continuing to focus 
on meeting the very specific product and service needs of 
our customers wherever they operate.

The division has placed considerable 
emphasis on product development, 
with the successful completion of the 
field trial of the new Alto cigarette 
making machine and a positive 
launch of the new Optima 
cigarette packing machine

Within the instrumentation business, the reduction in demand 
from the tobacco industry only started to be felt in the first 
quarter of 2015. This reduction drove further competitive 
pricing pressures, which were also exacerbated by the relative 
strength of sterling against the euro, the predominant 
currency of the business’ competitors. However, order intake 
in the last part of the year was stronger and the business 
has entered 2016 with a larger order book than twelve 
months previously.

We have taken further steps to remove cost from the division 
and reduced headcount in the tobacco machinery business 
by 20%, including the closure of the sales office in Moscow, 
Russia. We also consolidated certain activities in Richmond, 
USA into the UK operation during the year and will complete 
the relocation of our operation in Brazil to a smaller and more 
cost effective site in Curitiba in the first half of 2016.

7

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Operating review continued

In recent years we have focused strongly on product 
development. Within the tobacco machinery business this 
intensive period of investment is drawing to a close, with 
the successful completion of the field trial of the new Alto 
cigarette making machine in the first half year and a positive 
product launch for the new Optima cigarette packing machine 
at the industry trade show held in London in November. As 
a result of this product development activity, the tobacco 
machinery business is well positioned to secure new projects 
as market conditions improve. The instrumentation business 
remains at the forefront of product development within its 
market niche and we continue to bring new instruments to 
market. We are currently focused on expanding our product 
range in non-tobacco markets, and in the year we purchased 
the intellectual property for non-invasive thermometry 
measurement equipment. This specialist equipment is mainly 
aimed at the nutrition sector and we are in the process of 
bringing it to market.

Outlook
There is currently little sign of an immediate recovery in the 
tobacco sector, although the order book at the beginning 
of the year for the instrumentation business was strong. 
The Packaging Machinery division has made encouraging 
progress, but it entered 2016 with a lower order book and 
we are now more cautious about trading conditions, 
although there are a significant number of prospective 
projects under discussion.

Looking further ahead, prospects in the medium-term remain 
positive, particularly in the Packaging Machinery division, and 
the Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery division remains 
well placed to benefit from any improvement in market 
conditions in the sector. 

Dick Hunter 
Chief Executive 
25 February 2016

8

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Financial review

David Cowen 
Group Finance Director
The Packaging Machinery 
division progressed well in 
the year, whilst continuing 
tough market conditions 
in the tobacco sector 
have impacted the 
Instrumentation & Tobacco 
Machinery division

The results of Molins’ activities are being reported under 
two rather than three divisions, following the disposal of 
the US-based analytical services business on 31 May 2015. 

Revenue and operating results
The trading performance of the Group is discussed in 
the Operating review. Group revenue from continuing 
operations in the year was £87.0m (2014: £87.4m). Sales in 
the Packaging Machinery division were £51.0m (2014: £40.5m) 
and underlying operating profit was £3.9m (2014: £1.8m). 
Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery division sales were 
£36.0m (2014: £46.9m) and underlying operating profit 
was £0.1m (2014: £3.6m).

Non-underlying items
The net non-underlying operating charge in respect of 
continuing operations was £1.1m (2014: £1.2m). This comprised 
£0.9m (2014: £0.9m) of administration costs relating to the 
Group’s defined benefit pension schemes (see Pension 
schemes section) and £0.4m (2014: £0.5m) of reorganisation 
costs relating to the Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery 
division, partially offset by a credit of £0.2m arising from the 
sale of surplus property. Additionally in 2014, actions taken in 
respect of the Group’s UK defined benefit pension scheme 
resulted in a credit of £0.2m. Financing expense on pension 
scheme balances (see Interest and taxation section) is also 
considered to be a non-underlying item, as is loss from 
discontinued operations.

Discontinued operations
The trade and assets of the Group’s US-based analytical 
services business, Arista Laboratories, were sold on 
31 May 2015. The business has been reported as a 
discontinued operation with a loss of £5.8m (2014: £3.6m), 
which comprised a loss on trading activities for the period 
prior to its disposal of £0.9m (2014: £2.0m loss in the year), 
disposal costs of £0.4m, loss on disposal of net assets of 
£3.5m, impairment of goodwill of £1.3m (2014: £1.6m), 
partially offset by sales proceeds of £0.3m. The Group has 
substantial tax losses in the USA but does not carry any 
deferred tax balances in respect of these losses, and no 
deferred tax assets have been recorded as a consequence 
of the disposal. More details of the financial impact of the 
disposal can be found in note 30. 

Interest and taxation
Net financing expense was £0.9m (2014: £0.3m), which includes 
a charge of £0.7m (2014: £0.2m) in respect of financing expense 
on pension scheme balances. The tax charge on underlying 
profit before tax was £0.9m (2014: £0.9m), an underlying 
effective rate of 24% (2014: 17%). The total tax charge on the 
Group’s profit before tax was £0.3m (2014: £0.6m).

9

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Financial review continued

Goodwill and intellectual property
Included within intangible assets in the Consolidated statement 
of financial position at 31 December 2015 is goodwill arising on 
consolidation of £7.4m, which represents the excess of the 
cost of acquisition of the Group’s instrumentation business, 
Cerulean, over the Group’s interest in the fair value of the 
identifiable assets and liabilities of that business at the date 
of its acquisition. Also included within intangible assets is the 
cost of £0.2m of the acquisition in the year of intellectual 
property of a thermometry measurement equipment 
business. Goodwill and intellectual property are reviewed for 
impairment at least annually and no impairment in respect of 
either of these amounts was required. At 31 December 2014 
the value of goodwill in respect of the disposed business, 
Arista Laboratories, was £1.3m. 

Dividends 
The Board is recommending a final dividend of 1.5p per ordinary 
share which, together with the interim dividend of 2.5p paid in 
October 2015, results in a total dividend of 4.0p per ordinary 
share in respect of 2015 (2014: 5.5p per ordinary share). The 
dividend, which is subject to shareholder approval at the 
Group’s AGM, will be paid on 11 May 2016 to shareholders 
registered at the close of business on 15 April 2016.

Cash, treasury and funding activities
Net debt at the end of the year was £3.2m (2014: £2.1m). 
Net cash inflow from operating activities from continuing 
operations was £4.8m (2014: £1.6m), after a decrease in 
working capital of £0.4m (2014: £3.0m increase), reorganisation 
payments of £0.4m (2014: £0.5m), defined benefit pension 
payments of £1.9m (2014: £1.8m) and net taxation payments 
of £0.1m (2014: £1.0m). Capital expenditure on property, plant 
and equipment, net of proceeds from the sale of property, 
plant and equipment, was £0.9m (2014: £1.9m) and capitalised 
product development expenditure was £1.9m (2014: £3.1m). 
Additionally, assets, including intellectual property, relating 
to an instrumentation product that is being commercialised 
by the Group were purchased for £0.2m. Net cash outflow in 
relation to the discontinued operations was £1.0m (2014: £2.1m). 
Dividends of £1.1m (2014: £1.1m) were paid in the year.

There were no significant changes during the year in the 
financial risks, principally currency risks and interest rate 
movements, to which the business is exposed and the Group 
treasury policy has remained unchanged. The Group does 
not trade in financial instruments and enters into derivatives 
(mainly forward foreign exchange contracts) solely for the 
purpose of minimising currency exposures on sales or 
purchases in other than the functional currencies of its 
various operations.

The Group maintains bank facilities appropriate to its expected 
needs. These were renegotiated in 2013 and comprise £13.0m 
of secured, committed borrowing facilities with Lloyds Bank 
plc. These facilities are committed until September 2018 and 
are subject to covenants covering leverage, interest cover, 
tangible net worth and capital expenditure, and are sterling 
and multi-currency denominated. Additionally, ancillary 
facilities are in place, covering bonds, indemnities and 
guarantees. Short- term overdrafts and borrowings are utilised 
in certain parts of the Group to meet local cash requirements 
and these are typically denominated in local currencies. 
Foreign currency borrowings are used to hedge investments 
in overseas subsidiaries where appropriate.

Pension schemes
The Group is responsible for defined benefit pension schemes 
in the UK and the USA, in which there are no active members. 
These schemes are accounted for in accordance with IAS 19 
Employee benefits. The IAS 19 valuation of the UK scheme’s 
assets and liabilities was undertaken as at 31 December 2015 
and was based on the information used for the funding valuation 
work that is currently being carried out as at 30 June 2015, 
updated to reflect both conditions at the 2015 year end and the 
specific requirements of IAS 19. The smaller USA defined benefit 
schemes were valued as at 31 December 2015, using actuarial 
data as of 1 January 2015, updated for conditions existing at the 
year end. Under IAS 19 the Group has elected to recognise all 
actuarial gains and losses outside of the income statement.

The IAS 19 valuation of the UK scheme resulted in a net 
surplus at the end of the year of £10.6m (2014: £14.1m deficit), 
before tax. The value of the scheme’s assets at 31 December 
2015 was £346.9m (2014: £347.9m) and the value of the 
scheme’s liabilities was £336.3m (2014: £362.0m). The 
accounting valuations of the USA pension schemes showed 
an aggregated net deficit of £6.6m (2014: £6.5m), all amounts 
being before tax, with total assets of £14.9m (2014: £15.4m). 
The main causes of the improvement in the valuation of the 
liabilities in the UK scheme were the increase in the discount 
rate, reflecting higher interest rates at the year end compared 
with twelve months previously, and a gain arising from a 
change to the demographic assumptions. 

The last completed scheme specific funding valuation of the 
Group’s UK defined benefit scheme, which was carried out 
as at 30 June 2012, showed a funding level of 86% of liabilities, 
which represented a deficit of £53.0m. The solvency position 
of the scheme at that date, which reflects the scheme’s 
position if it was wound up, showed a funding level of 56%. 
Valuations are extremely sensitive to a number of factors 
outside the control of the Group, including discount rates. 

10

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015The Company agreed a deficit recovery plan with the trustee 
of the scheme which commits the Company to paying to the 
scheme £1.7m per annum, in monthly instalments from July 
2013, with a then estimated recovery period of 17 years from 
30 June 2012. The annual deficit recovery payments increase 
by 2.1% per annum. The deficit recovery plan will be formally 
reassessed following the completion of the scheme specific 
funding valuation as at 30 June 2015, which is currently being 
carried out.

The aggregate cost of administering the defined benefit 
schemes charged to operating profit was £0.9m (2014: £0.9m). 
In 2014 an aggregate credit of £0.2m was reported, arising 
as a result of a trivial commutation exercise carried out in 
that year. As reported in the Interest and taxation section 
on page 9, net financing expense in respect of the schemes 
was £0.7m (2014: £0.2m).

During the year the Company made payments to the UK 
defined benefit scheme of £1.8m (2014: £1.7m) in respect of 
the deficit recovery plan. Payments of £0.1m (2014: £0.1m) 
were made to the USA schemes in the year.

The Company is also responsible for paying a statutory levy 
to the Pension Protection Fund. The quantum of this levy 
is dependent on a number of factors, including a specific 
method of calculating a pension deficit for this purpose and 
a credit assessment of the Company, the methodology for 
which is also specific for this purpose. The levy that will 
be paid in 2016 is largely linked to the Group’s financial 
information reported in the year to 31 December 2014 and 
it is expected that this will result in a payment considerably 
in excess of the 2015 levy.

Equity
Group equity at 31 December 2015 was £36.6m 
(2014: £25.9m). The movement arises mainly from the net 
actuarial gains in respect of the Group’s defined benefit 
pension schemes of £18.0m, profit for the period from 
continuing operations of £1.7m, losses arising on the 
discontinued operations of £5.8m, currency translation losses 
on foreign currency net investments of £2.2m and dividend 
payments of £1.1m, all figures net of tax where applicable.

David Cowen 
Group Finance Director 
25 February 2016

Key performance indicators (KPIs) 

Sales
(continuing operations) 

£87.0m

Underlying profit  
before tax

£3.8m

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Underlying operating  
return on sales

2011

2012

4.6%

Underlying EPS

15.1p

2013

2014

2015

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

£87.6m

£89.2m

£102.1m

£87.4m

£87.0m

£4.9m

£6.0m

£8.0m

£5.3m

£3.8m

5.7%

6.8%

7.9%

6.2%

4.6%

21.1p

28.0p

37.5p

22.4p

15.1p

11

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Principal risks and uncertainties

The Board regularly considers the main risks that the Group faces and how to mitigate 
those risks. The principal risks and uncertainties to which the business is exposed are 
summarised as follows.

Risk

Mitigation

Economic and market cycles
The Group is potentially affected by global and local 
economic cycles and changes in a number of industrial 
sectors, including the tobacco industry. Such potential 
changes include those arising as a consequence of 
governmental activities, such as regulation and taxation.

Loss of trading partners
The Group faces the general risk of trading partners, 
including both customers and suppliers, ceasing to operate; 
the loss of any such partner could have an adverse effect 
on the Group’s operating results and financial condition, 
including potentially affecting the viability of a subsidiary 
company. A number of customers operate in countries 
which may face a higher degree of political risk than others.

Large one-off projects
The Group undertakes a number of large, one-off projects 
for its customers each year. Several risks follow from the 
nature of this type of business, including the potential for 
cost over-runs and delays in performing the contract, with 
a consequent impact on cash flows and profits. Also, the 
Group is prone to potentially large fluctuations in business 
levels, as demand can be quite volatile.

Loss of a key facility
The Group operates a number of businesses around the 
world and the loss of any one of them would interrupt a 
revenue stream and could potentially have an adverse 
effect on the Group’s operating results and financial 
condition.

Exchange rate movements
The majority of the Group’s trading is conducted outside of 
the UK and in currencies other than sterling. Consequently, 
its financial performance is affected by fluctuations in 
foreign exchange rates, particularly as a result of changes 
in the relative values of the US dollar, Canadian dollar, euro, 
Czech koruna, Brazilian real and sterling.

The customer base is geographically diverse and the 
Group sells a range of products and services to a number 
of industries, including within the tobacco industry those 
that relate to the regulation and quality control of tobacco 
products, as well as those that relate directly to the 
manufacture of such products.

The Group has a diversified base of customers and the 
customer that accounts for the largest proportion of sales, 
excluding one-off projects, is routinely responsible for no 
more than 5% of total sales in any year. In certain years 
sales to a customer may be more than 5%, although the 
sales would typically be to a number of different geographic 
regions. The Group businesses regularly review their trading 
relationships with suppliers with the aim of ensuring that 
alternative sources of supply are available.

The Group utilises good project management practices, 
including regular technical and commercial reviews of its 
major projects. Resource capacity is regularly reviewed, 
alongside reviews of order prospects lists.

Disaster recovery plans are in place for each business. 
IT infrastructures are designed to have minimal inter 
dependence across the Group, thereby not exposing a 
number of facilities to the failure of one central system.

The Group has a wide supply base in different countries 
and monitors the relative values of currencies in making 
purchasing decisions. The Group enters into forward 
foreign exchange contracts to minimise currency 
exposures on sales and purchases in other than the 
functional currencies of its operations.

12

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Risk

Mitigation

Availability of funding
The Group has access from its principal UK bank to 
borrowing facilities of £13.0m, which are committed 
until September 2018, provided that the Group continues 
to meet the agreed covenants. In addition, these facilities 
provide the Group with access to other financial 
instruments for carrying out its activities, including bank 
guarantees and forward foreign exchange contracts. If a 
breach of agreed covenants was to occur and funding 
was withdrawn, it may result in the Group experiencing 
difficulty in financing its activities.

Liabilities of the Group sponsored defined 
benefit pension schemes
The Group is responsible for the funding of a defined 
benefit pension scheme in the UK, which pays a levy to the 
Pension Protection Fund of an amount outside the control 
of the Group, as well as three smaller such schemes in the 
USA. Changes in the value of the liabilities of the pension 
schemes, which were valued in aggregate at £357.8m 
at 31 December 2015 in accordance with IAS 19, as a 
consequence of changes in interest rates and mortality 
rates, amongst others, and changes in the value of the 
assets of the pension schemes, which were valued in 
aggregate at £361.8m at 31 December 2015, are 
largely outside the control of the Group. The valuation of 
these schemes impact on the value of capital employed 
in the Group and the extent to which, as a matter of law, 
it has available to distributable profits. The Group has 
responsibility for the adequate funding of the pension 
schemes and is currently paying to the UK scheme £1.8m 
per annum in respect of deficit funding following an 
actuarial funding valuation as at 30 June 2012. The UK 
scheme is subject to a full actuarial funding valuation 
as at 30 June 2015 which will help inform its funding 
requirements over the subsequent periods.

Litigation
The Group from time to time may be subject to claims from 
third parties in relation to its current and past operations, 
which could result in legal costs and rulings against it that 
may have a material effect on the Group’s operating results 
and financial condition.

Reviews of actual and forecast trading performance 
are regularly undertaken and assessed against the bank 
covenants, thereby allowing mitigating actions to be put 
in place if there were concerns that covenants might be 
breached. Regular reviews are held with the principal UK 
bank so that they are informed of the Group’s strategy 
and prospects and are able to comment as appropriate.

The Group and the pension schemes implement liability 
reduction strategies where such opportunities exist and 
the Group maintains regular dialogue with its pension 
advisors on such matters. Regular meetings are held with 
the trustee of the UK pension scheme, to input into their 
asset investment decisions and to apprise the trustee of 
the progress of the Group to help inform them in making 
decisions which may impact the scheme funding 
requirements. However, many factors which impact 
the valuations and funding requirements of the pension 
schemes are outside the control of the Group.

The Group has a comprehensive risk management and 
review process which is aimed at minimising the risk 
of such claims arising as a consequence of its actions. 
Insurance policies are in place to cover some such 
incidences and third-party legal assistance is sought 
as required.

13

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Chairman’s report

Phil Moorhouse
Chairman
In this my first report as 
Chairman, I am pleased to have 
the opportunity to outline the 
activities and responsibilities 
of the Board

Governance highlights
We are committed to excellence in corporate governance 
and maintain clear policies and practices that promote 
good corporate governance, including:
•  the Board of directors has adopted clear corporate 

governance policies;

•  the Chairman and the independent member of the 

Board of directors meet regularly without the presence 
of management;

•  we have a clear code of business conduct;
•  the Group has a whistle-blowers hotline available 
to all employees, and the Molins Audit Committee 
has procedures in place for the anonymous submission 
of employee complaints on accounting, internal 
accounting controls, or auditing matters; and

Earlier in this document we have explained how the Group 
has performed in the year and how it is structured. I explain 
below how the Board goes about ensuring it performs its 
duties effectively.

The Board’s activities
Since the Company’s move to AIM in 2014, the Board has 
continued to operate the Company’s business, including its 
reporting and governance, in substantially the same manner 
and with the same objectives as it had done before the move. 
Accordingly, even though the Company is not subject to the 
UK Corporate Governance Code (the Code), the directors 
consider that the Company adhered to the principles of 
the Code and those contained in the Large and Medium 
Sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) 
Regulations 2008.

The Board met nine times during 2015 and it is responsible for:

•  Group strategy, business planning, budgeting and 

•  the Company’s internal audit function maintains 

risk management;

critical oversight over the key areas of its business 
and financial processes and controls, and reports 
directly to the Audit Committee.

•  monitoring performance against budget and other 

agreed objectives; 

•  setting the Group’s values and standards, including policies 
on employment, health and safety, environment and ethics; 

•  relationships with shareholders and other major 

stakeholders; 

14

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015•  determining the financial and corporate structure of the 

Group (including financing and dividend policy); 

•  major investment and divestment decisions, and approving 

material contracts; and 

•  Group compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

service contracts of the executive directors are set out in the 
Remuneration report. The non-executive directors’ terms of 
engagement are set out in their letters of appointment. In 
each case, compensation for loss of office of a non-executive 
director is specifically excluded by the letter of appointment.

Day to day management of the Company’s businesses is 
delegated to the executive directors and in turn to business 
unit managing directors or general managers in accordance 
with a clear and comprehensive statement of delegated 
authorities. At each meeting the Board reviews comprehensive 
financial and trading information produced by management 
each month and considers the trends in the Company’s 
businesses and their performance against strategic objectives 
and plans. It also regularly reviews the work of its formally 
constituted standing Committees as described below and 
compliance with the Group’s policies and obligations.

Since my appointment as Chairman there has been no Senior 
Independent Director. The composition of the Committees 
referred to below and whether a Senior Independent Director 
should be appointed is currently subject to review by the 
Board. Mr Davies is considered to be an independent director 
and he has met with me as Chairman on a number of 
occasions during the year without the executive directors 
being present.

In furtherance of the principles of good corporate 
governance, the Board has appointed Audit, Remuneration 
and Nomination Committees, each with formal terms of 
reference, which can be read on the Company’s website 
at www.molins.com. The current memberships of the 
Committees are shown on page 17. All members of the Board 
and its Committees attended all meetings held in 2015.

Reports on the activities of the Audit Committee and the 
Remuneration Committee are on pages 18 and 20 respectively. 
The Nomination Committee, which I chair, is responsible for 
formulating and reviewing proposals for the appointment of 
directors and making recommendations thereon to the Board. 
It met once during 2015 and intends to meet at least once a 
year to review the structure, size, diversity and composition of 
the Board and its Committees (including the balance of skills, 
knowledge and experience and the need for succession 
planning or membership of the Board). 

The directors attend seminars from time to time as 
appropriate to assist with training in their awareness of 
compliance issues facing boards of quoted companies. The 
directors have ensured they maintain awareness of current 
issues and skills development, through membership of 
professional associations where appropriate. Details of the 

Board performance evaluation
The Board carries out a formal review each year in respect 
of its performance over the previous year. The evaluation 
is informed by detailed questionnaires completed by 
each director. 

The Board is responsible for the 
Group’s system of internal controls 
and has established a framework 
of financial and other controls

Relationships with shareholders
The Board recognises the importance of maintaining regular 
dialogue with institutional shareholders to ensure that the 
Group’s strategy is communicated and any concerns can be 
addressed. In addition, all shareholders have the opportunity 
to attend the Annual General Meeting where the Group’s 
operations can be discussed with the directors. The Chief 
Executive and Group Finance Director make themselves 
available for meetings with analysts and representatives of 
the major shareholders on the day of the announcement of 
the preliminary results and the half-year results or shortly 
thereafter and upon request at other times of the year, and 
they report accordingly to the Board on shareholders’ views. 
Any shareholder wishing to meet with the directors should 
make contact with the Secretary. Mr Davies and I are also 
available to attend meetings with major shareholders thus 
enabling shareholders to draw our attention to any views 
that they consider need special emphasis. We can also be 
contacted through the Secretary.

15

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSChairman’s report continued

Internal controls
The Board is responsible for the Group’s system of internal 
controls and has established a framework of financial and 
other material controls that is periodically reviewed for its 
effectiveness. The Board has reviewed the effectiveness of the 
system of internal controls during the year ended 31 December 
2015 and intends to review controls annually, having ensured 
that appropriate control mechanisms and review processes are 
in place.

The Board has taken and will continue to take appropriate 
measures to ensure that the chances of financial irregularities 
occurring are reduced as far as reasonably possible by 
improving the quality of information at all levels in the Group, 
fostering an open environment and ensuring that financial 
analysis is rigorously applied. Any system of internal control 
can, however, only provide reasonable, but not absolute, 
assurance against material misstatement or loss.

The major elements of the system of internal control are 
as follows:

•  major commercial, strategic and financial risks are formally 
identified, quantified and assessed by each business during 
the annual budgeting exercise and presented to and 
discussed with executive directors, after which they are 
considered by the Board; 

•  there is a comprehensive system of planning, budgeting, 
reporting and monitoring of the Group’s businesses. This 
includes monthly management reporting and monitoring of 
performance and forecasts. Monthly reviews are embedded 
in the internal control process and cover each principal 
business. Monthly reviews require each business to consider, 
among other things, business development, financial 
performance against budget and forecast, health and safety 
and capital expenditure proposals, as well as a review of 
longer-term business development and all other aspects of 
the business. They are attended by executive directors and 
other Group personnel as appropriate; 

•  there is an organisational structure with clearly defined 

lines of responsibility and delegation of authority;

•  each business is required to comply with defined policies, 
financial controls and procedures and authorisation levels 
which are clearly communicated;

•  a regular programme of internal control reviews and specific 
investigations is carried out by Group finance personnel. 
These are followed up during regular executive 
management visits. The internal control reviews include 
assessments of compliance with Group policies and 
procedures and findings are reported to the Audit 
Committee and Board as appropriate;

•  there is a whistle-blower procedure of which all employees 

are made aware, to enable concerns to be raised either with 
line management or, if appropriate, confidentially outside 
line management; and

•  a formal risk management audit is regularly carried out by 

Group personnel and external risk management consultants, 
which covers physical damage, environmental and health 
and safety risks together with business continuity issues. 
Formal reports including recommendations are sent to 
each business for action and reported back to Group 
management. Progress reports are issued to the Board 
for review and monitoring.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all 
Group employees for their continued hard work, commitment 
and their contribution to the performance of the Group 
during 2015.

Phil Moorhouse
Chairman 
25 February 2016

16

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Board of directors

Phil Moorhouse FCCA§
Chairman

Dick Hunter MBA
Chief Executive

Phil Moorhouse joined the Molins Board on 1 March 2011 
as a non-executive director and was appointed Chairman 
of the Board on 10 April 2015. He is Chairman of the Audit 
and Nomination Committees. He is also non-executive 
Chairman of Newcastle Building Society. He was formerly 
Finance Director and Managing Director UK of Northgate plc.

Dick Hunter joined the Company in January 2003, was 
appointed to the Board on 28 June 2004 and was appointed 
Chief Executive on 25 January 2008. He previously held 
a number of general management positions within Coats 
Viyella plc and Dynacast International Ltd in Europe, the 
USA and the Far East.

David Cowen FCA
Group Finance Director

John Davies§
Non-Executive Director

David Cowen joined the Molins Board as Group Finance 
Director on 8 February 1999 from Rolls-Royce and Bentley 
Motor Cars Ltd where he was Finance Director. He previously 
held senior financial positions with Vickers PLC.

John Davies joined the Molins Board on 27 January 2011 as a 
non-executive director and is Chairman of the Remuneration 
Committee. He is a non-executive director of Redde plc 
and he was formerly non-executive Chairman of Autologic 
Holdings plc, Managing Director of Lloyds TSB’s Asset 
Finance division, Head of Consumer Finance for Standard 
Chartered Bank and Managing Director of United Dominions 
Trust, a subsidiary of Lloyds TSB Bank plc.

§ Member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

17

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSAudit Committee report

Phil Moorhouse
Chairman of the Audit Committee
In my capacity as 
Chairman of the Audit 
Committee, I report on 
the responsibilities of the 
Audit Committee and its 
activities during the year

With my background as a chartered certified accountant and 
former finance director the Board regards me as having the 
relevant experience to be able to perform my duties as the 
Committee’s Chairman effectively.

The Committee’s members are the non-executive directors, 
whose biographies are set out on page 17, both of whom 
attended all four of the Committee meetings held in the year. 
The Chief Executive, Group Finance Director, Secretary, senior 
member of the internal audit function and representatives 
of the external auditors (when half-year accounts, year end 
accounts or external audit plan proposals are to be considered) 
are invited to attend all or part of each meeting. Each of them 
has confidential access to me at other times as required.

The Audit Committee assists the Board in the discharge 
of its duties concerning the announcement of results, the 
Annual Report and Accounts and the maintenance of proper 
internal controls. It reviews the scope and planning, as well 
as the audit and the auditors’ findings and considers Group 
accounting policies and the compliance of those policies 
with applicable legal and accounting standards.

The Audit Committee also considers the independence of 
the external auditors and has developed policies relating 
to the employment of former employees of the auditors and 
the engagement of the auditors, or advisors related to the 
auditors, on non-audit work. These policies, which have 
been adopted formally by the Board, require, inter alia, 
the Committee’s consent to material engagements or any 
employment and appropriate confirmations from the auditors. 
The Committee considers annually how the internal audit 
function operates in the Group, including its terms of reference 
and whether this gives sufficient assurance that the business 
and controls of the Group are adequately reviewed. The 
Committee also approves the internal audit work plan each 
year. This function is part of the Group finance department 
and its senior member reports to the Committee at each 
meeting on its activities and has direct access to me as 
required at all times.

18

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Relationship with the Auditors
During the year under review KPMG provided tax advice 
to the Company and some of its principal subsidiaries. The 
Board has considered the effect on independence of the 
auditors and the objective criteria on which any decisions to 
appoint KPMG should be made. It was concluded that in the 
circumstances its appointment as tax advisor was the most 
cost-effective means of securing appropriate advice without 
a serious risk of affecting the independence of the auditors. 
KPMG have confirmed that they do not consider their 
independence to be affected. The Board has developed 
policies to safeguard the independence of the auditors 
based upon:

•  internal KPMG processes to prevent information being 

shared between teams except where it is appropriate and 
a periodic rotation of senior audit staff in accordance with 
KPMG’s internal policies;

•  separate consideration of each category or major item 

of work, including the cost-effectiveness of any proposed 
work and the suitability of competing advisors;

April

•  consideration of the total level of fees payable to KPMG 

and its associated entities; and

•  periodic rotation of the lead audit partner; this was last 
effected during 2013, when Peter Selvey was appointed 
Senior Statutory Auditor.

Auditors’ appointment
The Committee evaluated and was satisfied with the work 
of the auditors, KPMG LLP, and therefore recommended to 
the Board that they should be re-appointed for the 2016 audit. 
A resolution for the re-appointment of KPMG LLP as auditors 
of the Company is to be proposed at the forthcoming Annual 
General Meeting to be held on 22 April 2016.

Activities of the Audit Committee during the year
A summary of the Committee’s principal activities in 2015 
is set out opposite.

By order of the Board

Phil Moorhouse
Chairman of the Audit Committee 
25 February 2016

August

Month

Principal activities

February

Review of financial reporting, including 
material judgements and estimates, 
goodwill impairment review assumptions, 
going concern assumptions, draft Annual 
Report and Accounts 2014, governance 
reports, draft preliminary results 
announcement, representation letter to 
the external auditor and the audit report.

Review of internal controls and risk 
management processes and environment.

Consideration of the external auditors’ 
activities, effectiveness, objectivity and 
independence, and consideration of whether 
to recommend the appointment of KPMG 
LLP as external auditors.

Approval of the internal audit work plan 
for the year.

Update on the implementation of the 
businesses’ financial performance 
improvement observations as 
recommended by the external auditor.

Consideration of the effectiveness of the 
external audit process.

Review of financial reporting, including 
consideration of the going concern 
assumptions, the draft half-year 
announcement and the external auditors’ 
review report of the half-year condensed 
set of financial statements.

Consideration and agreement of the 
Audit Committee checklist.

November

Review of financial controls and accounting 
policies.

Review and approval of the external audit 
plan for 2015 financial reporting.

Review of internal controls and risk 
management processes and environment.

Consideration of accounting and corporate 
governance developments.

19

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSRemuneration Committee report

John Davies
Chairman of the  
Remuneration Committee
On behalf of the Board 
I am pleased to present the 
Remuneration Committee’s 
report for the year ended 
31 December 2015

The report is presented in three sections; my introductory 
statement, the Remuneration report and the forward-looking 
Remuneration policy. The Remuneration report, on pages 21 
to 23 details the amounts earned by the directors in respect 
of the period to 31 December 2015 and is subject to an 
advisory shareholder vote. The Remuneration policy, on 
pages 23 to 27 sets out the policy which was approved by 
shareholders at the Annual General Meeting held on 24 April 
2014 and which will continue to apply until no later than 
24 April 2017. 

The Remuneration Committee, which consists of the non-
executive directors, deals with all aspects of the remuneration 
of the executive directors and certain other senior managers. 
The Chief Executive, Group Finance Director and Secretary 
are invited to attend all or parts of each Committee meeting 
but are not in attendance when the subject matter covers 
topics pertaining to their remuneration. The Committee meets 
on a regular basis, usually three times a year and additionally 
if required. It met four times in 2015.

During the year, the Committee undertook a review of the 
Remuneration policy to satisfy itself that the policy still 
supports the strategic objectives of the Company. There 
have been no changes to the Remuneration policy in the year.

In reaching its decisions on policy and specific remuneration 
packages, incentive arrangements and targets, the Committee 
obtains professional advice, when necessary, from Willis 
Towers Watson on the salary, benefits and incentive 
arrangements for executive directors. It has also taken advice 
from Willis Towers Watson on pension arrangements (a 
separate team in Willis Towers Watson provides actuarial 
services to the trustee of the Molins UK Pension Fund).

20

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Remuneration report

Directors’ total remuneration 
The remuneration of the executive directors for the years 2015 and 2014 is made up as follows:

Executive directors’ remuneration as a single figure

2015

D J Cowen 

R C Hunter 

2014

D J Cowen 

R C Hunter 

All taxable
benefitsa
£000

Short-term
incentive
schemeb
£000

Deferred
share planc
£000

20

26

–

–

–

–

All taxable
benefitsa
£000

Short-term
incentive
schemeb
£000

23

26

–

–

Deferred
share planc
£000

70

80

Salary
£000

215

243

Salary
£000

214

242

Pensiond
£000

58

36

Pensiond
£000

58

36

Total
£000

293

305

Total
£000

365

384

a  Taxable benefits include:  

Mr Cowen – car allowance payments, private medical cover, income replacement insurance and life assurance premiums;  
Mr Hunter – provision of a company car, private fuel, private medical cover, income replacement insurance and life assurance premiums.

b  The performance criteria for the Short-term incentive scheme is described in the Remuneration policy on page 26.

c  The performance criteria for the Deferred share plan is described in the Remuneration policy on page 27. The amounts represent the values 

of the awards made in the form of conditional grants which are exercisable no earlier than three years from the date of grant. The share price 
at the date of grant in 2014 was 185.0p.

d  The values are the amounts paid in lieu of membership of a pension scheme.

The remuneration of the non-executive directors for the years 2015 and 2014 is made up as follows:

Non-executive directors’ remuneration as a single figure

J L Davies

P J Moorhouse –  
Chairman since 10 April 2015

A Palmer-Baunacka –  
Chairman until 10 April 2015

2015

All taxable
benefits
£000

–

–

–

Fees
£000

50

68

21

Total
£000

Fees
£000

50

68

21

50

50

75

2014

All taxable
benefits
£000

–

–

–

Total
£000

50

50

75

a  Mrs Palmer-Baunack resigned as a director on 10 April 2015. 

21

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Remuneration Committee report continued

Defined benefit pension scheme
The executive directors were members of the Molins UK Pension Fund until April 2012 and the following table relates to the 
benefits of Mr Cowen and Mr Hunter under that scheme.

D J Cowen 

R C Hunter 

Accrued
pension at
31 December
2015
£ pa

48,822

33,266

Directors’ interests in shares 
The beneficial interests of directors holding office at 31 December 2015 and persons connected with them in the ordinary 
shares of the Company (excluding share options) were as follows:

D J Cowen

R C Hunter 

Held at
1 January and
31 December
2015

100,219

75,000

No director holds, or held at any time during the year, a beneficial interest in the Company’s preference shares.

There were no changes in the directors’ interests in shares between 31 December 2015 and 25 February 2016.

Incentive scheme – Deferred share plan
Details of conditional grants of Molins ordinary shares under the Company’s Deferred share plan yet to vest for each director 
who held office during the year and who is eligible to participate in the plan are as follows:

D J Cowen

R C Hunter

Date of award

27 February 2014

27 February 2013

27 February 2014

27 February 2013

Basis
of award
(% of salary)

33.5%

37.5%

33.5%

37.5%

Number of
shares

42,000

46,600

47,600

52,600

Face value
at grant
(£000)

70

78

80

88

Awards are made following the achievement of personal objectives linked to long-term strategic initiatives. The earliest 
date that awards can vest is three years from the date of award. No awards were made to the executive directors in 2015.

In 2015 both executive directors exercised conditional grants that were awarded in 2011 and 2012. The aggregate gains 
made on exercise were:

•  D J Cowen £113,642

•  R C Hunter £128,403

Payments to past directors
There were no payments made to past directors during the period in respect of services provided to the Company after 
their appointment was terminated.

22

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Total shareholder return (TSR) information
The Company’s TSR performance is shown in the following line graph over the last five years, compared with the FTSE Small 
Cap Index and the FTSE AIM All Share Index. The Board believes these are the most appropriate broad equity market indices 
with which to compare the Company’s performance.

500
500

Molins PLC 

FTSE Small Cap Index

FTSE AIM All Share Index

400
400

300
300

200
200

100
100

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Remuneration policy
This part of the Remuneration Committee’s report sets out the Remuneration policy which was subject to a binding vote at 
the 2014 Annual General Meeting. It is not subject to audit. The Remuneration policy, which was determined by the Company’s 
Remuneration Committee, took effect from the close of the Annual General Meeting on 24 April 2014. 

The Remuneration policy is designed to ensure that the remuneration packages offered, and the terms of the contracts of 
service, are competitive and are designed to attract, retain and motivate executive directors of the right calibre. To achieve 
these goals, the Remuneration Committee’s policy is to establish fixed salary at around half of the total obtainable in the 
case of excellent performance, with recognition and reward for achieving performance targets annually and growth in the 
long-term.

Remuneration packages
The main components of the package for each executive director are:

i. Basic salary
Basic salary is determined by taking into account the performance of the individual and information on the rates of salary 
for similar jobs in companies of comparable size and complexity in a range of engineering and other technology industries.

ii. Incentive schemes
The executive directors participate in incentive schemes in which the aggregated minimum bonus payable is nil and the 
maximum bonus payable is 120% of relevant salaries, of which a maximum of 70% of salary is payable in cash (awarded 
under the rules of the Short-term incentive scheme) and a maximum of 50% of salary is payable in deferred shares (currently 
awarded as conditional grants in Molins ordinary shares under the Company’s Deferred share plan). The targets against which 
performance is judged are primarily the Group’s underlying earnings per share in respect of the Short-term incentive scheme, 
set annually by the Remuneration Committee, and specific personal objectives linked directly to long-term strategic initiatives 
to enhance shareholder value in respect of the Deferred share plan. The directors’ personal objectives are commercially 
sensitive and therefore remain, and are expected to continue to remain, confidential to the Company. In some years the 
targets for the Short-term incentive scheme may be varied to reflect particular objectives determined by the Remuneration 
Committee. The Remuneration Committee took advice on good practice in this area in 2009 from Willis Towers Watson and 
also considered appropriate benchmarking against similar companies.

23

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Remuneration Committee report continued

The main terms of the Deferred share plan are that an award is made, subject to the achievement of personal objectives, in 
the form of a nil cost option, which stipulates the number of deferred shares being awarded. Awards in each year are usually 
determined shortly after publication of the Company’s preliminary results announcement and, provided the director is still 
in the employment of the Company on the third anniversary of the award being made, the stated number of shares will be 
granted to the director at any time requested by the director from the third anniversary to, normally, the fourth anniversary. 
Alternatively, in exceptional circumstances and at the Company’s absolute discretion, the Company may make a cash payment 
of a sum equivalent to the value of the shares that would otherwise have been granted. In certain circumstances, for example 
retirement, the director may exercise a proportion of an award before the third year anniversary of the conditional grant.

iii. Pensions
Molins’ policy, from April 2012, is, in lieu of payments to a pension scheme, to pay additional emoluments to the executive 
directors. Alternatively, directors may choose to join the Molins Personal Pension Plan, which is a defined contribution scheme. 
Additionally, life assurance and income protection policies are put in place for the executive directors.

Until April 2012 Molins’ policy was to offer its executive directors membership of the Molins UK Pension Fund (the Fund), which 
is a funded, HM Revenue & Customs approved, contributory, career average (since 1 September 2006), occupational pension 
scheme. Prior to 1 September 2006 benefits were accrued on a final salary basis. Accrual of benefits ceased for all remaining 
members of the Fund on 30 November 2012.

Pensionable salary is the member’s basic salary, subject to the earnings cap introduced by the Finance Act 1989, limiting 
the calculation of remuneration for the purposes of pensions and death benefits under approved schemes to a level of, 
at present, £149,400. In the case of Mr Cowen, the Company paid increased pension benefits through the payment of 
additional emoluments and death benefit through top-up life assurance. Membership of the Fund ceased in April 2012 
for the Executive directors.

The Fund’s main features as they affect executive directors are:

•  a normal pensionable age of 60 in respect of Mr Cowen and 65 in respect of Mr Hunter; 

•  in respect of the career average salary pension (i.e. accruing from 1 September 2006) Mr Cowen accrued pension at the rate 
of 1/37th of each year’s pensionable salary from 1 September 2006, and Mr Hunter at the rate of 1/38th. Pensions accrued 
each year for Mr Cowen and Mr Hunter on a final salary basis (i.e. up to and including 31 August 2006) shall be paid on their 
final pensionable salaries as at the date of their leaving membership of the Fund or retirement from the Company; 

•  pension payable in the event of ill health and incapacity; and 

•  spouse’s pension on death.

Contracts of service
The Company’s policy is to offer contracts of employment that attract, motivate and retain skilled employees who are 
incentivised to deliver the Company’s strategy. The current service contracts were concluded with Mr Cowen on 18 October 
2002 and with Mr Hunter on 10 February 2005 as amended on 25 January 2008. These service contracts are terminable on 
notice of one year given by the Company and six months given by the director. In the event of termination by the Company, 
the Company has the option of making a payment of liquidated damages equivalent to the value of 12 months’ salary and 
benefits, or the balance of the period to the date of expiry if less, or of negotiating appropriate compensation reflecting the 
principle of mitigation. In the event of a change of control in the Company, if the Company terminates any of these contracts 
within 24 months of the change of control, or if the director terminates the contract within six months of the change of control, 
the Company will be obliged to pay liquidated damages equivalent to the value of 12 months’ salary and benefits (including 
bonus at the rate of the average of the two previous years). The purpose of the change of control clause, which is reviewed 
regularly, is that the contracts should provide reasonable and appropriate security to the directors concerned and to 
the Company.

Any commitment contained within the current directors’ service contracts, or a current employee’s contract of employment 
who is subsequently promoted to the role of director, will be honoured even where it may be inconsistent with the Company’s 
Remuneration policy.

24

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Letters of appointment 
The non-executive directors are not issued with a separate service contract on appointment. The terms of their appointment 
are set out in their letter of appointment. The Company does not make termination payments to non-executive directors in 
the event a non-executive director’s appointment is terminated by the Company. 

Recruitment 
The Committee reserves the right to make payments outside the Remuneration policy in exceptional circumstances. The 
Committee would only use this right where it believes that this is in the best interests of the Company and when it would 
be disproportionate to seek the specific approval of the shareholders in a general meeting. 

When hiring a new executive director, the Committee will use the Remuneration policy to determine the executive director’s 
remuneration package. To facilitate the hiring of candidates of the appropriate calibre to implement the Group’s strategy, 
the Committee may include any other remuneration component or award not explicitly referred to in this Remuneration 
policy sufficient to attract the right candidate. In determining the appropriate remuneration the Committee will take into 
consideration all relevant factors (including the quantum and nature of the remuneration) to ensure the arrangements are 
in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

The Committee may “buy-out” incentive arrangements forfeited on leaving a previous employer after taking account of 
relevant factors including the form of the award, any performance conditions attached to the award and when they would 
have vested. The Committee may consider other components for structuring the buy-out including cash or share awards 
where there is a commercial rationale for this.

Where the recruitment requires the individual to relocate appropriate relocation costs may be offered.

Recruitment awards will normally be liable to forfeiture or clawback if the executive director leaves the Company within 
the first two years of their employment. Any such awards will be linked to the achievement of appropriate and challenging 
performance measures and will be forfeited if performance or continued employment conditions are not met.

Termination 
The Committee reserves the right to make additional liquidated damages payments outside the terms of the directors’ 
service contracts where such payments are made in good faith in order to discharge an existing legal obligation (or by way 
of damages for breach of such an obligation) or by way of settlement or compromise of any claim arising in connection with 
the termination of a director’s office or employment. 

Non-executive directors
The fees of non-executive directors are determined by the Board based upon comparable market levels. The non-executive 
directors do not participate in the Company’s incentive schemes and nor do they receive any benefits or pension contributions.

25

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Remuneration Committee report continued

Future Remuneration policy table
The following table provides a summary of the key components of the remuneration package for directors:

Salary

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity 

This is a fixed element of the executive directors’ remuneration and is intended to be 
competitive and attract, retain and motivate.

Takes into account the performance of the individual and information on the rates of 
salary for similar jobs in companies of comparable size and complexity in a range of 
engineering and technology industries.

Salary is normally reviewed annually. Ordinarily, salary increases will be in line with 
increases awarded to other employees within the Group. However, increases may be 
made above this level at the Remuneration Committee’s discretion to take account 
of individual circumstances such as:

•  increase in scope and responsibility;

•  to reflect the individual’s development and performance in the role; and

•  alignment to market level.

Performance metrics 

Not applicable, although individual performance is one of the considerations in 
determining the level of salary.

Benefits 

Purpose and link to strategy

The benefits provided to the executive directors are intended to be competitive and 
attract and retain the right calibre of candidate.

Operation

Opportunity 

Benefits are paid to the executive directors in line with market practice. 

Benefits are set at a level which the Remuneration Committee considers:

• are appropriately positioned against comparable roles in companies of a similar size 

and complexity in the relevant market; and

• provide a sufficient level of benefit based upon the role and individual circumstances.

Performance metrics 

Not applicable.

Short-term incentive scheme

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity 

Performance metrics 

26

The Short-term incentive scheme is intended to reward executive directors for the 
performance of the Group in the financial year.

The Remuneration Committee reviews the financial performance of the Group 
following the end of each financial year and determines the payments to be made.

Maximum of 70% of salary.

The targets against which performance is judged are primarily the Group’s underlying 
earnings per share in each financial year set annually by the Remuneration Committee. 
In some years the targets for the Short-term incentive scheme may be varied to reflect 
particular objectives determined by the Remuneration Committee. The Remuneration 
Committee retains the ability to adjust and/or set different performance measures if 
events occur (such as a change in strategy, a material acquisition/divestment of a 
Group business, a change in prevailing market conditions, or a change in regulation 
which affects one or other of the Group businesses) which cause the Remuneration 
Committee to determine that the measures are no longer appropriate and that 
amendment is required so that they achieve their original purpose.

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
 
Deferred share plan 

Purpose and link to strategy 

Operation

The Deferred share plan is intended to reward executive directors for their 
contribution in respect of the longer-term development of the Group.

The Remuneration Committee assesses the achievements of each director in respect 
of targets set annually and determines the award to be made, typically shortly after 
the Company’s preliminary results announcement.

Opportunity 

Maximum of 50% of salary, valued at the date of award of the conditional grant.

Performance metrics 

Pensions

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity

The targets against which performance is judged are specific objectives personal 
to each director aimed at contributing towards the longer-term development of the 
Group. The Remuneration Committee retains the ability to adjust and/or set different 
performance measures if events occur (such as a change in strategy, a material 
acquisition/divestment of a Group business, a change in prevailing market conditions, 
or a change in regulation which affects one or other of the Group businesses) which 
cause the Remuneration Committee to determine that the measures are no longer 
appropriate and that amendment is required so that they achieve their original purpose.

The payment of a pension benefit is intended to form an integral part of an executive 
director’s remuneration package that is competitive and attracts, retains and motivates 
the director.

Directors may join the Molins Personal Pension Plan, or alternatively, in lieu of 
payments to the pension scheme, the Company may pay additional emoluments.

Any percentage increase in pension contributions will not exceed the percentage 
increase in salary. 

Performance metrics

Not applicable.

Non-executive directors’ fees

Purpose and link to strategy

To attract and retain non-executive directors of the right calibre.

Operation

The fees of non-executive directors are determined by the Board based upon 
comparable market levels. The non-executive directors do not participate in 
the Company’s incentive schemes and nor do they receive any benefits or 
pension contributions.

Statement of consideration of employment conditions elsewhere in the Company
The Company applies the same key principles to setting remuneration for its employees as those applied to the directors’ 
remuneration. In setting salaries and benefits each business considers the need to retain and incentivise key employees and 
the impact such policy has on the continued success of the Company.

By order of the Board

John Davies
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee 
25 February 2016

27

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
Directors’ report

Business review
The directors’ business review is set out as part of the 
Strategic report with the results of the Group being set out 
in the Consolidated income statement on page 32 and in its 
related notes.

Going concern
The Group’s activities together with the factors likely to affect its 
future development, performance and position are described 
within the Strategic report on pages 1 to 13. The directors have 
considered the trading outlook of the Group, its financial 
position, including its cash resources and access to borrowings, 
as set out in note 20 to the accounts on page 54, and its 
continuing obligations, including to its defined benefit pension 
schemes, details of which are set out in note 24 to the accounts 
on pages 56 to 60. Having made due enquiries the directors 
have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate 
resources to continue in operational existence for the 
foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt 
the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

Dividends
An interim dividend of 2.5p was paid on 8 October 2015. 
The Board is recommending a final dividend of 1.5p, resulting 
in a dividend for the full year of 4.0p (2014: 5.5p). Subject 
to approval at the Annual General Meeting on 22 April 2016 
the final dividend will be paid on 11 May 2016 to ordinary 
shareholders registered at the close of business on 
15 April 2016, at a cost of £0.3m. 

Dividends on the 6% preference shares are due for payment 
on 30 June and 31 December in each year and in 2015 
amounted to £0.1m (2014: £0.1m).

Research and development

Group policy is to retain and enhance its market position 
through the design and development of specialist machinery, 
instrumentation and services. To achieve this objective, 
engineering and product development facilities are maintained 
in the UK and overseas. Research and development expenditure 
incurred in 2015, net of third-party income, amounted to 
£2.6m (2014: £3.7m), of which £0.7m (2014: £0.6m) was 
charged to the Consolidated income statement and 
£1.9m (2014: £3.1m) was capitalised and included in 
development costs.

Directors and directors’ interests
The names of the directors of the Company at the date of this 
report are shown on page 17. All held office throughout 2015. 

Directors’ interests in the Company’s shares as at 
31 December 2015 are shown on page 22 in the Remuneration 
report. There are no shareholding requirements for directors.

Substantial shareholdings
At 25 February 2016, the Company had been notified, 
in accordance with the AIM Rules for Companies, of the 
following interests in the issued ordinary share capital of 
the Company:

Number of 
ordinary shares

% of issued 
ordinary shares

Schroder Investment 
Management Limited

River and Mercantile Asset 
Management LLP

Mr G V L Oury

4,681,341

1,169,949

887,548

24.1

5.8

4.4

Share capital
Authority for the purchase of up to 3,000,000 own ordinary 
shares for cancellation was granted at the 2015 Annual 
General Meeting and this authority expires on 22 April 2016. 
The directors consider it appropriate to seek further authority 
from the shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General 
Meeting for the Company to purchase its own shares. 
Resolution 9, which will be proposed as a special resolution, 
will seek the necessary authority to enable the Company to 
purchase for cancellation ordinary shares in the market for a 
period of up to 12 months from the date of the meeting, upon 
the terms set out in the resolution, up to a maximum number 
of 3,000,000 ordinary shares representing approximately 15% 
of the issued ordinary share capital at the date of the notice 
convening the Annual General Meeting.

EES Trustees International Limited holds shares as trustee 
in connection with the Company’s long-term incentive 
arrangements for the benefit of the Group’s employees; 
at 25 February 2016 it held 504,816 shares. The trustee has 
agreed to waive all dividends and not to exercise voting 
rights in respect of shares representing 2.5% of the issued 
share capital.

Information about the Company’s share capital is given in note 
25 to the accounts on page 60 and 61.

28

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting will take place on 22 April 2016. 
Notice of the meeting can be found on pages 73 to 79.

Social, community and human rights 
Employment policies 
The Group is committed to developing its employment 
policies in line with best practice and providing equal 
opportunities for all, irrespective of gender, age, marital 
status, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religious belief or 
disability. Full and fair consideration is given to applications 
for employment from people with disabilities having regard to 
their aptitudes and abilities. Every reasonable effort is made 
to support those who become disabled, either in the same 
job or, if this is not practicable, in suitable alternative work.

Gender diversity
The information contained within the table below relates 
to employees of Molins PLC only and does not include 
employees of the Company’s overseas subsidiaries.

Environmental policy
The Group is committed not only to compliance with 
environmental legislation but also to the progressive 
introduction of appropriate measures to limit the adverse 
effects of its operations upon the environment. In 
particular, efforts are made to minimise waste arising 
from operations, to recycle materials wherever possible 
and to consider alternative methods of design or operation. 
The Group aims both to reduce its costs by these means 
and to promote good practice in use of resources at 
sustainable levels. 

Annual quantity of emissions
Following its admission to AIM, Molins PLC has chosen to 
report emissions for the Group on a voluntary basis as set out 
below. Emissions are measured as tonnes of CO2 equivalent 
resulting directly from the Group’s purchase of electricity and 
the combustion of fuel arising from the activities of the Group 
for which it is responsible and an intensity ratio has also 
been included. 

Directors

Senior managers

Total employees

Men (%)

Women (%)

100

69

81

–

31

19

Employee involvement 
Emphasis is placed on training, effective communication 
and the involvement of employees in the development of the 
business. Information is regularly provided on the progress 
of the Group through local review meetings, briefings and 
consultative bodies. Involvement in the achievements of the 
business is encouraged through other means appropriate 
to each location.

Ethics policy 
The Group‘s Ethics policy was reviewed, updated and reissued 
in April 2014. The Ethics policy, which is distributed to every 
Group employee and is available on the Group’s website at 
www.molins.com, sets out the values which Molins PLC seeks 
to encourage and certain principles governing the way it 
does business. 

Emissions (tonnes
of CO2 equivalent)

Intensity ratio
(tonnes of CO2
equivalent per
employeea)

1,652

1,095

2,747

3.7

Purchased electricity 

Combustion of fuel

Total

a Calculated using average number of employees in the year.

By order of the Board

S P Cannon
Secretary 
25 February 2016

29

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSStatement of directors’ responsibilities in respect  
of the annual report, the directors’ report and the  
financial statements

The directors consider that the Annual Report and Accounts, 
taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and 
provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess 
the Company’s performance, business model and strategy.

Responsibilities statement
Each of the directors, whose names and functions are listed 
on page 17, confirm that to the best of their knowledge:

•  the financial statements, prepared in accordance with IFRS 
as adopted by the European Union, give a true and fair view 
of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the 
Group and the Company; and 

•  the Strategic report includes a fair review of the 

development and performance of the business and the 
position of the Group, together with a description of the 
principal risks and uncertainties the Group faces.

In accordance with section 418 of the Companies Act 2006, 
each director in office at the date the Annual Report and 
Accounts is approved, confirms that:

•  so far as the director is aware, there is no relevant audit 

information of which the Company’s auditor is unaware; and

•  the director has taken all the steps that they ought to have 
taken as a director in order to make themselves aware of 
any relevant audit information and to establish that the 
Company’s auditor is aware of that information.

By order of the Board

R C Hunter  
Chief Executive 
25 February 2016

D J Cowen
Group Finance Director 

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual 
Report, the Directors’ report and the financial statements 
in accordance with applicable law and regulations. 

Company law requires the directors to prepare group and 
parent company financial statements for each financial year. 
As required by the AIM Rules of the London Stock Exchange 
they are required to prepare the group financial statements in 
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRSs) as adopted by the EU and applicable law and have 
elected to prepare the parent company financial statements 
on the same basis.

Under company law the directors must not approve the 
financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give 
a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and 
parent Company and of their profit or loss for that period. 
In preparing each of the Group and parent Company financial 
statements, the directors are required to: 

•  select suitable accounting policies and then apply 

them consistently; 

•  make judgements and estimates that are reasonable 

and prudent; 

•  state whether they have been prepared in accordance with 

IFRSs as adopted by the EU; and 

•  prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis 
unless it is inappropriate to presume that the group and the 
parent company will continue in business. 

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate 
accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain 
the parent Company’s transactions and disclose with 
reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the 
parent Company and enable them to ensure that its financial 
statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They have 
general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably 
open to them to safeguard the assets of the Group and to 
prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. 

The directors are responsible for the maintenance and 
integrity of the corporate and financial information included 
on the Company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing 
the preparation and dissemination of financial statements 
may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. 

30

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
 
 
Independent Auditor’s report to the members 
of Molins PLC 

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the 
Companies Act 2006 
In our opinion the information given in the Strategic report 
and the Directors’ report for the financial year for which the 
financial statements are prepared is consistent with the 
financial statements. 

Matters on which we are required to report 
by exception 
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters 
where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, 
in our opinion: 

•  adequate accounting records have not been kept by the 
parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have 
not been received from branches not visited by us; or 

•  the parent Company financial statements are not in 

agreement with the accounting records and returns; or 

•  certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified 

by law are not made; or 

•  we have not received all the information and explanations 

we require for our audit. 

Peter Selvey
(Senior Statutory Auditor) 
for and on behalf of KPMG LLP, Statutory Auditor
Chartered Accountants
Altius House
One North Fourth Street
Milton Keynes
MK9 1NE
25 February 2016

We have audited the financial statements of Molins PLC for 
the year ended 31 December 2015 set out on pages 32 to 70. 
The financial reporting framework that has been applied in 
their preparation is applicable law and International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the EU and, 
as regards the parent company financial statements, as 
applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies 
Act 2006. 

This report is made solely to the Company’s members, 
as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the 
Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so 
that we might state to the Company’s members those matters 
we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for 
no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we 
do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than 
the Company and the Company’s members, as a body, for our 
audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. 

Respective responsibilities of directors 
and auditor 
As explained more fully in the Directors’ responsibilities 
statement set out on page 30, the directors are responsible 
for the preparation of the financial statements and for 
being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our 
responsibility is to audit, and express an opinion on, the 
financial statements in accordance with applicable law and 
International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those 
standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices 
Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors. 

Scope of the audit of the financial statements 
A description of the scope of an audit of financial statements 
is provided on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at 
www. frc.org.uk/auditscopeukprivate. 

Opinion on financial statements 
In our opinion: 

•  the financial statements give a true and fair view of the 

state of the Group’s and of the parent Company’s affairs 
as at 31 December 2015 and of the Group’s loss for the year 
then ended; 

•  the Group financial statements have been properly 

prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU; 

•  the parent Company financial statements have been 

properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by 
the EU and as applied in accordance with the provisions of 
the Companies Act 2006; and 

•  the financial statements have been prepared in accordance 

with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. 

31

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Consolidated income statement  
for the year ended 31 December

Note

Underlying
£m

2015

Non-
underlying
(note 5)
£m

2014

Non-
underlying
 (note 5) 
£m

Underlying
 £m

Total
£m

87.0

(63.8)

23.2

0.2

(7.9)

(11.9)

(0.7)

2.9

0.1

(1.0)

(0.9)

2.0

(0.3)

–

–

–

0.2

–

(1.3)

–

(1.1)

–

(0.7)

(0.7)

(1.8)

0.6

(1.2)

1.7

(5.8)

(7.0)

(5.8)

(4.1)

(20.9)p

(20.9)p

87.4

(61.0)

26.4

–

(8.9)

(11.7)

(0.4)

5.4

0.2

(0.3)

(0.1)

5.3

(0.9)

4.4

–

4.4

Total
 £m

87.4

(61.0)

26.4

0.2

(8.9)

(13.1)

(0.4)

4.2

0.2

(0.5)

(0.3)

3.9

(0.6)

–

–

–

0.2

–

(1.4)

–

(1.2)

–

(0.2)

(0.2)

(1.4)

0.3

(1.1)

3.3

(3.6)

(4.7)

(3.6)

(0.3)

(1.3)p

(1.3)p

Revenue

Cost of sales

Gross profit

Other operating income

Distribution expenses

Administrative expenses

Other operating expenses

Operating profit

Financial income

Financial expenses

Net financing expense

Profit before tax

Taxation

Profit for the period from 
continuing operations

Loss for the period from 
discontinued operations

Loss for the period

Basic loss per ordinary share

Diluted loss per ordinary share

1

2

3

1,4

8

8

9

30

11

11

87.0

(63.8)

23.2

–

(7.9)

(10.6)

(0.7)

4.0

0.1

(0.3)

(0.2)

3.8

(0.9)

2.9

–

2.9

32

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Statements of comprehensive income  
for the year ended 31 December

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income/(expense)

Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss

Actuarial gains/(losses)

Tax on items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss

Note

24

9

Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss

Currency translation movements arising on foreign currency 
net investments

Effective portion of changes in fair value of cash flow hedges

Other comprehensive income/(expense) for the period

Total comprehensive income/(expense) for the period

Group

2015 
£m

(4.1)

24.6

(6.6)

18.0

(2.2)

(0.1)

(2.3)

15.7

11.6

2014
 £m

(0.3)

(15.5)

3.6

(11.9)

(1.3)

(0.1)

(1.4)

(13.3)

(13.6)

Company

2015 
£m

(3.3)

24.0

(6.4)

17.6

–

–

–

17.6

14.3

2014 
£m

(3.6)

(12.7)

2.5

(10.2)

–

0.1

0.1

(10.1)

(13.7)

33

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Statements of changes in equity  
for the year ended 31 December

Share 
capital
£m

Share 
premium 
£m

Translation 
reserve
£m

Group

Capital 
redemption
reserve
£m

Hedging 
reserve
£m

Retained 
earnings
£m

Total 
equity
£m

Balance at 1 January 2014

5.0

26.0

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive expense for the period

Total comprehensive expense for the period

Dividends to shareholders

Equity-settled share-based transactions

Purchase of own shares

Tax on items recorded directly in equity

Total transactions with owners, recorded 
directly in equity

Balance at 31 December 2014

Balance at 1 January 2015

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income/(expense) 
for the period

Total comprehensive income/(expense) 
for the period

Dividends to shareholders

Equity-settled share-based transactions

Purchase of own shares

Total transactions with owners, recorded 
directly in equity

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5.0

5.0

26.0

26.0

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2.0

–

(1.3)

(1.3)

–

–

–

–

–

0.7

0.7

–

(2.2)

(2.2)

–

–

–

–

3.9

(0.5)

4.1

40.5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

3.9

3.9

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(0.1)

(0.1)

(0.3)

(11.9)

(0.3)

(13.3)

(12.2)

(13.6)

–

–

–

–

–

(0.6)

(0.6)

–

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

(0.1)

(1.0)

(9.1)

(9.1)

(4.1)

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

(0.1)

(1.0)

25.9

25.9

(4.1)

(0.1)

18.0

15.7

(0.1)

13.9

11.6

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

(0.9)

(0.9)

–

–

–

–

Balance at 31 December 2015

5.0

26.0

(1.5)

3.9

(0.7)

3.9

36.6

34

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Share
 capital
 £m

Share
premium
£m

Translation
 reserve
 £m

Balance at 1 January 2014

5.0 

26.0

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive (expense)/income 
for the period

Total comprehensive (expense)/income 
for the period

Dividends to shareholders

Equity-settled share-based transactions

Purchase of own shares

Tax on items recorded directly in equity

Total transactions with owners, recorded 
directly in equity

Balance at 31 December 2014

Balance at 1 January 2015

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income for the period

Total comprehensive income for the period

Dividends to shareholders

Equity-settled share-based transactions

Purchase of own shares

Total transactions with owners, recorded 
directly in equity

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5.0

5.0

26.0

26.0

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Balance at 31 December 2015

5.0

26.0

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Company

Capital
redemption
 reserve
 £m

Hedging
 reserve
 £m

Retained
earnings
 £m

3.9

(0.7)

31.7

Total
equity
 £m

65.9

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.1

0.1

–

–

–

–

–

(3.6)

(3.6)

(10.2)

(10.1)

(13.8)

(13.7)

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

(0.1)

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

(0.1)

(1.0)

(1.0)

3.9

3.9

(0.6)

(0.6)

16.9

16.9

51.2

51.2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(3.3)

(3.3)

17.6

14.3

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

17.6

14.3

(1.1)

0.3

(0.1)

(0.9)

(0.9)

3.9

(0.6)

30.3

64.6

35

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Statements of financial position  
as at 31 December

Note

Group

2015 
£m

Non-current assets

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Investment property

Investments

Employee benefits

Deferred tax assets

Current assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Current tax assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Current liabilities

Bank overdraft

Trade and other payables

Current tax liabilities

Provisions

Provisions held within discontinued operations

Net current assets

Total assets less current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings

Employee benefits

Deferred tax liabilities

Net assets

Equity

Issued capital

Share premium

Reserves

Retained earnings

Total equity

12

13

14

15

24

16

17

19

10

22

10

23

30

20

24

16

1

25

14.9

8.0

0.8

–

10.6

4.2

38.5

15.1

17.9

–

10.4

43.4

(0.6)

(18.9)

(0.5)

(1.2)

(0.2)

(21.4)

22.0

60.5

(13.0)

(6.6)

(4.3)

(23.9)

36.6

5.0

26.0

1.7

3.9

36.6

2014
 £m

15.7

11.3

0.8

–

–

6.4

34.2

18.5

26.0

0.2

9.8

54.5

–

(28.6)

(0.4)

(1.3)

–

(30.3)

24.2

58.4

(11.9)

(20.6)

–

(32.5)

25.9

5.0

26.0

4.0

(9.1)

25.9

Company

2015
 £m

12.2

3.2

0.8

50.6

10.6

–

77.4

7.3

10.3

–

6.4

24.0

–

(18.8)

(0.1)

(0.6)

–

(19.5)

4.5

81.9

(13.0)

–

(4.3)

(17.3)

64.6

5.0

26.0

3.4

30.2

64.6

2014
 £m

11.5

3.5

0.8

50.6

–

2.1

68.5

6.6

20.4

–

5.1

32.1

–

(22.5)

(0.1)

(0.8)

–

(23.4)

8.7

77.2

(11.9)

(14.1)

–

(26.0)

51.2

5.0

26.0

3.3

16.9

51.2

These financial statements were approved by the directors on 25 February 2016 and signed on their behalf by:

R C Hunter 
Director 

D J Cowen
Director

Registered number: 124855

36

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Statements of cash flow  
for the year ended 31 December

Operating activities

Operating profit from continuing operations

Non-underlying items included in operating profit

Amortisation

Depreciation

Other non-cash items

Pension payments

Working capital movements:

– decrease/(increase) in inventories

– decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables

– decrease in trade and other payables

– decrease in provisions

Cash flows from continuing operations 
before reorganisation

Cash used in discontinued operations

30

Reorganisation costs paid 

Cash flows from operations

Taxation (paid)/received

Cash flows from operating activities

Investing activities

Interest received

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

Capitalised development expenditure

Acquisition of intellectual property

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

Dividends received

Net proceeds on disposal of discontinued operations

Cash flows from investing activities

Financing activities

Interest paid

Purchase of own shares

Net increase against revolving facilities

Dividends paid

Cash flows from financing activities

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January

Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash held

Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December

12

12

13

30

25

21

Note

12

13

Group

2015 
£m

2.9

1.1

1.4

1.2

0.2

2014
 £m

4.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

0.1

(1.9)

(1.8)

2.2

6.4

(8.1)

(0.1)

5.3

(1.2)

(0.4)

3.7

(0.1)

3.6

0.1

0.4

(1.9)

(0.2)

(1.3)

–

0.2

(2.7)

(0.3)

(0.1)

1.1

(1.1)

(0.4)

0.5

9.8

(0.5)

9.8

(0.6)

(1.5)

(0.7)

(0.2)

3.1

(2.1)

(0.5)

0.5

(1.0)

(0.5)

0.2

0.2

(3.1)

–

(2.1)

–

–

(4.8)

(0.3)

(0.1)

1.8

(1.1)

0.3

(5.0)

15.0

(0.2)

9.8

Company

2015
 £m

2014
 £m

0.2

0.9

1.1

0.6

0.2

(1.8)

(0.7)

7.1

(4.3)

(0.2)

3.1

–

(0.3)

2.8

0.2

3.0

0.1

–

(1.7)

(0.2)

(0.3)

0.5

–

(1.6)

(0.2)

(0.1)

1.3

(1.1)

(0.1)

1.3

5.1

–

6.4

2.8

0.8

1.1

0.4

0.4

(1.7)

2.1

(3.6)

(2.2)

(0.2)

(0.1)

–

(0.2)

(0.3)

(0.2)

(0.5)

0.3

–

(2.8)

–

(0.7)

–

–

(3.2)

(0.3)

(0.1)

1.8

(1.1)

0.3

(3.4)

8.5

–

5.1

37

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Accounting policies

The significant accounting policies which are set out below 
apply to both the Group and Company financial statements, 
as appropriate.

Basis of accounting
Molins PLC (the Company) is a company incorporated and 
domiciled in the UK. The Group financial statements 
consolidate those of the Company and its subsidiaries 
(together referred to as the Group).

Both the Company financial statements and the Group 
financial statements have been prepared and approved by 
the directors in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU (Adopted IFRSs).

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical 
cost basis except that derivative financial instruments, 
principally forward foreign exchange contracts, are stated at 
fair value and non-current assets are stated at the lower of 
previous carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with 
Adopted IFRS requires the directors to make judgements, 
estimates and assumptions that affect the application of 
policies and reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income 
and expenses. The estimates and assumptions are based on 
historical experience and other factors considered reasonable 
at the time, but actual results may differ from these estimates. 
Revisions to these estimates are made in the period in which 
they are recognised.

The accounting policies, presentation and methods of 
computation applied by the Group and Company in these 
financial statements are the same as those applied in the 
2014 financial statements.

Going concern
The Group’s activities together with the factors likely to 
affect its future development, performance and position 
are described within the Operating review on pages 6 to 8, 
Financial review on pages 9 to 11 and in the Principal risks 
and uncertainties on pages 12 and 13.

The directors have considered the trading outlook of the 
Group, its financial position, including its cash resources and 
access to borrowings, as set out in the Financial review on 
pages 9 to 11 and in note 20 to the accounts on page 54, and 
its continuing obligations, including to its defined benefit 
pension schemes, details of which are set out in note 24 to the 
accounts on pages 56 to 60. Having made due enquiries the 
directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has 
adequate resources to continue in operational existence for 
the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt 
the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

Basis of consolidation
The Group financial statements comprise the consolidated 
results of the Company and all of its subsidiary companies 
together with the Group’s share of the results of its associated 
companies on an equity accounting basis. A separate income 
statement dealing only with the results of the Company has 
not been presented in accordance with section 408 of the 
Companies Act 2006.

A subsidiary is a company controlled, directly or indirectly, 
by the Group. Control is the power to govern the financial and 
operating policies of the subsidiary company so as to obtain 
benefits from its activities. A subsidiary’s results are included 
in the Group financial statements from the date that control 
commences until the date that control ceases.

Intragroup balances and any unrealised gains and 
losses or income and expenses arising from intragroup 
transactions are eliminated in preparing the consolidated 
financial statements.

Foreign currency
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at the foreign 
exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary 
assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at 
the statement of financial position date are translated at the 
foreign exchange rate ruling at that date. Foreign exchange 
differences arising on translation are recognised in the income 
statement. Non-monetary assets and liabilities that are 
measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency 
are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the 
transaction. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated 
in foreign currencies that are stated at fair value are translated 
at foreign exchange rates ruling at the date the fair value 
was determined.

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, including 
goodwill and fair value adjustments arising on consolidation, 
are translated at foreign exchange rates ruling at the 
statement of financial position date.

The revenues and expenses of foreign operations are 
translated at an average rate for the period where this 
rate approximates to the foreign exchange rates ruling 
at the dates of the transactions.

Exchange differences arising from the translation of foreign 
operations, and of related qualifying hedges, are taken 
directly to the translation reserve. They are released into 
the income statement upon disposal.

38

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Goodwill
Goodwill arising on consolidation represents the excess of 
the cost of acquisition over the Group’s interest in the fair 
value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the subsidiary 
or associated undertaking at the date of acquisition.

Goodwill is recognised as an asset and is reviewed for 
impairment at least annually. Any impairment is recognised 
immediately through the income statement and is not 
subsequently reversed. Impairment losses recognised are 
allocated first to reduce the carrying value of the goodwill 
the business relates to, and then to reduce the carrying 
value of the other assets of that business on a pro rata basis.

On disposal of a subsidiary or associated undertaking, 
the attributable amount of goodwill is included in the 
determination of the profit or loss on disposal.

Goodwill arising on acquisitions prior to 2004 has been 
retained at its deemed cost, representing the amount 
recorded under UK GAAP, and is subject to impairment 
review as indicated above. Goodwill written off to reserves 
under UK GAAP prior to 1998 is not included in determining 
any subsequent profit or loss on disposal.

Research and development
Research and development and related product development 
costs are charged to the income statement in the year in 
which they are incurred unless they are specifically chargeable 
to and recoverable from customers under agreed contract 
terms or the expenditure meets the criteria for capitalisation.

Where the expenditure relates to the development of a new 
product for which the technical feasibility and commercial 
viability of the product is expected, where development costs 
can be measured reliably and where future economic benefits 
are probable, development costs are capitalised and amortised 
over their useful economic lives, to a maximum of five years. 
The expenditure capitalised includes costs of materials, direct 
labour and an appropriate proportion of overheads. Such 
intangible assets are assessed for indicators of impairment 
at least annually and any impairment is charged to the 
income statement.

Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets are valued at cost less accumulated 
amortisation and impairment charges and amortised on a 
straight-line basis over their estimated useful economic life. 
All intangible assets are tested for impairment at least annually 
and any impairment is charged to the income statement.

Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost or deemed 
cost less accumulated depreciation and any provision for 
impairment in value.

Depreciation is provided on a straight-line basis to write-off 
the cost, less the estimated residual value, of property, plant 
and equipment over their estimated useful lives.

The annual depreciation rates used are as follows:

Freehold land

– nil

Freehold buildings

– 3% on cost or 
deemed cost

Leasehold property

– over life of lease

Plant and machinery

– 8% to 25%

Fixtures, fittings and vehicles – 10% to 33%

The carrying value of property, plant and equipment is 
reviewed at least annually for indicators of impairment. 
Any change in value arising from impairment is charged 
or credited (up to the carrying value prior to any previous 
impairment) to the income statement for the year.

Certain items of property that had been revalued to fair 
value on or prior to 1 January 2004, the date of transition 
to IFRS, are measured on the basis of deemed cost, being 
the revalued amount at the date of the revaluation.

Investment property
Investment property, which is property held to earn rentals 
and/or for capital appreciation, is stated at cost. Depreciation 
is based on cost less residual value. Where the expected 
residual value exceeds cost no depreciation is provided.

Investments
Investments in subsidiary undertakings are held at cost less 
provision for any impairment in value. The carrying value of 
investments in subsidiary undertakings are reviewed at least 
annually for indicators of impairment.

Inventories
Inventories are valued at the lower of cost, including 
appropriate overheads, and net realisable value. Provisions 
are made against excess and obsolete inventories.

39

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Accounting policies continued

Construction contracts
The attributable profit recognised on construction contracts 
is based on the stage of completion and the overall contract 
profitability after taking account of uncertainties. Full 
provision is made for any estimated losses to completion 
of contracts.

The gross amount due from customers for contract work 
and the gross amount due to customers for contract work 
are shown within trade and other receivables and trade and 
other payables respectively. They are measured at cost plus 
profit recognised to date less deposits billed on account 
and recognised losses.

Hedge accounting
The Group applies cash flow hedge accounting to forward 
foreign exchange contracts, held to reduce the exposure to 
movements in the future value of foreign currency receipts 
and payments.

For those contracts included in an effective cash flow 
hedging relationship, changes in the fair value of the hedging 
instrument are recognised in other comprehensive income 
and taken to equity. When the hedged forecast transaction 
occurs, amounts previously recorded in equity are recognised 
in the income statement. Any ineffectiveness in the hedging 
arrangement is included in the income statement.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances and 
short-term fixed deposits, and for the statements of cash 
flows they also include bank overdrafts.

Share capital
When share capital is repurchased, the amount of 
consideration paid, including directly attributable costs, is 
recognised as a change in equity. Repurchased shares are 
classified as treasury shares and presented as a deduction 
from total equity.

Preference share capital is classified as a liability as dividend 
payments are not discretionary.

Dividends on the preference shares are disclosed as interest 
charges, are recognised as a liability and are accounted for 
on an accruals basis. Dividends on ordinary shares are only 
recognised in the period in which they are paid.

Financial instruments
IAS 39 Financial instruments: recognition and measurement 
requires the classification of financial instruments into 
different types for which the accounting requirement is 
different. The Group has classified its financial instruments 
as follows:

•  short-term fixed deposits, principally comprising funds 
held with banks and other financial institutions, are 
classified as loans and receivables;

•  borrowings are classified as other liabilities; and

•  derivatives, comprising forward foreign exchange contracts, 

are classified as instruments that are held for trading.

Financial instruments are initially measured at fair value. Their 
subsequent measurement depends on their classification:

•  loans and receivables and other liabilities are held 

at amortised cost; and

•  instruments that are held for trading are held at fair value. 
Changes in fair value are included in the income statement 
unless the instrument is included in a cash flow hedge.

Post-retirement and other employee benefits
The Group and Company account for pensions and other 
post-retirement benefits under IAS 19 Employee benefits.

For defined benefit schemes, the net obligation is calculated 
separately for each scheme by estimating the amount of 
future benefits that employees have earned in return for 
their service in the current and prior periods. The benefit is 
discounted to determine its present value, and the fair value 
of the schemes’ assets (at bid price) is deducted. The liability 
discount rate is the yield at the statement of financial position 
date on AA credit rated bonds that have maturity dates 
approximating to the terms of the obligations. The calculations 
are performed by qualified actuaries using the projected unit 
credit method. The expense of administering the pension 
schemes and financing income/expense of the schemes are 
recognised in the income statement. Past service costs/
credits and curtailment costs/credits are recognised in the 
periods in which they arise. Actuarial gains and losses are 
recognised in the period in which they arise in other 
comprehensive income.

Payments to defined contribution schemes are charged to the 
income statement as incurred.

The net obligation in respect of long-term service benefits, 
other than pension plans, is the amount of the future benefit 
that employees have earned in return for their service in the 
current and prior periods. Obligations are measured at their 
present value.

Share-based payments
The Group has applied the requirements of IFRS 2 
Share- based payments.

The Group issues equity-settled share-based payments 
to certain employees. These are measured at their fair value 
at the date of grant and are expensed on a straight-line basis 
over the vesting period, based on an estimate of the number 
of shares that will eventually vest, and adjusted for the effect 
of non-market related conditions.

Charges made to the income statement in respect of 
share-based payments are credited to retained earnings.

40

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Provisions
A provision is recognised when the Group has a legal or 
constructive obligation as a result of a past event and it 
is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be 
required to settle the obligation.

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable 
on differences between the carrying amounts of assets and 
liabilities in the financial statements and the corresponding 
tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit, and is 
accounted for using the balance sheet liability method. 

Revenue
Revenue comprises sales to third-party customers after 
discounts, excluding value added tax and other sales taxes.

Revenue from goods is recognised when the significant risks 
and rewards of ownership of goods are transferred to the 
customer. Revenue from services is recognised when value 
or benefit has been transferred to the customer. Where the 
impact of discounting to present value is significant, revenues 
are recognised at present value.

Construction contract revenues are recognised when the 
outcome of the transaction can be assessed reliably. Revenue 
is recognised by reference to the stage of completion which 
is dependent on the nature of the contract, but will generally 
be based on labour costs incurred up to the reporting date 
or achievement of contractual milestones where appropriate.

Leases
Rentals payable under operating leases are charged 
to the income statement over the term of the lease.

Interest receivable
Interest receivable is recognised in the income statement 
using the effective interest method as defined in IAS 39 
Financial instruments: recognition and measurement.

Borrowing costs
Borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, 
construction or production of qualifying assets are added 
to the cost of those assets.

All other borrowing costs are recognised in the income 
statement in the period in which they are incurred.

Taxation
Tax on the profit or loss for the year comprises current 
and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the income statement 
except to the extent that it relates to items recognised in 
other comprehensive income, in which case it is recognised 
in the statements of comprehensive income, or to items 
recorded directly in equity in which case it is recorded 
directly in equity.

Current tax is the expected tax payable on the taxable income 
for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted 
at the statement of financial position date, and any 
adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all 
taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets 
are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable 
profits will be available against which deductible temporary 
differences can be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are not 
recognised if the temporary difference arises from the initial 
recognition of goodwill; the initial recognition of other assets 
and liabilities that affect neither the taxable profit nor the 
accounting profit; and differences relating to investments in 
subsidiaries to the extent that they will probably not reverse 
in the foreseeable future.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at 
each balance sheet date and reduced to the extent that it 
is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be 
available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. 

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected 
to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the 
asset is realised based on tax laws and rates that have been 
enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date. 
Deferred tax is charged or credited to the income statement, 
except when it relates to items charged or credited in other 
comprehensive income, in which case the deferred tax is 
also dealt with in other comprehensive income. 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a 
legally enforceable right to set off current tax assets against 
current tax liabilities and when they relate to income taxes 
levied by the same taxation authority and the Group intends 
to settle its current tax assets and liabilities on a net basis. 

Operating segments
An operating segment is a component of the Group that 
is engaged in business activities from which it may earn 
revenues and incur expenses, and for which discrete financial 
information is available. All operating segments’ results are 
regularly reviewed by the Group’s chief operating decision 
maker, which is the Board of directors, in order to assess 
performance and make decisions about the allocation of 
resources to each segment.

41

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts

1. Operating segments
Following the sale of the trade and assets of Arista Laboratories, Inc in the year, the Group changed from three to two 
operating segments which are the Group’s two divisions, namely Packaging Machinery and Instrumentation & Tobacco 
Machinery. The divisions offer different products and services and form the basis of the Group’s management and internal 
reporting structure. Further details in respect of the products and services offered by each of the two divisions can be found 
on pages 2 and 3. A commentary on the performance of the two operating segments during the year is provided in the 
Operating review on pages 6 to 8. All segment information is prepared in accordance with the Group accounting policies 
shown on pages 38 to 41.

Information regarding the results of each operating segment is included below. Performance is measured based on underlying 
segment operating profit as included in the internal management reports provided to the Group’s chief operating decision 
maker. Segment profit or loss includes those central items that are allocated to segment results in the internal management 
accounts. Unallocated items comprise defined benefit pension scheme net costs, profit on sale of surplus property, net 
financing income/expense and taxation. The unallocated items are excluded from segment profit or loss as they are managed 
centrally by employees at the Group’s head office as corporate activities.

The measurement of segment assets and liabilities excludes central items that are not allocated to the two divisions in the 
Group’s internal management accounts. Unallocated items comprise mainly goodwill, net debt/funds, pension assets/liabilities, 
taxation balances and net liabilities attributable to the Group’s head office.

Segment capital expenditure is the total cost incurred during the year to acquire segment assets that are expected to be used 
for more than one period.

Packaging Machinery

Instrumentation & 
Tobacco Machinery

Total

Segment information

Revenue

Underlying segment operating profit

Segment non-underlying items

Segment operating profit/(loss)

Unallocated non-underlying items

Operating profit

Net financing expense

Profit before tax

Taxation

Profit for the period from continuing operations

Loss for the period from discontinued operations

Loss for the period

Segment assets

Segment liabilities

Segment net assets – continuing operations

Unallocated net assets/(liabilities)

Net (liabilities)/assets – discontinued operations

Total net assets

Continuing operations

2015 
£m

51.0

3.9

–

3.9

2014 
£m

40.5

1.8

–

1.8

2015
 £m

36.0

0.1

(0.4)

(0.3)

2014
 £m

46.9

3.6

(0.5)

3.1

18.7

(10.4)

8.3

24.4

(17.0)

7.4

31.9

(10.1)

21.8

34.3

(9.6)

24.7

2015 
£m

87.0

4.0

(0.4)

3.6

(0.7)

2.9

2014
 £m

87.4

5.4

(0.5)

4.9

(0.7)

4.2

(0.9)

(0.3)

2.0

3.9

(0.3)

(0.6)

1.7

(5.8)

(4.1)

3.3

(3.6)

(0.3)

50.6

58.7

(20.5)

(26.6)

30.1

6.7

(0.2)

36.6

3.2

2.6

32.1

(9.3)

3.1

25.9

5.2

2.4

Capital expenditure (including development expenditure)

Depreciation and amortisation

1.2

0.9

1.3

0.9

2.0

1.7

3.9

1.5

42

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 20151. Operating segments continued
Geographical information
Revenue

Continuing operations

UK

USA

Europe (excl. UK)

Americas (excl. USA)

Africa & Middle East

Asia & Oceania

By location of customer

2015 
£m

6.8

22.1

22.2

7.5

7.9

20.5

87.0

2015 
%

8

25

26

9

9

23

100

2014 
£m

9.2

15.0

18.4

9.7

12.8

22.3

87.4

Non-current assets (excluding taxation balances)

By location of assets

UK

USA

Canada

Rest of the world

Major customers
No single customer accounted for more than 10% of Group revenue in either 2015 or 2014.

Revenue by type
An analysis of the Group’s revenue is as follows:

Continuing operations

Sale of goods

Rendering of services

2. Other operating income

Commutation settlement gain on UK defined benefit pension scheme 

Profit on sale of surplus property (included in non-underlying items)

3. Other operating expenses

Research and development costs (expensed as incurred)

2015 
£m

26.9

2.1

2.4

2.9

34.3

2015 
£m

80.4

6.6

87.0

2015 
£m

–

0.2

0.2

2015 
£m

0.7

2014 
%

11

17

21

11

15

25

100

2014 
£m

15.8

6.2

2.5

3.3

27.8

2014
 £m

80.8

6.6

87.4

2014 
£m

0.2

–

0.2

2014
£m

0.6

43

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

4. Operating profit

Continuing operations

Operating profit is arrived at after charging:

Amortisation of capitalised development costs

Depreciation of owned assets

Cost of inventories recognised as an expense

Operating leases

– land and buildings

– other

Audit fees paid to KPMG (Company £0.1m; 2014: £0.1m)

Other fees paid to KPMG

– tax services (Company £0.1m; 2014: £0.1m)

2015 
£m

1.4

1.2

56.5

1.0

0.3

0.2

0.1

2014
£m

1.2

1.2

54.6

1.0

0.3

0.2

0.1

5. Non-underlying items
A net non-underlying operating charge of £1.1m (2014: £1.2m) was incurred in respect of continuing operations. This comprised 
charges of £0.9m (2014: £0.9m) in respect of administration costs relating to the Group’s defined benefit pension schemes and 
£0.4m (2014: £0.5m) of reorganisation costs, net of a credit of £0.2m arising from the sale of surplus property. Additionally in 
2014 actions taken in respect of the Group’s UK defined benefit pension scheme resulted in a credit of £0.2m. Financing 
expense on pension scheme balances is also included in non-underlying items (see note 8), as is loss from discontinued 
operations (see note 30). Cash payments of £0.1m were made in 2015 (2014: £0.1m) in respect of reorganisations in earlier 
periods.

6. Employee information

Continuing operations

The number of persons employed by the Group was:

Packaging Machinery

Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery

Head Office (including non-executive directors 
and pension scheme administrators)

Continuing operations

Employment costs for the Group were:

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Employee benefits

– defined contribution schemes

– equity-settled share-based transactions

Period end

Average

2015

2014

2015

2014

302

385

14

701

278

449

14

741

Note

24

291

417

14

722

2015
 £m

22.1

3.4

1.3

0.3

27.1

268

462

14

744

2014
 £m

24.0

3.7

1.2

0.3

29.2

7. Emoluments of directors and interests in shares
Information on the emoluments of the directors, together with information regarding the beneficial interests of the directors 
and persons connected with them in the ordinary shares of the Company, is included in the Remuneration report on pages 
21 to 23.

44

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 20158. Net financing expense

Financial income:

Amounts receivable on cash and cash equivalents

Financial expenses:

Amounts payable on bank loans and overdrafts

Preference dividends paid

Interest cost on pension scheme balances 

Net financing expense

Interest costs on pension scheme balances are included in non-underlying items.

9. Taxation

Tax expense:

Current tax

Deferred tax

Total taxation

2015 
£m

0.1

0.1

(0.2)

(0.1)

(0.7)

(1.0)

(0.9)

2014
 £m

0.2

0.2

(0.2)

(0.1)

(0.2)

(0.5)

(0.3)

2015 
£m

2014 
£m

0.2

0.1

0.3

0.2

0.4

0.6

Included within the total taxation charge is a tax credit of £0.6m (2014: £0.3m) attributable to the non-underlying items set out 
in note 5.

Reconciliation of effective tax rate

Continuing operations

Profit before tax

Income tax using the UK corporation tax rate of 20.25% (2014: 21.50%)

Tax effect of expenses not deductible for tax purposes

Tax incentives

Tax effect of utilisation of tax losses not previously recognised

Adjustment in respect of prior years

Change in unrecognised deferred tax assets

2015 
£m

2.0

0.4

0.2

–

(0.2)

0.1

(0.2)

0.3

2014 
£m

3.9

0.8

0.1

(0.1)

–

(0.2)

–

0.6

Reductions in the UK corporation tax rate from 23% to 21% (effective from 1 April 2014) and 20% (effective from 1 April 2015) 
were substantively enacted on 2 July 2013. Further reductions to 19% (effective from 1 April 2017) and to 18% (effective 
1 April 2020) were substantively enacted on 26 October 2015. This will reduce the Company’s future current tax charge 
accordingly. The rate of the deferred tax liability arising from the surplus in respect of the UK defined benefit pension 
scheme is 35%. The deferred tax liability at 31 December 2015 arising in the UK has been calculated based on these rates.

In view of probable timing of the utilisation of brought forward losses, deferred tax assets have not been recognised 
on tax losses and timing differences in respect of the Group companies in USA and Brazil. 

45

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

9. Taxation continued
Deferred tax (charge)/credit on items in other comprehensive income/(expense)

Arising from actuarial gains/losses

2015 
£m

(6.6)

2014
 £m

3.6

A deferred tax credit on own shares of £nil (2014: £0.1m) was recorded directly within equity in the period.

10. Current tax assets and liabilities
Current tax assets of £nil (2014: £0.2m) and current tax liabilities of £0.5m (2014: £0.4m) for the Group, and current tax 
liabilities of £0.1m (2014: £0.1m) for the Company, represent the amount of income taxes recoverable and payable in respect 
of current and prior periods.

11. Earnings per share
Basic loss per share
The calculation of basic loss per ordinary share is based upon the loss for the year of £4.1m (2014: £0.3m) and the weighted 
average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year. The weighted average number of shares excludes shares held by 
the employee trust in respect of the Company’s deferred share plan arrangements.

Diluted loss per share
The calculation of diluted loss per ordinary share is based upon the loss for the year of £4.1m (2014: £0.3m) and the diluted 
weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year. For diluted earnings per ordinary share, the weighted 
average number of shares includes the diluting effect, if any, of own shares held by the employee trust. 

Weighted average number of ordinary shares (non-diluted and diluted) at 31 December

19,574,724

19,491,966

2015

2014

In the 12 months to 31 December 2015 and 31 December 2014 the effect of the dilution would be to decrease the loss per 
ordinary share and is therefore excluded from the dilution calculation. The adjusted weighted average number of ordinary 
shares for the diluted underlying earnings per share calculation (see below) in the 12 months to 31 December 2015 is 19,831,957 
(2014: 19,984,410).

Underlying and diluted underlying earnings per share
Underlying earnings per ordinary share and diluted underlying earnings per ordinary share, which are calculated on profit 
before non-underlying items, amounted to 15.1p (2014: 22.4p) in respect of underlying earnings per share and 14.9p  
(2014: 21.9p) in respect of diluted underlying earnings per share.

The calculations of underlying earnings per ordinary share and diluted underlying earnings per ordinary share are based upon 
an underlying profit for the period of £2.9m (2014: £4.4m) which is calculated as follows:

Loss for the period

Non-underlying items (net of tax)

Loss from discontinued operations

Underlying profit for the period

2015
 £m

(4.1)

1.2

5.8

2.9

2014
 £m

(0.3)

1.1

3.6

4.4

46

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Group

Company

Goodwill
£m

Development 
costs
£m

Other 
intangibles
£m

Total
£m

Goodwill
£m

Development 
costs
£m

Other 
intangibles
 £m

12. Intangible assets

Cost:

Balance at 1 January 2014

Additions

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2014

Balance at 1 January 2015

Additions

Disposals

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2015

Amortisation and impairment losses:

Balance at 1 January 2014

Amortisation for the period

Impairment

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2014

Balance at 1 January 2015

Amortisation for the period

Disposals

Impairment

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2015

Carrying amounts:

At 1 January 2014

At 31 December 2014

At 31 December 2015

11.7

–

0.2

11.9

11.9

–

–

0.3

12.2

1.7

–

1.6

–

3.3

3.3

–

–

1.3

0.2

4.8

10.0

8.6

7.4

16.9

3.1

(0.1)

19.9

19.9

1.9

(1.3)

(0.2)

20.3

11.7

1.2

–

(0.1)

12.8

12.8

1.4

(1.0)

–

(0.2)

13.0

5.2

7.1

7.3

–

–

–

–

–

0.2

–

–

28.6

3.1

0.1

31.8

31.8

2.1

(1.3)

0.1

7.2

–

–

7.2

7.2

–

–

–

0.2

32.7

7.2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.2

13.4

1.2

1.6

(0.1)

16.1

16.1

1.4

(1.0)

1.3

–

17.8

15.2

15.7

14.9

1.1

–

0.8

–

1.9

1.9

–

–

–

–

1.9

6.1

5.3

5.3

14.2

2.8

–

17.0

17.0

1.7

(0.9)

–

17.8

9.7

1.1

–

–

10.8

10.8

1.1

(0.8)

–

–

11.1

4.5

6.2

6.7

The amortisation for development costs is included in cost of sales in the Consolidated income statement.

Total
£m

21.4

2.8

–

24.2

24.2

1.9

(0.9)

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.2

–

–

0.2

25.2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.2

10.8

1.1

0.8

–

12.7

12.7

1.1

(0.8)

–

–

13.0

10.6

11.5

12.2

47

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

12. Intangible assets continued
Goodwill
The carrying amount of goodwill at 31 December 2015 relates to the acquisitions of businesses by the Group and Company 
and is attributable to the following cash generating units (CGUs).

Cerulean

Arista Laboratories

Group

2015 
£m

7.4

–

7.4

2014 
£m

7.3

1.3

8.6

Company

2015 
£m

5.3

–

5.3

2014 
£m

5.3

–

5.3

Impairment review of goodwill
An annual impairment review of goodwill is undertaken and is determined from a value in use calculation for each CGU using 
cash flow projections over a five year period which are based on the latest three year plan presented to the Board, modified 
as appropriate to reflect the latest conditions. The main assumptions for each CGU, which relate to sales volume, selling prices 
and cost changes, are based on recent history and expectations of future changes in the market. No growth rate is applied to 
cash flows beyond the period of the projections. The discount rates applied to the cash flow forecasts for each CGU are based 
on a market participant’s pre-tax weighted average cost of capital.

The discount rate applied in respect of Cerulean was 10.8% (2014: 12.5%) and there was no impairment of goodwill during 
the year in respect of that CGU. Management considers that reasonable possible changes in the assumptions used in the 
impairment review would be an increase in the weighted average cost of capital of 1.5% and a reduction in sales of 10%. 
Neither of these changes in assumptions would have resulted in an impairment of goodwill in the period.

Following the sale of the trade and assets of Arista Laboratories, Inc on 31 May 2015, the carrying value of goodwill in the 
Group’s Statement of financial position was written off, resulting in a charge attributable to the discontinued operations  
of £1.3m in the year. In 2014 the carrying value of goodwill in respect of the discontinued operations was partially written 
down, resulting in a charge of £1.6m attributable to discontinued operations.

48

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 201513. Property, plant and equipment

Group

Company

Land and 
buildings 
£m

Plant and 
machinery 
£m

Fixtures, 
fittings and 
vehicles
£m

Total
£m

Land and 
buildings 
£m

Plant and 
machinery 
£m

Fixtures, 
fittings and 
vehicles
£m

Total  
£m

Cost:

Balance at 1 January 2014

Additions

Disposals

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2014

Balance at 1 January 2015

Additions

Disposals

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2015

Depreciation:

Balance at 1 January 2014

Depreciation charge for the period

Disposals

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2014

Balance at 1 January 2015

Depreciation charge for the period

Disposals

Retranslation

Balance at 31 December 2015

Carrying amounts:

At 1 January 2014

At 31 December 2014

At 31 December 2015

8.6

0.3

(0.1)

(0.1)

8.7

8.7

0.1

(1.9)

(0.3)

6.6

1.9

0.4

–

–

2.3

2.3

0.3

(0.5)

(0.1)

2.0

6.7

6.4

4.6

10.9

1.1

(0.5)

(0.4)

11.1

11.1

0.7

(0.6)

(0.9)

10.3

8.9

0.5

(0.3)

(0.3)

8.8

8.8

0.6

(0.3)

(0.8)

8.3

2.0

2.3

2.0

12.0

0.7

(0.4)

0.1

12.4

12.4

0.5

(4.6)

(0.2)

31.5

2.1

(1.0)

(0.4)

32.2

32.2

1.3

(7.1)

(1.4)

3.4

0.1

(0.1)

–

3.4

3.4

–

–

–

0.4

0.4

–

–

0.8

0.8

0.1

–

–

3.1

0.2

6.9

0.7

(0.2)

(0.3)

–

3.1

3.1

0.2

–

–

–

7.3

7.3

0.3

–

–

8.1

25.0

3.4

0.9

3.3

7.6

9.5

0.9

(0.4)

(0.2)

9.8

9.8

0.5

(3.3)

(0.3)

20.3

1.8

(0.7)

(0.5)

20.9

20.9

1.4

(4.1)

(1.2)

6.7

17.0

2.5

2.6

1.4

11.2

11.3

8.0

1.0

0.2

(0.1)

–

1.1

1.1

0.1

–

–

1.2

2.4

2.3

2.2

0.1

0.1

–

–

0.2

0.2

0.3

–

–

0.5

0.3

0.6

0.4

2.6

0.1

3.7

0.4

(0.2)

(0.3)

–

2.5

2.5

0.2

–

–

–

3.8

3.8

0.6

–

–

2.7

4.4

0.5

0.6

0.6

3.2

3.5

3.2

At 31 December 2015 assets disclosed as land and buildings with a carrying value of £4.3m were used as security for bank 
loans (2014: £6.1m).

Included within the Group’s depreciation charge for the period was £0.2m (2014: £0.6m) in respect of discontinued operations.

49

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

14. Investment property

Balance at 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014

Balance at 31 December 2015

Group

Company

2015 
£m

0.8

0.8

2014 
£m

0.8

0.8

2015 
£m

0.8

0.8

2014 
£m

0.8

0.8

Investment property is shown at cost. The fair value of the investment property at 31 December 2015 is £0.9m (2014: £0.8m) 
and has been arrived at on the basis of a valuation carried out by independent valuers. The valuation, which conforms to 
International Valuation Standards, was arrived at by reference to market evidence of transaction prices for similar properties.

15. Investments

Company

Balance at 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014

Balance at 31 December 2015

The Company’s subsidiary undertakings are shown in note 32.

Cost of shares
in subsidiaries
£m

50.6

50.6

Impairment review
Annual impairment reviews of investments in subsidiaries are undertaken and are determined from value in use calculations for 
each cash generating unit (CGU) using cash flow projections based on the latest three year plan approved by the Board. The 
main assumptions for each CGU, which relate to sales volume, selling prices and cost changes, are based on recent history and 
expectations of future changes in the market. Cash flows beyond the period of the projections are extrapolated at growth 
rates which do not exceed those used in the three year plan. The discount rates applied to the cash flow forecasts for each 
CGU is based on a market participant’s pre-tax weighted average cost of capital range of between 10.6% and 16.9% 
(2014: 11.7% to 18.9%).

There has been no impairment of investments in subsidiaries in the year.  Management considers that reasonable possible 
changes in the assumptions would be an increase in the weighted average cost of capital of 1.0%, a reduction in the sales of the 
subsidiaries of 5% and a 5% reduction in their operating profit.  None of these changes in assumptions would have resulted in 
an impairment of investments in subsidiaries in the year.

16. Deferred tax assets and liabilities

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are attributable to the following:

Assets

Liabilities

Group

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Employee benefits

Inventories

Foreign currency derivatives

Provisions

Translation movements on foreign currency investments

Own shares (employee trust)

Tax losses

Deferred tax assets/(liabilities)

Offset of tax

Net deferred tax assets/(liabilities)

2015 
£m

2014 
£m

1.2

0.1

2.6

0.2

0.2

0.4

–

0.1

0.4

5.2

1.4

0.1

5.4

0.2

0.1

0.5

–

0.1

0.2

8.0

(1.0)

4.2

(1.6)

6.4

50

2015 
£m

(1.3)

(0.1)

(3.7)

–

–

–

2014 
£m

(1.2)

(0.1)

–

–

–

–

Net

2015
 £m

(0.1)

–

(1.1)

0.2

0.2

0.4

2014
 £m

0.2

–

5.4

0.2

0.1

0.5

(0.2)

(0.3)

(0.2)

(0.3)

–

–

(5.3)

1.0

(4.3)

–

–

(1.6)

1.6

–

0.1

0.4

(0.1)

–

(0.1)

0.1

0.2

6.4

–

6.4

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Company

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Employee benefits

Foreign currency derivatives

Provisions

Own shares (employee trust)

Tax losses

Deferred tax assets/(liabilities)

Offset of tax

Net deferred tax assets/(liabilities)

Assets

Liabilities

Net

2015
 £m

2014 
£m

–

0.1

–

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.3

0.7

(0.7)

–

–

0.1

2.8

0.1

0.2

0.1

–

3.3

(1.2)

2.1

2015
 £m

(1.3)

–

(3.7)

–

–

–

–

(5.0)

0.7

(4.3)

2014 
£m

(1.2)

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1.2)

1.2

–

2015
 £m

(1.3)

0.1

(3.7)

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.3

(4.3)

–

(4.3)

2014
 £m

(1.2)

0.1

2.8

0.1

0.2

0.1

–

2.1

–

2.1

Deferred tax is measured at the rates that are expected to apply in the period when the temporary differences are expected 
to reverse, based on tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the statement of financial 
position date.

No deferred tax is recognised on the unremitted earnings of overseas subsidiaries and associates. As the earnings are 
continually reinvested by the Group, no tax is expected to be payable on them in the foreseeable future.

Unrecognised deferred tax assets
Deferred tax assets have not been recognised in respect of temporary differences arising in certain subsidiary companies. 

These assets are only recognised to the extent that their recovery is reasonably certain. At the year end the Group had £8.8m 
of unrecognised deferred tax assets (2014: £8.1m) which would become recoverable if the relevant companies were to make 
sufficient profits in the future. Under current tax legislation these tax assets expire as follows:

Expiry

10 to 20 years

No expiry date

Group

2015
 £m

4.3

4.5

8.8

2014
 £m

3.2

4.9

8.1

51

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

16. Deferred tax assets and liabilities continued
Movement in temporary differences during the year

Group

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Employee benefits

Inventories

Foreign currency derivatives

Provisions

Translation movements on foreign currency 

(0.3)

Own shares (employee trust)

Tax losses

0.1

0.2

6.4

Group

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Employee benefits

Inventories

Foreign currency derivatives

Provisions

Translation movements on foreign 
currency investments

Own shares (employee trust)

Tax losses

Company

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Employee benefits

Foreign currency derivatives

Provisions

Own shares (employee trust)

Tax losses

52

Balance at
1 January
2015 
£m

Recognised
in profit
or loss
 £m

0.2

–

5.4

0.2

0.1

0.5

Balance at
1 January
2014 
£m

Recognised
in profit
or loss
 £m

0.6

0.1

1.7

0.2

0.1

0.4

(0.2)

0.1

0.2

3.2

(0.3)

(0.1)

(0.1)

–

–

0.1

(0.1)

0.1

–

(0.4)

(0.1)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.2

0.1

Recognised
in other 
comprehensive 
income/ 
(expense) 
£m

Recorded
in equity
 £m

Retranslation 
£m

Balance at
31 December 
2015
 £m

–

–

(6.6)

–

0.1

–

–

–

–

(6.5)

Recognised
in other 
comprehensive 
income/ 
(expense) 
£m

–

–

3.6

–

–

–

–

–

–

3.6

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(0.2)

–

0.1

–

–

(0.1)

0.1

–

–

(0.1)

(0.1)

–

(1.1)

0.2

0.2

0.4

(0.2)

0.1

0.4

(0.1)

Recorded
in equity
 £m

Retranslation 
£m

Balance at
31 December 
2014
 £m

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(0.1)

–

(0.1)

(0.1)

–

0.2

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.1

0.2

–

5.4

0.2

0.1

0.5

(0.3)

0.1

0.2

6.4

Balance at 
1 January 
2015 
£m

Recognised
in profit
or loss 
£m

Recognised
in other 
comprehensive 
income/
(expense) 
£m

Recorded
in equity
£m

Balance at 
31 December 
2015 
£m

(1.2)

0.1

2.8

0.1

0.2

0.1

–

2.1

(0.1)

–

(0.1)

–

(0.1)

–

0.3

–

–

–

(6.4)

–

–

–

–

(6.4)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1.3)

0.1

(3.7)

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.3

(4.3)

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Company

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Employee benefits

Foreign currency derivatives

Provisions

Own shares (employee trust)

17. Inventories

Raw materials and consumables

Work in progress

Finished goods

Balance at 
1 January 
2014 
£m

Recognised
in profit
or loss 
£m

Recognised
in other 
comprehensive 
income/
(expense) 
£m

Recorded
in equity
£m

Balance at 
31 December 
2014 
£m

(1.0)

0.2

0.5

0.1

0.2

0.1

0.1

(0.2)

(0.1)

(0.2)

–

–

0.1

–

–

2.5

–

–

–

(0.4)

2.5

–

–

–

–

–

(0.1)

(0.1)

Group

Company

2015
 £m

2.1

6.3

6.7

15.1

2014 
£m

2.6

7.5

8.4

18.5

2015
 £m

1.1

2.5

3.7

7.3

(1.2)

0.1

2.8

0.1

0.2

0.1

2.1

2014 
£m

1.0

1.4

4.2

6.6

An amount of £nil (2014: £0.9m) has been charged in the year in respect of inventory write-downs.

18. Construction contracts

Contracts in progress at statement of financial position date:

Gross amount due from customers for contract work 
(included in Trade and other receivables)

Gross amount due to customers for contract work 
(included in Trade and other payables)

Group

2015
 £m

2014 
£m

Company

2015
 £m

2014 
£m

1.0

0.5

0.3

–

(0.5)

(6.5)

(0.2)

(3.4)

For contracts in progress at the statement of financial position date, the contract costs incurred plus recognised profits less 
recognised losses to date was £13.8m (2014: £7.7m) for the Group and £7.9m (2014: £4.7m) for the Company. Deposits received 
on account from customers for contract work amounted to £13.1m (2014: £2.8m) for the Group and £7.8m (2014: £1.1m) for 
the Company.

Included within gross amount due to customers for contract work are trade receivables where deposits were invoiced but not 
received of £0.2m (2014: £4.6m) for the Group and £nil (2014: £2.9m) for the Company.

Revenue recognised during the year in respect of construction contracts amounted to £31.5m (2014: £14.5m) for the Group 
and £7.9m (2014: £4.9m) for the Company.

53

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

19. Trade and other receivables

Current assets:

Trade receivables

Amounts owed by Group undertakings

Construction contracts

Other receivables

Prepayments and accrued income

Foreign currency derivatives

20. Interest-bearing loans and borrowings

Non-current liabilities:

Bank borrowings

Fixed cumulative preference shares

Non-current liabilities:

Repayable between two and five years

More than five years

Group

2015
 £m

12.3

–

1.0

1.1

3.5

–

17.9

Group

2015
 £m

12.1

0.9

13.0

12.1

0.9

13.0

2014 
£m

20.2

–

0.5

0.8

4.5

–

26.0

2014 
£m

11.0

0.9

11.9

11.0

0.9

11.9

Company

2015
 £m

5.3

2.1

0.3

0.6

1.6

0.4

10.3

Company

2015
 £m

12.1

0.9

13.0

12.1

0.9

13.0

2014 
£m

10.0

7.8

–

–

2.6

–

20.4

2014 
£m

11.0

0.9

11.9

11.0

0.9

11.9

Preference shares
The preference shares carry a fixed cumulative preferential dividend at the rate of 6% per annum and on the winding-up 
of the Company entitle the holders to repayment of the capital paid up thereon (together with a sum equal to any arrears or 
deficiency of the fixed dividend calculated to the date of the return of capital and to be payable irrespective of whether such 
dividend has been declared or earned or not) in priority to any payment to the holders of the ordinary shares. The preference 
shares do not entitle the holders to any further participation in the profits or assets of the Company.

The preference shareholders are not entitled to receive notice of or to attend or vote at any general meeting unless either:

•  at the date of the notice convening the meeting, the dividend on the preference shares is six months in arrears (for this 
purpose the dividend on the preference shares is deemed to be payable half-yearly on 30 June and 31 December); or

•  the business of the meeting includes the consideration of a resolution for the winding-up of the Company, or for reducing 
its share capital or for sanctioning a sale of the undertaking, or any resolution directly and adversely affecting any of the 
special rights or privileges attached to the preference shares.

There were no arrears in the payment of preference dividends at the statement of financial position date. 

Preference dividends paid amounted to £0.1m (2014: £0.1m).

54

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 201521. Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt/funds

Group

Company

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash movement in borrowings

Change in net debt/funds resulting from cash flows

Translation movements

Movement in net debt/funds in the period

Opening net (debt)/funds

Closing net debt

Analysis of net debt:

Cash and cash equivalents – current assets

Bank overdrafts – current liabilities

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings – non-current liabilities

Closing net debt

22. Trade and other payables

Current liabilities:

Deposits received on account

Trade payables

Amounts owed to Group undertakings

Construction contracts

Other taxes and social security

Other payables

Accruals and deferred income

Foreign currency derivatives

2015
 £m

0.5

(1.1)

(0.6)

(0.5)

(1.1)

(2.1)

(3.2)

10.4

(0.6)

(13.0)

(3.2)

Group

2015
 £m

2.9

5.8

–

0.5

0.6

2.7

5.9

0.5

2014 
£m

(5.0)

(1.8)

(6.8)

(0.5)

(7.3)

5.2

(2.1)

9.8

–

(11.9)

(2.1)

2014 
£m

1.3

6.7

–

6.5

0.8

3.1

9.7

0.5

2015
 £m

1.3

(1.3)

–

0.2

0.2

(6.8)

(6.6)

6.4

–

(13.0)

(6.6)

2014 
£m

(3.4)

(1.8)

(5.2)

(0.3)

(5.5)

(1.3)

(6.8)

5.1

–

(11.9)

(6.8)

Company

2015
 £m

2014 
£m

0.9

3.3

8.9

0.2

0.3

1.7

3.2

0.3

0.2

3.3

9.6

3.4

0.4

1.9

3.4

0.3

Deposits received on account of £2.9m (2014: £1.3m) for the Group and £0.9m (2014: £0.2m) for the Company exclude £2.1m 
(2014: £2.4m) for the Group and £1.2m (2014: £0.3m) for the Company of deposit amounts billed on short-term contracts but 
not received. The deposit amounts billed but not received are included in accruals and deferred income.

18.9

28.6

18.8

22.5

23. Provisions

Balance at 1 January 

Provision created in the year

Utilised during the year

Unused amounts reversed

Balance at 31 December 

Group

Company

2015
 £m

1.3

0.6

(0.7)

–

1.2

2014 
£m

1.6

0.5

(0.6)

(0.2)

1.3

2015
 £m

0.8

0.1

(0.3)

–

0.6

2014 
£m

1.0

0.3

(0.4)

(0.1)

0.8

Provisions are based on historical data and a weighting of all possible outcomes against their associated possibilities. 
Except for specific identifiable claims, they are generally utilised within one year of the statement of financial position date.

55

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

24. Employee benefits
Defined contribution pension schemes
The Group operates a number of defined contribution pension schemes for employees. Contributions to these schemes are 
recognised as an expense in the Consolidated income statement as they fall due.

Defined benefit pension schemes
The Group is responsible for defined benefit pension schemes in the UK and the USA. All schemes are funded by Group 
companies as necessary, at rates determined by independent actuaries and as agreed between the trustees of the schemes 
and the sponsoring company.

The defined benefit pension schemes are administered by bodies that are legally separated from the Group. The trustees 
of the schemes are required by law to act in the interest of the schemes and of all relevant stakeholders in the schemes. 
The trustees of the schemes are responsible for the investment policies in respect of the assets of the schemes.

The pension schemes typically expose the Group to certain risks. These include the risk of investment under-performance, 
a fall in interest rates, an increase in life expectancy and an increase in inflation.

UK pension scheme
The Group operated one defined benefit pension scheme in the UK in which future accruals ceased in November 2012. The 
assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Company and it is funded by the Company as necessary in order 
to ensure that the scheme can meet the expected benefit obligations. The funding policy is to ensure that the assets held by 
the scheme in the future are adequate to meet expected liabilities, allowing for future increases in pensions. The only assets 
of the scheme which are invested in the Company are an interest in the cumulative preference shares of the Company with 
an estimated current market value of £0.2m.

The most recent formal actuarial valuation of the scheme was carried out as at 30 June 2012 using the projected unit credit 
method. The market value of the scheme assets at that date was £315.8m and the funding level was 86% of liabilities, which 
represented a deficit of £53.0m. Following agreement between the trustee of the scheme and the Company of a deficit 
recovery plan, from 1 July 2013 the Company commenced paying to the scheme £1.7m per annum (previously £1.2m per 
annum) in monthly instalments, increasing by 2.1% per annum. The deficit recovery period from 30 June 2012 was estimated 
to be 17 years and 2 months, which is scheduled to be formally reassessed following the completion of the actuarial valuation 
being carried out as at 30 June 2015.

During the year the Company paid deficit recovery contributions of £1.8m (2014: £1.7m). Further payments of £0.1m were 
made in 2015 in respect of redundancies.

The Company accounts for pension costs under IAS 19 Employee benefits and the valuation used has been based on detailed 
actuarial valuation work carried out as at 30 June 2015, updated by the Company’s actuary to assess the value of the liabilities 
of the scheme at 31 December 2015. Scheme assets are stated at their market value at 31 December 2015.

USA pension schemes
In the USA the Group has three defined benefit pension schemes, all of which are closed to future accrual. Formal independent 
actuarial valuations of the USA pension schemes were carried out as at 1 January 2015 using the projected unit credit method. 
The valuations under IAS 19 at 31 December 2015 have been based on these actuarial valuations, updated for conditions 
existing at the year end.

Employer contributions of £0.1m (2014: £0.1m) were paid during the year.

Assumptions
The key financial assumptions used to calculate scheme liabilities and the financing expense on pension scheme balances are 
as follows:

Discount rate

Inflation rate

– CPI

– RPI

Increases to pensions in payment

– final salary benefits

– career average benefits

56

UK (Company)

2015

3.7%

1.9%

3.0%

1.9%

1.9%

2014 

3.5%

2.0%

3.0%

2.0%

1.9%

USA

2015

4.0%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

2014 

3.7%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015The assumptions relating to longevity underlying the pension liabilities of the defined benefit pension schemes at the 
statement of financial position date are based on standard actuarial mortality tables and include an allowance for future 
improvements in longevity. The assumptions are equivalent to expecting an individual to live for a number of years as follows:

Current pensioner aged 65 – male

Current pensioner aged 65 – female

Future retiree currently aged 45 upon reaching age 65 – male

Future retiree currently aged 45 upon reaching age 65 – female

UK scheme

USA schemes

21.2 years

20.7 to 21.3 years

23.5 years

22.7 to 23.3 years

22.4 years

19.7 to 23.0 years

24.9 years

22.4 to 25.0 years

At 31 December 2015 the weighted average duration of the defined benefit obligation in the UK scheme was 14 years  
(2014: 15 years) and in the USA schemes 11 years (2014: 13 years).

Significant actuarial assumptions for the determination of the defined benefit obligations are discount rate, inflation rate 
and mortality. The sensitivity analysis below has been determined assuming that all other assumptions are held constant.

Changes in values of pension schemes’ liabilities before tax as at 31 December 2015

UK scheme

USA schemes

0.1% change in discount rate

0.1% change in inflation rate

Change in life expectancy by one year on average

Categories of assets and funded status
The fair values of scheme assets were as follows:

UK equities

Overseas equities

Bonds – index linked gilts

Bonds – other

Properties – funds

Properties – directly owned

Absolute return funds

Alternative investments

Other

UK (Company)

2015 
£m

22.5

100.1

59.2

45.7

37.7

1.8

78.3

–

1.6

2014 
£m

18.2

96.2

39.7

47.6

35.6

1.3

50.6

50.2

8.5

Total fair (bid) value of scheme assets

346.9

347.9

Present value of defined 
benefit obligations

(336.3)

(362.0)

Defined benefit asset/(liability)

10.6

(14.1)

£4.5m

£2.5m

£14.6m

£0.2m

n/a

£0.7m

USA

2015
 £m

–

5.3

–

8.0

0.8

–

–

0.2

0.6

14.9

(21.5)

(6.6)

2014 
£m

–

4.8

–

9.4

0.6

–

–

0.2

0.4

15.4

(21.9)

(6.5)

Group

2015
 £m

22.5

105.4

59.2

53.7

38.5

1.8

78.3

0.2

2.2

2014 
£m

18.2

101.0

39.7

57.0

36.2

1.3

50.6

50.4

8.9

361.8

363.3

(357.8)

(383.9)

4.0

(20.6)

All equities, bonds, property funds, absolute return funds and the majority of alternative investments have quoted prices in 
active markets. Directly owned properties are subject to an independent valuation.

57

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

24. Employee benefits continued
Defined benefit pension schemes continued
Disclosed defined benefit pension income/expense for financial year
A) Components of defined benefit pension income/expense
Net defined benefit pension expense recognised in the Consolidated income statement comprises:

Settlement gain

Interest expense on net liability

Administration costs

Expense recognised in income statement

UK (Company)

2015 
£m

–

0.4

0.7

1.1

2014 
£m

(0.2)

0.1

0.7

0.6

USA

2015 
£m

–

0.3

0.2

0.5

2014 
£m

–

0.1

0.2

0.3

Group

2015 
£m

–

0.7

0.9

1.6

2014
 £m

(0.2)

0.2

0.9

0.9

B) Statements of comprehensive income (SOCI)
The actuarial gains recognised in the SOCI in respect of pensions were £24.6m (2014: losses of £15.5m), comprising actuarial 
gains of £24.0m (2014: losses of £12.7m) for the UK defined benefit pension scheme and actuarial gains of £0.6m (2014: losses 
of £2.8m) for the USA schemes, all figures being before tax.

Actual return on scheme assets
The actual return on scheme assets in 2015 were gains of £16.8m (2014: £30.1m), comprising gains of £17.1m (2014: £28.7m) 
for the UK defined benefit pension scheme and losses of £0.3m (2014: gains of £1.4m) for the USA schemes, all figures 
being before tax.

Reconciliation of the present value of defined benefit obligations

Present value of defined benefit obligations at 1 January

Interest cost

Actuarial (gains)/losses

– Changes in demographic assumptions

– Changes in financial assumptions

– Experience

Benefit payments

Settlements

Retranslation

UK (Company)

USA

Group

2015 
£m

362.0

12.3

2014 
£m

340.4

14.2

(6.8)

(12.4)

0.4

(19.2)

–

–

–

26.5

0.8

(18.7)

(1.2)

–

2015 
£m

21.9

0.8

(0.5)

(0.9)

–

(1.1)

–

1.3

2014 
£m

17.4

0.8

1.5

2.0

–

(1.1)

–

1.3

2015 
£m

383.9

13.1

(7.3)

(13.3)

0.4

2014
 £m

357.8

15.0

1.5

28.5

0.8

(20.3)

(19.8)

–

1.3

(1.2)

1.3

Present value of defined benefit obligations at 31 December

336.3

362.0

21.5

21.9

357.8

383.9

At 31 December 2015 the pensioner population accounted for 61% of the UK scheme’s obligations and 61% of the USA 
schemes’ obligations.

Reconciliation of the fair value of scheme assets

UK (Company)

USA

Group

Fair value of scheme assets at 1 January

Interest income

Actuarial gains/(losses)

– Return on scheme assets

Company contributions

Administration expenses

Benefit payments

Settlements

Retranslation

2015 
£m

347.9

11.9

5.2

1.8

(0.7)

(19.2)

–

–

2014 
£m

337.9

14.1

14.6

1.7

(0.7)

(18.7)

(1.0)

–

Fair value of scheme assets at 31 December

346.9

347.9

58

2015 
£m

15.4

0.5

(0.8)

0.1

(0.2)

(1.1)

–

1.0

14.9

2014 
£m

14.3

0.7

0.7

0.1

(0.2)

(1.1)

–

0.9

15.4

2015 
£m

363.3

12.4

4.4

1.9

(0.9)

(20.3)

–

1.0

2014
 £m

352.2

14.8

15.3

1.8

(0.9)

(19.8)

(1.0)

0.9

361.8

363.3

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015(20.6)

15.3

(30.8)

(15.5)

2014
 £m

(5.6)

(0.9)

1.8

(15.5)

(0.4)

(20.6)

Experience gains and losses for the year

Fair value of scheme assets

Defined benefit obligations

Net asset/(liability)

Actuarial gains/(losses) on scheme assets

Actuarial gains/(losses) on defined benefit obligations

Net gain/(loss) recognised in the SOCI during the year

UK (Company)

USA

2015 
£m

2014 
£m

346.9

347.9

2015 
£m

14.9

2014 
£m

15.4

Group

2015 
£m

2014
 £m

361.8

363.3

(336.3)

(362.0)

(21.5)

(21.9)

(357.8)

(383.9)

10.6

5.2

18.8

24.0

(14.1)

14.6

(27.3)

(12.7)

(6.6)

(0.8)

1.4

0.6

(6.5)

0.7

(3.5)

(2.8)

4.0

4.4

20.2

24.6

Movements in the net liability/asset of defined benefit pension schemes recognised in the 
Statements of financial position

Net liability for employee benefits at 1 January

Expense recognised in the income statement (see below)

Company contributions

Actuarial gains/(losses) recognised in the SOCI

Retranslation

Net asset/(liability) for employee benefits at 31 December

UK (Company)

USA

Group

2015 
£m

(14.1)

(1.1)

1.8

24.0

–

10.6

2014 
£m

(2.5)

(0.6)

1.7

(12.7)

–

(14.1)

2015 
£m

(6.5)

(0.5)

0.1

0.6

(0.3)

(6.6)

2014 
£m

(3.1)

(0.3)

0.1

(2.8)

(0.4)

(6.5)

2015 
£m

(20.6)

(1.6)

1.9

24.6

(0.3)

4.0

At the end of the life of the UK defined benefit pension scheme the Company has an unconditional right to a refund and any such 
refund would be paid out only on a net of tax basis.

Defined benefit pension schemes income/expense recognised in the Consolidated income statement
The income/expense is recognised in the following line items in the Consolidated income statement:

Other operating income

Administrative expenses

Financial expense

Net pension expense

UK

2015 
£m

–

0.7

0.4

1.1

2014 
£m

(0.2)

0.7

0.1

0.6

USA

2015 
£m

–

0.2

0.3

0.5

2014 
£m

–

0.2

0.1

0.3

Group

2015 
£m

–

0.9

0.7

1.6

2014
 £m

(0.2)

0.9

0.2

0.9

The net pension expense is included in non-underlying items. 

Share-based payments
The Company currently operates a deferred share plan. Own shares are held in trust and granted to plan participants when 
certain conditions are met. Further details of the Deferred share plan, including the performance conditions and vesting 
periods, are in the Remuneration Committee report on pages 20 to 27 and in this note.

59

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

24. Employee benefits continued
Share-based payments continued
The share awards that were subject to conditional grants during the year were:

1 March 2011a

1 December 2011a

28 February 2012b

1 December 2012

27 February 2013

1 December 2013

27 February 2014

1 December 2014

At 
1 January
2015

173,800

16,400

131,200

121,600

99,200

62,800

89,600

118,400

Lapsed

Exercised

–

–

–

(173,800)

(16,400)

(131,200)

(34,800)

–

(11,800)

–

(18,400)

–

–

–

–

–

At 
31 December 
2015 

–

–

–

86,800

99,200

51,000

89,600

100,000

813,000

(65,000)

(321,400)

426,600

a  Exercised under Deferred share plan on 25 June 2015 at a market price of 83.0p.

b  Exercised under Deferred share plan on 4 November 2015 at a market price of 75.0p.

Granting of all conditional awards and the exercise of such awards are at nil cost to the participant.

As at 31 December 2015 the shares awarded on 1 December 2012 were exercisable.

The share-based compensation charge for the year amounted to £0.3m (2014: £0.3m).

The fair value of the conditional awards made under the Deferred share plan has been based on the market price of the 
Company’s shares at the date of grant, reduced by the assumptions made (for the purposes of this exercise) in respect of 
the present value of dividends expected to be paid (at the time of grant) during the vesting period. The fair value of each 
conditional award is as follows:

Date of award

1 December 2012

27 February 2013

1 December 2013

27 February 2014

1 December 2014

25. Capital and reserves
Share capital

Allotted, called up and fully paid

Ordinary shares of 25p each

Fair value 
per share

124.5p

154.5p

180.0p

169.0p

64.0p

2015
 £m

5.0

2014 
£m

5.0

There were 20,171,540 (2014: 20,171,540) ordinary shares in issue at the year end. The holders of the ordinary shares are 
entitled to one vote per share at meetings of the Company and to receive dividends as declared from time to time. At the 
year end an employee trust held 504,812 of the ordinary shares and it has agreed to waive all dividends and not to exercise 
voting rights in respect of these shares. The Company also has in issue 900,000 6% fixed cumulative preference shares of 
£1 each (see note 20); these are classified as borrowings.

Translation reserve
The translation reserve comprises all foreign exchange differences arising from the translation of the financial statements 
of foreign operations.

Capital redemption reserve
The capital redemption reserve records the historical repurchase of the Company’s own shares.

Hedging reserve
The hedging reserve comprises the effective portion of the cumulative net change in the fair value of cash flow hedging 
instruments related to hedged transactions that have not yet occurred.

60

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Investment in own shares
Included within retained earnings is the carrying value of own shares held in trust for the benefit of employees. These shares 
are used to service the obligations of the Company’s Deferred share plan. Further details of the Deferred share plan can be 
found in the Remuneration Committee report on pages 20 to 27 and on pages 59 and 60 in note 24.

At 31 December 2015 the employee trust held 504,812 (2014: 656,016) ordinary shares of 25p each, representing 2.5% of the 
issued shares (2014: 3.3%), 426,600 of which were subject to conditional grants. The shares held by the trust were purchased 
at an aggregate cost of £0.8m (2014: £1.0m), including 170,200 (2014: 56,900) shares purchased in the year at a cost of £0.1m 
(2014: £0.1m). The market value of the shares held by the trust at 31 December 2015 was £0.4m (2014: £0.5m).

Dividends

Dividends to shareholders paid in the period:

Final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2014 of 3.0p per ordinary share (2013: 3.0p)

Interim dividend for the year ended 31 December 2015 of 2.5p per ordinary share (2014: 2.5p)

2015
 £m

0.6

0.5

1.1

2014 
£m

0.6

0.5

1.1

The Board recommends a final dividend of 1.5p per share. The proposed final dividend is subject to approval at the Annual 
General Meeting on 22 April 2016 and has not been included as a liability at 31 December 2015. Subject to approval, the 
dividend will be paid on 11 May 2016 to ordinary shareholders registered at the close of business on 15 April 2016.

26. Financial risk management
The Group has exposure to credit, liquidity and market risks from its use of financial instruments.

These risks are regularly considered and the impact of these risks on the Group, and how to mitigate them, assessed. The 
Board of directors is responsible for the Group’s system of internal controls and has established risk management policies 
to identify and analyse the risks faced by the Group, to set appropriate risk limits and controls, and to monitor risks and 
adherence to limits. The Audit Committee assists the Board in the discharge of its duty in relation to the maintenance of 
proper internal controls. Further details regarding the Audit Committee can be found in its report on pages 18 and 19.

Categories of financial instruments

Financial assets:

Derivative instruments in designated hedge accounting relationships

Loans and receivables (including cash and cash equivalents) 

Financial liabilities:

Derivative instruments in designated hedge accounting relationships

Amortised cost

Group

2015
 £m

–

22.7

22.7

0.5

32.0

32.5

2014 
£m

–

30.0

30.0

0.5

40.0

40.5

Company

2015
 £m

0.4

13.8

14.2

0.3

31.5

31.8

2014 
£m

–

22.9

22.9

0.3

34.1

34.4

Amortised cost comprises interest-bearing loans and borrowings and trade and other payables, excluding foreign 
currency derivatives.

IFRS 7 Financial instruments: disclosures for financial instruments that are measured in the Statement of financial position 
at fair value requires disclosure of fair value measurements in the form of a three level fair value hierarchy, by class, for all 
financial instruments recognised at fair value. The Group uses the following hierarchy for determining and disclosing the 
fair value of financial instruments by valuation technique:

Level 1:  quoted (unadjusted) prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2:  inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, 

either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices); and

Level 3:  inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).

At 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015 the Group held all financial instruments at Level 2.

61

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

26. Financial risk management continued
Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet 
its contractual obligations and arises principally from the Group’s receivables from customers and cash held at financial 
institutions. In addition, for the Company, a credit risk exists in respect of amounts owed by Group undertakings.

Trade receivables
The Group ensures that the provision of credit to customers is adequately managed by each individual business in order that 
the risk of non-payment or delayed payment is minimised. The Group’s exposure to risk is influenced mainly by the individual 
characteristics of each customer, the industry and country in which customers operate. The Group has a relatively diversified 
base of customers and the customer that accounts for the largest proportion of sales, excluding one-off projects, is routinely 
responsible for no more than 5% of total sales in any year. In certain years sales to a customer may be more than 5%, although 
the sales would typically be to a number of different geographic regions.

The Group has written credit control policies which cover procedures for accepting new customers, setting credit limits, 
dealing with overdue amounts and delinquent payers.

An impairment loss provision against trade receivables is created where it is anticipated that the value of trade receivables 
is not fully recoverable.

Exposure to credit risk
The carrying amount of financial assets represents the maximum credit exposure. The maximum exposure to credit risk 
for the Group and the Company at 31 December was:

Trade receivables

Amounts owed by Group undertakings

Foreign currency derivatives

Cash and cash equivalents

Group

Company

2015
 £m

12.3

–

–

10.4

22.7

2014 
£m

20.2

–

–

9.8

30.0

2015
 £m

5.3

2.1

0.4

6.4

14.2

The maximum exposure to credit risk for trade receivables at 31 December by business segment was:

Operating segments

Packaging Machinery

Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery

Group

Company

2015
 £m

5.0

7.3

12.3

2014 
£m

10.0

10.2

20.2

2015
 £m

0.4

4.9

5.3

Impairment loss provisions
The ageing of trade receivables and the impairment loss provisions for the Group and the Company at 31 December were:

2015

Impairment 
loss
provisions
£m

–

–

–

–

(0.1)

(0.1)

Gross
£m

8.8

2.2

0.5

0.2

0.7

12.4

Total
£m

8.8

2.2

0.5

0.2

0.6

12.3

2014

Impairment 
loss
provisions
£m

–

–

–

–

–

–

Gross
£m

17.2

1.7

0.3

0.2

0.8

20.2

Group

Not past due

Past due up to 30 days

Past due 31–60 days

Past due 61–90 days

Past due more than 91 days

62

2014 
£m

10.0

7.8

–

5.1

22.9

2014 
£m

3.8

6.2

10.0

Total
£m

17.2

1.7

0.3

0.2

0.8

20.2

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
Company

Not past due

Past due up to 30 days

Past due 31–60 days

Past due 61–90 days

Past due more than 91 days

2015

Impairment 
loss
provisions
£m

–

–

–

–

–

–

Gross
£m

4.0

0.7

0.2

0.1

0.3

5.3

Total
£m

4.0

0.7

0.2

0.1

0.3

5.3

2014

Impairment 
loss
provisions
£m

–

–

–

–

–

–

Gross
£m

8.4

0.8

0.2

0.1

0.5

10.0

Total
£m

8.4

0.8

0.2

0.1

0.5

10.0

Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. The Group’s approach 
to managing liquidity is to hold cash and cash equivalents and maintain undrawn committed facilities at a level sufficient to 
ensure that the Group has available funds to meet its liabilities as they become due. Further details of the Group’s treasury 
policies can be found in the Financial review on pages 9 to 11.

Contractual maturities of non-derivative financial liabilities
The non-derivative financial liabilities for the Group and the Company at 31 December were:

Current liabilities:

Trade and other payables (excluding derivatives)

Non-current liabilities:

Interest-bearing loans and borrowings

Group

Company

2015
 £m

18.4

13.0

2014 
£m

28.1

11.9

2015
 £m

18.5

13.0

2014 
£m

22.2

11.9

The maturities of the Interest-bearing loans and borrowings are disclosed in note 20. Further details relating to the committed 
borrowing facilities of the Group can be found in the Financial review on pages 9 to 11.

Trade and other payables shown as current liabilities are expected to mature within six months of the statement of financial 
position date.

The contractual maturities of forward foreign exchange contracts that the Group and Company had committed at 
31 December are shown in the Foreign currency risk section in this note.

Market risk
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as interest rates and foreign exchange rates, will affect the Group’s 
income or the value of its holdings of financial instruments. Exposure to interest rate and currency risks arises in the normal 
course of the Group’s business. The Group does not trade in financial instruments and enters into derivatives (principally 
forward foreign exchange contracts) solely for the purpose of minimising currency exposure on sales or purchases in other 
than the functional currencies of its various operations.

The Group’s treasury policies are explained in the Financial review on page 10.

63

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

26. Financial risk management continued
Interest rate risk
Cash and cash equivalents
The cash profile at 31 December was:

Group

Currency:

Sterling

Canadian dollar

US dollar

Euro

Czech koruna

Brazilian real

Singapore dollar

Chinese yuan

Company

Currency:

Sterling

Canadian dollar

US dollar

Euro

Czech koruna

2015

Cash on 
which no 
interest 
received 
£m

Cash at 
floating 
rates
 £m

7.1

0.3

(0.4)

1.0

(0.6)

0.8

–

0.2

8.4

0.3

–

0.9

0.1

–

–

0.1

–

1.4

2015

Cash on 
which no 
interest 
received 
£m

Cash at 
floating 
rates
 £m

6.9

(0.1)

(0.6)

0.2

–

6.4

–

–

–

–

–

–

2014

Cash on 
which no 
interest 
received 
£m

Cash at 
floating 
rates 
£m

5.0

(0.2)

0.1

2.1

0.5

0.6

–

0.2

8.3

Cash at 
floating 
rates 
£m

5.0

(0.4)

–

0.2

0.3

5.1

0.1

–

0.7

–

–

0.7

–

–

1.5

2014

Cash on 
which no 
interest 
received 
£m

–

–

–

–

–

–

Total 
£m

7.4

0.3

0.5

1.1

(0.6)

0.8

0.1

0.2

9.8

Total 
£m

6.9

(0.1)

(0.6)

0.2

–

6.4

Total
£m

5.1

(0.2)

0.8

2.1

0.5

1.3

–

0.2

9.8

Total
£m

5.0

(0.4)

–

0.2

0.3

5.1

Interest rates are based on London Interbank Bid Rate (LIBID) and relevant national equivalents. All cash surplus to immediate 
operational requirements is placed on deposit at floating rates of interest.

64

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Interest-bearing loans and borrowings
The profile of interest-bearing loans and borrowings at 31 December was:

Group and Company

Currency:

Sterling

Canadian dollar

US dollar

Czech koruna

Borrowings
at floating
rates 
£m

2015

Borrowings
at fixed 
rates
 £m

Borrowings
at floating
rates 
£m

Total
 £m

2014

Borrowings
at fixed 
rates
 £m

12.0

–

–

0.1

12.1

0.9

12.9

–

–

–

0.9

–

–

0.1

13.0

–

0.7

8.3

2.0

11.0

0.9

–

–

–

0.9

Total 
£m

0.9

0.7

8.3

2.0

11.9

The borrowings at fixed rates in sterling are the fixed cumulative preference shares which are explained in more detail 
in note 20.

The floating rate borrowings are based on interest rates at UK base rate, UK London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) 
and relevant national equivalents.

Sensitivity to interest rate risk
If interest rates had been 100 basis points higher/lower throughout the period, net financial expense (excluding on pension 
scheme balances) for the Group would have increased/decreased by £0.1m (2014: £nil). This analysis assumes that all other 
variables, in particular foreign currency rates, remain constant and considers the effect of financial instruments with variable 
interest rates. The analysis is performed on the same basis as for the year ended 31 December 2014.

Foreign currency risk
The majority of the Group’s operations are outside of the UK, and therefore a significant portion of its business is conducted 
overseas in currencies other than sterling. As explained on page 12, foreign currency risk is one of the principal risks and 
uncertainties to which the Group is exposed. The Group is exposed to both transaction and translation risk.

Transactions in foreign currency are translated at the foreign exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary 
assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the statement of financial position date are translated at the foreign 
exchange rate ruling at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation are recognised in the income statement.

The revenues and expenses of foreign operations are translated at an average rate for the period.

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations are translated at foreign exchange rates ruling at the statement of financial 
position date and foreign exchange differences are taken directly to the translation reserve.

The following exchange rates (relative to sterling), which are significant to the Group, applied during the period:

US dollar

Canadian dollar

Euro

Czech koruna

Brazilian real

Average rate

Closing rate

2015

1.53

1.95

1.38

37.50

5.09

2014 

1.65

1.82

1.24

34.19

3.88

2015

1.48

2.06

1.36

36.82

5.79

2014 

1.56

1.81

1.29

35.59

4.14

65

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

26. Financial risk management continued
Forward foreign exchange contracts
The Group enters into forward foreign exchange contracts solely for the purpose of minimising currency exposures on sale 
and purchase transactions. The Group classifies its forward foreign exchange contracts used for hedging as cash flow hedges 
and states them at fair value.

Fair values
The fair value of forward foreign exchange contracts at 31 December was:

Cash flow hedges

Gain

Loss

Group

Company

2015
 £m

0.1

(1.1)

(1.0)

2014 
£m

–

(0.9)

(0.9)

2015
 £m

0.1

(0.7)

(0.6)

2014 
£m

–

(0.7)

(0.7)

The fair value is the gain/loss on all open forward foreign exchange contracts at the period end. These amounts are based on 
the market values of equivalent instruments at the period end date and all relate to those forward foreign exchange contracts 
that have been designated as effective cash flow hedges under IAS 39 Financial instruments: recognition and measurement.

There were no open forward foreign exchange contracts, as at either 31 December 2015 or 2014, that had been designated as 
fair value hedges under IAS 39 Financial instruments: recognition and measurement.

During the period a charge of £0.1m for the Group (2014: £0.1m) and £nil for the Company (2014: a credit of £0.1m) was 
recognised in the Statements of comprehensive income in respect of cash flow hedges.

Contractual maturity date and future cash flows
The contractual maturity date and period when cash flows are expected to occur in relation to open forward foreign exchange 
contracts at 31 December were:

Group

Outflow

Inflow

Company

Outflow

Inflow

2015

Between 
six and 
twelve 
months
£m

(0.4)

0.3

(0.1)

2015

Between 
six and 
twelve 
months
£m

(0.7)

0.3

(0.4)

Less than 
six months
£m

(4.1)

4.7

0.6

Less than 
six months
£m

(7.6)

4.9

(2.7)

Total
 £m

(4.5)

5.0

0.5

Total
 £m

(8.3)

5.2

(3.1)

Less than 
six months 
£m

(5.4)

7.3

1.9

Less than 
six months 
£m

(10.4)

13.3

2.9

2014

Between 
six and 
twelve 
months
£m

(2.4)

2.1

(0.3)

2014

Between 
six and 
twelve 
months
£m

(4.9)

4.2

(0.7)

Total
 £m

(7.8)

9.4

1.6

Total
 £m

(15.3)

17.5

2.2

Currency profile
The currency profiles at 31 December of Cash and cash equivalents and Interest-bearing loans and borrowings are shown 
within the interest rate risk section in this note.

The main functional currency of the Group is sterling. The following analysis of financial assets and liabilities (excluding net 
funds/debt) shows the Group and Company exposure after the effects of forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage 
currency exposure.

The amounts shown represent the transactional exposures that give rise to net currency gains and losses which are recognised 
in the Consolidated income statement. Such exposures represent the financial assets and liabilities of the Group and the 
Company that are not denominated in the functional currency of the business involved.

66

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Group

Functional currency:

Sterling

Canadian dollar

Brazilian real

Company

Functional currency:

Sterling

US dollar
£m

2015

Singapore 
dollar 
£m

Euro
 £m

Total
 £m

US dollar
£m

2014

Singapore 
dollar 
£m

Euro
 £m

–

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.1

0.1

–

0.2

(0.3)

(0.2)

–

–

(0.3)

0.2

0.1

0.1

–

0.1

0.1

0.2

–

0.2

–

0.2

–

–

–

–

Total
 £m

–

0.3

0.1

0.4

2015

US dollar
 £m

2014

US dollar
 £m

(0.1)

0.1

Sensitivity to foreign currency risk
Average exchange rates are used to translate the profits of foreign operations in the Consolidated income statement. If sterling 
had been 10% stronger/weaker against all foreign currencies during the year, the effect of this on the average exchange rates 
used to translate profits would have increased/decreased Group profit for the year by £0.2m (2014: £nil).

If sterling had been 10% stronger against all foreign currencies at 31 December 2015, Group equity would have reduced by 
£0.8m (2014: £1.2m). Conversely, if sterling had been 10% weaker against all foreign currencies at 31 December 2015, Group 
equity would have increased by £1.0m (2014: £1.4m). This analysis assumes that all other variables remain constant.

Fair values
The fair value of borrowings at fixed rates for both the Group and the Company at 31 December 2015 is £0.8m (2014: £0.8m) 
and has been calculated by discounting the expected future cash flows at prevailing interest rates.

There are no other significant differences between book and fair values for any of the other financial assets or liabilities 
included in either the Group or Company Statement of financial position.

Capital management
Capital comprises total equity as shown in the Statements of financial position. The Group’s policy is to maintain a strong 
capital base so as to maintain investor, creditor and market confidence and to sustain the future development of the business. 
The Group manages its capital structure and makes adjustments to it in light of the economic conditions. To maintain or 
adjust the capital structure, the Group may adjust the dividend payment to shareholders, return capital to shareholders 
or issue new shares.

The Group monitors capital through measures of earnings per share (see note 11), return on capital employed (profit for the 
period divided by average equity) and tangible net worth (total equity before intangible assets and employee benefits, net 
of tax). There were no changes to the Group’s approach to capital management during the year and neither the Company 
nor any of its subsidiaries are subject to externally imposed capital requirements.

27. Operating leases
Non-cancellable operating lease rentals are payable as follows:

Less than one year

Between one and five years

More than five years

Group

Company

2015
 £m

1.2

2.8

0.7

4.7

2014 
£m

1.7

5.2

2.4

9.3

2015
 £m

0.6

1.7

0.7

3.0

2014 
£m

0.6

2.0

1.0

3.6

The Group leases a number of manufacturing and service facilities under operating leases. The lease terms have the option to 
renew at the end of the lease term. During the year £1.3m was recognised as an expense in the Consolidated income statement 
in respect of operating leases of the continuing operations (2014: £1.3m). In addition, £0.1m (2014: £0.4m) was recognised as 
an expense in the Consolidated income statement in respect of operating leases of the discontinued operations.

67

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

28. Capital commitments

Capital investment contracted but not provided for

29. Contingent liabilities

Contingent liabilities in respect of guarantees and 
indemnities related to sales and other contracts

Group

2015
 £m

0.1

2014 
£m

–

Company

2015
 £m

–

Group

Company

2015
 £m

1.8

2014 
£m

2.3

2015
 £m

1.7

30. Discontinued operations
On 31 May 2015 the Group sold the trade and assets of Arista Laboratories, Inc. The table below shows the results of the 
discontinued operations included in the Group’s Consolidated income statement and the Group’s Statement of cash flow.

Income

Revenue from trading activities

Costs from trading activities

Operating loss from trading activities

Proceeds from disposal

Costs incurred on disposal

Loss on disposal of net assets

Impairment of goodwill

Loss before and after tax

Cash flow

Operating activities

Operating loss

Depreciation

Net movements in working capital

Cash used in operations before reorganisation

Reorganisation costs paid

Cash flows from operating activities

Investing activities

2015 
£m

0.7

(1.6)

(0.9)

0.3

(0.4)

(3.5)

(1.3)

(5.8)

2015 
£m

(0.9)

0.2

0.2

(0.5)

(0.7)

(1.2)

2014 
£m

–

2014 
£m

2.2

2014
 £m

2.5

(4.5)

(2.0)

–

–

–

(1.6)

(3.6)

2014
 £m

(2.0)

0.6

(0.7)

(2.1)

–

(2.1)

Cash flows from investing activities – net proceeds on disposal

0.2

–

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

(1.0)

(2.1)

Included within the Group’s Statement of financial position at 31 December 2015 is a provision of £0.2m in respect 
of discontinued operations.

Impact on earnings per share from discontinued operations
The loss per ordinary share and diluted loss per ordinary share from discontinued operations was 29.8p (2014: 18.4p).

68

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
31. Related parties
Identity of related parties
The Company has a related party relationship with its subsidiaries (see note 32), directors and the UK and USA defined 
benefit pension schemes. In the course of normal operations, related party transactions entered into by the Group have 
been contracted on an arm’s-length basis.

Details regarding transactions involving the directors and their remuneration can be found in the Remuneration 
report on pages 21 to 23.

The Group recharges the UK defined benefit pension scheme with the costs of administration incurred by the Group.  
The total amount recharged in the year to 31 December 2015 was £0.2m (2014: £0.2m).

At 31 December 2015 there were no outstanding balances with related parties.

32. Group entities
All intra-group related party transactions and outstanding balances are eliminated in the preparation of the Consolidated 
financial statements of the Group and therefore in accordance with IAS 24 Related party disclosures are not disclosed.

Subsidiary undertakings
Details of all subsidiary undertakings are shown below and principal subsidiary undertakings are shown on page 72. Subsidiary 
undertakings are, unless otherwise shown in brackets below, registered in England and Wales. Unless otherwise specified 
below, all subsidiaries are 100% owned by the Company.

1456074 Ontario Limited (Canada)

Langenpac BV (Netherlands)

Molins Machinery Limited

928142 Ontario Inc (Canada)

Molins Corporate Services Limited

Molins Overseas Holdings Limited

Arista Laboratories Europe Limited

Molins Del Paraguay SA (Paraguay)

Molins Richmond, Inc (USA)

Cerulean Corporation (USA)

Molins Delaware, Inc (USA)

Molins sro (Czech Republic)

Cerulean GmbH (Germany)

Molins Do Brasil Maquinas  
Automaticas Ltda (Brazil)

Molins Tobacco CIS (69% owned by 
Molins PLC) (Russia)

Cerulean Shanghai Company Limited (China)

Molins Far East PTE Ltd (Singapore) Molins Tobacco Machinery Limited

DPML (MK) Limited

Hartsvale Limited

Molins ITCM Limited

Molmac Engineering Limited

Molins Laboratories, Inc (USA)

SASIB Corporation of America (USA)

ITCM North America Inc (USA)

Molins Machine Company Limited

Thrissell Limited

Langen Packaging Inc (Canada)

Molins Machine Company, Inc (USA)

During the year ended 31 December 2015 the Company made sales of £7.3m (2014: £6.9m) and purchased goods totalling 
£3.9m (2014: £7.0m) to and from other Group undertakings.

During the year ended 31 December 2015 the Company received interest income from subsidiary undertakings of £0.1m 
(2014: £0.3m) and management fees of £0.6m (2014: £0.5m).

At 31 December 2015 amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings to the Company were £2.1m (2014: £7.8m) and amounts 
owed by the Company to subsidiary undertakings were £8.9m (2014: £9.6m).

Included within amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings to the Company is a provision of £8.8m (2014: £5.2m) 
representing amounts owed to the Company which are no longer considered recoverable.

At 31 December 2015 investments in subsidiaries by the Company were £50.6m (2014: £50.6m).

69

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notes to the accounts continued

33. Accounting estimates and judgements
The development, selection and disclosure of the Group’s critical accounting policies and estimates, and the application 
of these policies and estimates, are considered as part of the remit of the Audit Committee.

Pension accounting
Changes to key assumptions used for calculating the net pension asset/liability of the Group can have a significant impact 
on the accounting valuation of the Group’s defined benefit pension schemes. The key assumptions used in calculating the 
net pension asset/liability for the Group are disclosed in note 24. The value of the schemes’ liabilities is particularly sensitive 
to the discount, inflation and mortality rates used. An analysis of the impact on the net pension asset/liability to changes in 
these assumptions is also disclosed in note 24.

Goodwill impairment
Determining whether goodwill is impaired requires an estimation of the value in use of the cash generating units (CGUs) 
to which the goodwill relates. The value in use calculation requires the Group to estimate the future cash flows expected 
to arise from each CGU and to determine a suitable discount rate to calculate the present value. The carrying value of 
goodwill at 31 December 2015 was £7.6m.

Investment impairment
Determining whether the Company’s investments in subsidiaries are impaired requires an estimation of the value in use 
of the CGUs to which the investments relate. The value in use calculation requires the Company to estimate the future cash 
flows expected to arise from each CGU and to determine a suitable discount rate to calculate the present value. The carrying 
value of investments in subsidiaries by the Company at 31 December 2015 was £50.6m and there has been no impairment of 
investments in subsidiaries during the period.

Provisions
The Group assesses the carrying value of both receivable balances and inventory balances based on past losses, current 
trading patterns and anticipated future events. Provisions for expected future cash flows are made based upon past 
experience and management’s assessment of the likely outflow, after taking professional advice where appropriate.

Construction contracts
The timing of revenue recognition on construction contracts is based on the assessed stage of completion of contract 
activity at the statement of financial position date. The assessed stage of completion is based on an estimate of the labour 
costs expended on each contract at the statement of financial position date as a proportion of estimated total labour costs 
on each contract.

70

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Five year record

Revenue

Underlying operating profita

Non-underlying items

Operating profit

Net financing (expense)/income

Profit before tax

Taxation

Profit for the period from continuing operations

Loss for the period from discontinued operations

(Loss)/profit for the period

Underlying operating return on salesa

Underlying earnings per ordinary sharea

Basic (loss)/earnings per ordinary share

Dividends per ordinary share in respect of the year

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment and investment property

Inventories

Trade and other receivables (including taxation)

Employee benefits

Trade and other payables (including taxation 
and provisions)

Net (debt)/funds

Net assets

Net assets per ordinary share

2015 
£m

87.0

4.0

(1.1)

2.9

(0.9)

2.0

(0.3)

1.7

(5.8)

(4.1)

4.6%

15.1p

(20.9)p

4.0p

14.9

8.8

15.1

22.1

4.0

(25.1)

39.8

(3.2)

36.6

181p

2014 
£m

87.4

5.4

(1.2)

4.2

(0.3)

3.9

(0.6)

3.3

(3.6)

(0.3)

6.2%

22.4p

(1.3)p

5.5p

15.7

12.1

18.5

32.6

2013 
£m

102.1

8.1

(0.9)

7.2

(0.8)

6.4

(0.3)

6.1

(2.6)

3.5

7.9%

37.5p

18.0p

5.5p

15.2

12.0

18.5

27.5

2012
£m

89.2

6.1

(0.3)

5.8

(0.1)

5.7

(0.7)

5.0

(1.2)

3.8

6.8%

28.0p

20.6p

5.5p

14.5

11.7

18.1

29.3

2011
 £m

87.6

5.0

0.2

5.2

0.5

5.7

(1.9)

3.8

(0.5)

3.3

5.7%

21.1p

17.2p

5.25p

14.9

10.5

15.9

23.8

(20.6)

(5.6)

(19.2)

(3.4)

(30.3)

(32.3)

(31.3)

(27.8)

28.0

(2.1)

25.9

35.3

5.2

40.5

23.1

7.4

30.5

33.9

7.1

41.0

128p

201p

151p

203p

Ordinary shares in issue (000’s)

20,172

20,172

20,172

20,172

20,172

a  Before non-underlying items and discontinued operations.

71

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Principal divisions and subsidiaries

The divisions and subsidiary undertakings shown include those which principally affect the profits and net assets of 
the Group as at the date of this report. Overseas companies operate and are incorporated in the countries in which they are 
based. In all cases the class of shares held is ordinary equity shares (or equivalent) and the proportion held is 100% unless 
otherwise indicated. Shares in the UK and Czech Republic companies are held directly by Molins PLC and those in the other 
overseas subsidiaries by intermediate holding companies.

A full list of subsidiaries will be included in the next annual return filed at Companies House and are shown on page 69.

Packaging Machinery

Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery 

Langen Packaging Inc
6154 Kestrel Road, Mississauga, 
Ontario L5T 1Z2, Canada 
Tel: 
E-mail: 
José Cornejo, General Manager

+1 905 670 7200 
info@langengroup.com 

Cerulean
Rockingham Drive, Linford Wood East, 
Milton Keynes MK14 6LY, UK
+44 (0)1908 233833 
Tel: 
E-mail: 
info@cerulean.com 
Steve Frankham, Managing Director 

Molins Do Brasil Maquinas  
Automaticas Ltda
Rua Joao Lunardelli,
810 CIC, Curitiba, 
Parana, CEP 81.460.100, Brazil 
Tel: 
+55 41 3227 8300 
E-mail:  molins.brazil@molins.com.br 
Fabio de Souza, President

Langenpac BV
Edisonstraat 14, 6604 BV
Wijchen, The Netherlands 
+31 24 648 6655 
Tel: 
E-mail: 
info@langengroup.com 
Geert van den Heiligenberg, 
Managing Director

Langen Asia
5 Pereira Road,
05–04 Asiawide Building,
Singapore 368025
Tel: 
E-mail: 
Richard Yu, Managing Director

+65 6289 3788 
info@langengroup.com 

Cerulean Corporation
1470 East Parham Road, 
Richmond, 
Virginia 23228-2300, USA
+1 804 887 2525
Tel: 
E-mail: 
info@cerulean.com 
Steve Frankham, Managing Director

Molins Far East Pte Ltd
5 Pereira Road,
05–04 Asiawide Building,
Singapore 368025 
Tel: 
E-mail:  mfe@molins.com 
Mark Aldridge, Managing Director

+65 6289 3788 

Cerulean Shanghai Co Ltd
Units 2011 & 2012, Commerce Spirit,
No. 1258 Yu Yuan Road, Shanghai
200050, Peoples Republic of China
+86 21 6125 3288
Tel: 
E-mail: 
info@cerulean.com
Mark Liu, General Manager

Molins Richmond Inc
1470 East Parham Road, Richmond, 
Virginia 23228-2300, USA
+1 804 887 2525
Tel: 
E-mail:  molins.richmond@molins.com 
Clive Watson, President

Molins Technologies 
13 Westwood Way, Westwood Business 
Park, Coventry CV4 8HS, UK
+44 (0)2476 421100 
Tel: 
info@molinstechnologies.com 
E-mail: 
Dan Murthi, Managing Director

Molins Tobacco Machinery 
Unit A1, Regent Park, Summerleys Road, 
Princes Risborough, HP27 9LE, UK
Tel: 
E-mail:  mtm@molins.com 
Mark Aldridge, Managing Director

+44 (0)1844 276600 

Molins sro
Korandova 12, 301 00 Plzen, 
Czech Republic 
Tel: 
+420 378 080 111 
info@molins.cz 
E-mail: 
Jiri Honomichl, Managing Director

72

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Notice of meeting

The one hundred and fourth Annual General Meeting (the Meeting) of Molins PLC will be held at Rockingham Drive, 
Linford Wood East, Milton Keynes MK14 6LY on Friday 22 April 2016 at 12 noon for the following purposes:

As ordinary business
To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions as ordinary resolutions:

1.  To receive the Annual Report and Accounts 2015 now laid before the Meeting. (Resolution 1)

2.  To declare a final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2015 of 1.5p per ordinary share to be paid on 11 May 2016 
to the shareholders who were on the Register of Members at the close of business on 15 April 2016. (Resolution 2)

3.  To re-appoint Mr P J Moorhouse as a director. (Resolution 3)

4.  To re-appoint Mr R C Hunter as a director. (Resolution 4)

5.  To re-appoint KPMG LLP as auditors and to authorise the directors to determine their remuneration. (Resolution 5)

6.  To approve the Remuneration report set out on pages 21 to 23 in the Annual Report and Accounts 2015. (Resolution 6)

As special business
To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolution as an ordinary resolution:

7.  Power to allot securities

That, in substitution for all existing authorities, the directors be and are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised to 
exercise all powers of the Company to allot relevant securities (within the meaning of section 551 of the Companies Act 
2006) up to an aggregate nominal value of £1,512,865 (representing 30% of the total ordinary share capital in issue at 
25 February 2016) provided that this authority shall expire on the day 15 months following the passing of this resolution 
save that the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require relevant 
securities to be allotted after such expiry and the directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of such offer or 
agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired. (Resolution 7)

To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions as special resolutions:

8.  Disapplication of pre-emption rights

That the directors be and are hereby empowered pursuant to section 570 and section 573 of the Companies Act 2006 
(the Act) to allot equity securities for cash, pursuant to the general authority conferred upon them by the resolution passed 
under item number 7 in the notice of the Annual General Meeting of the Company, for the period ending on the date of the 
next Annual General Meeting following the passing of this resolution or at the end of 15 months following the passing of this 
resolution, whichever is the earlier (unless previously revoked or varied) as if section 561 of the Act did not apply to any such 
allotment and so that the power conferred by this resolution shall enable the Company to make any offer or agreement 
before the expiry of this power (unless previously revoked or varied by the Company in general meeting), which would or 
might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and so that notwithstanding such expiry the directors may 
allot equity securities pursuant to any such offer or agreement previously made by the Company as if the power conferred 
hereby had not expired PROVIDED however that the power conferred by this resolution shall be limited:

a 

to the allotment of equity securities in connection with or pursuant to any arrangement whereby the holders of ordinary 
shares at a record date or dates adopted for the purposes of the arrangement are entitled to acquire any equity securities 
of the Company issued for cash pursuant to such arrangement, in the proportion (as nearly as may be) to such holders’ 
holdings of shares (or, as appropriate, to the numbers of ordinary shares which such holders are for the purpose deemed 
to hold) subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the directors may consider necessary or expedient to deal 
with fractional entitlements or legal or practical problems under or resulting from the application of the laws of any 
territory or the requirements of any recognised regulatory body or stock exchange in any territory; and

b 

to the allotment (otherwise than pursuant to sub-paragraph a above) of equity securities having an aggregate nominal 
value not exceeding £504,288.50 (representing 10% of the total ordinary share capital in issue as at 25 February 2016).

  Words and expressions defined in or for the purposes of the Act shall bear the same meanings in this resolution. 

(Resolution 8)

73

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
Notice of meeting continued

9.   Purchase of own shares

That the directors be empowered in the terms of Article 11 of the Company’s Articles of Association and pursuant to section 
701 of the Companies Act 2006 to make market purchases (as defined in section 693(4) of that Act) of ordinary shares of 
25p each in the capital of the Company on such terms and in such manner as the directors may from time to time 
determine, provided that:

a 

b 

the maximum aggregate number of shares which may be so purchased shall be 3,000,000 ordinary shares 
(representing approximately 15% of the Company’s issued ordinary share capital at the date of the Notice convening 
the Meeting at which this resolution is to be proposed);

the maximum price (excluding expenses) which may be paid for an ordinary share shall be an amount equal to 105% 
of the average middle market quotations taken from the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for the five business 
days immediately preceding the day on which the shares in question are to be purchased;

c 

the minimum price which may be paid for an ordinary share shall be 25p (exclusive of expenses); and

d 

this authority shall expire, unless previously revoked or varied, at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting 
of the Company after the passing of this resolution or twelve months from the date of the resolution (whichever is the 
earlier) provided that the Company may before this authority expires make contracts for purchases of ordinary shares 
under this authority which would or might be executed wholly or partly after this authority expires and may make a 
purchase of ordinary shares pursuant to any such contract. (Resolution 9)

10.  Authority to hold general meetings (other than annual general meetings) on 14 clear days’ notice.

That a General Meeting of the Company, other than annual general meetings of the Company, may be called on not less 
than 14 clear days’ notice. (Resolution 10)

By order of the Board

S P Cannon
Secretary
25 February 2016

74

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
Notes relating to the Notice
Entitlement to attend and vote
1.  Only those members registered on the Company’s Register of Members 48 hours prior to the time of the Annual General 

Meeting (the Meeting) or, if this Meeting is adjourned, 48 hours prior to the time of the adjourned Meeting shall be entitled 
to attend and vote at the Meeting.

Website giving information regarding the meeting
2.  A copy of this Notice of Meeting (the Notice) and other information required by section 311A of the Companies Act 2006 

(the Act) is available online at www.molins.com.

Appointment of proxies
3.  Members of the Company are entitled to appoint a proxy to exercise all or any of their rights to attend, speak and vote at 
the Meeting using the proxy form accompanying this Notice. The person appointed proxy does not need to be a member 
of the Company but must attend the Meeting to represent the member. The Chairman of the meeting or another person 
may be appointed as proxy. Members wishing their proxy to speak on their behalf at the Meeting will need to appoint their 
own choice of proxy (not the Chairman) and give instructions directly to them. Members can only appoint a proxy using 
the procedures set out in this Notice and the notes to the proxy form. The appointment of a proxy does not preclude a 
shareholder from attending and voting in person at the Meeting. More than one proxy may be appointed provided each 
proxy is appointed to exercise rights attached to different shares. More than one proxy to exercise rights attached to any 
one share may not be appointed. In the case of joint holders, where more than one of the joint holders purports to appoint 
a proxy, only the appointment submitted by the most senior holder will be accepted. Seniority is determined by the order 
in which the names of the joint holders appear in the Company’s Register of Members in respect of the joint holding 
(the first-named being the most senior).

The notes to the proxy form explain how to direct the proxy to vote on each resolution or withhold their vote. The manner 
in which the proxy(ies) is/are to vote should be indicated by marking either ‘Vote for’ or ‘Vote against’ or ‘Vote withheld’. 
If none is marked, the proxy(ies) will vote or abstain at his/her/their discretion. A ‘Vote withheld’ option is provided on the 
proxy form to enable instructions to be given to a proxy not to vote on any particular resolution. It should, however, be 
noted that a vote withheld is not a vote in law and therefore will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of the 
votes ‘For’ and ‘Against’ a resolution.

4.  Those that are not members of the Company but who have been nominated by a member of the Company under section 

146 of the Act to enjoy information rights, do not have a right to appoint any proxies under the procedures set out herein or 
in the proxy form. They may have a right under an agreement with the member of the Company who has nominated them 
(Relevant Member) to be appointed or to have someone else appointed as a proxy for the Meeting. If they either do not 
have such a right or if they have such a right but do not wish to exercise it, they may have a right under an agreement with 
the Relevant Member to give instructions to the Relevant Member as to the exercise of voting rights. The main point of 
contact in terms of their investment in the Company is the Relevant Member and they should contact them (and not the 
Company) regarding their interest in the Company.

Appointment of proxy using hard copy proxy form
5.  To appoint a proxy using the proxy form, the form must be:

a  completed and signed;

b  sent or delivered to the Company’s registrars at PXS 1, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4ZF; and

c 

received by the Company’s registrars not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the Meeting 
or adjourned Meeting at which the person named in the proxy form proposes to vote.

In the case of a member which is a company, the proxy form must be executed under its common seal or signed on its 
behalf by an officer of the company or an attorney for the company. Any power of attorney or any other authority under 
which the proxy form is signed (or a notarised copy of such power or authority or a copy of such power and written 
authority certified in accordance with the Powers of Attorney Act 1971) must be included with the proxy form. In the case 
of a poll taken more than 48 hours after it is demanded, the proxy document(s) must be delivered as aforesaid not less 
than 24 hours before the time appointed for taking the poll, and where the poll is taken less than 48 hours after it was 
demanded, the proxy documents must either be delivered at the meeting at which the demand is made, or at the proxy 
notification address not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting, 
or otherwise as the Chairman of the meeting at which a poll is demanded may direct.

75

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
Notice of meeting continued

Notes relating to the Notice continued
Appointment of proxy using email
6.  As an alternative to submitting the hard copy proxy form by hand or by post, a proxy may be appointed electronically 

by emailing a copy of the signed hard copy proxy form and any accompanying documents to agm@molinsplc.com with 
details of the full name and address of the registered shareholder. For an electronic proxy appointment to be valid it must 
be delivered not less than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the Meeting or adjourned Meeting at which the 
person named in the proxy form proposes to vote. Please refer to note 5 for details as to when proxy notices appointing 
a proxy in the event of a poll are to be delivered.

Changing proxy instructions
7.  To change proxy instructions simply submit a new proxy form using the methods set out above. Note that the cut-off times 
for receipt of proxy forms (see note 5) also apply in relation to amended instructions; any amended proxy form received 
after the relevant cut-off time will be disregarded. Where another hard copy proxy form is required please contact the 
Company (see note 17). If a member submits more than one valid proxy form, the form received last before the latest time 
for the receipt of proxies will take precedence.

Termination of proxy appointments
8.  To revoke a proxy instruction the Company must be informed by either:

a  sending a signed hard copy notice clearly stating the intention to revoke the proxy appointment to the Company’s 

registrars at PXS 1, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4ZF; or

b  sending an email clearly stating the registered shareholder’s name and address and the intention to revoke the previous 

proxy appointment to agm@molinsplc.com.

In the case of a member which is a company, the revocation notice must be executed under its common seal or signed on 
its behalf by an officer of the company or an attorney for the company (any power of attorney or any other authority under 
which the revocation notice is signed (or a notarised copy of such power or authority or a copy of such power and written 
authority certified in accordance with the Powers of Attorney Act 1971) must be included with the revocation notice).

The revocation notice must be received by the Company’s registrars or delivered to agm@molinsplc.com (as the case 
may be) no later than six hours before the time fixed for holding the relevant meeting or adjourned meeting or, in the 
case of a poll not taken on the same day as the meeting or adjourned meeting, before the time fixed for taking the poll.

If the revocation is received after the time specified then the original proxy appointment will remain valid.

Corporate representatives
9.  A corporation which is a member can appoint one or more corporate representatives who may exercise, on its behalf, all 
its powers as a member provided that no more than one corporate representative exercises powers over the same share. 
Representatives will be required to produce documentary evidence of their appointment.

Issued shares and total voting rights
10.  As at the close of business on 24 February 2016 (being the last business day prior to publication of this notice), the 

Company’s issued share capital comprised 20,171,540 ordinary shares of 25p each. Each ordinary share carries the right 
to one vote at a general meeting of the Company and, therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company at that 
time was 20,171,540.

Questions at the meeting
11.  Under section 319A of the Act, the Company must answer any question asked at the Meeting relating to the business 

being dealt with at the Meeting unless:

a  answering the question would interfere unduly with the preparation for the Meeting or involve the disclosure 

of confidential information;

b 

the answer has already been given on a website in the form of an answer to a question; or

c 

it is undesirable in the interests of the Company or the good order of the Meeting that the question be answered.

76

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
 
 
Members’ right to require circulation of resolution to be proposed at the meeting
12.  Under section 338 of the Act, a member or members meeting the qualification criteria set out at note 14, may, subject to 

conditions, require the Company to give its members notice of a resolution which may properly be moved and is intended 
to be moved at that Meeting. The conditions are that:

a 

the resolution must not, if passed, be ineffective (whether by reason of inconsistency with any enactment or the 
Company’s constitution or otherwise);

b 

the resolution must not be defamatory of any person, frivolous or vexatious; and

c 

the request:

i  may be in hard copy form or in electronic form (see note 15);

ii  must identify the resolution of which notice is to be given by either setting out the resolution in full or, if supporting 

a resolution sent by another member, clearly identifying the resolution which is being supported;

iii  must be authenticated by the person or persons making it (see note 15); and

iv  must be received by the Company not later than six weeks before the Meeting to which the request relates,  

or if later, the time at which notice is given of that Meeting.

Members’ right to have a matter of business dealt with at the meeting
13.  Under section 338A of the Act, a member or members meeting the qualification criteria set out at note 14, may, subject to 
conditions, require the Company to include in the business to be dealt with at the Meeting a matter (other than a proposed 
resolution) which may properly be included in the business (a matter of business). The conditions are that:

a 

the matter of business must not be defamatory of any person, frivolous or vexatious; and

b 

the request:

i  may be in hard copy form or in electronic form (see note 15);

ii  must identify the matter of business by either setting it out in full or, if supporting a statement sent by another 

member, clearly identify the matter of business which is being supported;

iii  must be accompanied by a statement setting out the grounds for the request;

iv  must be authenticated by the person or persons making it (see note 15); and

v  must be received by the Company not later than six weeks before the Meeting to which the request relates,  

or if later, the time at which notice is given of that Meeting.

Members’ qualification criteria
14.  A request under section 338 or section 338A of the Act (see notes 12 to 13) may only be made by:

a  a member or members having a right to vote at the Meeting and holding at least 5% of total voting rights of the 

Company; or

b  at least 100 members having a right to vote at the Meeting and holding, on average, at least £100 of paid up share 

capital per member.

For information on voting rights, including the total number of voting rights, see note 10 and the website referred 
to in note 2.

Submission of hard copy and electronic requests and authentication requirements
15.  A request made under section 338 or section 338A of the Act (see notes 12 to 13) must be made in accordance with one 

of the following ways:

a  a hard copy request which is signed by the Relevant Member(s), stating their full name(s) and address(es) and sent 

for the attention of the Company Secretary at the Company’s Registered Office address; or

b  a request which states the Relevant Member’s full name and address emailed to agm@molinsplc.com.

Documents on display
16.  Copies of directors’ letters of appointment and service contracts will be available for inspection for 15 minutes before, 

and during, the Meeting.

77

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015 
Notice of meeting continued

Notes relating to the Notice continued
Communication
17.  Except where specifically provided above, members who have general queries about the Meeting or who require additional 
copies of the Notice and/or proxy form should write to or telephone the Company Secretary at the Company’s registered 
office (see page 80). No other methods of communication will be accepted.

After the meeting
18.  Members will have the opportunity to meet the directors of the Company.

Explanatory notes on the resolutions
Resolutions 1 to 7 are ordinary resolutions; resolutions 8, 9 and 10 are special resolutions. To be passed, ordinary resolutions 
require more than half the votes cast to be in favour of the resolution whilst special resolutions require at least three-quarters 
of the votes cast to be in favour of the resolution.

The resolutions
Ordinary business
Resolution 1 – To receive the Annual Report and Accounts 2015
The Companies Act 2006 requires the directors to lay before the Company in a general meeting copies of the Company’s 
annual accounts, and the auditor’s report on those accounts.

Resolution 2 – Declaration of a final dividend
The Company’s Articles of Association state that the Company may, by ordinary resolution, declare a final dividend be paid 
to members.

Resolutions 3 and 4– Directors’ re-appointments
The Company’s Articles of Association require a director to retire:

a  who was appointed by the Board since the last Annual General Meeting; or

b  at the third Annual General Meeting following the Annual General Meeting at which they were elected or last re-elected.

In both cases the retiring director can offer themselves for appointment/re-appointment.

No directors have been appointed since the last Annual General Meeting. At the Annual General Meeting three years ago 
Mr Hunter was the only director who was re-appointed and therefore he retires at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. 
The Chairman, Mr Moorhouse, has offered himself for re-appointment and will also retire at the forthcoming Annual General 
Meeting. Being eligible, both Mr Hunter and Mr Moorhouse offer themselves for re-appointment. Biographical information for 
Mr Hunter and Mr Moorhouse is given on page 17 of the Annual Report and Accounts 2015.

Resolution 5 – To re-appoint KPMG LLP as auditors and to authorise the directors to determine their remuneration
It is a Companies Act 2006 (the Act) requirement that a company appoint an auditor at each general meeting at which 
accounts are laid, to hold office from the conclusion of the meeting until the conclusion of the next similar general meeting. 
The Company has evaluated the work of KPMG LLP and recommends that they be re-appointed as the Company’s auditors 
from the conclusion of the Meeting until the conclusion of the next similar meeting. In addition, the Act states that the 
auditors’ remuneration shall be fixed by the Meeting or in such manner as the Company in general meeting may determine. 
For simplicity of administration the directors are seeking authorisation to determine KPMG LLP’s remuneration.

Resolution 6 – To approve the Remuneration report
This resolution seeks shareholders’ approval for the Remuneration report which can be found at pages 21 to 23 of the 
Annual Report and Accounts 2015. The vote is advisory only.

Special business
Resolution 7 – Power to allot securities
The Companies Act 2006 and the Company’s Articles of Association permit the allotment of new shares only if the Company 
is authorised to do so by resolution of the Company. Such authorisation was given for a period of 15 months at a General 
Meeting held on 24 April 2015 and therefore the directors are seeking new shareholder authorisation at this Meeting.

The directors have no current intention of exercising the power to be conferred by this resolution and will exercise this power 
only when they believe that such exercise is in the best interests of the shareholders.

Resolution 8 – Disapplication of pre-emption rights
In Resolution 7 above the directors seek authority to allot securities up to an aggregate nominal value of £1,512,865 in 
accordance with the requirements of section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act). However section 561 of the Act 
requires such securities to be offered to existing shareholders (pre-emption rights). This resolution, which is permitted 

78

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015by sections 570 and 573 of the Act, seeks shareholders’ authorisation for the directors to disapply, albeit to the extent limited 
within the resolution, the section 561 pre-emption rights so that the Company can satisfy immediate allotment requirements. 
Currently the directors have no plans to allot securities.

Resolution 9 – Purchase of own shares
At the 2015 Annual General Meeting authority to purchase for cancellation 3,000,000 ordinary shares was granted. The 2015 
Annual General Meeting authority expires on 22 April 2016 and the directors consider it appropriate to seek further authority 
from the shareholders at the forthcoming Meeting for the Company to purchase up to a maximum number of 3,000,000 
ordinary shares representing approximately 15% of the issued ordinary share capital at the date of the Notice convening 
the Meeting.

In reaching a decision to purchase ordinary shares, the directors will take account of the Company’s cash resources and capital 
and the general effect of such purchase on the Company’s business. The authority would only be exercised by the directors if 
they considered it to be in the best interests of the shareholders generally and if the purchase could be expected to result in 
an increase in earnings per ordinary share.

Resolution 10 – Authority to hold general meetings (other than annual general meetings) on 14 clear days’ notice
The notice period required by the Companies Act 2006 for general meetings is 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter 
notice period which cannot, however, be less than 14 clear days. Annual general meetings must always be held on at least 
21 clear days’ notice. Whereas Article 28 (1) of the Company’s Articles of Association permits the Company to call a general 
meeting (other than an annual general meeting) on 14 clear days’ notice, shareholder approval is also required by the 
Companies Act 2006 to give effect to this. The authority granted by Resolution 10, if passed, will be effective until the 
Company’s next Annual General Meeting, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed. In order to be able to 
call a general meeting on less than 21 clear days’ notice, the Company must make a means of electronic voting available to all 
shareholders for that meeting. Resolution 10 seeks the approval of shareholders to give the Company the authority to be able 
to call general meetings (other than the Annual General Meeting) on 14 days’ clear notice. The flexibility offered by Resolution 
10 will only be used where, taking into account the circumstances, the directors consider this appropriate in relation to the 
business of the meeting and in the interests of the Company and shareholders as a whole.

79

STRATEGIC REPORTCORPORATE GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSMolins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Timetable
Annual General Meeting
22 April 2016

Payment dates for preference dividend
30 June 2016 and 31 December 2016

Record date for proposed final dividend
15 April 2016

Payment date for proposed final dividend
11 May 2016

Half-year announcement
August 2016

Corporate information

Registered office
Rockingham Drive 
Linford Wood East 
Milton Keynes MK14 6LY 
Tel: 
Email: 

+44 (0)1908 246870 
 molins.ho@molinsplc.com

Registered number
124855

Secretary
Mrs S P Cannon 
Solicitor

Auditors
KPMG LLP 
Altius House
One North Fourth Street 
Milton Keynes MK9 1NE

Nominated Advisor & Broker
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited
One New Change 
London EC4M 9AF

Registrars
Capita Registrars 
The Registry 
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham BR3 4TU

Share price
Available from:
FT Cityline – tel:  +44 (0)905 817 1690
Certain national newspapers

Website
Further information is available at www.molins.com

80

Molins PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2015Designed and produced by Luminous 
www.luminous.co.uk

Molins PLC
Rockingham Drive
Linford Wood East
Milton Keynes MK14 6LY
Tel: +44 (0) 1908 246870
Email: molins.ho@molinsplc.com
www.molins.com

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