The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.
The company also operates a pension scheme providing benefits based on final pensionable pay.
On 1 November 2000 the John Livingston & Sons Limited Retirement Benefits Scheme ceased and benefits entitlements of members of the scheme were transferred to a new scheme, the John Livingston & Sons Limited Retirement Benefits Scheme (2000) ('the scheme'). With effect from 30th November 2000 the active members of the scheme ceased to accrue benefits and the scheme was made paid-up. The latest full actuarial valuation was carried out 5 April 2023 and was updated for FRS 102 purposes to 30 September 2025 by a qualified independent actuary.
The net interest element is determined by multiplying the net defined benefit liability by the discount rate, taking into account any changes in the net defined benefit liability during the period as a result of contribution and benefit payments. The net interest is recognised in the profit and loss as other finance revenue or cost.
Remeasurement changes comprise actuarial gains and losses, the effect of the asset ceiling and the return on the net defined benefit liability excluding amounts included in net interest. These are recognised immediately in other comprehensive income in the period in which they occur and are not reclassified to profit and loss in subsequent periods.
The net defined benefit pension asset or liability in the balance sheet comprises the total for each plan of the present value of the defined benefit obligation (using a discount rate based on high quality corporate bonds), less the fair value of plan assets out of which the obligations are to be settled directly. Fair value is based on market price information, and in the case of quoted securities is the published bid price. The value of a net pension benefit asset is limited to the amount that may be recovered either through reduced contributions or agreed refunds from the scheme.