Overview
Our success at Dillon Bass Limited (“DBL”) is intrinsically linked to the way we conduct our business in a responsible and ethical manner. These behaviours help to foster a culture of mutual trust and ethics both within the business and with our suppliers. DBL adopts a zerotolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking. We are committed to taking all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not present in our business or in our supply chains.
Business
DBL is now a wholly owned subsidiary within the Pernod Ricard SA group. Until 13 July 2023, it was a joint venture company, owned by Coleraine Distillery Limited (an affiliate of the Pernod Ricard (“PR”) Group) and Jas. Hennessy & Co. Limited (an affiliate of the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis-Vuitton SE (“LVMH”) Group.
DBL was formed in 1990 and its principal activity consists of the marketing and distribution of wines and spirits in Northern Ireland. DBL’s principal suppliers of wines and spirits for distribution are PR and LVMH.
Standards
Since 2003, both PR and LVMH have been participant companies in the United Nations Global Compact and therefore both companies are committed to respecting and promoting the core principles
In line with its shareholder (and previous shareholders), DBL is accordingly committed to eliminate forced labour and compulsory labour and to effectively abolish child labour. This includes International Labour Organisation conventions 138 & 182 on the prohibition of child labour and 29 & 105 on the elimination of forced or mandatory labour.
Policies and Practices
DBL’s commitment is to act with integrity in all its business dealings and to promote ethical conduct, to enhance compliance with applicable laws and to provide guidance with respect to business conduct. DBL expects the same standards from all those we work with, including business partners and suppliers. DBL is committed to ensuring that any slavery and human trafficking risks within its business are identified and managed proactively.
We have a number of policies that are relevant to this commitment, which sets out what DBL expects from its employees and business partners.
The key policies are:
- The Pernod Ricard Code of Business Conduct 2023; and
- The Dillon Bass Limited Anti-Slavery Policy 2019.
Our Actions
Since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force, we have sought to adhere to the standards of behaviour and conduct set out in the Policy which reiterates the commitment of our shareholders’ group companies to act to the highest of standards of integrity, respect and engagement in their behaviours and in the way that they conduct business every day.
Since our last Modern Slavery Statement in December 2022, all new relevant staff have completed training on Modern Slavery, relevant policy and improved procurement functions.
Our Next Steps
DBL’s aim is to eliminate any risk of Modern Slavery in its business operations and in its supply chains. We intend to take the following further steps in support of this aim:
- we will continue to ensure that tailored training on our Anti-Slavery Policy is made available to existing staff;
- we continue to roll-out of robust new procurement functions; and
- we will monitor and update compliance clauses in bespoke contracts.
The Board of Directors of DBL has approved this statement which is made pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ended 30 June 2023 and it has been duly been signed by the following director:
Greg Elliott
Business Unit Director
Dillon Bass Limited
18 December 2023