On 2 March 2022, the Board re-iterated its intention to return 235p per share in 2022. The first payment of the regular annual distribution of 125p per share was made on 1 April 2022 (rather than July 2022 as originally intended). The Board remains committed to its well-established strategy of returning capital that is surplus to the needs of the business to its shareholders. Given the successful trading result of the Group in 2021 and its strong financial position, the Board is pleased to confirm that it will return 110p per share surplus capital on 8 July 2022, to shareholders on the register on 17 June 2022. There will be no further dividend payments in relation to the year ended 31 December 2021.

Returns previously paid to shareholders:

▲ Paid by a B/C Share Issue. The payment date is the redemption date for B Shares and dividend payment date for C Shares.

* Covid-19 - dividend cancellation and postponement - due to the major social and economic disruption caused by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, after careful assessment of the capital needs of the business, the Board: (i) cancelled the 125p per share interim dividend that was scheduled to be paid on 2 April 2020 and (ii) postponed the payment of the final dividend for the 2019 financial year of 110p per share that was scheduled to be paid on 6 July 2020. This payment was subsequently made in two tranches, in September 2020 and December 2020.