Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

Slavery and Human Trafficking statement made on behalf of L&Q Estates Ltd and associated companies (‘L&Q Estates’) further to the provisions of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.

STATEMENT

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 places an obligation on UK businesses with a turnover of over £36 million to produce a modern slavery statement.  Slavery and Human Trafficking remains a hidden blight on our global society. We all have a responsibility to be alert to the risks, however small, in our business and in our wider supply chain.  Staff are expected to report concerns and management are expected to act upon them.

L&Q Estates are developers and promoters of residential, commercial and mixed-use real estate developments in most geographical areas of the UK.

We are dedicated to providing our employees with a positive working environment which complies with or exceeds the requirements of all applicable legislation including human rights, anti-discrimination and fundamental rights at work.

Our Business Structure and Supply Chain

L&Q Estates (and the legal entities set out in Appendix A hereto) are wholly owned by L&Q Housing Trust but operate as a separate ‘arms-length’ business with its head office in Warwick

Our Policies on slavery and human trafficking

We have absolutely zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking and are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business.  It is our policy to act ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implement and enforce effective systems and controls to help eradicate slavery and human trafficking.


Risk Assessment and Due Diligence

We do not employ many people directly or indirectly.
 
Our directly employed staff comprise approximately forty- five people. We continue to consider the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking occurring within our directly employed workforce to be very low given its size, skills and professional nature. Our staff are all paid above the UK living wage and all appropriate ID checks are made before employment commences.
 
Our supply chain is limited. For our promotion of development, we employ external professionals and our assessment of the risk of slavery and human trafficking in our external professional supply chain is that it is considered extremely low risk.
 
We do service some of the land we control and in procuring such servicing of land, to bring development sites forward for sale, we employ principally major civil engineering contractors.  It is our assessment that the risk of slavery and human trafficking in this part of the supply chain is also low.  However, notwithstanding our assessment, we engage with such external contractors to establish that they have appropriate policies in place, as they will themselves employ sub-contractors.
 
On an analysis of the L&Q Estates business, looking for areas of risk, the only other areas where it is considered there may be risk of slavery and human trafficking relates to the provision of external facilities services for its office.  Again, the risk of slavery and human trafficking is considered to be low.  However, as with external contractors, we have expressly made enquiries and continue to engage with external suppliers of facilities services for our office to establish that they have appropriate policies in place.

STEPS TAKEN IN 2022/2023

We took the following steps in the last year:
 
·       New members joined the Compliance Committee
·       Provided on-line training - which was undertaken by all members of staff
·       We continued to ensure that all staff including new starters are aware of and have read our statement
·       Continued with our  protocol for the commissioning of small or ad hoc contractors or suppliers

Further Steps

Notwithstanding our stated view of risk in our supply chains, we will continue to work to the highest professional standards and shall be vigilant in our efforts to identify acts of modern slavery within our business and supply chains.  We will aim to:-
 
·       Ensure that all new starters will receive training in understanding and spotting the signs of modern slavery
 
·       Continue to build and circulate our list of approved small contractors
 
·       Provide that our Modern Slavery protocol is considered quarterly at our internal, formal senior management team Business
       Review Meeting
 
 
We will assess any evidence of non-compliance and will take appropriate remedial action.  We will only trade with those who comply with this statement and the terms of our appointments or those who are taking verifiable steps towards compliance.
 
 
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year 2023/2024
 
This statement will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis and is approved by the L&Q Estates Board.  It applies to all companies and organisations within the L&Q Estates Group.


Approved by the L&Q Estates Board    5  July 2023


 Adrian Clack Group Managing Director, L&Q Estates Ltd
 5 July  2023

APPENDIX A

L&Q Estates Limited                                         Principal Trading Company 2019 plus
Gallagher Estates Limited                               Intermediate Holding company and principal trading company to 2019
Portobello Developments 2002 Limited     Property development
Wixams First Limited                                       Property development
Gallagher Estates NR Limited                        Property development
West Longstanton Limited                             Small company property development
Gallagher Homes Limited                               Property development
Gallagher Longstanton Limited                     Property development
Gallagher Llanwern Limited                           Property development
Gallagher Projects Limited                             Procurement and delivery of infrastructure and other construction activities
Gallagher Elstow Limited                                Property development
Gallagher Bridgend Limited                           Former property development entity
Gallagher Poole Limited                                  Property development
Gallagher Estates Land Limited                    Dormant
J.J. Gallagher Construction Limited           Dormant
Redlawn Land Limited                                    Property development

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