Directors' Accounting Responsibilities

The following statement, which should be read in conjunction with the Independent Auditors’ Report on page 81, enables shareholders to distinguish the respective responsibilities of the Directors and the Auditors in relation to the accounts.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the Group and of the profit or loss for that period. In preparing those accounts, 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 applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
• prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company and the Group will continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 1985. 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.