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Directors' Responsibilities

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report, the Report of the Remuneration Committee and the Group and the Parent Company financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors have prepared the Group financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union and the Parent Company financial statements and the Report of the Remuneration Committee in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The Group and Parent Company financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and the Group and of the profit or loss of the Group for that period.

In preparing those financial statements, the Directors are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
• State that the Group financial statements comply with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union, and, with regard to the Parent Company financial statements, that applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements

The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and the Group and to enable them to ensure that the Group financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985 and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation, and the Parent Company financial statements and the Report of the Remuneration Committee comply with the Companies Act 1985. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and the Group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Each of the Directors, whose names and functions are listed on Board of Directors confirm that to the best of each person's knowledge and belief:

• the Group financial statements, prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities and financial position and profit of the Group; and
• the Company financial statements, prepared in accordance with UK GAAP, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities and financial position and profit of the Company; and
• the Report of the Directors in the Annual Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties it faces.

By order of the Board

Gavin Slark
Group Chief Executive
27 May 2009