Statement of Directors' Responsibilities in Respect of the Annual Report and Financial Statements

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the 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 are required to prepare the Group Financial Statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union (EU) and Company Financial Statements in accordance with United Kingdom (UK) Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 101 'Reduced Disclosure Framework', and applicable law).

Under company law, the Directors must not approve the Financial Statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and Company and of the profit or loss of the Group and Company for that period. In preparing the Financial Statements, the Directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
• state whether applicable IFRSs as adopted by the European Union have been followed for the Group Financial Statements and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 101, have been followed for the Company Financial Statements, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the Financial Statements;
• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
• prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Group and Company will continue in business.

The Directors are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Group and Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Group and Company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Group and Company, and enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements and the Directors' Remuneration Report comply with the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards the Group Financial Statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

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.

The Directors consider that the Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the Group and Company's performance, business model and strategy.

Each of the Directors as at the date of the Annual Report, whose names and functions are set out in the Board, confirm that to the best of their knowledge:

1. the Company Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 101 'Reduced Disclosure Framework', and applicable law), give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the Company;
2. the Group Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Group; and
3. the Strategic Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group and Company, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that it faces.

Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by: