1. Accounting Policies (continued)

(N) SHORT-TERM DEBTORS AND CREDITORS

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in the income statement in administrative expenses.

(O) TAXATION

Current taxation including UK corporation tax is provided at the amounts expected to be paid (or recovered) using the tax rates and laws that have been substantially enacted at the balance sheet date.

Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all material timing differences between taxable profits and total comprehensive income that arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in the financial statements.

Deferred tax is measured on an undiscounted basis at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the periods in which timing differences reverse, based on tax rates and laws enacted or substantially enacted at the balance sheet date. Deferred tax relating to investment property that is measured at fair value is measured using the tax rates and allowances that apply on the sale of the asset.

(P) FOREIGN CURRENCIES

Transactions in foreign currencies are initially recorded in the entity’s functional currency by applying the spot exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. All differences are taken to the income statement.

(Q) DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGE ACCOUNTING

The Group uses forward foreign currency contracts to reduce exposure to foreign exchange rates. The Group also uses interest rate swaps to adjust interest rate exposures. Such derivative financial instruments are initially recognised at fair value on the date on which a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at fair value. Derivatives are carried as financial assets when the fair value is positive and as financial liabilities when the fair value is negative.

The criteria for forward foreign currency contracts are:

– the instrument must be related to a firm foreign currency commitment;

– it must involve the same currency as the hedged item; and

– it must reduce the risk of foreign currency exchange movements on the Group’s operations.

The Group’s criteria for interest rate swaps are:

– the instrument must be related to an asset or a liability; and

– it must change the character of the interest rate by converting a variable rate to a fixed rate or vice versa.

At the inception of a hedge relationship, the Group formally designates and documents the hedge relationship to which it wishes to apply hedge accounting and the risk management objective and strategy for undertaking the hedge. The documentation includes identification of the hedging instrument, the hedged item or transaction, the nature of the risk being hedged and how the entity will assess the effectiveness of changes in the hedging instrument’s fair value in offsetting the exposure to changes in the hedged item’s fair value or cash flows attributable to the hedged risk. Such hedges are expected to be highly effective in achieving offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows and are assessed on an ongoing basis to determine that they actually have been highly effective throughout the financial reporting periods for which they were designated.

Cash flow hedges

For the purpose of cash flow hedge accounting, hedges are classified as cash flow hedges when hedging exposure to variability in cash flows that is either attributable to a particular risk associated with a recognised asset or liability or a highly probable forecast transaction or the foreign currency risk in an unrecognised firm commitment.

The effective portion of the gain or loss on the hedging instrument is recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income (“SOCI”) in the nondistributable reserve, while any ineffective portion is recognised immediately in the income statement. Amounts recognised as other comprehensive income are transferred to the income statement when the hedged transaction affects profit or loss, such as when the hedged financial income or financial expense is recognised.

If the forecast transaction or firm commitment is no longer expected to occur, amounts previously recognised in the SOCI are transferred to the income statement. If the hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised without replacement or rollover (as part of the hedging strategy), or if its designation as a hedge is revoked, or when the hedge no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, any cumulative gain or loss previously recognised in SOCI remains separately in equity until the forecast transaction occurs or the firm commitment is met.

When a derivative is held as an economic hedge for a period beyond 12 months after the end of the reporting