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Company Information

1. Accounts and audit

1.1 Approval of interim, preliminary and annual reports and accounts.
1.2 Accounting policies and practices and any changes thereto; the use of any off balance sheet structures.
1.3 Acceptance of any proposed audit qualification of the accounts.
1.4 Approval of audit committee’s recommendations for appointment or removal of external auditors.
1.5 Approval of audit committee’s recommendations on external auditors' remuneration and other terms of engagement.
1.6 Approval of audit committee’s strategy for maintenance of appropriate relationship with external auditors.
1.7 The making of any tax elections or the entry into any agreement, compromise or accommodation with HM Revenue and Customs.

2. Strategic and policy considerations

2.1 The group's overall commercial strategy and business plan.
2.2 Changes related to the Company's status as a listed company.
2.3 Major group organisation and control structure changes.
2.4 Agreement of codes of ethics and business practice, taking into account social, environmental and ethical matters.
2.5 Environmental policy.
2.6 Health and safety policy.
2.7 Any matter which could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the reputation or standing of the Company or any other member of the group.

3. Risk management

3.1 Setting risk management and internal control policies for the group.
3.2 Reviewing the effectiveness of risk management and internal control on an ongoing basis, including receiving and reviewing regular reports on internal control.
3.3 Carrying out an assessment (at least annually) of significant risks and effectiveness of risk management and internal control policies; and reporting to shareholders on such matters.
3.4 Prosecution, defence or settlement of litigation, arbitration or other proceedings (involving above £150,000 or being otherwise material to the group).

4. Transactions

4.1 Major investment and capital projects in excess of £200,000.
4.2 Acquisitions and disposals of subsidiaries or other material assets or liabilities.
4.3 Material contracts which are in the ordinary course of business which involve the Company or any member of the group entering into or accepting or incurring obligations or liabilities with a value of 2% of more of the group's annual revenue as set out in the latest audited financial statements.
4.4 Contracts not in the ordinary course of business which involve the company entering into or accepting or incurring obligations or liabilities with a value of 1% or more of the Groups annual revenue as set out in the latest audited financial statements.
4.5 Contracts in which a director or other related party is interested.
4.6 Contracts in excess of two years duration.
4.7 Any proposed acquisition or disposal of shares in a listed company.
4.8 Any binding commitment to enter into a material strategic alliance, joint venture, partnership or profit sharing arrangement (other than in the ordinary course of business, e.g. Portal Partner agreements).
4.9 Giving security over significant assets.
4.10 Establishing managerial authority limits for smaller transactions.

5. Finance

5.1 Any increase beyond the borrowing limits previously adopted.
5.2 Raising new capital and obtaining/confirming major financing facilities.
5.3 Annual operating budget and changes thereto/review of performance against budgets.
5.4 Treasury policies (including foreign currency and interest rate exposures).
5.5 Any parent guarantee to be given by any member of the group to a subsidiary, including parent guarantees given by the Company in relation to its subsidiaries.

6. Regulatory requirements

6.1 Ensuring compliance with the listing, prospectus and disclosure and transparency rules.
6.2 Approval of all circulars and prospectuses (save that approval of routine documents may be delegated to a committee).
6.3 Approval of announcements concerning matters decided by the board.
6.4 Delegation of authority to issue an urgent announcement without the need to call a board meeting, in order to comply with the company's regulatory obligation to announce inside information as soon as possible.
6.5 Dividend policy, approval of the interim dividend and recommendation of the final dividend.
6.6 Calling general meetings of shareholders.
6.7 Political and charitable donations.
6.8 Issue of shares or other securities (other than on notice of exercise of employee share options).
6.9 Changes relating to the Company's share capital.

7. Directors and senior employees

7.1 Approval of nomination committee’s recommendations on
7.1.1 board appointments and removals;
7.1.2 board and senior employee succession;
7.1.3 appointment of chairman and terms of engagement (other than remuneration) for chairman;
7.1.4 terms of engagement (other than remuneration) of non-executive directors;
7.1.5 the re-appointment of any non-executive director at the end of his specified term of office;
7.1.6 the re-election by shareholders of any director; and
7.1.7 any matters concerning the continuation in office of any director at any time.
7.2 Terms of engagement (other than remuneration package) of executive directors.
7.3 Terms of engagement (other than remuneration package) of senior employees.
7.4 Approval of remuneration committee's recommendations on remuneration for all executive directors, the chairman, the company secretary and for senior employees.
7.5 Appointment and removal of company secretary; terms of engagement (other than remuneration) of company secretary.
7.6 Directors' remuneration report.
7.7 Board policy on the duration of contracts with directors (both executive and non executive).
7.8 Terms of reference and membership of board committees.
7.9 Delegation of the board's powers.
7.10 Procedure for directors in the furtherance of their duties to take independent professional advice, at the Company's expense.
7.11 Assessment of which non-executive directors are independent.
7.12 Directors' and officers' liability insurance.
7.13 Approval of training and development programmes for directors and senior employees.
7.14 Approval of performance evaluation programmes for board, committees and individual directors.

8. Employment issues

8.1 Major changes in the rules or funding of the pension schemes, or changes of trustees or fund management arrangements.
8.2 Major changes in employee share schemes and major changes in the allocation of share options.
8.3 Decisions regarding trade union recognition.
8.4 Decisions regarding proposed large-scale redundancies.

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