annual report and financial statements 2009

Independent auditors' report

to the members of Henry Boot PLC

We have audited the Group and Parent Company Financial Statements of Henry Boot PLC for the year ended 31 December 2009 which comprise the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, the Group and Company Statement of Financial Position, the Group and Company Statement of Cash Flows, the Group and Company Statement of Changes in Equity and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union (EU) and, as regards the Parent Company Financial Statements, as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

This report is made solely to the Company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTORS AND AUDITORS

As explained more fully in the Directors' Responsibilities Statement, the Directors are responsible for the preparation of the Financial Statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view.

Our responsibility is to audit the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board's Ethical Standards for Auditors.

SCOPE OF THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the Financial Statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the Financial Statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the Accounting Policies are appropriate to the Group's and the Parent Company's circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the Directors; and the overall presentation of the Financial Statements.

OPINION ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

In our opinion:

  • the Financial Statements give a true and fair view of the state of the Group's and of the Parent Company's affairs at 31 December 2009 and of the Group's loss for the year then ended;
  • the Group Financial Statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU;
  • the Parent Company Financial Statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and
  • the Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards the Group Financial Statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

OPINION ON OTHER MATTERS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPANIES ACT 2006

In our opinion:

  • the part of the Directors' Remuneration Report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006;
  • the information given in the Directors' Report for the financial year for which the Financial Statements are prepared is consistent with the Financial Statements; and
  • the information given in the Corporate Governance Statement, with respect to internal control and risk management systems in relation to financial reporting processes is consistent with the Financial Statements.

MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION

We have nothing to report in respect of the following:

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

  • adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Parent Company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
  • the Parent Company Financial Statements and the part of the Directors' Remuneration Report to be audited are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
  • certain disclosures of Directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
  • we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
  • a Corporate Governance Statement has not been prepared by the Company.

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review:

  • the Directors' statement in relation to going concern; and
  • the parts of the Corporate Governance Statement, relating to the Company's compliance with the nine provisions of the June 2008 Combined Code specified for our review.

RICHARD FROST (SENIOR STATUTORY AUDITOR)

FOR AND ON BEHALF OF HAWSONS
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AND REGISTERED AUDITORS
SHEFFIELD

1 APRIL 2010