Unilever 2005 Annual Report Download - page 79

76 Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 200576 Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2005
Auditors’ report
United Kingdom
Independent auditors’ report to the shareholders of
Unilever PLC on the consolidated accounts
We have audited the consolidated accounts of the Unilever Group
for the year ended 31 December 2005 which comprise the
consolidated income statement, consolidated balance sheet,
consolidated cash flow statement, consolidated statement of
recognised income and expense and the related notes set out on
pages 78 to 151 and 157 to 168. These consolidated accounts
have been prepared under the accounting policies set out in
note 1 on pages 82 to 85.
We have reported separately on the parent company accounts of
Unilever PLC for the year ended 31 December 2005 and on the
information that is described as having been audited in the Report
of the Remuneration Committee.
Respective responsibilities of Directors and auditors
As described on page 74, the Directors’ responsibilities for
preparing the consolidated accounts in accordance with
applicable United Kingdom law and International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union
are set out in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities. Our
responsibility is to audit the consolidated accounts in accordance
with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International
Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). This report, including the
opinion, has been prepared for and only for the shareholders of
Unilever PLC as a body in accordance with Section 235 of the
Companies Act 1985 and for no other purpose. We do not, in
giving this opinion, accept or assume responsibility for any other
purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or
into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by
our prior consent in writing.
We report to you our opinion as to whether the consolidated
accounts give a true and fair view and whether the consolidated
accounts have been properly prepared in accordance with the
Companies Act 1985 and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. We also
report to you if, in our opinion, the Report of the Directors is not
consistent with the consolidated accounts, if we have not received
all the information and explanations we require for our audit, or if
information specified by law regarding directors’ remuneration
and other transactions is not disclosed.
We review whether the Corporate Governance Statement on
page 47 reflects the company’s compliance with the nine
provisions of the 2003 FRC Combined Code specified for our
review by the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority, and
we report if it does not. We are not required to consider whether
the Directors’ statements on internal control cover all risks and
controls, or form an opinion on the effectiveness of the group’s
corporate governance procedures or its risk and control
procedures.
We read the other information contained in the Annual Report
and consider whether it is consistent with the audited
consolidated accounts. The other information comprises only the
Report of the Directors and the Shareholder information. We
consider the implications for our report if we become aware of
any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the
consolidated accounts. Our responsibilities do not extend to any
other information.
Basis of audit opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International
Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing
Practices Board. An audit includes examination, on a test basis, of
evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the
consolidated accounts. It also includes an assessment of the
significant estimates and judgements made by the Directors in the
preparation of the consolidated accounts, and of whether the
accounting policies are appropriate to the Group’s circumstances,
consistently applied and adequately disclosed.
We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the
information and explanations which we considered necessary in
order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable
assurance that the consolidated accounts are free from material
misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or
error. In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall
adequacy of the presentation of information in the consolidated
accounts.
Opinion
In our opinion:
• the consolidated accounts give a true and fair view, in
accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union, of
the state of the Group’s affairs as at 31 December 2005 and of
its profit and cash flows for the year then ended; and
• the consolidated accounts have been properly prepared in
accordance with the United Kingdom Companies Act 1985 and
Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.
28 February 2006
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors
London, United Kingdom