HSBC 2005 Annual Report Download - page 216

HSBC HOLDINGS PLC
Report of the Directors (continued)
214
US$28.9 million was given for charitable purposes
in the United Kingdom.
No political donations were made during the
year.
At the Annual General Meeting in 2003
shareholders gave authority for HSBC Holdings and
HSBC Bank to make EU political donations and
incur EU political expenditure up to a maximum
aggregate sum of £250,000 and £50,000 respectively
over a four-year period as a precautionary measure
in light of the wide definitions in The Political
Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. These
authorities have not been used.
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of HSBC Holdings
will be held at the Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre,
London EC2 on Friday 26 May 2006 at 11.00am.
An informal meeting of shareholders will be held at
Level 28, 1 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong on
Tuesday 23 May 2006 at 4.30pm.
A live webcast of the Annual General Meeting will
be available on www.hsbc.com. From shortly after
the conclusion of the Meeting until 30 June 2006 a
recording of the proceedings will be available on
www.hsbc.com.
Auditor
KPMG Audit Plc has expressed its willingness to
continue in office. The Group Audit Committee and
the Board recommend that it be reappointed. A
resolution proposing the reappointment of KPMG
Audit Plc as auditor of HSBC Holdings and giving
authority to the Group Audit Committee to
determine its remuneration will be submitted to the
forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
On behalf of the Board
R G Barber, Secretary 6 March 2006