Marks and Spencer 2003 Annual Report Download - page 26

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24 Marks and Spencer Gro up p.l.c.
Directors’ report
Charitable and political donations
During the year, £6.5m (last year £4.9m) was spent in the UK in support of the community. Within this figure, direct
donations to charitable organisations amounted to £4.9m (last year £2.8m).
At the Annual General Meeting in July 2002, shareholders authorised the Company, Marks and Spencer p.l.c. and Marks
and Spencer Financial Services p.l.c. to make donations to EU political organisations and to incur EU political expenditure,
under the provisions of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, of up to £100,000 in aggregate for each
company in each year until 10 July 2006.
It is our policy not to make donations to political parties and accordingly no political payments were made. However, we
have a long tradition of supporting the community and the Group may support individuals in a number of ways for civic
duties, which we shall continue to do.
Auditors
In the year 2000, a change in the law enabled any UK accounting firm to become a limited liability partnership (‘LLP’),
a new legal entity. The change to LLP has not affected the relationship between PricewaterhouseCoopers and shareholders.
The partnership continues to have unlimited liability in respect of statutory audit engagements, but the liability of individual
partners is limited.
On 1 January 2003, PricewaterhouseCoopers (‘PwC’) transferred its business to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (‘PwC LLP’).
On 29 January 2003, PwC resigned as the Company’s auditors and, on the Audit Committee’s recommendation, the Board
subsequently appointed PwC LLP as auditors of the Company to fill the casual vacancy thereby created.
Special notice having been received in accordance with the Companies Act 1985, a resolution to reappoint PwC LLP as
auditors of the Company will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting.
Annual General Meeting
The Notice of the Annual General Meeting to be held on 16 July 2003 (together with explanatory notes) is given in the
booklet which accompanies this report.
By order of the Board
Luc Vandevelde, Chairman London, 19 May 2003