Subject to annual appointment by shareholders, auditor performance is monitored on an ongoing basis and formally reviewed every five years, the next review being scheduled for 2008. The Audit and Compliance Committee reviewed auditor performance during the year and concluded that Ernst & Young LLP's appointment as the Company's auditors should be continued.

The Committee recognises the importance of ensuring the independence and objectivity of the Company's auditors. It reviews the nature and extent of the services provided by them, the level of their fees and the element comprising non-audit fees. The Audit and Compliance Committee Chairman is notified of all assignments allocated to Ernst & Young over a set threshold, other than those related to due diligence within the Group's investment process where the team engaged would be independent of the audit team. Safeguards have been put in place to reduce the likelihood of compromising auditor independence, including the following principles which are applied in respect of services provided by the auditors and other accounting firms and monitored by the Audit and Compliance Committee:

• services required to be undertaken by the auditors, which include regulatory returns, formalities relating to borrowings, shareholder and other circulars. This work is normally allocated directly to the auditors;
• services which it is most efficient for the auditors to provide. In this case, information relating to the service is largely derived from the Company's audited financial records; for example, corporate tax services. This work is normally allocated to the auditors subject to consideration of any impact on their independence;
• services that could be provided by a number of firms including general consultancy work. All significant consultancy projects are normally put out to tender and work would be allocated to the auditors only if it did not present a potential threat to the independence of the audit team. Included in this category is due diligence work relating to the investment process. If this service were to be provided by the auditors, the specific team engaged would be independent of the audit team.

Details of the fees paid to the auditors are disclosed in note 6 to the financial statements.