Skip to main content

Independent auditors' report to the members of Anglo American plc

We have audited the financial statements of Anglo American plc for the year ended 31 December 2009 which comprise the Consolidated income statement, the Consolidated statement of comprehensive income, the Consolidated balance sheet, the Consolidated cash flow statement, the Consolidated statement of changes in equity, the Accounting policies, the related notes 2 to 40 and the Balance sheet of the Company and related information in note 41. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Group financial statements is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Company financial statements is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

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 auditors' 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 Statement of directors' responsibilities, 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 (APB'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 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 Company's affairs as at 31 December 2009 and of the Group's profit for the year then ended;
  • the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union;
  • the Company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; 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 Remuneration report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006; and
  • the information given in the Directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared 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 Company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
  • the Company financial statements and the part of the 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.

Under the Listing rules we are required to review:

  • the directors' statement contained within the Directors' report in relation to going concern; and
  • the part of the Corporate governance section relating to the Company's compliance with the nine provisions of the June 2008 Combined Code specified for our review.

Timothy Powell (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of Deloitte LLP
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors
London, United Kingdom

18 February 2010

Neither an audit nor a review provides assurance on the maintenance and integrity of the website, including controls used to achieve this, and in particular on whether any changes may have occurred to the financial information since first published. These matters are the responsibility of the directors but no control procedures can provide absolute assurance in this area. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements differs from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Back to top

Annual Report 2009