Annual Report and Accounts -

RNS Number : 7303P

HSBC Holdings PLC

31 March 2009

 



The following statement, which should be read in conjunction with the Auditor's statement of their responsibilities set out in their report on pages 330 and 331, is made with a view to distinguishing for shareholders the respective responsibilities of the Directors and of the Auditor in relation to the financial statements.

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report, the consolidated financial statements of HSBC Holdings and its subsidiaries (the 'Group') and holding company financial statements for HSBC Holdings (the 'parent company') in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare Group and parent company financial statements for each financial year. The Directors are required to prepare the Group financial statements in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU and have elected to prepare the parent company financial statements on the same basis. The Directors are also required to present additional information for US Shareholders. Accordingly these financial statements are framed to meet both UK and US requirements to give a consistent view to all shareholders. 

The Group and parent company financial statements are required by law and IFRSs as adopted by the EU to present fairly the financial position of the Group and the parent company and the performance for that period; the Companies Act 1985 provides in relation to such financial statements that references in the relevant part of that Act to financial statements giving a true and fair view are references to their achieving a fair presentation. In addition, in order to meet certain US requirements, we are required to present our financial statements in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board ('IASB'). Currently, there are no differences in application to HSBC between IFRSs endorsed by the EU and IFRSs issued by the IASB.

In preparing each of the Group and parent company financial statements, the Directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and 

• state whether they have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU.

The Directors are required to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is not appropriate. Since the Directors are satisfied that the Group and parent company have the resources to continue in business for the foreseeable future, the financial statements continue to be prepared on the going concern basis.

The Directors have responsibility for ensuring that sufficient accounting records are kept that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the parent company and enable them to ensure that its financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985.

The Directors have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the Group and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors also have responsibility for preparing a Directors' Report, Directors' Remuneration Report and the Corporate Governance statement on pages 281 to 314 that comply with that law and those regulations.

The Directors have responsibility for the maintenance and integrity of the Annual Report and Accounts as they appear on the company's website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The Directors, the names of whom are set out in the Report of Directors: Governance section on page 281 of this Annual Report, confirm to the best of their knowledge:

• the consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as issued by the IASB and in accordance with rule 4.1.12(3)(a) of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, have been prepared in accordance with the applicable set of accounting standards and give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Group and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole; and

• the Management Report represented by the Directors' Report has been prepared in accordance with rule 4.1.12(3)(b) of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, and includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that the Group faces.

On behalf of the Board, S K Green Group Chairman    2 March 2009

 

END

 

 

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