The group consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the company and all of its subsidiary undertakings together with the group’s share of the results of associates made up to 31 March 2025.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the group. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities. Where the group owns less than 50% of the voting powers of an entity but controls the entity by virtue of an agreement with other investors which give it control of the financial and operating policies of the entity, it accounts for that entity as a subsidiary.
Where a subsidiary has different accounting policies to the group, adjustments are made to those subsidiary financial statements to apply the group’s accounting policies when preparing the consolidated financial statements.
An associate is an entity, being neither a subsidiary nor a joint venture, in which the group holds a long-term interest and where the group has significant influence. The group considers that it has significant influence where it has the power to participate in the financial and operating decisions of the associate. The results of associates are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
Any subsidiary undertakings or associates sold or acquired during the year are included up to, or from, the dates of change of control or change of significant influence respectively.
Where control of a subsidiary is lost, the gain or loss is recognised in the consolidated income statement. The cumulative amounts of any exchange differences on translation, recognised in equity, are not included in the gain or loss on disposal and are transferred to retained earnings. The gain or loss also includes amounts included in other comprehensive income that are required to be reclassified to profit or loss but excludes those amounts that are not required to be reclassified.
Where control of a subsidiary is achieved in stages, the initial acquisition that gave the group control is accounted for as a business combination. Thereafter where the group increases its controlling interest in the subsidiary the transaction is treated as a transaction between equity holders. Any difference between the fair value of the consideration paid and the carrying amount of the non-controlling interest acquired is recognised directly in equity. No changes are made to the carrying value of assets, liabilities or provisions for contingent liabilities.