Investment property is property held either to earn rental income, or for capital appreciation (including future re-development) or for both, but not for sale in the ordinary course of business.

Investment property is initially measured at cost, which includes the purchase cost and any directly attributable expenditure. Investment property is subsequently valued at its fair value at each reporting date, by professional external valuers. The difference between the fair value of an investment property at the reporting date and its carrying value prior to the valuation is recognised in the Abridged Profit and Loss Account as a fair value gain or loss. Any gain or loss on disposal of an investment property (calculated as the difference between the net proceeds from disposal and the carrying amount of the item) is recognised in the Abridged Profit and Loss Account.

Current tax represents the amount expected to be paid or recovered in respect of taxable profits for the financial year and is calculated using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantially enacted at the Balance Sheet date.

Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date where transactions or events have occurred at that date that will result in an obligation to pay more tax in the future, or a right to pay less tax in the future. Timing differences are temporary differences between the company's taxable profits and its results as stated in the financial statements.

Deferred tax is measured on an undiscounted basis at the tax rates that are anticipated to apply in the periods in which the timing differences are expected to reverse, based on tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the Balance Sheet date.

Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits.