National Awards Provide Framework for Improved Transparency

LONDON, November 19 - Organisations which have demonstrated best practice in terms of the
disclosure in their annual reports had their efforts rewarded at last night's
inaugural ICSA Hermes Transparency in Governance Awards held at the Brewery
in the City. Separate awards were made for FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies
following a rigorous judging process which involved an analysis of the most
up to date annual reports and accounts of the companies in the FTSE 350. The
Awards identify and acknowledge companies providing excellent disclosure,
with the aim of encouraging improvements in the disclosure process for listed
companies.

Speakers at the Awards ceremony included Lord Myners, City Minister and
Sir John Parker, Chairman of National Grid and Anglo American, and Chair of
Judges. The ICSA 's Company Secretary awards were presented at the same event
which was hosted by journalist and broadcaster Sarah Montague.

Disclosure practice in UK companies is undergoing transformational change
following a series of policy, legal and regulatory developments. The
popularity of the Awards demonstrates that good governance is becoming a
strategic priority. Companies are increasingly showing evidence of the
integration of governance into their business operations and demonstrating
greater levels of accountability and transparency. In choosing winners, the
judging panel has singled out companies which have best provided evidence,
through their disclosure, that they are embedding governance within their
company and are engaging their stakeholders. Governance within these
companies is not a tick box exercise carried out once a year.

The award winners are as follows:

Innovation in governance disclosure

FTSE 100: BAE Systems

FTSE 250: Amlin

Best practice disclosure on strategy formulation and execution

FTSE 100: BAE Systems

FTSE 250: Party Gaming

Best practice disclosure on risk management and internal control

FTSE 100: 3i

FTSE 250: Davis Service Group

Best practice disclosure on director development, board evaluation and
succession planning

FTSE 100: BHP Billiton

FTSE 250: SOCO International

Best practice disclosure on audit policy and practice

FTSE 100: BHP Billiton

FTSE 250: Rentokil

Best practice disclosure on remuneration policy and practice

FTSE 100: Aviva

FTSE 250: Dana Petroleum

Best practice disclosure on sustainability

FTSE 100: Johnson Matthey

FTSE 250: Tate & Lyle

Best practice disclosure on stakeholder engagement

FTSE 100: Johnson Matthey

FTSE 250: Party Gaming

Sir John Parker, Chairman of the Judging panel, said: "Maintaining and,
in some cases, building trust in companies and their governance, is a
priority as we begin the task of climbing out of recession. Strong disclosure
helps companies communicate to shareholders and stakeholders alike that their
trust and support is well placed. No company operates free of significant
challenges - our interest is in seeing how each company manages these
challenges in order to deliver its strategy"

David Wilson, Chief Executive of the ICSA, said: "Our purpose in
initiating these Awards in partnership with Hermes was to shine the spotlight
on governance and governance disclosure. In the light of the corporate
collapses in this country, and the significant value destruction which
ensued, the necessity for companies to operate and report transparently is
essential for generating confidence as we start to rebuild the economy. It is
clear that there is an encouraging number of companies more than able to meet
this challenge."

Colin Melvin, chief executive officer of Hermes EOS, said: "The gathering
of support for this agenda among business leaders and influential
policymakers will help strengthen the framework for more accountability, and
a richer dialogue between companies and their owners".

"The awards will encourage discussion on the measures needed to create an
environment focused on long-term sustainable growth rather than short-term
priorities."

ICSA and Hermes would like to thank the award sponsors: Addleshaw
Goddard, Black Sun, Grant Thornton, Hewitt New Bridge Street, ICSA Software,
Independent Audit Ltd, Simmons and Simmons and Tricor Aldbridge.

Editors' Notes

About ICSA

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) is the
professional organisation that trains and supports company secretaries and is
a leading authority on corporate governance. It publishes guidance notes and
best practice guides and through its subsidiaries provides events,
information and training, boardroom performance evaluation and dedicated
software. The ICSA has 36,000 members worldwide and is represented in over 70
countries.

About Hermes Equity Ownership Services (HEOS)

HEOS provides its clients with a comprehensive and unified responsible
investment and corporate governance advisory service on their equity
investments wherever they are managed. The services provided by HEOS include
voting, engagement and public policy work for long term institutional
shareholders. As the executive arm of the BT Pension Scheme, the UK's largest
pension fund, Hermes has over the past decade developed an expertise in
responsible investment and corporate governance. This stems from the belief
that for a long-term equity investor, it is particularly important to be an
active and engaged owner of companies. Hermes' unique ownership means that it
has a commonality of interests with other pension funds and thus a focus on
achieving superior absolute returns. The premise underlying Hermes EOS is
that companies with informed and involved shareholders are more likely to
achieve superior long-term performance than those without. Hermes EOS aims
always to represent to directors a shareholder's perspective on the company's
environmental, social and governance performance and to frame its discussions
with companies in terms of long-term value creation. Hermes firmly believes
that the stronger and more representative that shareholder voice, the more
effective it is likely to be.

For further information on the awards, along with commentary and analysis contact: Joe Morgan on +44-(0)20-7233-7578 or Satwant Kaur, e-mail joe at flamepr.com, Satwant at flamepr.com. Rosie Hamilton on +44-(0)20-7612-7062 , Mobile 07890 649143 , email pressoffice at icsa.co.uk