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Qinetiq Group Plc

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Sector Industrials
Industry Aerospace & Defense
Employees 5001-10,000
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FY2008 Annual Report · Qinetiq Group Plc
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Inspired solutions for a changing world

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

today’s big problems demand  
inspired solutions. At QinetiQ,  
we provide research, technical advice,  
technology solutions and services  
to customers in core markets  
of defence and security. we are  
increasingly working to transfer  
our expertise and capabilities  
into adjacent markets such as  
energy and environment. we operate  
principally in the uK and north America  
and have recently entered the  
Australian defence consulting market.

oveRvIew

BusIness RevIew

GoveRnAnce

FInAncIAl stAtements

shAReholdeR InFoRmAtIon

Inside flap 
Our business at a glance

11 
Group trading performance

50 
Our Board of Directors

69 
Independent Auditors’ Report

122 
Five-year review

01 
Performance overview

02 
Chairman’s statement

04 
Chief Executive Officer’s 
review

05 
Our vision

10 
Key performance indicators

13 
QinetiQ North America

23 
QinetiQ EMEA

35 
QinetiQ Ventures

39 
Other Group  
financial information

42 
Management of principal risks 
and uncertainties

45 
Corporate Responsibility

52 
Corporate Governance 
Report

70 
Consolidated income 
statement

58 
Report of the Remuneration 
Committee

65 
Report of the Directors

68 
Statement of Directors’ 
responsibilities 

71 
Consolidated balance sheet

72 
Consolidated cash flow 
statement

73 
Consolidated statement  
of recognised income  
and expense

74 
Notes to the financial 
statements

119 
Company balance sheet

120 
Notes to the Company 
financial statements

123 
Glossary

124 
Financial calendar  
Analysis of shareholders 
Advisors

Company Registration 
Number 4586941

Registered office:
85 Buckingham Gate
London
SW1E 6PD

Customer Contact Team

QinetiQ
Cody Technology Park 
Ively Road, Farnborough 
Hampshire GU14 0LX 
United Kingdom 

Tel +44 (0)8700 100 942
www.QinetiQ.com

© QinetiQ Group plc

QinetiQ/CF/SS/PUB0800017

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Inspired solutions for a changing world

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

today’s big problems demand  
inspired solutions. At QinetiQ,  
we provide research, technical advice,  
technology solutions and services  
to customers in core markets  
of defence and security. we are  
increasingly working to transfer  
our expertise and capabilities  
into adjacent markets such as  
energy and environment. we operate  
principally in the uK and north America  
and have recently entered the  
Australian defence consulting market.

oveRvIew

BusIness RevIew

GoveRnAnce

FInAncIAl stAtements

shAReholdeR InFoRmAtIon

Inside flap 
Our business at a glance

11 
Group trading performance

50 
Our Board of Directors

69 
Independent Auditors’ Report

122 
Five-year review

01 
Performance overview

02 
Chairman’s statement

04 
Chief Executive Officer’s 
review

05 
Our vision

10 
Key performance indicators

13 
QinetiQ North America

23 
QinetiQ EMEA

35 
QinetiQ Ventures

39 
Other Group  
financial information

42 
Management of principal risks 
and uncertainties

45 
Corporate Responsibility

52 
Corporate Governance 
Report

70 
Consolidated income 
statement

58 
Report of the Remuneration 
Committee

65 
Report of the Directors

68 
Statement of Directors’ 
responsibilities 

71 
Consolidated balance sheet

72 
Consolidated cash flow 
statement

73 
Consolidated statement  
of recognised income  
and expense

74 
Notes to the financial 
statements

119 
Company balance sheet

120 
Notes to the Company 
financial statements

123 
Glossary

124 
Financial calendar  
Analysis of shareholders 
Advisors

Company Registration 
Number 4586941

Registered office:
85 Buckingham Gate
London
SW1E 6PD

Customer Contact Team

QinetiQ
Cody Technology Park 
Ively Road, Farnborough 
Hampshire GU14 0LX 
United Kingdom 

Tel +44 (0)8700 100 942
www.QinetiQ.com

© QinetiQ Group plc

QinetiQ/CF/SS/PUB0800017

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Our business at a glance

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Our business at a glance continued

Our business at a glance
We create value by delivering inspired solutions to the important problems 
faced by business, governments and society, utilising our extensive experience,  
skills and capabilities in the field of science and technology. 

QinetiQ North America

QinetiQ EMEA

QinetiQ Ventures

QinetiQ Ventures is the pipeline through which we  
manage our portfolio of emerging technologies, 
providing new solutions and services for the future. 
QinetiQ generates Intellectual Property (IP) from 
customer-funded research and development work and 
other services provided to our core defence and security 
customers. In certain circumstances, this IP is available 
for use in alternative applications outside our core 
markets. QinetiQ unlocks value from IP through routes 
including organic growth, partnering with third parties, 
IP licensing and business realisations.

Key points from 2008

n   Creation of a new technology venture fund with Coller 
Capital to accelerate the development and realisation 
of seven of QinetiQ’s venture investments

n   Development of a high-power camera system which 

enhances the capability of the Tarsier® runway foreign 
object debris detection system.

QinetiQ North America has quickly established 
itself as a major provider of technology-based 
solutions and services to customers primarily 
within the US Government. Our employees work  
in partnership with our customers to develop 
world-class technology and responsive solutions 
that meet the challenges of national defence, 
homeland security, communication and 
information access. 

40% 
£540.2m

Share of 2008 Group revenue

41% 
5,699 

Number of employees

Our core capabilities

Key points from 2008

Technology Solutions: Delivering high-technology research 
services and development of defence and security-related 
products to the US defence, civilian government and  
commercial markets.

Systems Engineering: Providing independent procurement 
services, systems engineering, education/training and support  
for the development, modification, fielding and sustainment  
of military equipment.

IT Services: Providing information technology services,  
including computer systems integration, network engineering 
and operations, IT architectures and software development.

Mission Solutions: Delivering software, enterprise systems 
engineering and integration and other consulting services 
requiring specialised customer/mission knowledge.

n   Continued growth in technology business fuelled by demand 

for the TALON® robot

n  Strong organic growth in Systems Engineering

n   Successful integration of 13 acquisitions since 2004 and the 
development of a trusted QinetiQ brand in North America

n   Positions established on major acquisition contracts including 

EAGLE and ENCORE II and selection for Alliant

n   Scale and brand recognition leading to larger contract wins, 

such as for the $190m NASA environmental test and integrated 
services (ETIS) programme and the $100m US Army Sample 
Data Collection programme.

EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Australasia)  
is focused on providing services to the defence, 
security and energy & environment markets. 
Operating in these sectors requires our employees  
to adapt their capabilities to meet the changing  
needs of our customer base, particularly as we  
move into new territories such as Australia.

60% 
£820.1m

Share of 2008 Group revenue

58% 
8,209 

Number of employees

Our core capabilities

Managed Services: Work on behalf of clients delivering 
independent expertise to enable them to meet their challenges

Key points from 2008
n	 Growth in services delivered to UK MOD – revenue up 2.5%

n   Restructuring to align business on four focused  

Consulting: Technical advice provided by high-quality consultants 
with deep technical knowledge and domain experience

offerings to drive growth: Managed Services, Consulting, 
Integrated Systems and Applied Technologies

Integrated Systems: Supplies integrated systems, sub-systems or 
technology to meet the specific challenges our customers face 
with their information, mission or platform solutions

Applied Technologies: Delivers a range of solutions to  
our customers’ toughest problems through the repeatable 
application of technology, fuelled by research.

n   Restructuring designed to provide sustainable margin  

improvement through business efficiency

n   Reconfirmed our position as a trusted supplier of defence  

managed services through agreement of the scope  
and pricing of the second five-year term of the 25-year  
MOD Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) and progression 
of the UK Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) bid

n   Commenced geographic expansion in selected overseas 

markets, starting with Australia

n   MOD research – continued success on competed programmes.

Designed and produced by salterbaxter

Picture credits: 
Feature photography: Liam Bailey (UK), Eric Anderson (US)
Board photography: Patrick Harrison
p25 airport ©iStockphoto.com/ALiJA
p25 arrivals board ©iStockphoto.com/Jorgen Udvang
p33 test munition: MOD 
p34 well perforation: GeoDynamics
p36 James Brown: Paul Drane
p36 laptop: Getty/Sean Russell 
p37 plane landing on runway: Getty/Noeru Takizawa
p38 satellite ©iStockphoto.com/Cristian Matei
p49 Morgan car: Morgan
p49 rubbish heap ©iStockphoto.com/Roger Milley

Printed by St Ives Westerham Press

Printed on Hello Matt, which is produced using wood fibre from fully sustainable  
forests in Europe, Canada, the USA and Chile, with FSC certification. All pulps used  
are Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) and manufactured at a mill that has been awarded  
the ISO 14001 and EMAS certificates for environmental management. The use of the  
FSC logo identifies products which contain wood from well-managed forests certified  
in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Our business at a glance

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Our business at a glance continued

Our business at a glance
We create value by delivering inspired solutions to the important problems 
faced by business, governments and society, utilising our extensive experience,  
skills and capabilities in the field of science and technology. 

QinetiQ North America

QinetiQ EMEA

QinetiQ Ventures

QinetiQ Ventures is the pipeline through which we  
manage our portfolio of emerging technologies, 
providing new solutions and services for the future. 
QinetiQ generates Intellectual Property (IP) from 
customer-funded research and development work and 
other services provided to our core defence and security 
customers. In certain circumstances, this IP is available 
for use in alternative applications outside our core 
markets. QinetiQ unlocks value from IP through routes 
including organic growth, partnering with third parties, 
IP licensing and business realisations.

Key points from 2008

n   Creation of a new technology venture fund with Coller 
Capital to accelerate the development and realisation 
of seven of QinetiQ’s venture investments

n   Development of a high-power camera system which 

enhances the capability of the Tarsier® runway foreign 
object debris detection system.

QinetiQ North America has quickly established 
itself as a major provider of technology-based 
solutions and services to customers primarily 
within the US Government. Our employees work  
in partnership with our customers to develop 
world-class technology and responsive solutions 
that meet the challenges of national defence, 
homeland security, communication and 
information access. 

40% 
£540.2m

Share of 2008 Group revenue

41% 
5,699 

Number of employees

Our core capabilities

Key points from 2008

Technology Solutions: Delivering high-technology research 
services and development of defence and security-related 
products to the US defence, civilian government and  
commercial markets.

Systems Engineering: Providing independent procurement 
services, systems engineering, education/training and support  
for the development, modification, fielding and sustainment  
of military equipment.

IT Services: Providing information technology services,  
including computer systems integration, network engineering 
and operations, IT architectures and software development.

Mission Solutions: Delivering software, enterprise systems 
engineering and integration and other consulting services 
requiring specialised customer/mission knowledge.

n   Continued growth in technology business fuelled by demand 

for the TALON® robot

n  Strong organic growth in Systems Engineering

n   Successful integration of 13 acquisitions since 2004 and the 
development of a trusted QinetiQ brand in North America

n   Positions established on major acquisition contracts including 

EAGLE and ENCORE II and selection for Alliant

n   Scale and brand recognition leading to larger contract wins, 

such as for the $190m NASA environmental test and integrated 
services (ETIS) programme and the $100m US Army Sample 
Data Collection programme.

EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Australasia)  
is focused on providing services to the defence, 
security and energy & environment markets. 
Operating in these sectors requires our employees  
to adapt their capabilities to meet the changing  
needs of our customer base, particularly as we  
move into new territories such as Australia.

60% 
£820.1m

Share of 2008 Group revenue

58% 
8,209 

Number of employees

Our core capabilities

Managed Services: Work on behalf of clients delivering 
independent expertise to enable them to meet their challenges

Key points from 2008
n	 Growth in services delivered to UK MOD – revenue up 2.5%

n   Restructuring to align business on four focused  

Consulting: Technical advice provided by high-quality consultants 
with deep technical knowledge and domain experience

offerings to drive growth: Managed Services, Consulting, 
Integrated Systems and Applied Technologies

Integrated Systems: Supplies integrated systems, sub-systems or 
technology to meet the specific challenges our customers face 
with their information, mission or platform solutions

Applied Technologies: Delivers a range of solutions to  
our customers’ toughest problems through the repeatable 
application of technology, fuelled by research.

n   Restructuring designed to provide sustainable margin  

improvement through business efficiency

n   Reconfirmed our position as a trusted supplier of defence  

managed services through agreement of the scope  
and pricing of the second five-year term of the 25-year  
MOD Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) and progression 
of the UK Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) bid

n   Commenced geographic expansion in selected overseas 

markets, starting with Australia

n   MOD research – continued success on competed programmes.

Designed and produced by salterbaxter

Picture credits: 
Feature photography: Liam Bailey (UK), Eric Anderson (US)
Board photography: Patrick Harrison
p25 airport ©iStockphoto.com/ALiJA
p25 arrivals board ©iStockphoto.com/Jorgen Udvang
p33 test munition: MOD 
p34 well perforation: GeoDynamics
p36 James Brown: Paul Drane
p36 laptop: Getty/Sean Russell 
p37 plane landing on runway: Getty/Noeru Takizawa
p38 satellite ©iStockphoto.com/Cristian Matei
p49 Morgan car: Morgan
p49 rubbish heap ©iStockphoto.com/Roger Milley

Printed by St Ives Westerham Press

Printed on Hello Matt, which is produced using wood fibre from fully sustainable  
forests in Europe, Canada, the USA and Chile, with FSC certification. All pulps used  
are Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) and manufactured at a mill that has been awarded  
the ISO 14001 and EMAS certificates for environmental management. The use of the  
FSC logo identifies products which contain wood from well-managed forests certified  
in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.

QinetiQ Group plc Annual report and Accounts 2008

Performance overview

Performance overview
Welcome to our Annual Report for 2008 – another year of strong 
growth and positive change for QinetiQ

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revenue

£1,366.0m

Underlying operating profit

£127.0m

(cid:153)(cid:40)(cid:35)(cid:42)(cid:45)(cid:45)(cid:37)(cid:39)(cid:100)

(cid:153)(cid:40)(cid:35)(cid:40)(cid:43)(cid:48)(cid:37)(cid:44)(cid:100)

(cid:153)(cid:40)(cid:35)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:40)(cid:37)(cid:46)(cid:100)

(cid:153)(cid:47)(cid:44)(cid:44)(cid:37)(cid:48)(cid:100)

(cid:153)(cid:46)(cid:48)(cid:44)(cid:37)(cid:43)(cid:100)

(cid:41)(cid:39)(cid:39)(cid:47)
(cid:41)(cid:39)(cid:39)(cid:46)
(cid:41)(cid:39)(cid:39)(cid:45)
(cid:41)(cid:39)(cid:39)(cid:44)
(cid:41)(cid:39)(cid:39)(cid:43)

£127.0m

£106.0m

£90.7m

£65.2m

£54.1m

orders

Underlying operating profit margin

£1,277.1m

9.3%

£1,277.1m

£1,214.0m

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

£816.7m

£668.3m

£725.4m

9.3%
9.2%

8.6%

7.6%

6.8%

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

Financial summary

Group revenue 
Underlying operating profit 
Underlying operating profit margin 
Underlying profit before tax 
Profit before tax 
Underlying earnings per share 
interest cover 
Net debt 
Basic earnings per share 
Cash flow from operating activities 
orders 
Funded backlog (excluding LTPA) 
Underlying effective tax rate 
Dividend per ordinary share 

2008 

£1,366.0m 
£127.0m 
9.3% 
£109.0m 
£51.4m 
13.4p 
9.2 times 
£379.9m 
7.2p 
£102.3m 
£1,277.1m 
£947.7m 
19.3% 
4.25p 

2007

£1,149.5m
£106.0m
9.2%
£94.0m
£89.3m
11.3p
11.7 times
£300.8m
10.5p
£94.1m
£1,214.0m
£850.9m
21.2%
3.65p

Underlying financial measures are presented as the Board believes these provide a better representation of the Group’s long-term  
performance trends. Definitions of underlying measures of performance can be found in the glossary on page 123. A reconciliation between  
basic and underlying earnings can be found in note 10 to the accounts on page 87.

Cautionary statement
All statements other than historical fact included in this document, including, without limitation, those regarding the financial condition, 
results, operations and businesses of QinetiQ and its strategy, plans and objectives and the markets and economies in which it operates, are 
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s assumptions made on the basis of information 
available to it at the time, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors which could cause the actual results, 
performance or achievements of QinetiQ or the markets and economies in which QinetiQ operates to be materially different from future 
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Nothing in this document should be  
regarded as a profit forecast. 

01

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
QinetiQ Group plc Annual report and Accounts 2008

Chairman’s statement

Chairman’s statement
“I am pleased to report on another year of strong performance, our second as a 
publicly listed company. The Group has a distinctive strategy to address a robust 
core market, which has enabled good growth across all of our key financial 
metrics. As a result of these strong results, we are continuing with our 
progressive dividend policy with a proposed final dividend of 2.92p per share 
giving a total dividend up 16% to 4.25p per share (2007: 3.65p per share), 
reflecting our confidence in the prospects for the Group.”

Sir John Chisholm, Chairman

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual report and Accounts 2008

Chairman’s statement continued

The challenges to global peace and security are as persistent now as they have ever been. 
Globalisation is delivering enormous benefit to the world in terms of total GDP growth; 
however, the level of particular community imbalances leads to ethnic tensions, commodity 
shortages and population dislocation. Advanced nations have a need and an obligation to 
equip themselves to defend their own populations and to participate in international action 
to intervene in trouble spots. The Group has a special role to play in bringing innovation and 
technology-based services to assist nations discharge this mission effectively, economically 
and with minimum risk of casualties.

Our historic focus is in North America and the UK, but this year we have begun broadening 
our reach. In all our principal markets, the demand for our services is driven by factors above 
and beyond the current issues in financial markets, giving the Group visible earnings, 
sustainable growth and strong cash generation. 

This year’s results show that our North American region is again the fastest growing part of 
the Group, delivering strong organic growth, which we continue to supplement with selective 
acquisitions. We are addressing a very large market within which we have carefully chosen  
to target specific high-end segments in defence, security and intelligence where demand  
is increasing rapidly. The need is such that it is likely to prove resilient to changes in the  
US Administration.

Within EMEA, the UK remains the primary market that we serve and the inevitable changes 
in our relationships with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) have enabled the Group to 
reposition itself away from legacy activity and into competitively acquired roles. The MOD’s 
budget faces tough spending challenges following the conclusion of the Comprehensive 
Spending Review in 2007. We are well positioned to respond positively to these challenges 
through our wide range of technology services and solutions that address the value- 
for-money issues that the MOD faces, as well as enhancing their use and application of 
technology. During the year, we identified Australia as a country with strong and persistent 
needs in our field and, after careful analysis, we entered the market with three quality 
acquisitions.

A key focus of my activity as Chairman has been to ensure we have the strongest Board to 
oversee the activities of the Group. George Tenet has provided great insight to the Board on 
the North American market to the extent that, given his other increasing commitments, we 
agreed that his time with us would be better spent through membership of our QinetiQ 
North America Board. In addition, we are pleased to have recruited Admiral Edmund 
Giambastiani Jr who joined the Board in February 2008 as an independent Non-executive 
Director. He brings with him a vast reservoir of experience from a military career that 
included service as the second highest-ranking military officer in the United States, serving  
as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff between 2005 and 2007. 

Doug Webb leaves the Group at the end of May 2008 to join the London Stock Exchange  
as its Chief Financial Officer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his 
considerable contribution to the Group through the IPO process and during QinetiQ’s early 
years as a public company. He will be succeeded by David Mellors who will join the Board  
as Chief Financial Officer in August 2008 from Logica plc.

Following another successful year for QinetiQ, I would like to thank and congratulate all  
our people for their continued commitment, hard work and dedication to the Group, in 
particular our QinetiQ North America team for their success in growing our business and our 
EMEA employees for their diligent work in reorganising their business to further strengthen 
our position.

Sir John Chisholm 
Chairman

28 May 2008

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual report and Accounts 2008

Chief executive officer’s review

Chief executive officer’s review
“This has been another year of excellent all-round progress  
for the Group. We have increasingly good traction in our  
core markets of defence and security, which has translated  
into a strong financial performance and we continue to see 
exciting opportunities in a number of adjacent markets.”

Graham Love, Chief executive officer

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual report and Accounts 2008

Chief executive officer’s review – our vision

our vision
To be the world’s leading provider of defence and security 
technology-based solutions and services

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How we will achieve it

Ensure we have outstanding people, facilities and technologies  
available to provide innovative, high-value solutions to our customers’ 
important problems.

Provide research, technical advice, technology solutions and services  
to customers in our core markets of defence and security, and transfer  
know-how and capability into important adjacent markets.

Group strategies

Strengthen our North American presence 
Continue building our business in North America, delivering good  
organic growth supplemented by targeted acquisitions.

Maintain and build existing relationships 
Build on our powerful UK defence franchise, growing our market  
share in technology insertion, advice and managed services, whilst 
robustly defending our market-leading position in MOD research.

Further penetrate established defence markets 
Build valuable new market positions in selected  
EMEA markets outside the UK.

Apply our technologies to commercial markets 
Take selected defence technologies into new markets, through  
direct exploitation, venturing and licensing.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual report and Accounts 2008

Chief executive officer’s review continued

Performance overview
2008 was another year of strong operating and financial performance and we are well 
positioned for further growth as a result of effective execution against our key strategies.

QinetiQ North America (QNA) once again delivered significant organic growth, supplemented 
by five further targeted acquisitions. The range of products and services offered to customers 
continued to grow and diversify, whilst a planned consolidation of our business groups to 
give greater critical mass will allow us to pursue increasingly larger opportunities.

Europe, Middle East and Australasia (EMEA) delivered good growth in both Managed Services 
and Consulting and we continue to see good opportunities in Integrated Systems and 
Applied Technologies, including further penetration of overseas markets. Restructuring into 
fewer business units will improve customer focus whilst delivering measurable benefits to 
profit margins. Our entry into the Australian market will provide improved access to growing 
international markets.

Opportunities for technology ventures have developed further and seven ventures were 
successfully spun out into a separate fund with an external partner. We continue to believe 
that our selective and targeted approach to investment will generate attractive returns over 
the medium term.

Financial overview
Revenue increased 19% to £1,366.0m, including organic growth of 8.6%, and underlying 
operating profit increased 20% to £127.0m. Order intake continues to be robust with a book 
to bill ratio achieving our Group target of 1.1:1. Total funded backlog, including the LTPA,  
is £5.7bn, which gives us excellent forward visibility for the business.

Net cash inflow from operating activities of £102.3m translates into an underlying operating 
cash conversion of 77% for the year, up from 56% last year.

Underlying earnings per share increased by 19% to 13.4p per share. We propose to increase the 
final dividend to 2.92p per share bringing the total dividend to 4.25p per share. This represents 
an increase in total dividend of 16.4% over last year and is covered 3.2 times by earnings.

Delivery against our strategy
Continue building our business in North America, delivering good organic growth 
supplemented by targeted acquisitions
QNA has seen another year of strong performance with 17.5% organic growth in revenue. 
This has been supplemented by our continuing acquisition programme in North America 
which added five further businesses. The acquisitions of ITS, 3H Technology and  
Pinnacle CSI provide the IT Services and Mission Solutions businesses with enhanced  
access to the homeland security and intelligence communities through excellent  
customer relationships and strong contractual positions. The acquisitions of Automatika  
and Applied Perception continue to build on our expertise in robotic and autonomous 
platforms in the Technology Solutions business.

The existing QNA businesses have delivered impressive operating results in the period.  
In particular, the Technology Solutions business has had an exceptional year through very 
strong orders and sales of the TALON® robot range. Over $200m of further funding for TALON 
robots was received in the year and in excess of 800 TALON robots were shipped. A $400m 
follow on indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract was received in May 2008. 
Over 2,000 units have now been shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan, most of which are being 
used to locate and remotely disable roadside bombs. QNA has also shown an increasing 
diversity in product offerings such as LAST® Armor and the EARS Sniper Detection systems 
gaining traction in the year.

Integration of the QNA businesses has made significant progress with a clear focus on business 
development activities to ensure that QNA continues to bid for, and win, larger opportunities 
than its constituent parts have previously been able to achieve. One such example was  
NASA’s award of a $190m five-year contract to our Mission Solutions business to provide 
environmental test and integration support (ETIS) services. QNA is now a $1bn plus integrated 
business and has been successful in recruiting highly experienced defence industry 
professionals, with excellent customer insights, to help continue driving strong organic growth 
from our resilient positions in the defence, security and intelligence markets. At a business  
unit level, we see further integration opportunities and during the course of the coming year, 
will merge the IT Services operations into the Systems Engineering and Mission Solutions 
businesses thereby continuing to improve customer focus and opportunity exploitation.

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Chief executive officer’s review continued

Build on our powerful UK defence franchise, growing our market share in technology 
insertion, advice and managed services, whilst robustly defending our market-leading 
position in MOD research
At the start of the year, we created our EMEA sector by combining the Defence & Technology 
and Security & Dual Use businesses. We are pleased that these integrated EMEA operations 
have returned to growth in the year, with revenue increasing organically by 4.5% and direct 
revenue from the MOD increasing by £14.6m to £599.1m. In March, we also successfully 
completed the £951m re-pricing agreement covering the second five-year term of the 25-year 
Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) with the MOD. We continue to work with the MOD 
towards finalising the 30-year Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) contract, for which we 
are the preferred bidder. We expect to agree the customer requirements and pricing in 2008 
and to finalise the contract by the end of March 2010.

During the course of the year, we have conducted a review of the EMEA structure and,  
with effect from 1 April 2008, have reorganised the sector into four offering-focused 
businesses: Managed Services; Consulting; Integrated Systems and Applied Technologies. 
This reorganisation will improve the engagement with our defence customer base and has 
also allowed us to remove a significant amount of duplication, as we have consolidated a 
large number of units into these four businesses. This process will be completed in the first 
half of the coming year and, once finalised, we expect to deliver full-year annual savings of  
at least £12m. We have taken the cost of achieving this reorganisation of some £33m as  
a non-recurring charge in the income statement. 

Good progress has been made on using the excellent customer access provided by our  
North American business to accelerate the deployment of EMEA technology into the largest 
accessible global market. During the year, we successfully sold our SPO stand-off detectors 
developed in EMEA to the US Transportation Security Administration through QNA and we 
are currently pursuing a pipeline of other similar cross-sector opportunities. 

Build valuable new market positions in selected EMEA markets outside the UK
The creation of the EMEA sector also underlined our ambition to deliver growth from defence 
markets beyond the UK and North America. We believe that the structure and team we have 
created will allow us to pursue exciting opportunities to replicate offerings from EMEA’s core 
UK market into selected international defence markets. As other defence markets mature 
over the coming years, our value-based services and solutions become more relevant to these 
potential new customers. Our initial view of the likely markets that offer the best prospect in 
the medium term are in Asia Pacific, Scandinavia and the Middle East. 

During the year, we established a footprint in Australia with the acquisition and subsequent 
integration of three defence consulting businesses as QinetiQ Consulting Pty. Historically,  
we have provided services to the Australian defence marketplace from the UK and the 
establishment of a QinetiQ base in Australia, with an in-country capability of over 300 
employees, provides the mechanism to leverage the wider range of our services to our 
Australian customers.

We continue to review other geographical markets, although our immediate priority is to  
bed down our Australian operations. Once achieved, they will provide us with a basis to 
expand our offering through parts of the South East Asian market. Closer to home, we are 
looking to establish a representative office in Scandinavia, with the volume of business 
opportunities making it increasingly important for us to maintain a closer interface with  
our customers in this region.

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Chief executive officer’s review continued

Take selected defence technologies into new markets, through direct exploitation, 
venturing and licensing
The EMEA reorganisation will allow us to improve our targeting of key non-defence markets 
such as security and energy & environment, where many of our consulting-led solutions and 
services are in demand as these markets develop. Evidence of the significant role we can 
undertake in these markets was demonstrated through the award of a contract worth up to 
£33m as part of the UK Home Office’s e-Borders programme where we are providing security 
accreditation and human factors services. We have added to our capabilities in the security 
marketplace through the October 2007 acquisition of Boldon James, a company offering high-
end secure messaging solutions for government, military and security customers worldwide.

We continue to develop a pipeline of new ventures where we believe these will deliver 
attractive returns on investment in the medium term. In August 2007, we completed a 
transaction with Coller Capital to establish a technology venture fund consisting of seven  
of our ventures. The creation of the fund enables these ventures to be managed by an 
independent team focused on accelerated growth with access to Coller Capital’s expertise  
in commercialising technology and further funding from QinetiQ and Coller Capital.  
These businesses continue to make satisfactory progress. The Tarsier® integrated  
camera enhancement programme has attracted significant additional interest, with an  
order placed for a radar and camera system from BAA for London Heathrow Airport and  
a camera system order from Vancouver International Airport, our original launch customer 
for the radar system.

Our people
The expertise, commitment and integrity of our people is an essential component of the 
strong results delivered this year and the continued successful implementation of our 
strategy. During the year, we have welcomed new employees into the Group who will further 
enhance our strong existing capabilities. Over 1,300 new employees have joined the Group 
through acquisitions with many more joining to meet the demand of our organic growth.  
I thank all our people for their hard work and dedication during the year. We place great 
emphasis on talent management to ensure the effective recruitment, retention and 
development of key skills across the organisation. The professionalism and quality of our 
people is paramount to our continued success.

Our recruitment strategy recognises the need to replenish and refresh our capabilities and 
we look to maximise this pipeline by using a comprehensive programme encompassing 
graduate recruitment, student placement and apprenticeships to ensure that a broad mix  
of scientific, engineering, technical and managerial talent joins the Group and provides 
leadership to the organisation. We also continue to strengthen our senior management team, 
with key additions in both QNA and EMEA.

To keep the Group’s capability at the leading edge of our customers’ expectations and to 
provide opportunities for our employees to develop and fulfil their potential, we continually 
invest in programmes and activities alongside customer delivery. The ‘Competing to Win’ 
project launched in the UK last year, which focused on developing staff to lead and win  
major new business opportunities, has become an invaluable training and development 
programme. Graduates of the programme have taken key roles throughout the business, 
including leadership of our successful bid into the Home Office e-Borders programme. 

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Future prospects and outlook
We are well positioned in our key primary markets and will continue to execute our strategy 
effectively in the coming year.

In North America, our business has delivered strong organic growth and is well positioned  
to continue to benefit from the market opportunities that exist. We believe that the specific 
markets we serve, and the high-end solutions and services we provide, are key to the defence, 
homeland security and intelligence policies of any future US Administration. We believe our 
highly focused North American business will continue outpacing the expected growth rate of 
the overall US defence budget and we are targeting continued double-digit organic growth.

Our newly restructured EMEA business is well positioned to respond in a flexible and agile 
way to meet its customers’ needs. Our opportunity going forward is to respond to the 
challenges faced by our customers and to use technology-rich solutions to provide them with 
value-for-money propositions. Technology development and insertion into new platforms  
to extend the life of existing platforms is a key strength that we add to the defence supply 
chain. On the Consulting and Managed Services axis, our specialist procurement, test and 
evaluation services help ensure the MOD acquires and utilises equipment that gives the  
right balance of through-life capability and value to the UK armed forces. The EMEA business 
has the organisation and capabilities in place to maintain the growth trajectory it has  
now established. Looking further out, as the headwind of MOD research fully opening to 
competition recedes, we are well placed to deliver accelerated growth from EMEA.

We will continue to target selective acquisitions to complement and grow our capabilities 
and to access new markets. The Group’s strong balance sheet position, inherently cash 
generative operations and access to committed financing facilities allow us to continue to 
make value-enhancing acquisitions at a similar rate to that delivered in recent years. We will 
also continue to invest in opportunities to exploit our defence technologies in other markets, 
where these opportunities offer attractive projected returns.

Our business model and forward visibility to earnings are robust. Our ability to innovate  
and respond quickly to our customers’ needs with value-for-money solutions through the 
deep expertise of our people ensures that the Group is well positioned to benefit from the 
opportunities that exist in all of our key markets. We enter the new year with confidence and 
expect to continue making good progress towards our Group targets including our increased 
medium-term operating margin of 11%.

Graham Love 
Chief executive officer

28 May 2008

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Key performance indicators

Key performance indicators
To assess Group performance, the Board uses a range of key  
performance indicators (KPIs) comprising both financial  
and non-financial metrics including:

KPi

2008 

2007 

2006 

Comment

organic revenue growth 

8.6%

2.3%

2.3%

The rate of organic growth in revenue. The Group is targeting to deliver 
sustainable organic growth of at least 6-7% per annum, supplemented  
by growth from major opportunities such as DTR.

Proportion of 
revenue generated  
by QNA

39.5%

31.2%

23.6%

The Group aims to generate 50% of its revenue in the medium term from 
QNA, through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions.

Book to bill ratio

1.09:1

1.24:1

0.93:1

Funded backlog

£947.7m

£850.9m

£608.4m

The ratio of orders to revenue to identify the rate of prospective growth in 
the business. LTPA non-tasking revenue is excluded from this calculation as 
no annual order is associated with this revenue. The Group aims to achieve 
an average of at least 1.1:1 over the medium term.

The value of contractually funded future orders (excluding the LTPA) 
providing visibility over future revenues. Total funded backlog including 
the LTPA is £5.7bn.

Underlying operating 
profit margin

9.3%

9.2%

8.6%

The percentage return on sales achieved based on underlying operating 
profit. The Group is targeting an underlying operating margin of 11% in  
the medium term.

Underlying ePS growth

18.8%

10.4%

16.3%

The rate at which underlying earnings per share increased over the prior 
year expressed as a percentage. The entry point for the Group’s long-term 
incentive schemes equates to an average EPS growth rate of 7.0% per 
annum with full vesting achieved if the EPS growth rate averages 15.0% 
per annum.

Total shareholder return

4.5%

(2.3)%

n/a

The measure of total shareholder value creation (including dividends)  
each year expressed as a percentage.

77%

56%

84%

operating cash 
conversion

Health and safety  
of employees:

UK riDDor

2.28

3.47

3.85

USA oSHA

5.66

10.78

n/a

employee attrition rate

10.3%

7.1%

5.8%

The percentage of underlying operating profit converted into underlying 
operating cash flow (after capital expenditure). The Group targets an 
underlying operating cash conversion rate of 80%.

UK Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 
(RIDDOR) is expressed as the number of RIDDOR events in any period  
per 1,000 people amongst our EMEA employee base. Our target is to 
remain below the industrial average for all industries, which was 5.36  
for 2006/2007. The average for public administration and defence 
companies was 13.46 in 2006/2007.

Expressed as the number of Occupational Safety & Health Administration 
(OSHA) ‘days away from work’ cases per 1,000 employees amongst our 
North America employee base.

Employee turnover (excluding redundancies) measured as the number  
of resignations expressed as a percentage of total headcount per annum. 
The increase in attrition reflects the increasing proportion of our business  
in North America where the workforce is historically more mobile.

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Business review – Group trading performance

Group trading performance
QinetiQ delivered improved organic growth in 2008 whilst investing for the future  
through complementary acquisitions and a margin-enhancing reorganisation  
of the EMEA business. Our balance sheet remains strong, our financing is secure  
and free cash flow improved. 

Group summary

all figures in £ million except where stated  2008 

2007 

 2006

Orders 
Revenue 
Underlying1 EBITDA 
Underlying1 operating profit 
Underlying1 operating margin 
Operating profit 
Underlying1 profit before tax 
Profit before tax 
Underlying1 operating cash flow 
Operating cash conversion 
Net debt 
Funded backlog2 
Underlying1 effective tax rate 
Underlying1 earnings per share 
Dividend per share 

1,277.1  1,214.0 
816.7
1,366.0  1,149.5  1,051.7 
124.5
90.7
8.6%
69.5
80.1
72.5
76.9
84%
233.0
608.4
23%
10.2p
2.25p

165.0 
127.0 
9.3% 
76.4 
109.0 
51.4 
100.3 
77% 
379.9 
947.7 
19% 
13.4p 
4.25p 

140.5 
106.0 
9.2% 
93.4 
94.0 
89.3 
60.1 
56% 
300.8 
850.9 
21% 
11.3p 
3.65p 

1  Underlying financial measures are presented as the Board  

believes these provide a better representation of the Group’s  
long-term performance trends. Definitions of underlying measures  
of performance can be found in the glossary on page 123.  
A reconciliation between basic and underlying earnings can be  
found in note 10 to the accounts on page 87.

2  Excluding remaining £4.7bn (2007: £4.8bn, 2006: £5.0bn) backlog in 

respect of LTPA contract.

Revenue increased £216.5m with organic revenue 
growth of 8.6%. Underlying operating profit increased by 
20% to £127.0m, with organic growth across QNA and 
EMEA of 16%. Orders increased £63.1m on the prior year, 
with the Group maintaining a healthy book to bill ratio 
of 1.1:1 (excluding the LTPA). 

The EMEA sector was reorganised during the year into 
four businesses focused on the delivery of discrete 
capabilities and offerings. A charge of £32.6m was 
incurred which is expected to yield annual benefits  
of at least £12m from the second half of calendar 2008.

A strong level of cash conversion was maintained 
allowing the Group to continue to fund both acquisitions 
and organic growth opportunities. 

Revenue

Engineering business delivered organic growth of 18%.  
IT Services revenue increased by £53.0m with good 
organic growth of 6.7% in a market adversely impacted 
by budget pressures faced by federal customers. 

The EMEA sector grew revenue from £779m to £820m 
with growth in Consulting and Managed Services more 
than offsetting a reduction in Integrated Systems. EMEA 
achieved organic growth in revenue of 4.5% (2007: 2.2% 
decline).

Revenue by customer type (£m)

90.3

110.0

83.9

104.9

377.8

2008

599.1

127.4

62.2

82.6

67.4

225.4

2007

584.5

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  DoD 
  MOD 
  Other governmental agencies 

  Civil

  Commercial defence 

  DHS 

MOD remains the Group’s largest customer accounting 
for 44% of 2008 revenues (2007: 51%). The absolute level 
of revenue from MOD work increased by £14.6m despite 
considerable pressure on MOD budgets, highlighting 
QinetiQ’s trusted advisor relationship with our key core 
customers. As the Group grows, the relative dependence 
on MOD is expected to continue to decrease.

Orders and backlog

all figures in £ million 

2008 

2007 

 2006

Orders 
QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Total 

Funded backlog 
QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 1 
Ventures 
Total  

607.1 
662.5 
7.5 
1,277.1 

416.0 
783.7 
14.3 
1,214.0 

300.5 
640.8 
6.4 
947.7 

210.7 
632.6 
7.6 
850.9 

227.9
579.0
9.8
816.7

129.2
474.7
4.5
608.4

all figures in £ million 

2008 

2007 

 2006

1  Excluding remaining £4.7bn (2007: £4.8bn, 2006: £5.0bn) backlog in 

Revenue 
QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Total 

respect of LTPA contract.

540.2 
820.1 
5.7 
1,366.0 

358.2 
779.3 
12.0 
1,149.5 

248.4
797.2
6.1
1,051.7

Total orders increased by 5.2% during the year against  
a strong comparative that included £157m total orders 
from the large multi-year contracts for the Combined 
Aerial Target System and the Typhoon programme. 

Group revenue increased 19% to £1,366m due to  
a combination of strong organic growth and the 
contributions made by recent acquisitions. In constant 
currency terms using the average rate from the prior year, 
the Group would have reported revenues of £1,391m.

QNA revenue increased £182.0m with organic growth  
of 17.5%. Strong demand for both TALON® robots and 
LAST® Armor products provided organic growth of 35% 
within the Technology Solutions business. The Systems 

QNA order growth was driven by strong levels of 
contract awards across the sector. In particular, the 
business received over $200m of additional contract 
funding for TALON robots. In addition to the funded 
backlog, the QNA sector has unfunded backlog of over 
£350m ($700m). The unfunded backlog principally 
derives from multi-year US Government contracts for 
which only one year of funding has yet been released. 

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Business review – Group trading performance continued

QinetiQ’s positions on Government Wide Acquisition 
Contracts (GWACs) and indefinite delivery/indefinite 
quantity (IDIQ) contracts add significant further visibility 
to the accessibility of future revenues.

The Group’s strong orders performance has resulted in a 
book to bill ratio (excluding the LTPA) of 1.1:1 (2007: 1.2:1), 
in line with our target of 1.1:1.

Underlying operating profit

all figures in £ million  
except where stated 

Underlying operating profit 
QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Total 

Underlying operating  
profit margin  

2008 

2007 

 2006

62.1 
80.0 
(15.1) 
127.0 

39.9 
73.0 
(6.9) 
106.0 

24.5
73.7
(7.5)
90.7

9.3% 

9.2% 

8.6%

Underlying operating profit has increased by 20% to 
£127.0m through organic growth in the EMEA and QNA 
sectors and the contribution from the new acquisitions 
partly offset by the planned increase in investment in 
Ventures. On a constant currency basis, using the 
average exchange rate for the prior year, QNA would 
have contributed an additional £3.0m of operating profit. 

Underlying operating profit margin has improved to 9.3% 
(2007: 9.2%), driven largely by changes in the revenue 
mix with strong product and spares demand in the 
Technology Solutions business in QNA, offset by the 
planned increase in investment in Ventures.

Finance costs
Net finance costs increased to £18.0m (2007: £12.0m).  
A higher level of average borrowings from acquisitions  
at the end of last year and in the first quarter of this year 
was partially offset by lower average interest rates on 
the predominantly dollar-denominated borrowings.  
The interest cover ratio, measured as underlying EBITDA: 
net finance costs was 9.2 times (2007: 11.7 times).

Profit before tax
Profit before tax, non-recurring items, disposals and 
acquisition amortisation increased by £15.0m to 
£109.0m, a rise of 16%. The growth includes the 
acquisitions made in this financial year and the benefit 
of a full-year contribution from the Analex acquisition, 
completed in March 2007. 

Tax
The underlying effective tax rate for the year is 19% 
compared to 21% in the prior year. The Group’s statutory 
effective tax rate was 8% (2007: 23%).

As a technology business with significant involvement in 
research and development, the Group benefits from UK 
tax incentives designed to encourage greater investment 
in innovation. The UK Government recognises the 
importance of research and development as a driver of 
productivity growth. The Group reinvests the benefits  
of these tax incentives into ventures and other 
intellectual property commercialisation investments.

The business will benefit from the reduction in 
corporation tax rates from 30% to 28% as announced  
in the 2007 UK Government Budget. Restatement of 

deferred tax balances resulted in a £1.5m benefit in  
year. However, over the next two years, the underlying 
Group effective tax rate is expected to rise by 1-2%  
as the proportion of Group profit generated in North 
America continues to increase.

Due to the availability of research and development 
relief and deductions for past service pension 
contributions made in prior years, the Group has not 
paid corporation tax on UK profits in-year and does not 
anticipate paying cash tax in the UK in the near term.

Profit for the year
The underlying performance of the Group, after allowing 
for non-recurring events and amortisation of acquired 
intangible assets, is shown below:

all figures in £ million 

Profit for the period 
Minority interest 

Profit for the period attributable  
to equity shareholders of the  
parent company 
EMEA reorganisation 
Loss/(gain) on business  
divestments and unrealised  
impairment of investment 
Profit on disposal of  
non-current assets 
Amortisation of intangible assets  
arising from acquisitions 
IPO related items 
Tax impact of items above 
Brought forward tax  
losses utilised 

Underlying profit for the year 
attributable to equity shareholders 
of the parent company 

2008 

47.4 
– 

47.4 
32.6 

7.0 

– 

18.0 
– 
(17.0) 

2007 

 2006

69.0 
– 

60.4
(2.3)

69.0 
– 

58.1
–

(4.6) 

–

(3.3) 

(8.9)

12.6 
– 
0.4 

12.3
4.2
(0.7)

– 

– 

(5.4)

88.0 

74.1 

59.6

Non-recurring items that have been excluded from 
underlying profit relate to gains on business divestments, 
EMEA reorganisation costs, investment impairment and 
profits on disposal of non-current assets, principally 
surplus property. The Board believes that the underlying 
profit provides a better representation of the Group’s 
long-term performance trends. 

Earnings per share
Underlying earnings per share increased by 19% to 13.4p 
compared to 11.3p in the prior year. Basic earnings per 
share decreased from 10.5p to 7.2p, principally as a result 
of the £32.6m costs of the EMEA reorganisation.

Dividend
The Board is recommending a final dividend of 2.92p per 
share (2007: 2.45p) bringing the total dividend for the 
year to 4.25p per share (2007: 3.65p), representing an 
increase of 16%. The proposed dividend is 3.2 times 
covered by underlying earnings (2007: 3.1 times). 

The record date for the final dividend will be 8 August 
2008. Subject to approval at the Annual General Meeting, 
the final dividend will be paid on 5 September 2008. 

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Business review – QinetiQ North America

QinetiQ North America

QinetiQ North America has established itself as a significant provider of 
technology-based solutions and services to US defence, security and 
intelligence customers. With annual revenues of $1.1bn, the business  
is well placed to target larger sales opportunities. Successful integration  
of the acquisitions completed since we entered North America in 2004  
has yielded benefits from brand recognition, increased breadth and depth  
of offerings, cross-selling opportunities, major new umbrella contract  
vehicles and cost efficiencies.

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our principal markets and customers

US Department of Defense (DoD)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duane Andrews, Chief executive,  
QinetiQ North America

US security intelligence community

Share of Group revenue

Achievements

As a $1.1bn revenue business, QNA has achieved a critical mass that allows it to 
target larger contract opportunities. Integration of the 13 businesses acquired 
since 2004 is largely complete allowing the separate acquired businesses to 
consolidate under one consistent umbrella whilst retaining a focus on local 
customer delivery.

The Technology Solutions business received over $200m of further funding for 
TALON® robots and spares. Over 800 TALON robots were shipped during the 
year. The cumulative number of robots shipped is now over 2,000 units.

The Technology Solutions business was also awarded a $15.4m contract by the 
Naval Research Laboratory, for research in the areas of ocean dynamics and 
predictive oceanography. 

The Systems Engineering business was awarded a $13.3m contract to provide 
technical services, systems engineering and management expertise to the 
Apache Attack Helicopter Project Manager’s Office for one year plus four 
further option years. 

The IT Services business was awarded a position (subject to resolution of 
protests from other bidders) on the $50bn, ten-year, Alliant contract and  
a second-term position on the $12bn Encore II contract. These umbrella 
agreements provide significant opportunities for growth in the medium term.

The Mission Solutions business won a contract to provide a wide range of 
environmental test and integration services (ETIS) to support projects at NASA’s 
Goddard Space Flight Center. The contract is expected to yield $190m in total 
revenue for the business over its five-year life.

Year-end headcount has increased to 5,699 (2007: 4,258) including 988 from  
the acquisitions made in the year.

During April 2008, QNA realigned the resources of the IT Services business  
into the existing Mission Solutions and Systems Engineering businesses. The 
reorganisation provides increased reach and resources for new and improved 
solutions, providing additional growth opportunities for the sector. 

40% 
 £540m

  Share of 2008 Group revenue

revenue increased

£182m

£540.2m

£358.2m

£248.4m

£70.1m

£0.3m

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

Underlying operating profit

+56%

£62.1m

£39.9m

£24.5m

£8.0m
£(0.6)m

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

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$42m 

contract

QNA is providing support to C4i Acquisition engineering and 
integration (CAei) in a $4.7m indefinite delivery/indefinite 
quantity, cost-plus-fixed fee performance-based contract. 
This contract is for a base year with four option periods and 
three award term provisions, which if exercised, would bring 
the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated $42m.

The CAei department provides integration of command,  
control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4i) 
systems for new ships and also the conversion of land 
vehicles, ships, submarines and other systems used by  
the US Navy and other services.

The contract includes support by QinetiQ in the following 
areas: data systems engineering; iT support; project 
monitoring and tracking, measurement and analysis;  
quality assurance and risk management.

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Helping the US Navy manage contracts 

The contract for land vehicles includes equipping of the  
high-profile mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, 
currently used for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Program Engineering Management Analysis (PEMA) 
programme oversees four contracts supporting CAEI  
at the Space and Naval Warfare System Center in 
Charleston, USA.

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“Our team members are trusted advisors to CAEI, committed to improving performance and productivity. We support CAEI 
with project monitoring by measurement and analysis at all levels to improve efficiencies and save costs. CAEI’s aim is to 
ensure that their contracts are executed in the most efficient way – better than any other department in the US Navy.  
QinetiQ’s operations in Charleston provide quality advice to manage CAEI’s interests effectively and with integrity, ultimately 
making sure that CAEI achieves its goals over the next five to eight years.” Michael Henson, Programme Manager

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$100m 

contract

QinetiQ has provided the US Army 
with sample data collection and 
analysis services since 1992. The 
current re-compete contract, 
worth $100m, provides continued 
support to the US Army’s Sample 
Data Collection programme. 

“	From	our	base	at	Fort	Hood	in	Texas,		
we	coordinate	the	data	collection		
activities	of	28	locations	worldwide,	
encompassing	three	continents	and		
two	war	zones.	Our	main	challenges		
are	time	and	distance.”	

	 Maurice Squires, Weapons System Analyst 

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Keeping track of US Army equipment

Under the contract, QNA continues to meet the challenge of 
collecting data on all US Army equipment – ground combat 
systems, tactical wheeled vehicles and aviation systems – from 
across the US and all areas overseas in which the US Army has  
a presence. QNA then provides the Army with timely and accurate 
logistics data for comprehensive studies and analyses.

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“we carry out lifecycle tracking on all US Army equipment, from small arms, wheeled and tracked land vehicles, to aircraft – 
mainly helicopters. we will take statistically valid samples of, say, a group of vehicles or other equipment; for instance, a 
sample of 100 vehicles of the same model used in different locations worldwide. This enables us to show how the same model 
of vehicle performs in different areas, under different conditions in different terrains, whether in the US or overseas.
we faced fierce competition in the bidding to retain this contract, but the Army is very happy with the service we provide.  
we have experienced people and undertake quality work.” Ed Williams, Data Supervisory Monitor

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“We are proud to have been chosen 
to design and deliver our add-on 
armour for the C-5 transport fleet. 
This contract will help protect 
aircrew and allow them to operate 
the aircraft in critical situations.” 

  Michael McCormack, Vice President, LAST® Armor 

$16.3m 

contract

Under a $16.3m contract from the US Air Force, 
QNA is designing and delivering LAST® Armor 
kits for C-5 aircraft. QNA’s LAST Armor  
division is the largest approved supplier of  
add-on armour for fixed-wing aircraft in the 
United States.

LAST Armor is an add-on armour, attached to 
vehicles without the need for welding or drilling 
the base vehicle or aircraft. The aircraft armour 
kits are tailored to defeat primarily small arms 
fire and the installation can be performed in 
the field by the crew.

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Helping protect aircraft for the US Air Force 

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“in the past, QNA worked with the US Air Force to armour C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster aircraft, so  
LAST Armor is a proven system. we have already supported the US Air Force’s operational tours in iraq and  
Afghanistan and have in place a spares and support network covering the entire US Air Force.

There are over 100 people in the team working on the programme, some with over 15 years’ experience of  
working with LAST Armor. Their effort and dedication is vital in responding to the compelling need for the  
US Air Force to armour the entire C-5 fleet.” Michael McCormack, vice President, LAST Armor 

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Market review 
US defence
The US defence market is by far the world’s largest 
accessible market for QinetiQ. In the US Fiscal Year 2009 
(year ending 30 September 2009) the US DoD budget 
request rose 7.3% to $515bn (FY08: $480bn) continuing 
the trend of strong growth seen in recent years. In 
addition to the base budget there have been additional 
supplemental requests in recent years which have 
primarily been directed towards US ‘Global War on 
Terror’ programmes primarily funding the campaigns  
in Iraq and Afghanistan. In US Fiscal Year 2008, the 
supplemental request totalled $189bn and in Fiscal Year 
2009, while visibility has so far been limited to the first 
of two expected supplemental requests which covered 
$70bn of bridge funding, a further request is expected 
later in 2008. Overall growth in the DoD budget is 
expected to moderate from 2010 onwards; however 
QinetiQ’s position in this market is directed towards 
high-priority, critical focus areas and the increasing 
trend to outsource means our available market is 
growing faster than the overall budget. These factors 
position QNA to continue to grow at a rate above the 
headline growth in the budget.

Should there be a significant reduction in the scale  
of current campaigns then the level of supplemental 
budgets will more than likely decline, although 
significant reset work to refresh US defence inventory is 
likely to provide some mitigation against such change. 
QinetiQ’s mix of business streams in QNA is such that it 
has limited exposure to campaign-related expenditure. 
Any impact on the levels of campaign funding is likely to 
be mitigated by such reset work or the return of funding  
to areas of government spending that had been under 
pressure during the campaigns.

One area affected by the redirection of budgets is the 
federal IT services market, which has been subject to 
significant budget pressures. QinetiQ’s offerings in this 
market are highly technical, built on a strong foundation 
of excellent customer relationships and a strong cadre 
of security-cleared employees ensuring that this 
business is well placed within the more robust, high-end 
sector of this market place. Were operations abroad to 
be condensed, the markets for outsourced services, IT 
and training could see budget pressures dissipate and 
QinetiQ would be in a strong position to benefit from 
the resultant increased funding.

The winner of the presidential elections in November 
2008 will submit their first defence budget for US Fiscal 
Year 2011, but will have significant influence over 
spending before this. The most likely influence will be 
over the level of supplemental funding predominantly in 
relation to ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, 
which on balance are broadly neutral for QNA.

Security and counter terrorism
In the US, there is increasing emphasis on homeland 
security, intelligence and cyber-security and these are 
key issues for all of the US Presidential candidates. 
QinetiQ’s acquisition of ITS, 3H Technology and Pinnacle 
CSI complement and broaden the existing security-
related services provided by the North American 
operations and build on existing relationships within 
the security and intelligence community. 

Trend/forecast in US defence spending  
US defence budget $ billions

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

2004
Budget

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Supplemental/expected supplemental

Source: US DoD Congressional Research Service, Congressional Budget 
Office, Company estimates  
Note: US fiscal years ended 30 September

Financials

Revenue 
Technology Solutions 
Systems Engineering 
IT Services 
Mission Solutions 
Total 

Underlying  
operating profit  
Underlying  
operating margin  

Orders 
Technology Solutions 
Systems Engineering 
IT Services 
Mission Solutions 
Total 

2008 
£m 

20071  
£m 

2008 
$m 

2007 1 
$m

176.0 
104.0 
164.8 
95.4 
540.2 

134.8 
98.4 
111.8 
13.2 

353.2 
208.7 
330.6 
191.5 
358.2  1,084.0 

257.9
188.3
213.8
25.3
685.3

62.1 

39.9 

124.9 

75.8

11.5% 

11.1% 

11.5% 

11.1%

211.2 
121.8 
173.8 
100.3 
607.1 

155.4 
128.1 
125.2 
7.3 

424.3 
244.7 
349.2 
201.4 
416.0  1,219.6 

296.5
244.5
238.8
13.9
793.7

Book to bill ratio 
Funded backlog  

1.12:1 
300.5 

1.16:1 
210.7 

1.13:1 
598.0 

1.16:1
413.0

1  Prior year Technology Solutions and IT Services results have been 
restated to reflect the transfer of part of the IT Services business  
to the Technology Solutions business. The transferred business unit 
reported turnover of £7.7m ($15.4m) in the prior period and orders 
of £8.4m ($16.9m). Total QinetiQ North America results are 
unchanged. 

   The Mission Solutions business was formed with the acquisition of 
Analex Corporation in March 2007. Prior period Mission Solutions 
and IT Services results have been restated to reflect the transfer of 
an element of the IT Services business acquired with OSEC in 2007 
to the Mission Solutions business.

Revenue increased by 51% to £540m. 2008 included first 
time contributions of £55.3m from acquisitions made in 
the year. The business delivered strong organic growth  
of 17.5% on a constant-currency basis.

Underlying operating margin has improved 40 basis 
points to 11.5% driven by strong product revenue, 
principally from TALON® and LAST® Armor and an 
unusually high level of TALON spares sales.

The book to bill ratio continues to be above the Group’s 
medium-term target of 1.1:1 reflecting the business’ 
ability to grow at a rate above the overall level of growth 
in US Government defence and security budgets. 

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oCeANoGrAPHiC reSeArCH

TALoN® roBoTiC SySTeMS

QNA’s Technology Solutions business was awarded a $15m 
contract by the Naval research Laboratory (NrL) for research  
in the areas of ocean dynamics and prediction oceanography. 

The research benefits the Navy’s capabilities for real-time ocean 
monitoring and forecasting. it supports NrL’s oceanography 
Division’s mission of planning and executing a broad-spectrum 
research, development, test and evaluation programme.

Image: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC

Sales of TALoN robots and spares continued to grow throughout 
the year with major orders from the robotic Systems Joint 
Program office in the Naval Air warfare Training Systems 
Division (NAvAir) and the Naval explosive ordnance Disposal 
Technology Division (NAveoDTeCHDiv).

During the year, a new addition to the TALoN family was 
introduced – the ‘transformer-like’ armed robotic platform 
named Modular Advanced Armed robotic System (MAArS). 

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organisations and develops products using the 
intellectual property derived from such research. 

Revenue grew by 31%. The business has experienced 
strong organic growth (in constant currency) of 35% due 
to continued high demand for TALON robots and spares, 
and LAST® Armor products. In the year, the business 
delivered $176.3m (2007: $111.6m) of TALON revenue 
with new product shipments of 800 units contributing 
$94.0m (2007: $66.0m). LAST Armor contributed $41.3m 
to revenue in the year. The book to bill ratio for the 
Technology Solutions business was 1.20:1 (2007: 1.15:1).

NASA

A five-year, $190m contract with NASA is using a simulated space 
environment for the testing of spacecraft and payloads prior to 
launching them into space. it is providing support to projects at 
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, USA, including 
structural and electromagnetic testing, engineering design and 
analysis, and vibration and acoustic test support for advanced 
space systems like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James 
webb Space Telescope. The programme will help ensure that  
all future spacecraft can endure the environmental hardships  
of space travel.

Joseph Broadwater,  
executive vice President, 
Mission Solutions

In addition to the funded orders reflected in the table, 
QNA has further forward visibility of income through 
unfunded backlog of over $700m principally reflecting 
business awarded to QinetiQ on multi-year contract 
awards, where funding is released on an annual basis. 
Further opportunities exist through QinetiQ’s position 
on large IDIQ contracts such as the $400m IDIQ award 
for TALON® and from GWAC vehicles such as the  
$50bn Alliant (subject to resolution of protests from 
other bidders) ETIS contract, $45bn EAGLE contract  
and $12bn Encore II contract to provide IT Services to  
US Government agencies.

Acquisitions
QNA made five acquisitions during the year, 
strengthening its capabilities in robotics technologies,  
IT programmes and mission critical services provided  
to the US intelligence community.

The two largest acquisitions in the year were ITS 
Corporation for £43.1m and 3H Technology LLC for 
£26.2m. These acquisitions enhanced our IT Services 
business.

The integration of the North American acquisitions 
continues to progress well, with increasing recognition  
of the QinetiQ brand, tangible evidence of bidding 
synergies and integration cost savings funding business 
development initiatives. The Group continues to see a 
healthy pipeline of further acquisition opportunities in 
North America, although vendor price expectations 
remain high.

Technology Solutions
The Technology Solutions business provides high-end 
technology research services and defence and security 
related products to the US DoD, other government 
agencies and commercial customers in North America. 
The business conducts funded technology research and 
development services for US defence and security 

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Systems Engineering 
The Systems Engineering business offers expertise in 
independent support for the procurement, development, 
modification and fielding of key military and missile 
defence equipment to US Government agencies, of 
which the US DoD is the prime customer. After excluding 
£6.1m ($11.8m) of revenue generated from the Air 
Filtration Systems business sold in February 2007, 
organic growth in revenue was 18.2%. This has been 
driven largely by increased demand for both logistics 
services and software engineering work by the business 
US Army customers.

The business won a five-year task order valued at  
over $35m to provide technical publication services  
to support the US Army Aviation & Missile Command.  
The business was also awarded a $13.3m, five-year 
contract (including options) to provide technical services, 
systems engineering and management expertise to the 
Apache Attack Helicopter Project Manager’s Office.

IT Services
The IT Services business provides solutions to a range of 
US Government agencies, particularly the US DoD and 
the DHS. Key offerings include enterprise architecture; 
software development and systems integration;  
network engineering and operations; and energy  
and environmental engineering. 

Despite US federal IT spending budget pressures with 
funds diverted to ongoing operations in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, the business achieved organic growth of 
6.7% during the year. This reflects the focus of high-end 
IT services for mission critical systems which are less 
exposed to fluctuations in US federal IT spending.

The QNA position on the $45bn EAGLE and $12bn Encore II 
contract vehicles provide the business with significant 
opportunities for future growth. QNA was also awarded 
a position on the $50bn, ten-year Alliant contract. The 
Alliant contract vehicle is currently being protested by 
unsuccessful bidders, but we are confident that QinetiQ 
will remain as a participant when this protest is resolved.

Mission Solutions 
The Mission Solutions business was established 
following the acquisition of Analex Corporation in March 
2007. The business has trusted experts in the fields of 
information technology, mission assurance, system 
design and programme security. Services are provided to 
NASA and US intelligence agencies on both defence and 
security applications. Mission Solutions focuses on high-
growth markets and is principally centred on providing 
solutions in command, control, communications, 
computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance 
to support customers in meeting their mission-critical 
needs. The business achieved organic growth in revenue 
of 4.5%.

The Mission Solutions business was awarded a five-year, 
$30m follow-on contract to provide support to the 
Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA). The award  
of this contract highlights the business’s trusted 
relationships with CIFA as this contract follows an  
earlier agreement awarded in December 2003.

reSeArCH AND TeCHNoLoGy ProTeCTioN

The Security and intelligence unit of QNA’s Mission Solutions 
business was awarded a $35.8m, five-year firm fixed price 
contract with the US Army to operate the Army research and 
Technology Protection Center (ArTPC).

QNA is providing research and technology protection expertise 
and support to research and engineering centres and acquisition 
programmes throughout the US Army. 

Image: ARTPC at Fort Monroe, VA

SPAwAr SUPPorT 

The US department of Navy, Space and Naval warfare Systems 
Command has awarded the Mission Solutions business a 
five-year, $24m task order to supply systems engineering 
technical support to include systems engineering technical 
review process execution, technical studies and acquisition 
documentation drafting.

eNGiNeeriNG AND AviATioN TeSTiNG ServiCeS

The US Army Aviation Technical Test Center awarded QNA a 
five-year, $22m contract for engineering and aviation testing 
services ranging from developmental testing of advanced 
aircraft survivability systems to complex preliminary 
airworthiness evaluations of the MH-60M Black Hawk helicopter 
for the Army’s special operations forces. The contract is being 
delivered by a 54-member team which includes flight test 
engineers, instrumentation and electrical engineers, technicians, 
structural engineers, human factors engineers, test coordinators 
and special project officers. 

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Business review – QinetiQ eMeA

QinetiQ eMeA

Our EMEA business is built on a heritage of deep technical expertise at the 
forefront of research in a wide field of technologies. Our position as a 
trusted advisor to the MOD provides us with access to every major UK 
military programme and enables expansion into other maturing defence 
and security markets. The EMEA business was reorganised in April 2008, 
and now focuses on Managed Services, technology-led Consulting, 
Integrated Systems and Applied Technologies. 

our principal markets and customers

Our primary markets are defence, security and energy & environment.
We serve the following principal customers: 

Clive Richardson, Chief operating  
officer, QinetiQ eMeA

UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)

US Department of Defense (DoD)

Australian Department of Defence

UK National Security Agencies

Other UK Government agencies

Achievements

Share of Group revenue

The reorganisation of the EMEA business into four offering-focused businesses 
was completed with effect from 1 April 2008. Consolidation of multiple 
existing business groups into the four sectors provided opportunity for 
elimination of duplicate overheads. It is expected that the charge of £32.6m will 
yield benefits of at least £12m per annum from the second half of 2008.

 60% 
 £820m

  Share of 2008 Group revenue

MOD confirmed that Package 1 of the Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) 
programme would progress with financial close now expected by the end of 
2009. DTR is the largest incremental opportunity for the UK business.

A £951m firm price agreement in respect of the second five-year term of the 
Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) from 1 April 2008 was signed during 
March 2008.

Our Consulting business was part of Trusted Borders, the winning consortium 
for the Home Office’s e-Borders programme, an order worth up to £33m  
to QinetiQ.

The Managed Services business won several contracts worth up to £16m for 
the modification work required to release eight heavy-lift Chinook helicopters 
to service. We expect the first of the Chinooks will be operational in 2009.

revenue increased

£41m

£820.1m
£779.3m
£797.2m
£780.8m
£790.7m

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

Underlying operating profit

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) purchased 12 SPO threat 
detection systems from the Applied Technologies business as part of a package 
of measures that will enhance security technology for travellers in the US.

+9.6%

The Integrated Systems business sold four Towed Array Handling Systems 
(TAHS) to the Spanish Navy, utilising electronic drive technology that provides  
a compact, robust and reliable solution, minimising the impact on other 
inboard systems.

£80.0m

£73.0m
£73.7m

£67.2m
£62.6m

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

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Delivering long-term partnerships

The Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) for test and evaluation and training 
support services between QinetiQ and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) provides 
significant and steadfast support for the MoD’s capabilities on the front line.  
one of the largest contracts of its kind in the United Kingdom, the 25-year LTPA, 
which includes four pricing reviews, is valued at £5.6bn to 2028.  
over its second five-year term, the LTPA will provide services  
to the MoD at a firm price of £951m.

£951m 

second term agreement

The test and evaluation and training support services provided 
under the LTPA covers air, maritime and land environments. it 
includes MoD Boscombe Down, which is the primary national 
centre for the provision of independent advice, research support, 
development, and test and evaluation services to the MoD for  
Air Systems. The site provides an integrated offering of complex 
services and facilities that support capability improvement for 
every current UK air platform in the defence area. The diverse and 
numerous range of services provided throughout the UK by the 
LTPA includes missile and air flight weapon testing, environmental 
testing of explosives and munitions, ordnance disposal and 
maritime operational signature measurement.

“The Long-Term Partnering Agreement is a contract for change. No one can predict what may happen in the military arena  
in 20 years, so our job is to prepare for the unexpected challenges that will inevitably arise in the future. we have devoted  
time to developing performance management systems and continuous improvement programmes which have achieved 
enhanced quality systems, working practices, training programmes, safety regimes and a better understanding of the 
MoD’s needs. working as a team with other divisions within QinetiQ, we have already delivered annual cost savings of 
£22m to the MoD during the first five years of the LTPA.” Shaun Pethybridge, Head of Contract Negotiation Team

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Keeping UK borders safe

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e-Borders is an advanced border control and security 
programme, for the UK Home office. The programme 
is being delivered by Trusted Borders, the consortium 
led by raytheon Systems Limited and including 
QinetiQ. it will be implemented by 2011, when the 
maintenance phase will commence, and will deliver 
increased security at strategic border sites in the  
UK – ports, harbours, stations and airports.

“i make sure that the team meets the Home office requirements for QinetiQ’s part of the programme in conformance  
with regulatory and industry standards. our team’s responsibility is two-fold. we advise on the border security system  
and its accreditation, including the documentation, making sure the iT is secure. we also provide human factors  
consultancy and support. These are two of QinetiQ’s major strengths and contribute to the smooth functioning of the  
system as a whole.” Luisa Godfrey, Practice Leader, Transport and Security 

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Helping improve Sea King helicopter performance

Limited aircraft performance at higher altitudes 
was preventing the Joint Helicopter Command  
Sea King Mk 4 from being deployed in battlefield 
operations. Modified main rotor blades, 
manufactured by Carson Helicopters, a US-based 
commercial operator, offered the potential to 
address the shortfall in performance without 
redesign of the helicopter.

£5.25m 

contract

in response to an MoD Urgent operation requirement 
(Uor), the Aircraft Test and evaluation Centre, a unique 
collaboration between MoD and QinetiQ, put forward  
a solution for the fitting and certification of modified 
blades. The successful £5.25m, 12-month project was 
delivered in partnership with Agustawestland, who 
supplied a modified tail rotor, and has enabled increased 
forward speeds of Sea King helicopters, with performance 
gains of up to 20%. The result gives greater operational 
flexibility and increased support by UK battlefield 
helicopters to the multi-national task force in Afghanistan. 

“A rigorous and intensive programme of performance evaluation and flight testing was carried out on a QinetiQ-owned  
Sea King helicopter, which we needed to fully instrument to collect the data required. we designed, manufactured and 
installed the instrumentation on the aircraft. The system was designed to allow on-board monitoring of all parameters  
in real-time, enabling trials to be carried out safely and efficiently.” Charles Ford, Project Manager

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“We were able to complete the 
testing in a short timeframe  
which allowed Joint Helicopter 
Command Sea King HC Mk 4 
helicopters to be deployed in 
action as quickly as possible and 
provide the much needed added 
capability to operations.”

  Charles Ford, Project Manager

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Supporting the royal Air Force with front line operations

Converting and flight testing eight 
Chinook helicopters for heavy-lift 
front line duties as soon as possible is 
the challenge facing the QinetiQ team 
at MoD Boscombe Down. This major 
modification programme involves 
QinetiQ working with Boeing in a  
deal worth approximately £11m.

During the course of the work, the aircraft 
will be stripped, modified, reassembled 
and tested. once converted, all eight 
Chinooks will join the existing fleet of the 
UK royal Air Force Chinook helicopters 
supporting front line operations.

“My team provides the coordination of the whole supply chain involved in the conversion of eight Chinook Mk 3 helicopters  
for heavy-lift front line duties. our responsibility is to control the supply of all the parts we need for the programme and  
the development of the control-metrics to ensure we deliver the programme to schedule. The time scales are extremely 
demanding. in our coordinating role, we are responsible for manufactured parts made at MoD Boscombe Down  
and all government-furnished assets, as well as equipment supplied by Boeing and third-party suppliers. we ensure that  
all equipment is available at the correct time, together with the supporting documentation. This is typical of the kind of  
agile engineering work carried out by QinetiQ Flight engineering Services.” Peter Hoadley, Head of engineering,  
Logistics and Support Services, Flight engineering Services

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Helping the Ministry of Defence prepare for airborne threats

Mission Training through Distributed 
Simulation Capability Concept Demonstrator 
(MTDS-CCD) provides a realistic virtual 
synthetic training environment for training 
aircrews. The facility comprises a mix of 
immersive air and land ‘front line’ capabilities, 
enabling participants to experience combat 
conditions and allowing air crews to conduct 
realistic exercises simultaneously with remote 
sites. The principal aim of the programme is  
to address key investigative areas, defined by 
MoD, and provide recommendations to support 
the requirements of a future ‘full’ MTDS.

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£7.8m 

contract

The 30-month £7.8m programme is being 
delivered by Team ACTive, the QinetiQ-led 
consortium which includes Boeing as principal 
partner, Aviation Training international Ltd  
and rockwell Collins.

“i am a member of a team providing technical input for the MTDS-CCD programme. one aspect of the team’s responsibility  
is to integrate all aspects of a synthetic environment – from flight simulators and exercise management to the briefings 
delivered to the training audience – carried out over distributed networks to support a series of pre-planned events. The 
continually evolving nature of the programme makes it exciting to be a part of.” Fraser Bruce, Systems and Software engineer

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DeFeNCe TrAiNiNG rATioNALiSATioN

SoLAr-PowereD SPACeCrAFT ProPULSioN

The Defence Training rationalisation (DTr) is a nationally 
important programme for the delivery of specialist training to 
the UK Armed Forces. in January 2007, the Metrix consortium,  
a joint venture between QinetiQ and Land Securities Trillium, 
was awarded Preferred Bidder status for Package 1 of the DTr. 
Package 1 involves training in aeronautical and electro-
mechanical engineering, communications and information 
systems. in March 2008, QinetiQ received a commitment from 
the MoD to underwrite costs for a body of preparatory work in 
advance of the contract award for Package 1, which is expected 
in late 2009.

QinetiQ has developed an advanced spacecraft propulsion 
technology that will enable the european Space Agency (eSA)  
to propel future spacecraft using electrical energy from solar 
arrays. The ion engine, which uses accelerated beams of xenon 
ions to provide thrust, will be flown for the first time on the 
eSA’s Gravity Field and Steady State ocean Circulation explorer 
(GoCe) spacecraft, in a mission to measure and map the earth’s 
gravity. The spacecraft is due for launch in the summer of 2008.

Market review
UK defence
The UK Government completed its Comprehensive 
Spending Review in late 2007 and the MOD announced 
that the defence budget would grow at an average 1.5% 
per annum in real terms over the next three years. With 
the Government committed to the current campaigns in 
Afghanistan and Iraq as well as several significant new 
platform programmes, such as the plans for new aircraft 
carriers and replacing the nuclear deterrent capability, 
MOD have confirmed budgets are under pressure. This 
has resulted in uncertainty and delays in letting new 
contracts more widely. However, the budget challenges 
that this presents in the medium term are likely to 
provide QinetiQ with opportunities for technology 
insertion and consulting to enhance existing military 
capabilities and extend their life span, and to facilitate 
the affordability of these larger programmes over a 
longer timeframe. 

The MOD continues to utilise outsourcing, partnering 
and managed services arrangements to deliver improved 
defence services in support of the front line. The success 
of the Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) between 

QinetiQ and MOD positions QinetiQ well for future 
managed service operations as they arise. Our success  
in achieving preferred bidder status for Package 1 of  
the Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) programme 
highlights QinetiQ’s position as a trusted advisor to key 
customers. Across other areas of technical support, 
procurement advice and efficiency programmes, the 
MOD continues to increase its use of flexible third-party 
service providers to balance the cost and improved front 
line delivery challenges it faces. 

The MOD is keen to combine its own technology 
strategy with those within industry with the aim of 
producing a joint national strategy. MOD has been 
seeking to do this through the Technology Foresight 
programme to identify areas in which technological 
excellence might best be concentrated and developed. 
QinetiQ’s extensive network within universities and 
SMEs positions the Group well to meet the MOD’s desire 
to draw knowledge and technology from a wider science 
base in delivering research programmes. 

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Energy & environment
The level of concern about the impact of the global 
economy on the levels of energy usage and on climate 
change is at an all-time high. At a governmental  
level, there are an increasing number of international 
harmonisation agreements being established. At a 
business level, there is a greater awareness and focus  
on tackling the increasing environmental and economic 
costs of effectively using scarce natural resources. 
Funding has historically been fragmented in these areas, 
however there is now an improving level of clarity in 
national budgets and it is estimated that climate change, 
environment & energy and resource efficiency budgets 
available from EU and US Governments are in the region 
of £3bn. Responding to these opportunities, QinetiQ’s 
technical expertise focuses on areas such as primary 
energy supply solutions, through our work on fuel cells 
and gas turbines, renewable energy expertise, low-
carbon transport technologies and environmental 
impact management.

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Australian defence
The Australian defence budget is set to grow in real 
terms at an average of 3% per annum until 2015 as 
originally outlined in the 2000 Defence White Paper.  
The new Australian Government reiterated its 
commitment to this level of growth in the Defence 
Capability Plan 2006-2016. The market structure and 
dynamics in Australia are similar to those in the UK and 
QinetiQ already has a good working relationship with  
the Australian Department of Defence. In February  
2008, QinetiQ made its first three acquisitions in 
Australia establishing an in-country presence focused  
on the provision of independent technical consulting to 
the Australian Department of Defence. This business  
will be able to enhance its offerings into the Australian 
market by leveraging the broader and deeper technical 
consulting and advisory capabilities from our UK and 
North American businesses.

Other defence markets
QinetiQ provides services across other international 
defence markets, principally from its UK operational 
base. As these markets continue to mature, they become 
more focused on procuring bespoke technology solutions 
and ensuring that they retain the ability to manage the 
development path through the life of a platform or 
capability. The technical consulting support services, 
innovative performance enhancements and test and 
evaluation services offered by QinetiQ are becoming 
increasingly relevant to such customers in selective  
Asia Pacific, Scandinavian and Middle Eastern markets. 

Security and counter terrorism 
Governments across the world continue to increase their 
spending on homeland security, intelligence and counter-
terrorism in response to the emergence of new, rapidly-
evolving local and global threats. There is a growing  
focus on heightened security in public spaces such as 
large events and public transport. There is also a large 
commercial market, in particular for information security. 
It is likely that a significant proportion of this demand will 
be satisfied through the effective use of high-technology 
solutions and intelligence services such as QinetiQ’s 
stand-off people scanning technology which is being 
used in mass transit screening applications by the 
Transportation Security Administration in North America.

The first National Security Strategy for the UK was 
released in March 2008, setting out the nature of new 
security challenges and how the UK Government will 
respond. Funding for counter-terrorism is set to increase 
to £3.5bn by 2010/11, with the Government continuing 
to invest in order to strengthen security and build 
capacity. QinetiQ is well placed within this community 
through its existing relationships with national security 
agencies and police forces to provide services, as 
evidenced by the award of a substantial contract under 
the Home Office’s e-Borders programme in the year.

TorNADo F3 For BvrAAM

QinetiQ secured a £5.1m contract from the MoD to use the 
Tornado F3 as the test platform on which to support trials for 
the Beyond visual range Air-Air Missile (BvrAAM – Meteor).  
The programme of work offers the MoD a low-risk and 
cost-effective alternative option to Typhoon in the Meteor  
trials while protecting other issues such as agreed work shares 
with the five other european nations involved: Sweden, Spain, 
Germany, italy and France. 

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Trend in UK defence spending  
UK defence budget £ billions

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

2004
Budget

2005

2006

2007

2008

Supplement

Source: UK MOD  
Note: UK fiscal years ended 31 March

Financials

Revenue 
Managed Services 
Consulting 
Integrated Systems 
Applied Technologies 
Total 

Underlying operating profit 
Underlying operating margin 

Orders 
Managed Services 
Consulting 
Integrated Systems 
Applied Technologies 
Total 

Book to bill ratio 
Funded backlog 1 

2008 
£m 

2007 
£m

370.7 
105.4 
268.2 
75.8 
820.1 

336.2
97.5
270.7
74.9
779.3

80.0 

9.8% 

73.0

9.4%

195.5 
121.2 
264.9 
80.9 
662.5 

301.8
117.2
288.6
76.1
783.7

1.05:1 
640.8 

1.29:1
632.6

1  Excluding remaining £4.7bn (2007: £4.8bn, 2006: £5.0bn) backlog in 
respect of the LTPA contract.

Revenue increased by 5.2% in EMEA (2007: 2.2% decline), 
with organic growth of 4.5%. The Managed Services and 
Consulting businesses in particular have strengthened 
their position, delivering revenue from the Combined 
Aerial Target System (CATS) and Typhoon contracts  
won in 2007.

Underlying operating profit improved by 40 basis  
points to 9.8% reflecting the benefits of improved 
revenue growth and ongoing programmes to improve 
business efficiency.

Funded backlog, including the remainder of the LTPA, 
amounted to £5.3bn at the year end (2007: £5.3bn).

EMEA reorganisation and portfolio review
The EMEA sector was reorganised during the year  
and, with effect from 1 April 2008, operates through  
four offering-based businesses; Managed Services, 
Consulting, Integrated Systems and Applied 
Technologies. The analysis of 2007 and 2008 orders  
and revenue is reported in line with the new sectors.  
The principal movements are in the reallocation of the 
MOD Research and Security & Dual Use businesses 
which largely move to Integrated Systems and Applied 
Technologies respectively. Additionally, tasking orders 
and certain other accreditation services move from 
Procurement & Capability Support to Managed Services. 

The reorganisation provided the opportunity to 
consolidate business groups into the four new sectors, 
eliminating duplicate overhead roles. An investment  
of £32.6m in rationalisation is now expected to yield 
sustainable annual benefits of at least £12m per annum 
from the second half of calendar 2008.

A portfolio review of the EMEA sector is under way to 
identify any non-core activities. The review may lead to 
further strategic partnering, IP licensing, new venture 
creation or exit from certain non-core activities.

Managed Services
The Managed Services business provides long-term, 
technology-rich outsourced services to Government 
customers and independent accreditation services.  
The business focuses on transformational opportunities 
through the deployment of QinetiQ’s broad and 
distinctive technical capabilities.

Revenue growth of 10% in Managed Services reflects  
the strong order flow in both 2007 and 2008 and £9m  
of additional LTPA revenue on closing out the first  
five-year pricing period.

The 25-year LTPA established QinetiQ as a trusted advisor 
to MOD. It provides a platform for further growth  
and positions QinetiQ as a technology independent 
accreditation services supplier to government and prime 
manufacturer organisations. Our composite average 
performance scoring during the first five-year period  
of the LTPA to 31 March 2008 was 92.6% against a 
minimum target of 80%, with a score of 95.1% last year. 
The pricing negotiations for the second five-year period 
that commenced on 1 April 2008 set the price and 
confirmed the capabilities required by the customer  
for this period. 

The single largest incremental growth opportunity for 
Managed Services is Package 1 of the UK MOD Defence 
Training Rationalisation (DTR) programme. Pre-contract 
funding was confirmed in April 2008, which will support 
detailed planning for the contract. During the year, 
£7.1m of bid costs were capitalised with respect to the 
Group’s preferred bidder status, which is lower than the 
expected spend due principally to the timing of due 
diligence work streams. Up to £15m of costs are 
expected to be capitalised during the next 12 months  
as the contract progresses through to financial close 
expected by the end of 2009.

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ZePHyr® UNMANNeD Air veHiCLe

over-rooFiNG STrUCTUre TeSTiNG

An ultra-lightweight carbon fibre aircraft, weighing just 30kg, 
despite a wingspan of 18 metres, the Zephyr Unmanned Air 
vehicle (UAv) flies on solar power. The aircraft uses a bespoke 
autopilot system to navigate between way points.

Zephyr secured a place in the history of UAv development  
by establishing the British record for the longest duration 
unmanned flight. The high-altitude long-endurance (HALe) 
aircraft achieved a 54-hour flight, reaching an altitude of  
58,370 feet in July 2007.

UK military forces currently experience mortar and rocket 
attacks on a daily basis in camps across both iraq and 
Afghanistan. QinetiQ conducted a series of trials during 2007  
to establish design data for protective structures capable of 
resisting the blast, fragmentation and ballistic penetrative 
capabilities of dynamically fired rockets and mortars. The trial 
series was a success and the advice provided to MoD has 
contributed to the improved protection of UK forces.

Image: Test munition

Consulting
Consulting provides technical advice as a result of 
harnessing our unique and distinctive combination of 
technical and process insight, innovation and integrity. 
The business delivers decision and project support  
for both civil and defence customers, reducing risk, 
increasing programme coherence and providing cost-
modelling services. Areas of expertise include security, 
transportation, aerospace, energy, environment  
and safety. 

Revenue increased by 8.1% to £105.4m, of which organic 
growth was 5.6%. The book to bill ratio of 1.15:1 
supports the growth objectives for the business.

The Consulting business was part of the winning 
consortium for the Home Office’s e-Borders programme, 
an order worth up to £33m. It is well positioned to target 
a pipeline of larger opportunities, similar to the e-Borders 
programme, and benefit from greater outsourcing by 
defence ministries across the EMEA region.

In line with QinetiQ’s strategy to build valuable new 
market positions outside the UK, the Group made its  
first three acquisitions in Australia in February 2008.  
The Australian defence market is similar to that in the  
UK and the budget of A$22bn (£10bn) is set to grow at 
3% per annum in real terms to 2015. The acquisitions of 
Ball Solutions Group, Novare Group and AeroStructures 
Group, with collectively 300 employees, provide the 
opportunity to build on existing relationships that 
QinetiQ has developed with the Australian Department 
of Defence. 

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Integrated Systems
The Integrated Systems business focuses on delivering 
leading-edge technology capabilities into the air, land 
and sea arenas, primarily to defence customers. This 
business specialises in underwater systems, maritime 
platform systems, ground systems, sonar systems, 
intelligence solutions, distributed training and 
simulation, integrated airborne surveillance and space 
technologies. Its strategy is to grow through the pull-
through of research technology into the supply chain, 
which will be achieved both by leading consortia on 
research and development programmes and by acting  
as the technical authority or system integrator in the 
implementation of solutions in the defence supply chain.

Revenue and order intake remained relatively flat in year 
at £268.2m and £264.9m respectively. Growth in the 
Integrated Systems business was held back by the well-
publicised budget pressures at the MOD following the 
UK Government Comprehensive Spending Review, which 
has significantly delayed the letting of new supply 
contracts, as well as by the expected decline in MOD 
research revenue.

The Integrated Systems business conducts a significant 
amount of the total customer-funded research and 
development activities within EMEA. QinetiQ continues 
to retain its position as the leading independent provider 
of research services to MOD. The 3.3% decline in MOD 
research across the Group was lower than expected 
despite the further opening of the MOD research budget 
to competition. Total MOD research revenue across  
the EMEA business was £166.7m (2007: £172.4m).  
The success in maintaining research revenue reflects 
QinetiQ’s deep understanding of its customers’ needs 
allied to the increased partnering with internationally 
recognised experts within universities and industry.  
The MOD research budget available to industry is fully 
open to competition with effect from 1 April 2008  
(2007: 83%). 

Applied Technologies
The Applied Technologies business addresses 
opportunities in the core defence market together  
with growing physical security, digital security and 
energy & environment sectors. The repeatable 
technology propositions it develops principally derive 
from customer-funded research and development 
programmes.

Total revenue increased by £0.9m to £75.8m during  
the year, reflecting the part-year benefit of the Boldon 
James acquisition. Boldon James is a provider of secure 
messaging software for military, government and 
security customers worldwide, enhancing QinetiQ’s 
portfolio of security-based products, broadening the 
customer base and providing additional routes to market.

The Applied Technologies business developed the SPO 
stand-off threat detection system, a passive device 
capable of identifying potential concealed threats 
located on individuals from distance, without requiring 
people to slow their pace or pass through a physical 
portal. A number of units were sold by our North 
American business to the US Transportation Security 
Administration (TSA) as part of a package of measures 
under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) 
contract that allows for additional purchases over the 
next two years.

industry leader

CoNNeX™

weLL PerForATioN

in a concentrated three-year joint effort, Shell international  
e&P, QinetiQ and GeoDynamics have succeeded in  
developing a breakthrough perforating technology called 
reActiveTM Perforating that has the potential to substantially 
improve hydrocarbon recovery by producing clean, debris-free 
perforating tunnels. This is achieved by applying a revolutionary 
concept created and patented by QinetiQ, utilising a new shaped 
charge liner technology that creates a beneficial secondary 
reaction upon detonation. This novel well perforation solution 
started as a Shell GameChanger project and is now marketed by 
GeoDynamics as CoNNeXTM Perforating. (reActiveTM and 
CoNNeXTM are trademarks of GeoDynamics, inc.)

Image: Comparative penetration tests

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QinetiQ ventures

QinetiQ Ventures is responsible for realising value from QinetiQ  
technology outside our core markets. Value is created through the  
development of new revenue streams, the creation of spin-out  
businesses and the sale or licensing of intellectual property. 

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Achievements

The Tarsier® runway foreign object detection (FOD) system was designed to 
monitor operating runways and provide real-time information in support of 
improving safety standards and aircraft throughput at airports across the 
world. A supplemental camera system has been developed during the year to 
provide day and night visual capabilities alongside the radar detection and 
imaging. Operational highlights from Tarsier include:

n 

n 
n 
n 
n 

 Landmark order from BAA for an installation of four units covering both 
runways at London Heathrow Airport
 Radar installation at Dubai airport now ready to go live
 Order from Doha International Airport for radar units secured
 Order from Vancouver International Airport for camera units secured
 Ongoing successful trials at TF Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island on 
behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

In August 2007, QinetiQ created, with Coller Capital, a new Technology Venture 
Fund to accelerate the development and value realisation of seven of its 
venture investments. Both QinetiQ and Coller Capital have committed to 
provide funding up to £20m each over the initial five-year life of the fund.

Clive Richardson, Chairman,  
QinetiQ ventures

our strategy

QinetiQ ventures strategy is to 
deliver incremental value from 
intellectual property developed 
through the funded research & 
development and other core 
operations of the Group.

The business exploits QinetiQ 
intellectual property (iP) in 
sectors adjacent to our core 
defence and security technology 
markets.

value is optimised for each 
venture through a number of 
routes including organic growth, 
partnering with third parties,  
iP licensing and business 
realisations.

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Monitoring and tracking valuable assets

one of the seven companies in the QinetiQ 
ventures LP fund, omni-iD was granted  
its first patent in August 2007. Further  
patents are pending.

Historically, radio Frequency identification (rFiD) tags could not be used with 
items or products which had any metallic or liquid component. Now, after two 
years’ research, omni-iD™ has overcome this problem with a major breakthrough 
in rFiD technology. The result is the omni-iD (passive UHF) rFiD tag, which can be 
used to track and identify assets no matter what material they are made from. 
This has enabled the use of rFiD in applications such as the tracking of high-value 
iT assets where the presence of metals has historically prevented rFiD being used.

“My role is to oversee and improve the development of our rFiD tag technology. with data security and iT asset 
management becoming ever more important, omni-iD™ tags are set to play a key role in enabling more streamlined 
business processes and greatly reduced iT infrastructure costs. Unlike conventional rFiD tags, ours are immune to the 
detrimental effects of metals and liquids and have a small form factor: our smallest tag, the omni-iD Prox™ has a 
footprint half that of a postage stamp and is only 3mm thick. our tags have enabled rFiD to be used where previously it 
couldn’t be, so now everything can have an omni-iD tag instead of a barcode, which represents a significant potential 
market for our products.” James Brown, Technical Manager, omni-iD

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improving airport operations 

Developed to meet the challenge of foreign 
object debris (FoD) on airport runways, the 
QinetiQ Tarsier® runway debris detection 
system solves an age-old problem which 
threatens safety and costs airlines and airport 
authorities around £4bn a year worldwide. 
while current FoD detection and removal 
methods involve scheduled visual runway 
inspections, typically every few hours, the 
Tarsier radar system scans a runway once 
every minute, throughout the day and night. 

installed by QinetiQ for BAA at London 
Heathrow Airport, the system is assisting 
operational teams by ensuring that FoD is 
quickly detected and removed, thereby easing 
congestion by minimising flight disruptions 
and delays. 

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“BAA was an early adopter of the technology 
and needed to know that it was fit for the 
proposed task. My role was to support and 
work with BAA to help them understand  
how the system would benefit them, both 
operationally and in terms of safety. As  
the system helps avoid flight disruptions  
and passenger delays caused by FOD, it is  
of benefit to the airlines and the airport.”

  Andy Blay, BAA Account Manager

“Tarsier is a world first, no other automatic FoD detection system of any kind is deployed and integrated into an airport’s 
operations. My job at Heathrow was to put the Tarsier system into operation, including the management of the physical 
installation and its components, from the iT infrastructure, concrete foundations and steel tower to the innovative 
electronics and software. our challenge was to demonstrate the capability of the system at Heathrow and to work with 
them to develop appropriate operational procedures.” Andy Wicks, Project Lead

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SCieMUS

STiNGrAy GeoPHySiCAL LTD

The space sector was Sciemus’ entry point into the insurance 
market when it was established in 2002, providing advanced risk 
modelling and quantification. QinetiQ, which holds a minority 
stake in the company, contributes with its proprietary 
intelligence and mathematical modelling capability.

Listening with light® Fosar® is a passive fibre optic seismic 
monitoring system which can be deployed permanently on  
the seabed to provide high-quality time-lapse images of oil and 
gas reservoirs. This data can be used to help oil companies to 
increase the amount of oil and gas extracted.

in partnership with Liberty Syndicates, the LibSat consortium 
was formed, which is now the largest satellite insurance 
provider in the world. Sciemus has three further models in  
the pipeline, developed in partnership with QinetiQ: Power 
Station risk, Property risk and Cyber risk.

During 2007, Stingray Geophysical Ltd continued the 
development and testing of its Fosar system, based on 
technology licensed from QinetiQ. it was awarded grants 
totalling almost £2.5m from the UK’s Technology Strategy  
Board and Norway’s Demo 2000 programme.

Stingray became part of the QinetiQ ventures LP fund in  
August 2007.

Operations
The QinetiQ Ventures LP fund has made good progress 
during the short period since its creation in August  
2007. The ZBD zero power, shelf-edge, labelling display 
business announced further trials with Tesco in March 
2008. Omni-ID won the ‘Best in show’ award at the RFID 
Journal’s 2008 showcase exhibition which provided 
exposure to a number of potential customers.

Ventures transferred into the QinetiQ Ventures LP  
fund include:

ownership 
at the point of 

Name 

contribution  Activity

Intrinsiq Materials Ltd 

100% 

Test and production

Omni-ID Ltd 
Quintel Technology Ltd 

Aurix Ltd 
ZBD Displays Ltd 

Stingray Geophysical Ltd 

Metalysis Ltd 

  of nanomaterials

100% 

Low cost RFID tagging

50%  3G mast sharing
antennas
88%  Audio data mining

31.6%  Zero power LCD

  displays for retailers
19.9%  Geophysical survey

technologies
Low cost production 

16.3% 

  of metal powder

Financials

Revenue 
Operating loss 
Orders 
Funded backlog  

2008 
£m 

5.7 
(15.1) 
7.5 
6.4 

2007 
£m

12.0
(6.9)
14.3
7.6

The reduction in reported orders, revenue and backlog  
in 2008 reflects the transfer of businesses previously 
consolidated into the QinetiQ Venture fund, which is 
now equity accounted, and certain one-off licence 
revenue booked in the prior year.

Operating losses, which include the Group’s share of the 
QinetiQ Venture fund, increased to £15.1m for the year 
reflecting the planned increased level of QinetiQ revenue 
investment in the Ventures portfolio.

£3.3m of cash funding was contributed to the QinetiQ 
Venture fund to accelerate development of the fund’s 
portfolio companies.

Sciemus, the insurance risk assessment specialist, in 
which the Group holds a 10.7% interest, completed an 
external funding round in which the Group participated, 
allowing an increase in fair value of £3.2m to be 
recognised through equity.

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Business review – other Group financial information

other Group financial information

Cash flow
Group cash inflow from operations before investing 
activities was £138.3m (2007: £107.0m). The Group had 
an underlying operating cash conversion of 77%, in line 
with the Group target of 80% over the medium term, 
compared to 56% in the prior year. The benefit of 
approximately £20m cash collection from high levels  
of MOD debtors during the first few weeks of the year 
was offset by investment in product-related working 
capital and pre-contract costs relating to the DTR bid.

Investment in acquisitions in the year totalled £106.7m 
(2007: £137.2m) as set out in note 13 to the financial 
statements.

The Group paid £17.7m in US corporation tax in the year, 
£5.9m of which relates to the prior-year disposal of AFS. 
In the UK, no cash tax was paid due to the availability  
of deductions for research and development relief and 
additional pension contributions made in previous years. 
Going forward, this cash tax profile is expected to 
continue for the next two to three years.

Dividend payments of £24.9m were made in the year 
comprising the final dividend of £16.2m for the year 
ended 31 March 2007 (paid in August 2007) and an 
interim dividend of £8.7m (paid in February 2008). 

During the period, the Company has provided £12.8m  
of funding to the trustees of its employee share scheme 
trusts to facilitate the purchase of shares in the 
Company to hedge outstanding share options and other 
share-based awards that have been made since IPO. The 
trusts acquired 7.3m shares at an average price of 175p. 

As part of the EMEA reorganisation programme to 
re-position the business in the year to 31 March 2008, 
there was a cash outflow of £5.6m. A further outflow  
of £27.0m is expected in the first half of the year to  
31 March 2009 when the programme completes. 

Net debt and liquidity 
At 31 March 2008, net debt was £379.9m, an increase  
of £79.1m on the prior year. 91% of the Group’s debt  
is denominated in dollars. The ratio of net debt to  
pro-forma EBITDA was 2.27:1 (2007: 2.11:1). The increase 
in net debt reflects investment in acquisitions.

As at 31 March 2008, £233.3m of additional borrowing 
capacity was available to the Group, representing the 
unutilised element of the principal revolving credit 
facility. In August 2007, the Group exercised its second 
and final option to extend the duration of this facility  
by a further year to August 2012 and also negotiated  
a number of beneficial changes to its terms, including  
a lower margin on amounts drawn under the facility.  
The Group operated comfortably within its banking 
covenants during the year.

Facilities and borrowings maturity profile

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

2008

2009
2010
Utilised facility

2012

2011
Total facility

2013

2014

2015

2016

Capital expenditure and fixed asset disposals 
Purchase of property, plant and equipment and 
intangible assets totalled £43.6m (2007: £46.9m), 
including £13.7m (2007: £16.9m) in relation to assets 
funded as part of the LTPA contract. 

QinetiQ received £14.9m of net proceeds from the 
disposal of surplus property at Bedford which completed 
at the end of March 2007. 

Pensions
The Group provides both defined contribution and 
defined benefit pension arrangements. The principal 
defined benefit scheme is the QinetiQ Pension Scheme. 

New entrants to QinetiQ in EMEA join the Defined 
Contribution section of the QinetiQ Pension Scheme. 
Pension benefits in QNA are provided on a defined 
contribution basis through 401k plans. 

A consolidated summary of the position of the defined 
benefit schemes is shown below:

Schemes’ assets 
Schemes’ liabilities 
Schemes’ deficit before deferred tax 
Deferred tax asset 
Net pension liability  

2008 
£m 

784.2 
(807.6) 
(23.4) 
6.5 
(16.9) 

2007 
£m

794.1
(884.9)
(90.8)
27.1
(63.7)

The £46.8m reduction in net pension liability in the year 
is primarily driven by an increase in the discount rate. 
The higher discount rate reflects current volatility in 
global equity and debt markets and consequent wider 
spreads in the AA bond yields mandated for accounting 
purposes. This is partially offset by increases in inflation 
rate and mortality assumptions used to value the 
scheme liabilities. The net pension liability, based on a 
notional discount rate of 5.6% reflecting average credit 
spreads over the past nine years, would be closer to 
£220m, assuming all other factors influencing the 
scheme valuation remain unchanged.

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The key assumptions used in the IAS 19 valuation are:

Assumption 

Discount rate 
Inflation 
Salary increase 
Mortality male* 
Mortality female* 

  31 March  31 March 
2007

2008 

6.6% 
3.5% 
5.0% 
88 
91 

5.4%
3.1%
4.6%
86
89

*Future pensioner (currently aged 40)

Each assumption is selected by management in 
consultation with the Company actuary and taking 
account of the industry practice amongst comparator 
listed companies. During the year, the Group adjusted  
its mortality assumptions from the short cohort to 
medium cohort basis. The sensitivity of each of these  
key assumptions is shown in the table below and this 
illustrates how a small change in each assumption can 
have a material effect on the magnitude of the IAS 19 
calculated deficit. 

Assumption 

Discount rate 

Change in 
assumption 

indicative effect on 
scheme liabilities

Increase/decrease 
by 0.1%  

Decrease/increase by 
£21m

Inflation and 
salary increase 

Increase/decrease  
by 0.1 % 

Increase/decrease by 
 £19m

Life expectancy 

Increase by 1 year 

Increase by £16m

The current investment policy of the QinetiQ Pension 
Scheme, as determined by the trustees in consultation 
with QinetiQ, is weighted towards equity investments. 
The trustees believe this is appropriate at the current 
time due to the relative youth of the scheme, which is 
expected to be cash flow positive for approximately the 
next eight years. 

The funding of the defined benefit schemes is decided 
by the Group in conjunction with the trustees of the 
schemes and the advice of external actuaries. The next 
full actuarial valuation of the QinetiQ Pension Scheme is 
due to be undertaken in June 2009 and will be the first 
valuation under the new regulations for scheme-specific 
funding of defined benefit schemes. 

During the year, the net pension cost charged to  
the income statement, before curtailments, for the 
defined benefit scheme was £30.5m (2007: £41.6m). 
Contributions to defined contribution pension schemes 
amounted to £14.6m (2007: £13.4m).

During the year, the Group announced its intention to 
change the terms of the defined benefit section of  
the pension scheme from June 2008. Key changes 
include raising the normal pension age from 60 to 65, 
supplemented by a range of options that allow the 
employee to maintain future benefit accrual at rates 
similar to their current levels, based on a higher rate of 
employee contribution, or to retain current employee 
contribution levels by accepting a reduction in the rate 
of future benefit accrual. The changes will not affect 
past service obligations and the Group is not making any 
additional cash funding to the scheme as part of these 
arrangements. Future cost increases driven by changes 
to actuarial assumptions such as mortality rates will be 
dealt with through a risk-sharing agreement between 
the Company and its employees.

The pension charge for the year to March 2009 is 
expected to be lower than the current year due to the 
changes in the terms of the defined benefit pension 
schemes, based on the assumptions prevailing at the 
year end. The Group’s cash funding of the QinetiQ 
Pension Scheme will remain unchanged at 17.5% of 
pensionable salaries. 

Research & development
Research & development (R&D) is a significant  
focus for the Group with the majority of R&D-related 
expenditure incurred on behalf of customers as part  
of specific funded research contracts. R&D costs are 
included in the relevant income statement cost category 
and R&D income is reflected within revenue. In the 
financial year, the Group recorded £560.6m (2007: 
£520.1m) of total R&D related expenditure, of which 
£547.8m was customer funded work (2007: £511.1m).

In the year to 31 March 2008, £12.8m (2007: £9.0m)  
of internally-funded R&D was charged to the income 
statement. £1.4m (2007: £3.2m) of late stage 
development costs were capitalised and £1.5m (2007: 
£1.5m) of capitalised development costs were amortised 
in the year. 

Treasury risks
The Group Treasury department works within a 
framework of policies and procedures approved  
by the Audit Committee. As part of these policies  
and procedures, there is a strict control on the use  
of financial instruments and speculative trading in 
financial instruments is not permitted. 

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Interest rate risk management
At 31 March 2008, 66% (31 March 2007: 80%) of the 
Group’s borrowings are fixed or capped through a 
combination of interest rate swaps, collars and fixed  
rate debt. 

Foreign exchange risk management
The principal exchange rate affecting the Group was the 
sterling to US dollar exchange rate.

£/US$ – average 
£/US$ – closing rate 
£/US$ – opening rate 

2008 

2.01 
1.99 
1.96 

2007

1.92
1.96
1.73

The Group’s income and expenditure is largely settled  
in the functional currency of the relevant Group entity, 
mainly sterling or US dollar. The Group has a policy in 
place to hedge all material transaction exposure at the 
point of commitment to the underlying transaction. 
Uncommitted future transactions are not routinely 
hedged by the Group. The Group continues its practice  
of not hedging income statement translation exposure.  
A one cent movement in the average exchange rate  
for the year has approximately £3m of turnover and 
£0.3m of operating profit impact on the translation  
of the QNA results.

Tax risk management
The central principle of QinetiQ’s tax strategy is to 
manage effective and cash tax rates whilst fully 
complying with relevant legislation. Tax is managed in 
alignment with the corporate strategy and with regard 
to QinetiQ’s core value of integrity in all business 
dealings. These principles are applied in a responsible 
and transparent manner in pursuing the Group’s tax 
strategy and in all dealings with tax authorities around 
the world.

Credit risk
Credit risk arises when a counterparty fails to perform  
its obligations. The Group is exposed to credit risk on 
financial instruments such as liquid assets, derivative 
assets and trade receivables. Credit risk is managed  
by investing liquid assets and acquiring derivatives  
from high-credit quality financial institutions. Trade 
receivables are subject to credit limits, control and 
approval procedures across the Group. The nature of  
the Group’s operations leads to concentrations of credit 
risk on its trade receivables. The majority of the Group’s 
credit risk is with the UK and US Governments and  
is therefore considered minimal. 

Insurance
The Group continually assesses the balance of risk arising 
from the operations undertaken against the insurance 
cover available for such activities and associated 
premiums payable for such cover. A consistent approach 
to risk retention and scope of cover is applied across the 
Group. The Group has a policy of self-insurance through 
its captive insurance company on the first layer of 
specific risks with insurance cover above these levels 
placed in the external market with third-party insurers. 

Employees

At 31 March 

QNA 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Corporate 
Group 

2008 

2007

5,699 
8,209 
77 
80 
14,065 

4,258
8,231
82
210
12,781

As at 31 March 2008, the Group employed 14,065 
people, a rise of 10% on the prior year. In EMEA, the  
net decrease in the UK employee base through normal 
in-year attrition and departures under the restructuring 
programme was offset by the acquisitions in Australia 
and of Boldon James in the UK. The acquisitions in North 
America increased staff numbers by 988. Reorganisation 
of the EMEA business is expected to result in a reduction 
of up to 320 positions, as a result of which 51 employees 
had left at 31 March 2008.

Accounting standards
There have been no significant changes to financial 
reporting standards in the year and no impact on Group 
profit for the year. The Group has implemented the 
enhanced disclosures as required by IFRS 7 Financial 
Instruments for the first time this year. As required by 
IFRS 3 Business Combinations, the formal valuation of 
goodwill and intangibles relating to acquisitions made in 
the prior year was completed in the year and is reflected 
in a restated balance sheet. The adjustments were not 
significant and did not affect profit or net assets. 

Critical accounting estimates and judgements in 
applying accounting policies
A description and consideration of the critical accounting 
estimates and judgements made in preparing these 
financial statements is set out in note 1 to the Group 
financial statements. 

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Management of principal risks and uncertainties

The Group operates on an international basis with its 
primary activities derived from the UK and US defence 
markets. As such, the Group’s operations are exposed  
to a number of risks and uncertainties which could have 
an impact on the Group’s future performance and  
cause actual results to differ materially from historic  
and expected performance. The principal risks and 
uncertainties are described below, together with 
management’s view on how these are assessed, 
managed and mitigated to minimise their potential 
impact on the reported performance of the Group.

There are high levels of competition in the markets in 
which the Group operates
The defence and security markets are highly competitive. 
The Group places great importance on the capabilities  
of its employees and their track record for delivering 
innovative solutions to complex customer requirements. 
QinetiQ’s expertise and capabilities provide a compelling 
proposition for customers, which is a significant 
advantage for the Group in competitive bidding. 
QinetiQ’s long-standing relationships with its customers, 
coupled with the investment made to sustain and 
enhance its offerings, provides QinetiQ with a deep 
understanding of its customers’ needs and how to 
respond to them. QinetiQ North America has improved 
its competitive position by gaining access to a number  
of Government Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs).  
US Government spending on certain activities is 
restricted to businesses which have been awarded a 
position to supply their services under such GWACs. 

The Group is dependent on governmental defence and 
security spending levels
A reduction in UK and US Government defence and 
security spending could adversely impact the Group. 
Current UK and US defence and security spending 
forecasts do not indicate budget reductions but the 
focus of spending within the budgets will change to 
meet emerging needs. The asymmetric nature of modern 
warfare and current high threat level from terrorism 
have resulted in increasing expenditure on capabilities 
that QinetiQ offers. QinetiQ is positioned in important 
focus areas of defence and security spending in 
accordance with the MOD Defence Industrial Strategy, 
MOD Defence Technology Strategy and DoD Quadrennial 
Defense Review. The Group will continue to review 
trends in defence and security expenditure in order to 
align the business with those trends. QinetiQ’s broad 
reach across the defence spectrum ensures that any 
single delay or cancellation of a new or replacement 
defence platform in the UK or US defence budgets  
would not materially impact the Group. As a technology 
specialist, QinetiQ is well positioned to benefit from  
any delay or cancellation as this will often lead to the 
requirement for technology insertion and upgrades  
to extend an existing platform’s operational lifespan.

The regulatory environment may adversely change 
The Group’s operations deal with sensitive defence and 
security technologies and revenue generation could  
be affected by regulatory changes in the geographical 
markets in which it can operate, or restrictions on 
technology transfer. The majority of revenue is derived 
from domestic sales of services and products within the 
UK and US and is therefore largely unaffected by export 
controls and other such restrictions. QinetiQ’s ability to 
export outside of these jurisdictions is subject to export 
controls and other regulations, and significant changes 
in the regulatory environment may limit QinetiQ’s ability 
to expand into other export markets. The Group has 
formal procedures in place to ensure that it meets  
all current export regulations. In the US, the Group 
undertakes work that is deemed to be of importance for 
US national security, and arrangements are in place to 
insulate these activities from undue foreign influence as 
a result of foreign ownership. The Group has procedures 
in place to ensure that these arrangements remain 
effective and to respond to any changes that might 
occur in US attitudes to foreign ownership of such 
activities.

Policies or attitudes towards Organisational Conflict of 
Interest (OCI) may change
The Group provides services to its defence customers 
that meet their needs as part of the defence supply 
chain and also as a technical advisor through 
consultancy services. To mitigate against the potential 
conflict of interest that could arise, the Group takes 
proactive steps to manage any potential OCI and to 
maintain its ability to provide independent advice 
through its consulting and systems engineering 
activities. In the UK, a formal compliance regime 
operates with the MOD to monitor and assess potential 
conflicts of interest as part of its sales acceptance 
process. Should the attitudes or policies adopted by our 
customers change such that greater restrictions are 
placed over the ability to undertake supply and advisory 
contracts by the same organisation, this could materially 
impact the rate of future growth of these businesses.

Significant change in demand from reduced military 
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
QinetiQ’s overall performance in recent years has not 
been significantly reliant on the current allied operations 
in Iraq and Afghanistan. While individual operating  
units, such as QNA’s Technology Solutions business, have 
experienced high levels of demand for products such  
as the TALON® robot to help counter the threat of 
improvised explosive devices (IEDs), other parts of the 
business have been adversely affected by customer 
budgetary pressures reducing demand, such as for 
services to improve the efficiency of government 
processes. In the event of a reduction in the level  
of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan it is expected  
that such discretionary expenditure will resume.

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Additionally, were financial close not to be reached on 
the DTR contract, the bid costs incurred since preferred 
bidder status was achieved would need to be expensed 
through the income statement. It is anticipated that the 
Group would be able to recover certain of these costs in 
such circumstances. 

Volatility in foreign exchange rates impact Group 
financial performance
The Group is exposed to volatility in foreign exchange 
rates due to its international operations. The Group  
has limited transactional foreign exchange exposure as 
most of its revenues and related costs arise in the same 
currencies, principally sterling and US dollars. The Group 
hedges all significant transactional foreign exchange 
exposure. Foreign currency income statement and 
balance sheet translation risks are not fully hedged. 
QinetiQ North America represents more than 39.5%  
of Group revenue and profit and a one cent movement  
in the dollar exchange rate has an approximate £3m 
impact on revenue and £0.3m on operating profit.  
US acquisitions have been funded through US dollar 
borrowings, thus partially mitigating the economic  
risk as US dollar earnings are used to service and repay 
US dollar-denominated indebtedness.

Availability of financing and volatility of interest rates 
may impact the Group
The Group is exposed to fluctuations in the credit 
markets which could impact the availability and cost  
of financing for the Group. The Group manages this risk 
by maintaining a sufficient level of committed funding 
facilities, with a phased maturity profile, and by the use 
of fixed-rate debt instruments and interest-rate swap 
derivatives to provide stability in the ongoing cost of 
utilising these facilities. There is a risk that a substantial 
expansion of the Group’s operations could not be 
financed through debt financing if sufficient facilities 
were not available in the credit markets on economically 
viable terms.

A material element of Group revenue is derived from a 
single large contract
In the current year, the LTPA directly contributed 14% of 
Group revenue and supported a further 7.2% through 
tasking services using LTPA managed facilities. These 
percentages will decrease proportionately as the Group 
grows. The Group continues to achieve high customer 
performance and satisfaction ratings, maintain excellent 
relations with key customers and anticipates that the 
contract will continue to run for the full duration of its 
initial 25-year term through to 2028. The first break point 
in the contract is 2013. QinetiQ’s performance is regularly 
monitored across a number of key performance indicators. 
QinetiQ achieved a weighted performance rating of  
95.1% for the year ended 31 March 2008 and earned a 
performance bonus on this contract. The LTPA operates 
under five-year periods with specific programmes,  
targets and performance measures set for each period.  
On 3 March 2008, the Group signed a five-year pricing 
agreement with the MOD covering the second period of 
the LTPA after a successful first, five-year period. The loss, 
cancellation or termination of this contract would have a 
material adverse impact on the Group’s future reported 
performance. 

Acquired businesses could fail to perform as expected
QinetiQ continues to supplement its organic growth 
through selected acquisitions in both its North American 
and EMEA businesses. Detailed processes exist to 
conduct appropriate due diligence and integration 
planning to ensure the business is a robust and well 
managed concern. The Group focuses on acquiring well-
established companies where the management and 
business have demonstrated a strong track record of 
delivery. There is a risk with any acquisition programme 
that an acquired company may not perform as expected 
once under new ownership and a significant downturn 
in the post-acquisition performance of one or more of 
the acquired businesses could have a material adverse 
impact on the Group’s trading performance.

Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) programme 
Package 1 is not brought to financial close
In January 2007, Metrix, the Group’s joint venture with 
Land Securities Trillium, was confirmed as the preferred 
bidder for Package 1 for the proposed 30-year DTR 
contract to outsource technical training for the UK 
Armed Forces. Currently, the Group is working with MOD 
to refine the final scope of work as the next stage in 
moving to financial close. The Group anticipates that 
financial close will occur by the end of 2009. In January 
2008, the MOD confirmed negotiations for Package 1 
were progressing successfully. DTR is expected to 
generate a significant level of revenue and profit once  
it is operational. There is a risk that the MOD may  
materially change the final scope or delay or cancel  
the implementation of the programme, which would 
have a significant effect on the future expected growth 
of the Group. 

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Defined benefit pension scheme deficit and/or cash 
funding contributions may increase
The Group’s defined benefit pension scheme valuation is 
subject to market changes beyond the control of 
QinetiQ. Actual returns achieved on assets may be lower 
than expected, inflation could be higher than expected 
and life expectancy may rise faster than expected. All 
these factors could contribute to the reported deficit 
increasing significantly beyond the current level. The 
Group has made considerable additional contributions  
to the scheme in previous years to reduce the funding 
deficit over the long term and scheme member 
contributions have also been increased. With effect from 
June 2008, QinetiQ is implementing changes to future 
benefit accruals and in addition future cost increases will 
be dealt with through a risk-sharing agreement between 
the Company and employees. The Group has taken these 
actions in conjunction with the scheme trustees and 
maintains an active dialogue with the trustees, to seek 
to manage and contain the magnitude and volatility of 
the pension scheme deficit, and associated cash funding, 
and their impact on the performance of the Group.

The Group’s tax liabilities may increase due to changes 
in tax legislation
QinetiQ is liable to taxation in the countries in which it 
operates, principally the United Kingdom and the United 
States. Changes to the tax legislation in these countries 
could have an adverse impact on the quantum of tax 
paid on the profits generated by the Group.

The realisation of value from intellectual property  
may be delayed
The funded research and development work the Group 
undertakes for defence and other customers creates 
intellectual property that the Group retains and can 
utilise for commercial applications. Where opportunities 
exist, the Group may seek to realise the value of the 
intellectual property through licence sales, development 
of new business streams or creation of spin-out 
ventures. The uncertainty that exists over new 
technologies and markets may result in delays or failure 
to realise value from intellectual property or in a higher 
level of investment required for the opportunity to be 
realised. The Group only invests in the development  
of intellectual property where it believes there is a 
substantial and realistic market opportunity for the 
technology and it undertakes a portfolio approach, 
recognising that not all investments will be successful. 
The performance of intellectual property realisation 
programmes is actively monitored to increase support 
for successful prospects and reduce expenditure where 
realisation appears less likely. The Group brings in 
external experts and funders as partners in a variety  
of structures to enhance the performance of certain 
intellectual property realisation projects, as evidenced  
by the creation of the Venture fund with Coller Capital. 

Fixed-price contracts may cost more to complete  
than envisaged
The Group enters into fixed-price contracts with 
customers. The Group seeks to minimise the exposure  
to changes in the cost of completing these contracts by 
only taking on delivery obligations that it can manage 
and by regular review of forecast costs throughout 
contract bidding and delivery stages. Additionally the 
nature of much of the services provided under such 
fixed-price arrangements for contract R&D, advisory and 
consulting services are often for a defined amount of 
effort or resource rather than firm product deliverables 
and as such the risk of cost escalation in such contracts 
is substantially mitigated. With the exception of the 
LTPA, no individual fixed-priced contract is material to 
the revenue of the Group. 

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Business review – Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Responsibility

We are embedding Corporate Responsibility (CR) in our organisation  
through the management of our sites, the delivery of our operations,  
the values of our people and our stakeholder relationships. 

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Our framework for delivering a responsible and sustainable business  
is to structure our initiatives into four themes – Our People,  
Community, Environment and Marketplace.

Graham	Love, Chief Executive Officer

Highlights

Royal Society for the Prevention  
of Accidents (RoSPA) Gold Awards 
for Health and Safety practices  
in the UK

UK Report for Injuries, Diseases  
and Dangerous Occurrences 
Regulations (RIDDOR) rate at  
2.28 accidents per 1,000 
employees, well below the HSE 
industries average

Investors in People accreditation  
in the UK

New learning and development 
programmes on business ethics 
and corporate responsibility for 
employees in the UK

Education outreach programmes  
in the US and UK

Science for Society programme

ISO 14001 certification gained for 
three further sites in the UK

Recycling up by 8% at major  
UK sites

Increase in customer satisfaction

“  With a dedicated CR manager and board level support, we are 
making good progress and have much to be proud of. There  
is genuine commitment and enthusiasm to deliver tangible 
improvements, building on strong foundations within the 
organisation, but we recognise that there is still work to be 
done and we are committed to our programmes going forward. 
With CR integral to our values and business practice, we  
will ensure our business sustainability. In recognition of our 
commitment to responsible business practice, QinetiQ joined 
Business in the Community in November 2007. This section 
demonstrates how we met our 2008 objectives and outlines 
our goals for further improvement in 2009.”

	 Graham	Love, Chief Executive Officer 

“  QinetiQ has already developed innovative and meaningful ways  
to engage with its community stakeholders and address the sciences  
talent and skills shortage faced by many of today’s businesses in the  
UK. The ‘Lab in a Lorry’ is a great example of a fun programme that  
both stimulates interest in the sciences for young learners and is  
rewarding for QinetiQ employees. We are excited to assist as QinetiQ  
further develops business practices and programmes that integrate  
its key stakeholder and sustainable business priorities into its overall  
business strategy.”

	 Business	in	the	Community

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our People
At QinetiQ, we know it is our people that make us successful and we  
create a climate and culture to enable them to deliver outstanding performance.  
Our aim is to attract and engage the best people, providing a framework where  
they can realise their full potential.

Nurturing our talent – investing in people
QinetiQ is committed to retaining our status as a top-
quartile investor in employee learning and development. 
In 2008, we met this target with employees receiving  
in the UK, on average, five days of training. We provide  
a range of programmes, including our three-year 
engineering apprenticeship, the early career 
management scheme and the Competing to Win 
programme for bid managers.

Since 2001, QinetiQ in the UK has maintained Investors 
in People accreditation and we are delighted that we are 
now demonstrating areas of best practice.

We were encouraged by the high response rate to the  
UK annual employee engagement survey. Improvements 
were seen in the areas relating to performance 
management and communication, demonstrating the 
successful impact of the initiatives introduced last year. 
We aim for further improvements to address 
development areas highlighted by the survey.

Health and Safety 
QinetiQ is committed to the safety and well-being of  
our people. Support to employees is provided through  
a network of professionally qualified health, safety and 
environment advisors, occupational health nurses and 
the Employee Assistance Programme in the UK. Health 
and Safety campaigns this year focused on ensuring the 
safety and well-being of contractors and on  
muscular-skeletal issues.

In 2008, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and 
Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) rate for 
QinetiQ’s UK employees was 2.28 accidents per 1,000 
employees, compared with the Health and Safety 
Executive (HSE) ‘all industries’ rate of 5.36. This is an 
improvement on last year’s rate of 3.47 accidents per 
1,000 employees.

“  Across the organisation, 
high regard is given to  
Health and Safety.” 

  Investors in People report, 
  December 2007

Accidents per 1,000 UK employees

8

6

4

2

0

2001/2

2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8

  HSE all industries’ rate         

  QinetiQ UK RIDDOR rate

Work at QNA is generally low risk and so there is no 
formal requirement to report accidents according to  
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
(OSHA) code. Our North American business monitors 
accidents and recorded 5.66 days away from work per 
1,000 employees in 2008 (2007: 10.78).

“  The high standard of Health and  
Safety management was recognised  
by RoSPA, with the award of Gold  
Achievement Awards to significant  
parts of the Company.”

  Colin Shimell, UK Chief Health, Safety  
  and environment Advisor

What next? 
n 

n 

 Continue to retain our status as a top-quartile investor 
in employee learning and development
 Continue to maintain UK RIDDOR rates at better than 
the HSE benchmark rate and develop appropriate US 
benchmarks

n  Increase programmes to support safer driving
n 

 Increase levels of health, safety and environmental 
training for all appropriate managers.

The QinetiQ inventor Awards Scheme recognises and rewards 
employees for both invention and the commercial benefits  
from invention. Chris Lyddon, head of the QinetiQ team that 
developed X-Net®, has been honoured under the QinetiQ 
inventors Awards Scheme along with his colleague Julian  
Moody, for his pioneering work on the product. To date,  
X-Net has earned £12m in revenues for QinetiQ. 
Chris Lyddon, X-Net inventor

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Community
Investing in Community programmes enables our people to commit their time and  
expertise to support local and wider society issues. As well as fundraising activities  
for a range of good causes, we are proud of our education outreach programme, where  
we aim to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Our Science for  
Society initiative uses our technical skills and technology to make a difference. 

Education
As one of Europe’s largest employers of scientists and 
engineers, QinetiQ has for many years been committed 
to Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) 
outreach programmes. Engaging with young people in a 
variety of STEM activities encourages them to consider 
careers in science and engineering. Increasing the 
number of scientists and engineers in the workforce  
will benefit the UK in an ever more competitive global 
marketplace. In November 2007, QinetiQ set up a 
steering group to provide coherency and a stronger 
direction to our programmes. Key achievements in the 
past year have been the Lab in the Lorry tours to schools 
near our sites in Scotland, Essex and Kent, projects 
organised with schools across the UK as part of the 
Engineering Education Scheme, our own School  
Link Scheme and placements through Nuffield Science 
Bursaries and Year in Industry Scheme. In North America, 
the Systems Engineering Group provided a number of 
educational scholarships, for example at the University 
of Missouri-Columbia, under the Westar Systems 
Engineering and Software Development Scholarships. 
QinetiQ North America (QNA) also sponsored the 
winning team of the FIRST Robotics Competition  
in Colorado.

Science for society 
QinetiQ recognises that through the unique capabilities 
of our employees and our technology, it is possible to 
make a real difference to society. 

In December 2007, QinetiQ employees made their third 
visit to the remote village of Kongtayoun, Southern Laos, 
to assist with the clearance of unexploded ordnance 
(UXO). Working with the Swiss de-mining organisation 
FSD, the team’s aim was to build local capability in  
UXO detection techniques and mapping, as well as 
developing simple and inexpensive equipment to 
improve transport in rough terrain.

QinetiQ has over 100 Science and engineering Ambassadors 
(SeAs) and they work on a wide range of projects with schools. 
Annette Smart was chosen from over 1,000 SeAs in the west 
Midlands for an award in recognition of her significant 
contribution to the programme.

Charitable giving and community support
Throughout the Group, we support a number of charities 
that are important to our employees. Charitable giving 
initiatives included matched giving, payroll giving and 
volunteering. Total charitable giving across the Group  
in 2008 was £184,000, of which £97,000 was to  
UK-registered charities. In addition, employees in  
the UK raised a further £64,000. 

Our sites continue to support a range of local issues in 
their communities. Some of the highlights this year in the 
UK include provision of funding for a community centre 
in Benbecula and funding for a library in a school near 
Boscombe Down. Aberporth employees improved 
playground facilities at a local school and employees 
from our site in the Kyle of Lochalsh worked with a local 
school to highlight health and safety issues. We also 
contributed to the Motov8 scheme at Pershore, 
supporting increased education and awareness among 
disaffected young people. In QNA, employees are actively 
involved in a number of community initiatives including 
Habitat for Humanity, Women in Technology and the 
Junior League of Huntsville Alabama Sports Festival.

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What next? 
n 

 9,000 students will be visited by Lab in the Lorry  
by the end of 2009
 Continue to focus and deliver our STEM outreach 
programmes.

“ The technology and skills that the QinetiQ team have taken  
to Laos are sustainable so local people can clear the land of 
unexploded ordnance after the team leave. The ultimate aim  
of the project is to return the land to economic use by restoring 
the roads and making land available for the production of  
rice and silk.” 
Brett Lowery, engineer, Laos UXo project

n 

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environment
We recognise the need to understand the impact we have on the environment  
and to put in place measures to reduce our carbon footprint and our waste.  
We are also adding positive benefit through our conservation initiatives.

Environmental management
QinetiQ has in place an environmental management 
system for all of our UK estate. We have an ongoing 
programme of gaining ISO 14001 certification and, in 
2008, we met an important target and successfully 
gained certification for two of our major sites, Malvern 
and Farnborough. Ahead of schedule we have also 
gained certification for our Rosyth site. This takes the 
total with certification to 23 sites and includes all of the 
sites we manage under the LTPA, as well as the major 
QinetiQ-owned sites.

Resource and energy management
Across our sites, we have many programmes to reduce 
our consumption of energy and resources and to ensure 
that we reduce, reuse and recycle where possible.

waste: Reuse of surplus equipment by other 
departments is routinely considered before recycling or 
disposal. Most sites recycle a variety of materials – from 
paper to batteries. An awareness campaign was run  
in October 2007 to provide information and advice to 
employees. Total waste for our major UK sites in 2008 
was 2,115 tonnes, of which 638 tonnes (30%) was 
recycled, compared to 22% recycled in 2007.

water: A 2008 objective was to continue to monitor our 
water usage. Across the QinetiQ estate, water metering 
has been in place for several years. This allows early 
detection of leaks and prompt repairs. Steady and lasting 
progress continues to be made in water conservation by 
introducing more efficient systems, detection and repair 
of leaks and by educating employees. 

energy: We successfully met our target to ensure we  
did not exceed current levels of CO2 emissions from  
UK energy consumption relative to business output  
(94 tonnes CO2 per £m revenue in 2008, 2007: 144 
tonnes). This has been achieved by investment in, and 
expansion of site building energy management systems, 
installation of more remote utility metering systems, 
energy awareness campaigns, investment in automated 
lighting systems and lower use of our high-pressure 
wind tunnel. Total energy used in 2008 was equivalent 
to 77,781 tonnes of CO2 compared to 90,483 tonnes in 
2007. (CO2 calculated with the new Defra and Carbon 
Trust recommended conversion factor for electric of 
0.523kgCO2/kWh.)

UK energy consumption and CO2 emissions

)

H
W
G

(
e
s
u
y
g
r
e
n
E

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

)
0
0
0

’

s
e
n
n
o
t
(

s
n
o
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s
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2

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120

108

96

84

72

60

48

36

24

12

0

2001/2

2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8

Energy use (GWH)
CO2 (tonnes ’000)2

CO2 (tonnes ’000)1

1  CO2 calculated with the historical recognised conversion factor for 
electric of 0.43kgCO2/kWh.
2  CO2 calculated with the new recommended conversion factor for 
electric of 0.523kgCO2/kWh.

Conservation
QinetiQ owns and operates sites that contain valuable 
conservation areas, many of which are of national or 
international importance, including Sites of Special 
Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Areas of 
Conservation. The sites provide areas of undisturbed 
land for wildlife to flourish and help preserve habitats 
that would otherwise be lost. By maintaining and 
enhancing the condition of conservation areas, we make 
a valuable contribution to national biodiversity 
objectives. This is a long-term commitment and, in 
August 2007, the Boscombe Down Conservation Group 
marked 20 years of conservation effort. 

we have been working with Marwell Zoological Park to restore 
the 79-hectare eelmoor Marsh at Farnborough, Hampshire, 
which is now a nature reserve and home to many species of rare 
plants and wildlife. Not only is the site restored as heathland, it 
also provides a soft release environment that will ensure the 
preservation of the endangered Przewalski’s horse, which  
was introduced to the marsh in conjunction with Marwell. 

What next? 
n 
n 

 Extend ISO 14001 certification to all significant sites
 Introduce an enhanced carbon footprint management 
programme
 Increase our recycling rates by 3% in 2009. 

n 

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Marketplace
QinetiQ strives to be a responsible business to work with and we place  
great value on our relationships with our customers and supply chain.

Energy and environment solutions
QinetiQ recognises the importance of technology 
solutions in addressing issues such as climate change. 
Our scientists and engineers are developing a range of 
solutions, looking at low-carbon transport, renewable 
energy and waste management. 

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A prototype of a Stirling power system that will use landfill and 
other waste gases to generate electricity is being developed by 
QinetiQ North America. The Stirling system offers the potential 
for significant economic and environmental benefits.

What next? 
n 

 Introduce responsible purchasing criteria into all our 
key procurement activities
 Continue to embed a customer-focused culture 
throughout the Group.

n 

The Customer Equation programme
Our Customer Equation programme is helping us to 
understand and improve our performance relative to 
customer needs, for today and for the future. We are 
working to use ‘voice of the customer’ feedback to 
support improvement and help us all to further develop 
a customer-focused culture throughout our organisation. 
QinetiQ has been rapidly changing and we recognise the 
need to work with our customers so they understand 
our capability. Results from the 2007 survey showed an 
increase in customer satisfaction over the last three 
years, and highlighted the positive relationships 
between our customers and account managers.

Business ethics
QinetiQ’s business ethics policy continues to be guided 
by our core values of integrity, excellence, care, 
teamwork and commitment and with respect for  
human rights and the best interests of employees and 
stakeholders. This policy is implemented throughout the 
Group, irrespective of business or operational context. 
QinetiQ is a member of the UK Anti-Corruption Forum.

In QNA, each employee is required to undergo periodic 
ethics training. Training on business ethics has been 
developed as part of the induction programme for all 
new employees in the UK. This accompanies the training 
course on CR, which informs employees of QinetiQ’s 
wider approach to responsible business.

Responsible purchasing 
A key priority for our purchasing team is ensuring that 
we are working responsibly with our supply chain to 
address improvements in both environmental and 
societal issues. The process of establishing a clear set  
of criteria with which to engage all QinetiQ suppliers  
is under way, with initial focus being placed on key 
suppliers. Plans for the future include working with  
our preferred suppliers to identify ways in which  
our procurement activities can directly support  
our objectives.

QinetiQ was part of the development consortium behind the 
Morgan Life Car that was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show 
and has been responsible for the design of the proton membrane 
exchange fuel cell which converts hydrogen, plus oxygen taken 
from the air around it, into electrical energy.

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our Board of Directors

our Board of Directors

1

3

2

7

5

  1  Sir John Chisholm a b

 4   Sir David Lees a*b*d

  Deputy Chairman (Senior independent  

Non-executive Director)
Sir David Lees (71) joined the Board of QinetiQ in August 2005.  
He is currently Chairman of Tate & Lyle plc. He has also been a 
member of the UK Panel on Takeovers and Mergers since June 
2001. Sir David joined GKN plc in 1970 and became Group 
Finance Director in 1982. He was appointed Group Managing 
Director in 1987, and Chairman and Chief Executive in 1988 
before becoming Non-executive Chairman in 1997 until his 
retirement in May 2004. Other notable roles include being a 
member of the National Defence Industries Council between 
1995 and 2004, Chairman of Courtaulds plc from 1996 to 1998, a 
Non-executive Director of the Bank of England between 1991 and 
1999 and Chairman of the CBI Economic Affairs Committee from 
1988 until 1994, as well as being a member of the CBI President’s 
Committee from 1988 to 1996. From 2001 to 2006, he was  
Non-executive Joint Deputy Chairman of Brambles Industries plc 
and Brambles Industries Limited. Sir David is currently a  
Non-executive Director of the Royal Opera House and he is also a 
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and 
Wales. The Board considers that Sir David’s detailed understanding 
of the Defence sector, coupled with his extensive experience of 
corporate governance and the City and its institutions, significantly 
enhances the operation of the Board, particularly in the context 
of Sir David’s dual role of Deputy Chairman and Senior 
Independent Non-executive Director.

  5  Colin Balmer a

  Non-executive Director

Colin Balmer CB (61) was appointed to the Board of QinetiQ in 
February 2003. He served as Managing Director of the Cabinet 
Office from 2003 until his retirement in 2006. Previously,  
Colin was Finance Director of the MOD, with responsibility for 
QinetiQ’s privatisation and the subsequent investment by Carlyle 
as part of the PPP Transaction. He has extensive experience 
across the MOD including periods as Private Secretary of two 
Ministers for Defence Procurement, a secondment to the UK 
Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)  
and as a Minister for Defence Materiel in Washington DC,  
United States. Colin was formerly a member of the Independent 
Financial Reporting Advisory Board and the Advisory Council of 
Partnerships UK and is currently a member of the Foreign and 
Commonwealth Office’s Audit and Risk Committee and is on  
the Board of the Royal Mint, chairing their Audit Committee.  
The Board considers that Colin’s extensive knowledge of the 
development of QinetiQ throughout its public-private partnership, 
and his in-depth understanding of the working of Government, 
particularly the UK MOD, provides the Board with a unique 
insight into the issues facing Government in delivering its 
procurement objectives and partnering with industry suppliers.

Chairman (Non-executive Director)
Sir John Chisholm (61), the Non-executive Chairman of QinetiQ, 
was Chief Executive Officer of QinetiQ (previously DERA) from 
1991 to 2005, transforming it into a successful trading fund and 
developing its commercial business. Until October 2006, he was 
the Executive Chairman of QinetiQ. Previously Sir John was UK 
Managing Director of Sema Group plc and prior to that he was  
a Director of CAP Group plc. In 1979, he founded and became 
Managing Director of CAP Scientific Ltd. After a degree at 
Cambridge in Mechanical Sciences, Sir John’s work experience 
included periods at General Motors and Scicon Ltd, part of BP.  
Sir John was formerly President of the Institution of Engineering 
and Technology and is currently Chairman of the Medical Research 
Council. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, 
the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of Physics. The 
Board considers Sir John’s extensive knowledge of Defence and 
Security Technology markets, and his unrivalled experience of 
QinetiQ’s business gained whilst Chief Executive Officer, to be  
a valuable asset to the Board in terms of decision-making and 
understanding the strategic issues affecting the Group.

 2   Graham Love a

Chief executive officer (executive Director)
Graham Love (54) is the Chief Executive Officer of QinetiQ, having 
previously been Chief Financial Officer. Prior to rejoining DERA in 
2001, he was Chief Executive of Comax Secure Business Services 
Ltd, leading it through its privatisation in 1997 before its sale to 
Amey plc in 1999. Before that, Graham was Finance Director of 
DERA from 1992 to 1996. After a degree in English at Cambridge, 
his career included management roles with Ernst & Young, KPMG 
and Shandwick plc, as well as several years in international 
consulting. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants in England and Wales.

  3  Doug Webb

Chief Financial officer (executive Director)
Doug Webb (47) is the Chief Financial Officer of QinetiQ. Doug 
was appointed to the Board in September 2005, having previously 
been Group Financial Controller. He joined QinetiQ in June 2003 
from LogicaCMG, where he had most recently been the Regional 
Finance Director for Continental Europe. During his eight years 
with Logica, Doug spent the period from 1995 to 2000 in the US 
in various management roles at its US subsidiary, including Chief 
Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice 
President, Telecoms Division. He trained as an accountant with 
Price Waterhouse and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants in England and Wales. On 17 January 2008, Doug 
announced his intention to take up the position of Chief Financial 
Officer with London Stock Exchange Group plc and resigned as  
a Director on 30 May 2008.

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4

8

6

9

  6  Noreen Doyle c d

  8  Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr 

  Non-executive Director
  Noreen Doyle (59) was appointed to the Board of QinetiQ in 
October 2005 and serves as an independent Non-executive 
Director. She also sits on the Board and Audit Committee of 
Credit Suisse Group (Zurich) and is a Non-executive Director of 
Newmont Mining Corporation (Denver) and Rexam plc. In August 
2005, Noreen completed her four-year term as First Vice President 
of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 
(EBRD), where she chaired the EBRD’s Operations Committee  
and was a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to her 
appointment as First Vice President, Noreen was firm-wide head 
of Risk Management. She joined the EBRD in 1992 to establish its 
syndications functions. Before joining the EBRD, Noreen had a 
distinguished career at Bankers Trust Company (now Deutsche 
Bank) in corporate finance and leveraged financing with a 
concentration in oil, gas and mining. Noreen has a BA from the 
College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, New York and an MBA 
from Tuck School at Dartmouth College. The Board considers that 
Noreen’s extensive international business experience, particularly 
in the areas of corporate finance, risk management and banking, 
to be of significant benefit to the Board as QinetiQ continues its 
strategy of developing new business opportunities outside its 
traditional UK market, particularly in North America.

  Non-executive Director

Admiral Giambastiani (60) was appointed to the Board of QinetiQ 
in February 2008 and serves as an independent Non-executive 
Director. Between 2005 and 2007, Ed was the second highest-
ranking military officer in the United States, having served as the 
seventh Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which was the 
culmination of a 37-year career in the US Navy. Ed’s distinguished 
career has also included assignments as Special Assistant to the 
CIA’s Deputy Director for Intelligence, Senior Military Assistant  
to the US Defense Secretary and Commander, US Joint Forces 
Command. He also served as NATO’s first Supreme Allied 
Commander Transformation, when he led the transformation  
of the military alliance. Ed currently serves as the Non-executive 
Chairman of the Board of Directors for Alenia North America, Inc 
and is a Non-executive Director of SRA International, Inc and 
Monster Worldwide Inc. The Board considers that Ed’s extensive 
knowledge of the US Defence and Security domain significantly 
enhances the operation of the Board, as QinetiQ continues to 
pursue its strategy of growing its US platform in the defence and 
security technology sector. 

 9   Nick Luff c*

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  7  Dr Peter Fellner b c d*
  Non-executive Director

Dr Peter Fellner (64) joined the Board of QinetiQ in September 
2004. Peter is Executive Chairman of Vernalis plc and is also  
the Chairman of both Acambis plc, and the privately held 
biotechnology company, Astex Therapeutics Limited. In addition, 
he serves as a Director of two European biotechnology 
companies, UCB SA and Evotec AG and also Consort Medical plc. 
Previously, Peter served as Chairman of Celltech Group plc from 
2003 to July 2004, having been Chief Executive Officer from 1990 
onwards. Before joining Celltech, he was Chief Executive of Roche 
UK from 1986 to 1990, having previously been a Director of Roche 
UK Research Centre. The Board considers that Peter’s detailed 
understanding of the commercialisation of innovative 
technologies, and his experience of bringing high-technology 
businesses to the public markets, are a valuable asset to the 
Board in terms of the development of QinetiQ’s portfolio of 
leading technologies and the evolution of QinetiQ’s remuneration 
policies, particularly in the context of his role as Chairman of the 
Remuneration Committee.

  Non-executive Director
  Nick Luff (41) joined the Board of QinetiQ in June 2004 and serves 
as an independent Non-executive Director. Nick was appointed 
Finance Director of Centrica plc in March 2007, having previously 
served as CFO of the P&O Group. He trained as a chartered 
accountant with KPMG and is a member of the Institute of 
Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Nick joined P&O  
in 1991 and held various finance roles before joining the Board  
as Finance Director in 1999. In October 2000, he became Chief 
Financial Officer of P&O Princess Cruises plc on its demerger from 
the P&O Group and returned as Chief Financial Officer of P&O  
in May 2003. Nick has also served as a Non-executive Director  
on the board of Royal P&O Nedlloyd NV, the Dutch-listed 
international container shipping company. The Board considers 
that Nick’s experience of operating as Chief Financial Officer/
Finance Director with P&O and Centrica, coupled with his 
extensive exposure to a variety of industrial sectors, provides the 
rigorous financial and commercial scrutiny required of a FTSE-
listed company at the Board level, particularly in the context of 
his role as Chairman of the Audit Committee.

a Member of Compliance Committee 

b Member of Nomination Committee 

c Member of Audit Committee 

d Member of Remuneration Committee 

* Chair of Committee

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Corporate Governance Report

Corporate Governance Report

This part of the Annual Report, together with the Report of the 
Remuneration Committee on pages 58 to 64, describes how QinetiQ 
has applied the principles contained in the revised Combined Code 
on Corporate Governance published in June 2006 (‘the Combined Code’).

Combined Code
On appointment as Chairman in 2005, Sir John Chisholm was not 
regarded as independent under the Combined Code as he was 
formerly QinetiQ’s Chief Executive Officer. The Combined Code 
recommends that a company’s chairman should be independent on 
appointment, and that its Chief Executive Officer should not become 
chairman of the same company. The Board considers that departure 
from the Combined Code in this area is appropriate and gave its 
reasons for non-compliance both in the prospectus published as part 
of the Company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2006 and the 2007 
Annual Report. 

Save as stated above, QinetiQ has complied with the provisions of 
the Combined Code throughout the last financial year.

The Board – governance, processes and systems
Composition of the Board
Sir John Chisholm is the Non-executive Chairman of QinetiQ. The 
roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer are separate, with their 
responsibilities having been clearly articulated by the Board in 
writing. The Chairman is responsible for the effective operation of 
the Board and ensures that all Directors are enabled and encouraged 
to play their full part in Board activities. The Chief Executive Officer is 
responsible to the Board for directing and promoting the profitable 
operation and development of the Group consistent with enhancing 
long-term shareholder value, which includes the day-to-day 
management of the Group, formulating, communicating and 
executing Group strategy, and the implementation of Board policies.

The Board comprises a Non-executive Chairman, six Non-executive 
Directors and two Executive Directors, namely the Chief Executive 
Officer and the Chief Financial Officer1, with the objective of 
achieving a balance of Executive and Non-executive Directors. The 
Board considers its overall size and composition to be appropriate, 
having regard in particular to the independence of character and 
integrity of all the Directors and the experience and skills which they 
bring to their duties, which prevents any individual or small group 
from dominating the Board’s decision making.

The Senior Independent Non-executive Director is Sir David Lees.  
Sir David is also Deputy Chairman of the Board and serves as an 
additional point of contact for shareholders should they feel that 
their concerns are not being addressed through the normal channels. 
Sir David is, furthermore, available to fellow Non-executive Directors, 
either individually or collectively, should they wish to discuss matters 
of concern in a forum that does not include the Chairman, the 
Executive Directors or the senior management of QinetiQ.

The Shareholder Relationship Agreement entered into between 
QinetiQ and MOD at IPO entitles the MOD to nominate one  
Non-executive Director to the Board, for so long as the MOD does  
not dispose of any further ordinary shares in the Company, and 
thereafter, for so long as it holds at least 10% of QinetiQ’s issued 
ordinary share capital.

Directors’ independence
Of the current Directors of the Company, the Board considers Sir 
David Lees, Nick Luff, Dr Peter Fellner, Noreen Doyle and Admiral 
Edmund P. Giambastiani to be independent of QinetiQ’s executive 
management and free from any business or other relationships that 
could materially interfere with the exercise of their independent 
judgement. Of the remaining Non-executive Directors, the Board 
considers that both Sir John Chisholm and Colin Balmer are not 
independent for Combined Code purposes, Sir John on the basis  
that he was formerly QinetiQ’s Chief Executive Officer and  
exercised certain executive responsibilities until 1 October 2006,  
and Mr Balmer as he is a nominee of the MOD, which is the largest 
shareholder on QinetiQ’s share register.

In February 2008, Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani replaced  
George Tenet as an independent Non-executive Director. Admiral 
Giambastiani has extensive knowledge of the US Defence and 
Security domain which will enhance the operation of the Board  
as QinetiQ continues its strategy of growing its US platform in the 
Defence and Security Technology sector. Admiral Giambastiani  
was selected through an open process with the assistance of an 
international search and selection consultant.

Based on the above, the Board considers that over half of its 
members were independent Non-executive Directors throughout  
the last financial year. 

Board structure
The Board considers that the skills and experience of its individual 
members, particularly in the areas of UK defence and security, the 
commercialisation of innovative technologies, corporate finance and 
mergers and acquisitions, have been fundamental in the pursuit of 
QinetiQ’s growth strategies (as described in the Business Review 
section of this Annual Report) in the past year. In addition, the 
quoted company experience available to members of the Board in a 
variety of industry sectors and international markets has also been 
invaluable to the Company as it seeks to penetrate new markets and 
geographic territories.

Operation of the Board
The Board is responsible for managing the Group’s operations and  
in this capacity determines the Group’s strategic and investment 
policies. The Board also monitors the performance of the Group’s 
senior management team and organises its business to have regular 
interaction with key members of the Group, including those based  
in North America. The following is a summary of the approach taken 
by the Board to corporate governance in the financial year ended  
31 March 2008:

n 

 The Board has agreed a schedule which contemplates eight Board 
meetings being held in each financial year. Members of the Board 
are also invited to attend a dinner on the occasion of each Board 
meeting, which assists in the process of relationship building and 
ensuring that key strategic initiatives are thoroughly discussed. In 
the last financial year the Board met on ten separate occasions; 
two of these meetings were unscheduled and were convened to 
allow the Board to consider the merits of acquisition opportunities 
in both the US and Australia. The Board intends to hold two of its 
scheduled meetings in the US in each financial year, to give 
members of the Board an opportunity to meet with senior 
management in the QinetiQ North America region. It is proposed 

1  Doug Webb, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company throughout the financial year ended 31 March 2008, announced on 17 January 2008 his intention to  
take up the position of Chief Financial Officer with The London Stock Exchange Group plc. Mr Webb will resign as a Director of the Company on 30 May 2008. 
Following the announcement made on 21 May 2008, we anticipate that David Mellors will be appointed as Chief Financial Officer from the end of August 2008.

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that a further two Board meetings will be held at QinetiQ UK sites 
each year to provide members of the Board with greater 
opportunity to understand the operational dynamics of the EMEA 
business at first hand.

n 

 The Board receives written reports from the CEO and CFO each 
month, together with a separate report on investor relations 
(which is prepared in consultation with QinetiQ’s brokers) and  
a report produced by the Company Secretary on key legal and 
regulatory issues affecting the Group. The Board also considers 
reports from the respective Chairmen of the Committees of the 
Board at the next scheduled Board meeting following the date on 
which each such Committee Meeting was held. The CEO’s monthly 
report addresses the key strategic initiatives impacting the Group 
since the last meeting of the Board, and focuses in particular on 
the strategic progress of each of the EMEA, QNA and Ventures 
businesses. Other key areas of focus include health, safety, 
environmental, employee and organisational issues, the status of 
key account management/customer relationship initiatives and 
the pipeline of potential acquisitions, disposals and investments.  
Of particular significance in the last financial year was the 
consideration given to a number of acquisition opportunities, 
which culminated in the completion of the Boldon James 
transaction in the UK, the Automatika, Applied Perception,  
3H Technology, ITS and Pinnacle CSI acquisitions in the US,  
and QinetiQ’s entry into the Australian Defence consultancy 
business through the acquisitions of Ball Solutions, Novare and 
Aerostructures. The Board also oversaw the restructuring activity 
in the EMEA region during the second half of the financial year, 
together with the creation of a new Technology Venture fund  
in collaboration with Coller Capital, and the programme of work 
for progressing the contractual arrangements for the Defence 
Training Rationalisation programme (conducted through Metrix). 
Any proposed acquisitions, disposals and investments which 
exceed the CEO’s delegated authority are considered by the Board 
in the context of the CEO’s report.

n 

 The CFO’s monthly report addresses the financial performance and 
outlook of the Group and each of the sectors, both on a monthly 
and year-to-date basis, with the key performance indicators 
analysed being those identified on page 10 of the CEO review.  
The Group Risk Register also forms part of the CFO’s report on  
a quarterly basis and highlights the dozen or so principal risks 
capable of having a material impact at a Group level, the 
materiality of each risk, the assumptions underlying each such risk, 
the actions required to manage the risk and the relevant key 
performance indicators for each headline risk. The risks covered by 
the Group Risk Register cover a range of financial and non-financial 
items, based on the ‘Principal risks and uncertainties’ identified on 
pages 42 to 44 of the Business Review. The CFO also reports on a 
monthly basis, as part of his investor relations report, on the key 
issues raised by shareholders, potential investors and other important 
stakeholders on QinetiQ’s performance and key strategic initiatives. 

n 

 On at least two occasions each year, one of the sector heads will 
give a presentation to the Board on the key strategic, operational 
and performance issues impacting their business. The Board also 
receives updates from the CEO’s key functional reports on an ‘as 
needed’ basis, on issues such as Human Resources, Real Estate and 
Pensions, throughout the financial year. The Board devotes one 
entire meeting each year to consider strategy and planning issues 

impacting the Group, from which the five-year corporate plan is 
generated. A key part of this process involves the Board having  
the opportunity to question the sector heads and the Executive 
Directors in relation to the formulation of the corporate plan at 
sector level and the impact of these plans on the Group strategy  
as a whole. The Non-executive Directors also have an opportunity 
to meet with other members of staff within the QinetiQ Group 
(including, but not limited to, other members of the senior 
management team) at lunchtime events, which are scheduled to 
coincide with Board meetings. During the last financial year, two 
such events were held in Farnborough and Washington DC and 
the Board also had the opportunity to review QinetiQ’s LTPA 
operations at Boscombe Down.

n 

n 

 The Board operates through a comprehensive set of processes, 
which define the schedule of matters to be considered by the 
Board and its Committees during the annual business cycle, the 
level of delegated authorities (both financial and non-financial) 
available to both Executive Directors and other layers of 
management within the business, and QinetiQ’s Business Ethics, 
Risk Management and Health, Safety and Environmental 
processes. The Board also has a clearly articulated set of matters 
which are specifically reserved to it for consideration, which 
include reviewing the annual budgets, raising indebtedness, 
granting security over Group assets, approving Group strategy and 
the corporate plan, approval of the annual and interim report and 
accounts, approval of significant investment, bid, acquisition and 
divestment transactions, approval of Human Resources policies 
(including pension arrangements), reviewing material litigation 
and monitoring the overall system of internal controls, including 
risk management.

 QinetiQ has been a member of the UK Defence Industry Anti-
corruption Forum since 2006, the primary objective of which is to 
promote ‘the prevention of corruption in the international defence 
markets’. In furtherance of this objective, QinetiQ has enhanced its 
existing internal procedures which are designed not only to 
comply with, but to exceed, international best practice in this area. 
This is facilitated by the engagement of an independent, 
internationally recognised organisation known as TRACE 
(Transparent Agents and Contracting Entities) which conducts 
anti-bribery due diligence reviews and compliance training on 
behalf of the Group, particularly in circumstances in which QinetiQ 
is planning to engage third-party agents overseas.

Performance of the Board
During the financial year ended 31 March 2008, the Board repeated 
the self-assessment process first used in the previous year to 
evaluate the performance of the Board, its Committees and 
individual Directors. This evaluation process was based on a detailed 
questionnaire, covering issues ranging from ‘value creation’ and 
‘strategic planning’ through to the operation of the Board/its 
Committees and ‘risk management’. The evaluation process was led 
by the Chairman, who supplemented the detailed responses derived 
from the self-assessment questionnaire with a series of meetings 
held individually with each of the Directors, at which the 
performance of the Board as a whole, as well as the Committees and 
individual Board members were discussed. In addition, Sir David Lees, 
in his capacity as the Senior Independent Non-executive Director, 
met with individual members of the Board to evaluate the 
performance of the Chairman. The evaluation process revealed that, 

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in virtually all areas, the operation of the Board and its Committees 
had improved in the past 12 months. The Board concluded from the 
evaluation exercise that its business is conducted in a positive and 
open manner, with the Board possessing the requisite skills and 
diversity necessary to fulfil its leadership role and having a detailed 
understanding of its stewardship responsibilities. The Board agreed 
that in the financial year ending 31 March 2009, and once every 
three years thereafter, it would conduct the evaluation process 
through an external facilitator. 

As a separate exercise, the Chairman has held various meetings  
with the Non-executive Directors in the last financial year, without 
the Executive Directors present, in order to review both the  
operation of the Board and the performance of the Executive 
Directors. In addition, the Executive Directors were appraised as  
part of the annual salary review process, which was overseen by  
the Remuneration Committee. 

Directors’ induction, training and information
All newly appointed Directors participate in an induction programme, 
which is tailored to meet their specific needs in relation to 
information on the Group. This induction programme includes an 
induction pack, which is refreshed to ensure it contains the most 
up-to-date information available on the Group. 

All Directors are encouraged to visit QinetiQ’s principal sites and to 
meet a wide cross-section of QinetiQ’s employee base. During the last 
financial year, the Board held two of its meetings at QinetiQ facilities 
located in the Washington DC area, which allowed members of the 
Board to better appreciate the dynamics of QinetiQ’s newly acquired 
ITS and Analex businesses. The Board also held one of its meetings at 
QinetiQ’s Boscombe Down site, during which a tour was undertaken 
of the LTPA facilities located at the site, which provided members of 
the Board with exposure to a range of Managed Services capabilities 
in the fixed wing/rotary aircraft and environmental sectors. 

Training is also available to the Board on key business issues or 
developments in policy, regulation or legislation on an ‘as needed’ 
basis. By way of example, the Board was provided with a detailed 
presentation on recent changes in legislation and corporate practice 
as a result of the introduction of parts of the Companies Act 2006 
and amendments to the Listing Rules, with particular emphasis on 
the clarification of the law relating to director’s duties. Each of the 
Directors has access to the services of the Company Secretary, and 
there is also an agreed procedure for the Directors to seek 
independent advice at the Company’s expense.

Directors’ responsibilities
Statements explaining the Directors’ responsibilities for preparing 
the Group’s financial statements and the auditors’ responsibilities  
for reporting on those statements are set out on pages 68 and 69.

Other Directors’ information
Details of Executive Directors’ service contracts and the Non-
executive Directors’ letters of appointment are set out in the Report 
of the Remuneration Committee. Copies of Directors’ service 
contracts and letters of appointment will be available for inspection 
at the Company’s Annual General Meeting.

In October 2006, Sir John Chisholm, was appointed Chairman of the 
Medical Research Council, a role for which he does not take a fee.

Each serving member of the Board will be put forward for re-election 
at the Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2008. 

Committees of Directors
The Board has established four principal committees, being the  
Audit Committee, the Remuneration Committee, the Nominations 
Committee and the Compliance Committee, each of which operates 
within written terms of reference approved by the Board, details of 
which are set out in the Investor Relations section of QinetiQ’s 
website (www.QinetiQ.com). Each Chairman of the Board Committees 
reports on the key issues discussed, and decisions taken, at the next 
meeting of the Board following the Committee meeting in question.

Details of each of these Committees are summarised below.

Audit Committee
Each member of the Audit Committee is an independent Non-
executive Director. The Committee is chaired by Nick Luff, who has 
been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England 
and Wales since 1991, and the Board considers him to have recent 
and relevant financial experience given his former roles as CFO of 
P&O and P&O Princess Cruises and his current position as Finance 
Director of Centrica. The other members of the Committee are  
Dr Peter Fellner and Noreen Doyle. The Audit Committee meets as 
necessary and at least four times a year. During the financial year 
ended 31 March 2008, the Committee met on five occasions. The 
external auditors have the right to request that a meeting of the 
Audit Committee be convened. During the past financial year, the 
Committee met with QinetiQ’s external auditors on two separate 
occasions without Executive Directors present to discuss the audit 
process, and the Committee Chairman also met with the Group Head 
of Internal Audit on the same basis. The Group Chairman, Chief 
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Group Financial Controller, 
Group Head of Internal Audit, the Internal Audit Manager and a 
representative of the external auditors normally attend Audit 
Committee meetings except where not permitted.

During the last financial year, consideration of the audit process for 
the full year and interim results represented the principal area of 
focus for the Audit Committee. The Committee also continued to 
assess the effectiveness of the Internal Audit function though the 
review of a balanced scorecard process designed to measure the 
achievement of Internal Audit objectives, which also resulted in the 
approval of a detailed 12-month work programme for the function. 
In the context of the Group’s North American business, the 
Committee held its first meeting with the newly appointed Head  
of Internal Audit for QNA in the last financial year, which included  
a review of the application of internal controls in respect of the proxy 
regime and considered KPMG’s approach to auditing the newly 
acquired US businesses. As part of its regular review of internal 
controls, the Committee considered in detail the operations of 
QinetiQ’s Treasury function, and paid particular attention to those 
areas of internal audit review which had failed to achieve at least  
a ‘satisfactory’ rating. As part of the regular reporting process, the 
Committee also reviewed the activities of the tax and insurance 
functions, as well as overseeing the level of KPMG’s audit fees. The 
Committee has also been involved in the recruitment process to 
replace the Group Head of Internal Audit, Graham Coley, who retired 
in February 2008.

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In order to safeguard auditor independence and objectivity, the 
Committee ensures that any other advisory/consulting services 
provided by the auditors do not conflict with their statutory audit 
responsibilities and are conducted through entirely separate working 
teams; such advisory and/or consulting services only generally cover 
regulatory reporting, tax and mergers and acquisitions work. Any 
non-audit services conducted by the auditors require the consent of 
the Chief Financial Officer or the Chairman of the Audit Committee 
before being initiated, with any such services exceeding £50,000 in 
value requiring the consent of the Audit Committee as a whole. In 
the last financial year, the only non-audit activity conducted by 
KPMG on behalf of QinetiQ which exceeded this £50,000 threshold 
related to the provision of M&A and taxation advisory services to the 
Group, which the Committee concluded did not create any conflict of 
interest issues which might compromise the independence of KPMG 
audit work. It is also QinetiQ’s policy that no KPMG employee may be 
appointed into a senior position within the QinetiQ Group without 
the prior approval of the Chief Financial Officer. The cost of non-audit 
work undertaken by the auditors was reviewed by the Committee on 
several occasions during the last financial year; this process allows 
the Committee to take corrective action if it believes that there is a 
risk of the auditors’ independence being undermined through the 
award of such work.

KPMG has been the Company’s auditors since 2003. The members of 
the Audit Committee have declared themselves satisfied with the 
performance of KPMG as the Company’s auditors in the last financial 
year. There has been a rotation of KPMG’s lead audit partner during 
the financial year ended 31 March 2008; it is anticipated that he will 
continue in this role for a maximum term of five years.

Remuneration Committee
Each member of the Remuneration Committee is an independent 
Non-executive Director. The Committee is chaired by Dr Peter Fellner. 
The other members of the Remuneration Committee are Sir David 
Lees and Noreen Doyle. The Committee meets as necessary although 
normally not less than three times a year. During the financial year 
ended 31 March 2008, the Remuneration Committee met on six 
occasions. Although not members of the Committee, the Group 
Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, the Group Head of Human 
Resources and the Head of Performance and Reward normally  
attend Committee meetings, together with representatives of 
QinetiQ’s external consultants, Deloitte & Touche LLP, as necessary. 
Executive Directors are not present when their own remuneration  
is being discussed.

Nominations Committee
The Nominations Committee consists of the Committee Chairman, 
Sir David Lees, together with Dr Peter Fellner and Sir John Chisholm. 
A majority of the Committee throughout the year were Non-
executive Directors. The Committee meets as necessary and when 
called by its Chair. During the financial year ended 31 March 2008, 
the Committee met formally on one occasion and consulted 
informally on several other occasions.

planning to cover vacancies arising over a two to five-year timeframe. 
The Committee also oversaw the selection process for a new 
independent Non-executive Director with experience of the US 
Defence and Security sector, which culminated in the appointment of 
Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani to the Board in February 2008. The 
Committee was responsible for initiating this recruitment process, 
using external recruitment agents, and retained responsibility for 
finalising the terms of Admiral Giambastiani’s engagement through 
to completion of his appointment. The Committee also initiated the 
recruitment process for a new Chief Financial Officer to replace Doug 
Webb, who announced on 17 January 2008 his intention to take up 
the position of Chief Financial Officer with The London Stock 
Exchange Group plc.

Compliance Committee
QinetiQ’s breadth of technical knowledge and its depth of 
understanding of the defence operating environment allows it  
to serve the interests of the MOD in two distinct ways. It is able  
to partner with other manufacturers in the defence supply chain to 
develop and deliver capabilities that give an operational advantage  
to the armed forces and also to provide advice to the MOD during  
the entire procurement cycle.

However, these distinct offerings may lead to conflict of interest, 
which, if unmanaged, could bring into question the MOD’s ability to 
be able to rely on impartial advice during any competitive evaluation 
of a procurement where QinetiQ wishes to operate on both the ‘buy’ 
and the ‘supply’ sides. To give MOD customers confidence that 
QinetiQ is able to perform these activities, QinetiQ is required by its 
Articles of Association to implement a Compliance Regime, which 
was established on its creation out of DERA. Central to this Regime is 
the requirement for QinetiQ to seek permission from the MOD prior 
to providing commercial defence services to others where there is 
potential for a conflict of interest with the services that QinetiQ 
provides to the MOD.

In designing the Compliance Regime, the MOD and QinetiQ sought 
to achieve a balance between meeting the needs of the procurement 
customers within the MOD (principally Defence Equipment and 
Support) and the need to allow QinetiQ flexibility to exploit research 
into the supply chain and pursue its planned commercial activities, 
without compromising the defence or security interests of the UK. 
The Compliance Regime is largely self-policing, in that it is applied by 
QinetiQ in respect of its activities without extensive intervention or 
oversight by the MOD. Since the inception of the Compliance Regime, 
over 97% of the requests to the MOD to allow QinetiQ to operate on 
the supply side of the commercial defence market have been 
approved. Oversight of the operation of the Regime is provided by  
the Compliance Committee, chaired by Sir David Lees. Colin Balmer,  
a Non-executive Director, is a member of the Committee and the 
Group Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Compliance Audit 
Director are also members. The Board nominates two senior 
executives to act as Compliance Implementation Director and 
Compliance Audit Director.

The principal focus of the Committee’s activities during the financial 
year ended 31 March 2008 was to review QinetiQ’s succession 
planning processes at both the Executive and Non-executive Director 
level, and for other key management positions within the Group, 
which the Committee considered in terms of the need to plan for 
immediate cover in respect of key roles, as well as succession 

QinetiQ’s Compliance Committee meets on four occasions each year 
to monitor the operation of the Regime. It receives a report from the 
Company’s Compliance Implementation Director which describes the 
permissions which have been sought and granted since the last 
meeting of the Committee, and the status of projects where the 
potential conflicts of interest are being managed. The Committee 

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also receives, from the Compliance Audit Director, a report on the 
effectiveness of the controls that are in place to ensure that the 
Regime is operated correctly. The Committee reviews the systems 
that support the Compliance Regime and those that may impact it, 
directing changes if appropriate. The Committee is the forum that 
would address any issues arising out of QinetiQ’s failure to comply 
with the requirements of the Regime. The Committee has supported 
the MOD in conducting its own internal audit review of the 
Compliance Regime during the course of the last financial year.

A computer-based training package continues to be used to ensure 
that all relevant employees have a satisfactory knowledge of the 
operation of the Regime. For key roles, competence is demonstrated 
by passing a mandatory test annually. 

The MOD reviews the operation and effectiveness of the Compliance 
Regime, through its right to have an observer at the Compliance 
Committee meetings.

Communication with shareholders
The Company attaches significant importance to the effectiveness of 
its communications with shareholders. During the last financial year, 
the Company has maintained regular dialogue with institutional 
shareholders and the financial community, which has included 
presentations of the full-year and interim results (including investor 
‘road shows’ held in the UK, Europe and US), regular meetings with 
major shareholders and industry analysts, participation in 
stockbrokers’ seminars and investor site visits held at Malvern and 
Boscombe Down. In addition, each member of the Board attended 
the Company’s Annual General Meeting in July 2007 and a number 
of Non-executive Directors attended key shareholder events in the 
last financial year, including the full-year and interim results 
presentations, at which they were available to take questions from 
shareholders. All shareholders and potential shareholders can gain 
access to the Annual Report, presentations to investors and other 
significant information about the QinetiQ Group on the Company’s 
website at www.QinetiQ.com.

During the year, a total of eight new permissions were sought from 
the MOD under the Compliance Regime, where potential conflicts  
of interest were identified by QinetiQ, with one permission request 
being outstanding from the previous year. Of these nine requests 
two were approved, three were not pursued, one was rejected and 
three remained outstanding at the end of March 2008. At the end of 
the year, 27 firewalls were in place, with seven being established and 
16 being closed down during the year. Since vesting in 2001, a total 
of 110 firewalls have operated with 83 now closed. No breaches of 
the MOD Compliance Regime have been noted during the year.  
A firewall is a series of rules and procedures governing written and 
oral communication between staff contributing to products in an 
MOD competition with industry (outside the wall) and staff assessing 
those products for MOD (inside the wall).

The Compliance Committee also provides oversight of QinetiQ’s 
activities that fall within the scope of the Helsinki Protocol covering 
trials involving human volunteers.

Going concern
The Directors are of the opinion that the Group has adequate 
resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future and have 
prepared the accounts on a going concern basis.

Attendance at Board and Committee meetings April 2007 – March 2008

Holders of ordinary shares may attend the Company’s AGM at which 
the Company highlights key business developments during the year 
and at which shareholders have an opportunity to ask questions. The 
chairmen of the Audit, Remuneration, Nominations and Compliance 
Committees will be available to answer any questions  
on the work of the Committees. The Company confirms that it will 
send the AGM notice and relevant documentation to all shareholders 
at least 20 working days before the date of the AGM. For those 
shareholders who have elected to receive communications 
electronically, notice is given of the availability of documents on the 
Investor Relations section of the Group’s website. All shareholders 
will be entitled to vote on the resolutions put to the AGM and, to 
ensure that all votes are counted, a poll will be taken on all the 
resolutions in the Notice of Meeting. The results of the votes on  
the resolutions will be published on the Company’s website.

Responsibility for maintaining regular communications with 
shareholders rests with the Executive Team, led by the Chief 
Executive Officer, assisted by an investor relations function which 
reports to the Chief Financial Officer. The Board is informed on  
a regular basis of key shareholder issues, including share price 

Colin Balmer 
Sir John Chisholm 
Noreen Doyle 
Dr Peter Fellner 
Sir David Lees 
Graham Love 
Nick Luff 
George Tenet 1 
Doug Webb 
Edmund P. Giambastiani 2 

Board 

9/10 
10/10 
9/10 
9/10 
8/10 
10/10 
9/10 
4/10 
10/10 
– 

Remuneration 
Committee 

Audit  
Committee 

Compliance 
Committee 

nomination 
Committee

– 
– 
6/6 
6/6 
5/6 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
5/5 
5/5 
– 
– 
5/5 
– 
– 
– 

4/4 
4/4 
– 

3/4 
4/4 
– 
– 
– 
– 

–
1/1
–
1/1
1/1
–
–
–
–
–

1  George Tenet resigned from the Board on 1 February 2008.
2  Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani was appointed to the Board on 1 February 2008, which followed the date of last Board meeting held in the financial year ended 

31 March 2008.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Corporate Governance Report continued

performance, the composition of the shareholder register and City 
expectations. The Chairman, the Senior Independent Director and 
Non-executive Directors make themselves available to meet with 
shareholders as required.

Management and control of US subsidiaries
QinetiQ’s principal US subsidiaries are currently required by the US 
National Industrial Security Program to maintain facility security 
clearances and to be insulated from foreign ownership, control or 
influence. To comply with these requirements, QinetiQ North 
America Operations, LLC (a wholly-owned subsidiary of QinetiQ in the 
US and the holding company for the substantive part of QinetiQ’s 
North American operations) and the US DoD have entered into a 
proxy agreement that regulates the ownership, management and 
operation of these companies. Pursuant to this proxy arrangement, 
QinetiQ appointed three US citizens holding requisite US security 
clearances as proxy holders to exercise the voting rights of QinetiQ 
North America Operations, LLC’s shares in the US subsidiaries. The 
proxy holders are also appointed as directors of the relevant US 
subsidiaries and, in addition to their powers as directors, have power 
under the proxy arrangements to exercise all prerogatives of share 
ownership of QinetiQ North America Operations, LLC. The proxy 
holders agree to perform their role in the best interests of QinetiQ 
North America Operations, LLC and consistent with the national 
security concerns of the United States. QinetiQ does not have any 
representation on the boards of the subsidiaries covered by the proxy 
agreement and does not have the right to attend board meetings. 
QinetiQ may not remove the proxy holders except for acts of  
gross negligence or wilful misconduct or for breach of the proxy 
agreements (with the consent of the US Defense Security Service).

Internal controls
The Board is ultimately responsible for the Group’s system of internal 
control and for reviewing its effectiveness in safeguarding the 
shareholders’ interests and the Company’s assets. However, such  
a system is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of 
failure to achieve business objectives, and can provide only 
reasonable and not absolute assurance against material 
misstatement or loss. QinetiQ managers are responsible for the 
identification and evaluation of significant risks applicable to their 
areas of business, together with the design and operation of suitable 
internal controls to ensure effective mitigation. These risks, which  
are related to achievement of business objectives, are assessed on a 
continual basis and may be associated with a variety of internal and 
external events, including control breakdowns, competition, 
disruption, regulatory requirements and natural and other 
catastrophes.

A process of hierarchical self-certification has been established 
within the organisation which provides a documented and auditable 
trail of accountability for the operation of the system of internal 
control. This process is informed by a rigorous and structured self-
assessment that addresses all of the guidance cited in the Combined 
Code. The process provides for successive assurances to be given at 

increasingly higher levels of management and, finally, to the Board. 
The process is informed by the Internal Audit function, which also 
provides a degree of assurance as to the operation and validity of the 
system of internal control. Planned corrective actions are 
independently monitored for their timely completion. The managers 
report on risks (which are recorded at corporate, sector and divisional 
level of profit and loss, as well as within all customer-facing projects) 
and how these are managed on a monthly basis to the QinetiQ 
Executive Team and the Board, formally, on a quarterly basis.

The QinetiQ Executive Team reviews on a monthly basis the risk 
management and control process and considers:

n 

n 

 the authority, resources and coordination of those involved in the 
identification, assessment and management of significant risks 
faced by the organisation;

 the response to the significant risks which have been identified by 
management and others; the monitoring of reports from Group 
management; and

n 

 the maintenance of a control environment directed towards the 
proper management of risk.

The centrally provided internal audit programme is prioritised 
according to risks identified by the Company and is integrated across 
all business and functional dimensions, thereby reducing issues of 
overlap or gaps in coverage. These risks are identified dynamically 
and the Board is involved in this process as well as the QinetiQ 
Executive Team.

The Chief Financial Officer provides to the Board monthly 
information that includes key performance and risk indicators.  
Where areas for improvement in the system of internal control are 
identified, the Board considers the recommendations made by the 
QinetiQ Executive Team, the Audit Committee and the Compliance 
Committee. The Audit Committee reviews, on behalf of the Board, 
the key risks inherent in the business and the system of internal 
control necessary to manage such risks and presents its findings to 
the Board. Internal Audit independently reviews the risk identification 
and control processes implemented by management and reports to 
the Audit Committee.

The Audit Committee also reviews the assurance process, ensuring 
that an appropriate mix of techniques is used to obtain the level of 
assurance required by the Board. It presents its findings to the Board 
on a regular basis. The Board has reviewed the effectiveness of the 
system of internal control that has been in operation during the 
financial year ended 31 March 2008. The Board also routinely 
challenges the management to ensure that the systems of internal 
control are constantly improving to maintain their continuing 
effectiveness.

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Report of the Remuneration Committee

Report of the Remuneration Committee

Dr Peter Fellner,
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

Our aim is to drive QinetiQ’s business performance and shareholder 
value through the Group’s remuneration strategy and to ensure 
governance of executive reward. The key purpose of the Committee 
is to ensure that the remuneration strategy is aligned to the Group’s 
strategy and that we are able to attract, retain and motivate  
the very best calibre executives in an increasingly competitive 
market for talent.

The following report and recommendation of the Remuneration 
Committee have been approved by the Board for submission to 
shareholders. The report covers the remuneration for Directors and 
includes specific disclosures relating to their emoluments, shares and 
other interests. It also describes the share-based incentive plans 
available to Executive Directors and to other employees. This report 
has been produced in accordance with the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report Regulations 2002.

We are committed to providing transparent disclosure of Executive 
Directors’ remuneration to all stakeholders. This report provides clear 
details of the component parts of each Executive’s remuneration and 
explains the policies and principles to which we have adhered.

Membership
The Committee is composed of the following independent  
Non-executive Directors:

The Remuneration Committee remains confident that the existing 
reward structure is appropriate to support the business strategy. As a 
result of this year’s annual review, the following changes were made:

n  Dr Peter Fellner;

n  Sir David Lees; and

n 

 In line with US market practice, in order to retain and motivate  
US executives, we implemented a Restricted Stock Plan. This was 
listed in our IPO Prospectus and approved by shareholders. The 
plan is in line with share structures operating in the US. Executives 
receive a share grant, equal amounts of which vest based on time 
and the rate of organic growth within the US business. Vesting 
occurs annually over a four-year period.

n 

 Within the UK, we introduced a Performance Share Plan and a 
Deferred Annual Bonus Plan, both of which were approved by 
Shareholders at our July 2007 AGM.

These new arrangements will become the key mechanism for  
long-term incentivisation amongst our senior executives. 

The Remuneration Committee continues to review the total reward 
package to assess how well incentive awards match with the Group’s 
performance. I am confident that we continue to align executives’ 
and shareholders’ interests whilst enabling the Group to engage a 
high-calibre team.

The Board recommends that shareholders vote to approve the Report 
on Directors’ Remuneration.

n  Noreen Doyle. 

The full Terms of Reference of the Committee can be found on the 
QinetiQ website (www.QinetiQ.com) and copies are available on 
request.

Governance
The Committee is chaired by Dr Peter Fellner and all of its members 
are independent Non-executive Directors. In 2008, the Committee 
met six times.

During the year the Committee received advice from its appointed 
independent advisors, Deloitte & Touche LLP (Deloitte). Towers  
Perrin and Monks Partnership provided market information. Deloitte 
provided other consulting services during the year to QinetiQ, but did 
not provide advice on executive remuneration matters other than to 
the Committee.

Sir John Chisholm (Chairman), Graham Love (CEO), Stephen Luckhurst 
(Group Human Resources Director) and John Leighton-Jones (Group 
Head of Reward & Performance) provided advice to the Committee, 
other than in relation to their own remuneration.

Dr Peter Fellner 
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

28 May 2008

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Report of the Remuneration Committee continued

Activities
During the year the following activities were undertaken by the 
Committee:

Directors’ remuneration policy
The Committee aims to maintain a remuneration policy, consistent 
with the Group’s business objectives, which:

n 

n 

 evaluation of Executive Directors and senior management 
performance to determine salaries and prior-year bonus payments;

n  attracts, retains and motivates individuals of high calibre; and

n  is responsive to both business and personal performance.

 establishment of parameters and performance targets for annual 
bonus plans;

The remuneration policy is built on the following philosophy:

n  group Share Option Scheme grants to managers in the UK and US;

n  review of Long-Term Incentive arrangements;

n 

 grants under the QinetiQ North America Stock Award Plan;

n 

 introduction of the 2007 Performance Share Plan and a Deferred 
Annual Bonus Plan;

n  approval of awards under the Performance Share Plan;

n 

n 

 market-based review of the total compensation packages of the 
Group’s most senior executives; and

 review of remuneration for Non-executive Directors of the Group, 
including the Chairman. Independent advice was provided by 
Deloitte. Recommendations were made to the Board with regard 
to the level of remuneration.

n 

n 

 remuneration packages will be structured in order to support 
business strategy whilst conforming to current best practice;

 total rewards are achieved through the attainment of stretching 
performance targets based on measures which are consistent with 
the interests of shareholders; and

n 

 transparent disclosure of remuneration will be provided to the 
Company’s shareholders.

The current structure of remuneration (excluding pension) for Executive Directors under this policy is illustrated below:

Fixed (c40%) 

Base Salary 

variable (c60%) 

Short/Medium-Term incentive 

Annual cash bonus with an element deferred 
into the Deferred Annual Bonus Plan 

Long-Term Incentive

Performance Shares 
Deferred Annual Bonus

Each element of an Executive Director’s remuneration package aligns and supports the achievement of different Company objectives.  
This alignment is illustrated below:

element 

Base Salary 

Annual Bonus with a deferred element 

Performance Share Plan  
(replaces share options for Executives) 

Objective 

Performance Metric 

Reflects market practice based on size  
of role and complexity. 

– Drives achievement of medium-term metrics 
– Provides a co-investment opportunity 
– Drives achievement of annual 
    business metrics 
– Facilitates greater alignment 
    with shareholders 

– Drives earnings growth, 
    share price and dividend growth. 
– Aligns with shareholders 

Based on individual performance 

– Profit Before Tax 
– Earnings Per Share 
– Cash Flow
– Turnover 
– Orders

– EPS Growth 
– Total Shareholder Return 

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Report of the Remuneration Committee continued

QinetiQ Share Option Scheme (QSOS)
Share options align rewards of managers with returns to 
shareholders by focusing on increases in the share price over the 
medium to long term.

The QSOS is used to retain and motivate key managers below the 
level of the CEO’s direct reports, who do not receive awards under  
the PSP. Annual share option awards with a value up to 300% of 
salary can be made.

In line with market practice, the performance target is QinetiQ’s 
earnings per share growth. EPS growth of at least 22.5% must be 
achieved over the performance period. 25% of the award vests at that 
level of performance with full vesting for achieving 52% as illustrated 
in the graph below. EPS growth performance is measured over three 
years and there is no re-testing of performance.

100%

%
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25%

22.5%

52%

EPS Performance

2007 Performance Share Plan (PSP) and Deferred Annual Bonus  
Plan (DAB)
In 2007 the Remuneration Committee received shareholder approval 
for the establishment of the following new plans:
100%

n  2007 Performance Share Plan (2007 PSP); and

n  2007 Deferred Annual Bonus Plan (2007 DAB).

%
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30%

These new arrangements will become the key mechanism for  
long-term incentivisation for Executive Directors and direct reports  
of the CEO. Participants in the 2007 PSP do not receive QSOS grants.

Median

2007 Performance Share Plan (2007 PSP)
Awards of performance shares were made to Executive Directors  
and other senior executives in July 2007. Conditional share awards 
are contingent on meeting pre-determined performance criteria. 
Individual participants’ award levels are determined by the 
Remuneration Committee annually, with due regard to seniority  
as well as business and individual performance.

TSR Performance

Upper Quartile

Executive Directors are eligible to receive awards with a face value  
of up to 100% of base salary, with awards for other participants not 
exceeding 75% of base salary.

Awards are earned based on an equal weighting of relative total 
shareholder return (TSR) performance and absolute underlying 
earnings per share (EPS) growth.

Base salary
Executive Directors’ base salaries are reviewed annually on the same 
basis as all other employees and adjustments may be made to reflect 
competitive pay levels, business and individual performance. External 
remuneration consultants provide data about market salary levels. 
For market comparison purposes account is taken of company type, 
sector and measures of company size in terms of both market 
capitalisation and turnover.

Annual bonus
Executive Directors have annual cash bonus arrangements, which  
are non-pensionable. Bonuses are linked to Group and personal 
performance targets. The maximum annual bonus opportunity for 
the Executive Directors is 100% of salary.

The 2008 bonus scheme was based on a target of 50% of base salary 
and measured against the five key performance indicators (KPIs): 
Profit before tax; earnings per share; cash generation; turnover  
and orders.

An entry level is defined for each KPI and no payment will be made 
unless it is achieved. Performance against the KPIs is measured 
independently. However, if the entry level trigger for the profit KPI is 
not satisfied, the Committee has the discretion to reduce the bonus 
applicable to the other KPIs.

Where Group performance exceeds the entry level, bonus elements 
for each KPI accrue on a straight line to the target level. If there is 
over-achievement against one or more KPIs, then the proportion of 
bonus increases linearly to the maximum level.

Consideration is also given to the achievement of personal objectives.

As a percentage of salary the on-target, maximum and actual 
bonuses paid to Executive Directors are as illustrated below:

Graham Love 
Doug Webb 

On Target % 

Maximum % 

2008 Actual %

50 
50 

100 
100 

61.28
61.28

Benefits 
Benefits include a pension or contribution in lieu, car allowance, 
health insurance, life insurance and membership of the Group’s 
employee Share Incentive Plan which is open to all UK employees. 
The Company also pays an insurance premium in respect of death  
in service cover for those Executives not covered by the QinetiQ 
Pension Scheme.

Executives whose benefits are likely to exceed the Lifetime Allowance 
may opt out of the QinetiQ Pension Plan. In such cases, the individual 
will be paid a salary supplement in lieu of pension contributions.

Long-term incentives
The objective is to align the rewards of Executives with returns to 
shareholders by focusing on increasing the share price over the 
medium to long term. Executive Directors are eligible to participate in 
both the Performance Share Plan and the Deferred Annual Bonus plan.

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Report of the Remuneration Committee continued

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All Employee Share Schemes
QinetiQ has historically operated an HMRC-approved Share Incentive 
Plan (SIP) for its UK employees, including Executive Directors. Under 
this arrangement employees may purchase ordinary shares in 
QinetiQ on a monthly basis. QinetiQ provides a matching share for 
every three shares purchased by an employee. Dividends paid in 
respect of shares accumulated through the SIP are reinvested as 
dividend shares.

Due to expansion into overseas territories, the Company will be 
launching all employee share plans in North America and Australia. 
Within North America the plan will operate through an approved 
Shareholder Stock Purchase Plan, more commonly referred to as a 
S423 plan. Subject to certain restrictions, eligible employees will be 
able to purchase QinetiQ shares at a discount to the prevailing 
market rate. These purchased shares will be subject to a 12-month 
holding period. The envisaged all employee share plan for Australia 
will operate on a similar premise.

QinetiQ North America – Equity-Based Incentives
During the year, valid share awards reflecting local market practice 
were made to 250 executives and senior managers in our North 
American business. Initial awards were made in the form of Restricted 
Stock Units (RSU) under the Stock Award Plan adopted at IPO and/or  
in the form of Share Options. Share option awards were made under 
the QSOS. 

The RSU awards vest progressively over a four-year period, with 30% 
vesting after two years, a further 30% after three years and the 
balance after four years. Half of the award vests based on a time 
basis with half vesting based on the organic revenue growth of QNA.

In the year, 7.8m equity-settled awards were granted (2007:10.2m) of 
these 5.4m were under QSOS, 0.7m under PSP and 1.7m under RSU.

The quantum of awards reflects both the performance of the QNA 
business and our determination to recruit, retain and motivate  
high-calibre employees in an increasingly competitive employment 
market, where equity incentivisation forms a significant part of an 
executive’s and senior manager’s remuneration package. 

Personal Shareholding Policy
The Committee believes that a powerful way to align Executives 
interests with those of shareholders is for the Executives to build  
up and retain a personal holding in QinetiQ shares.

The CEO and CFO will be required to hold the equivalent of one times 
their base salary in QinetiQ shares. Each Executive Director currently 
meets the Committee’s guideline on minimum shareholding 
requirement. Direct reports to the CEO will be required to accumulate 
a shareholding equivalent to 50% of base salary over a four-year 
period from appointment.

Dilution limits 
The Committee has agreed that with regard to new issue or treasury 
shares, no more than 10% of the Company’s issued share capital will 
be used under all the Company’s share schemes over a period of ten 
years in accordance with ABI guidelines. The dilution as at 31 March 
2008 was significantly below this 10% level and, equally significantly, 
under the 5% level for Executive schemes. The Board intends to 
continue to satisfy a proportion of awards with shares purchased by 
the employee benefit trusts.

The TSR part of the award is measured against the constituents of a 
comparator group of companies:

Babcock International plc 
BAE Systems plc 
BBA Aviation plc 
Bodycote International plc 
100%
Capita Group plc 
Chemring Group plc 
Cobham plc 
Cookson Group plc 
Detica plc 
Enodis plc 
FKI plc 
25%
GKN plc 
Halma plc

%
g
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IMI plc
Invensys plc
Logica plc
Meggitt plc
The Morgan Crucible Company plc
Rolls-Royce plc
Serco plc
Tomkins plc
Ultra Electronics plc
Victrex Group plc
VT Group plc
WS Atkins plc

22.5%

52%

EPS Performance

The TSR element is earned only if relative performance is at least at 
median against this comparator group over a three-year performance 
period, calculated by an independent third party. The graph below 
illustrates the TSR performance conditions.

100%

%
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30%

Median

Upper Quartile

TSR Performance

The EPS element of the award requires a minimum absolute growth 
of 22.5% over the three-year performance period, for which 25%  
of the EPS part of the award would vest. This will increase on a 
straight line basis to full vesting if EPS growth of 52% is achieved. 
This is the same as applies for QSOS as illustrated in the EPS 
performance graph.

2007 Deferred Annual Bonus Plan (DAB)
The Deferred Annual Bonus aligns the interests of Executives with 
shareholders and aids retention of key individuals by ensuring that 
Executives are incentivised to take part of their annual bonus awards 
in shares rather than cash.

Awards are in the form of matching shares delivered after three 
years, subject to the achievement of performance conditions.

In this first year of application (2008) Executives can voluntarily defer 
up to 50% of their bonus under this plan, with the Committee setting 
a mandatory 20% deferral for the next financial year (2009). Deferred 
bonus will be matched to a maximum of 1:1 based on EPS performance.

Where an individual participates in the Deferred Annual Bonus and 
also participates in the PSP, they will not receive share awards which, 
in aggregate, exceed 150% of their base salary in any one year.

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Report of the Remuneration Committee continued

Performance Graph
The graph below compares the Company’s Total Shareholder Return 
over the period from IPO to 31 March 2008 with the FTSE 250 and 
FTSE 350 Aerospace & Defence sector Total Return Indices over the 
same period. These were chosen for comparison as QinetiQ is a 
constituent of both indices.

Relative share price performance

140

130

120

110

R
S
T

100

90

80

70

60

Non-executive Directors’ terms, conditions and fees
The Chairman reviews the fees of the Non-executive Directors on a 
biennial basis and makes recommendations to the Board. Non-
executive Directors receive additional fees as agreed by the Board for 
the chairmanship of Board committees to take account of the 
additional responsibilities of the role. The level of fees paid in UK 
organisations of a similar size and complexity to QinetiQ are 
considered in setting remuneration policy for Non-executive 
Directors. The fees are not performance related or pensionable. Non-
executive Directors are not eligible to participate in bonus, profit 
sharing or employee share schemes. 

Current fee structures for Non-executive Directors are shown below:

Non-executive Chairman 
Board Member base fee 
Committee Chairmanship additional fee 
Deputy Chairman/Senior Independent  
NED additional fee 

£215,000
£40,000
£7,000
£10,000 

The annual fees were reviewed in September 2007 and are due for 
further review in October 2009.

09 February 06

31 March 07

31 March 08

FTSE 250

FTSE 350 Aerospace & Defence

QinetiQ

Directors’ terms and conditions 
Service Agreements for the most senior Executives and the Non-executives are reviewed annually and amended as appropriate. 

Executives
Graham Love 
Doug Webb1 

Non-executives
Sir John Chisholm 
Sir David Lees 
Nick Luff 
Dr Peter Fellner 
Noreen Doyle 
Colin Balmer 
Admiral Ed Giambastiani2 

Former Directors
George Tenet3  

notice to be  
given by the 
Company 

Date of most 
recent Service  
Agreement 

Date of 
appointment

12 months 
12 months 1 

1 December 2005 
1 October 2005 

February 2003
September 2005

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

1 October 2006 
16 February 2006 
16 February 2006 
16 February 2006 
16 February 2006 
16 February 2006 
1 February 2008 

February 2003
August 2005
June 2004
September 2004
October 2005
February 2003
February 2008

26 October 2006 

October 2006

1 Doug Webb has resigned and will leave the Board on 30 May 2008.
2 Admiral Ed Giambastiani joined the Board on 1 February 2008.
3 George Tenet resigned from the Board on 1 February 2008 to join the Board of QinetiQ North America.

QinetiQ’s policy is that Executive Directors should have contracts with a rolling term providing for a maximum of one year’s notice. 
Consequently, no Executive Director has a contractual notice period in excess of 12 months. In the event of early termination, this ensures 
that compensation is restricted to a maximum of 12 months’ basic salary and benefits. The Committee will generally require mitigation to 
reduce the compensation payable to a departing Executive Director.

Non-executive Directors’ contracts are renewed on a rolling 12-month basis subject to reappointment at the Annual General Meeting.  
There are no provisions in their contracts for compensation on early termination.

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Report of the Remuneration Committee continued

External appointments
QinetiQ allows Executives to broaden their knowledge and experience by becoming Non-executive Directors of other companies. 
Appointments are approved by the Board or Committee on the basis that there is no conflict of interest or deterioration in the Executives’ 
performance. Fees are normally retained by the individual. During the year ended 31 March 2008, neither of the Executive Directors held such 
an appointment at a public company.

Audited information
The information about Directors’ remuneration and Directors’ interests on pages 63 and 64 has been audited. 

Executives
Graham Love 
Doug Webb 
Non-executives
Sir John Chisholm 
Sir David Lees 
Nick Luff 
Dr Peter Fellner 
Noreen Doyle 
Colin Balmer 
Admiral Ed Giambastiani f 
Former Directors
George Tenet g 

Salary/fees 

Bonusa 

Benefitsb 

Total 2008 

Total 2007

£341,817 
£305,580d 

£214,480 
£193,032 

£83,748c 
£16,730e 

£640,045 
£515,342 

£544,899
£415,279

£207,500 
£57,000 
£43,500 
£43,500 
£37,500 
£37,500 
£29,128 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

£13,265 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

£220,765 
£57,000 
£43,500 
£43,500 
£37,500 
£37,500 
£29,128 

£388,653
£50,000
£40,000
£40,000
£35,000
£35,000
–

£50,464 
£1,153,489 

– 
£407,512 

– 
£113,743 

£50,464 
£1,674,744 

£47,754
£1,596,585

Includes car allowance, health insurance benefits and payment in lieu of pension contributions.

a  2008 Performance bonuses were earned but not paid in the financial year.
b  Benefits apart from pensions.
c 
d  Before deductions to basic salary for SMART pensions (salary sacrifice arrangements).
e 
f  Admiral Ed Giambastiani joined the Board on 1 February 2008. Fees are inclusive of initial fee of $40,000 for joining the Board.
g  George Tenet resigned from the Board on 1 February 2008 to join the Board of QinetiQ North America. 

Includes car allowance, life assurance and health insurance benefits.

Pensions
The Group’s policy is to offer all UK employees membership of the QinetiQ Pension Scheme, as described in note 39 to the financial 
statements. This scheme contains both defined benefit and defined contribution sections. Doug Webb is a member of the defined 
contribution section of the QinetiQ Pension Scheme, Graham Love receives contributions in lieu of a pension.

Disclosures in respect of Doug Webb
Details of the contributions payable to the Defined Contribution section of the QinetiQ Pension Scheme, as required under Schedule 7A 
section 12(3) of the Companies Act 1985 and LR 9.8.8 (11) of the FSA’s Listing Rules are shown below:

The Company contributions payable in respect of the 12 months to 31 March 2008 were £59,545. These represent payments before SMART 
pension arrangements.

Directors’ interests 
The interests of the Directors in office at 31 March 2008 in the shares of QinetiQ Group plc at that date were as follows: 

Directors interest in the All Employee Share Incentive Plan

Sir John Chisholm 
Graham Love 
Doug Webb 

Interest 
as at 
1 April 
2007 

254 
1,263 
1,263 

Partnership 
Shares  
acquired 
during year 

Matching 
Shares  
appropriated 
during year 

Dividend 
Shares 
allocated 
during year 

– 
808 
808 

– 
269 
269 

6 
37 
37 

Interest 
as at 
31 March 
2008

260
2,377
2,377

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Report of the Remuneration Committee continued

Interests of Directors in office as at 31 March 2008 including shares held under SIP

Executives
Graham Love 
Doug Webb 

Non-executives
Sir John Chisholm 
Sir David Lees 
Nick Luff 
Dr Peter Fellner 
Noreen Doyle 

number 1p  
Ord Shares  
held at 

number 1p 
Ord Shares 
held at 
1 April 2007  31 March 2008 

number 1p 
Ord Shares 
held at 
28 May 2008

7,779,513 
619,130 

4,930,627 
320,244 

4,930,796
320,413

13,001,004 
17,000 
27,000 
17,000 
17,000 

3,731,8081 
63,000 
27,000 
17,000 
17,000 

3,731,808
63,000
50,000
17,000
17,000

1  The decrease in the interest of Sir John Chisholm reflects a transfer made into a trust established for the benefit of his family. Sir John Chisholm and Mr Nicolas 
John Shaw are the Trustees. Sir John has confirmed that the transfer was effected for CGT planning purposes and that he will reacquire the shares on 26 June 
2008. The Trustees held 9,269,202 1p ordinary shares as at 31 March 2008 (1 April 2007: nil).

Interests of Directors in office as at 31 March 2008 under long-term incentives

Grant 
Date 

number at  
1 April 2007 

Granted 
in Year 

exercised 
in Year 

Lapsed 
in Year  

executive Directors 

Graham Love
PSP-TSR 
PSP-EPS 
Doug Webb 1
QinetiQ Share  
Option Scheme 
(Approved) 
QinetiQ Share  
Option Scheme  
(Unapproved) 
PSP-TSR 
PSP-EPS 
Total 

26/07/07 
26/07/07 

– 
– 

50,288 
50,287 

22/02/06 

14,403 

22/02/06 

230,789 

– 

– 

26/07/07 
26/07/07 

– 
– 
245,192 

45,259 
45,258 
191,092 

– 
– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 

number at 
31 March 
2008 

50,288 
50,287 

exercise 
price 

earliest 
exercise date 

expiry 
Date

– 
– 

26/07/10 
26/07/10 

26/07/11
26/01/11

14,403 

208p 

22/02/09 

22/08/09 

– 
– 

– 

– 

230,789 

208p 

22/02/09 

22/08/09 

– 
– 
– 

45,259 
45,258 
436,284  

– 
– 

26/07/10 
26/07/10 

26/01/11
26/01/11

1 Due to resignation, awards made under the Performance Share plan, Group Share Option and matching shares in the SIP plan will lapse on 30 May 2008.

The interests in the table above are subject to the performance conditions described on pages 60 and 61. The price of a QinetiQ share  
at 31 March 2008 was 193p. The highest and lowest price of a QinetiQ share at 31 March 2008 were 206.5p and 165p respectively.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Report of the Directors

Report of the Directors

The Directors present their report and the audited financial 
statements for the year to 31 March 2008. The report from the 
Directors on Corporate Governance is set out on pages 52 to 57  
and the Remuneration Committee report on pages 58 to 64. 

Principal activity
QinetiQ Group plc is a public limited company, listed on the London 
Stock Exchange and incorporated in England and Wales with 
registered number 4586941. 

QinetiQ Group plc is the parent company of a Group whose principal 
activities during the year were the supply of technology-based 
solutions and products and provision of technology-rich support 
services for government defence and security organisations, such as 
the UK MOD and the US DoD, and for commercial customers around 
the world. 

Business review and Group results
The profit on ordinary activities of the Group before tax was £51.4m 
(2007: £89.3m). The profit attributable to ordinary shareholders of 
the parent company was £47.4m (2007: £69.0m).

A description of the Group’s performance during the year and the 
likely future developments is contained in the reports of the 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on pages 2 to 10 and in the 
Business Review on pages 11 to 49.

Principal risks and uncertainty
A description of the Group’s principal risks and uncertainty is 
contained in the Business Review on pages 42 to 44.

Principal changes to the Group
The Group made a number of acquisitions and disposals in the year 
which are disclosed in detail in notes 13 and 5 respectively.

Research & development
One of the Group’s principal business streams is the provision  
of funded research and development for customers. The Group  
also invests in the commercialisation of promising technologies 
across all areas of business. Further description of the Group’s 
research & development activity is contained in the Business  
Review on page 40.

Proposed dividend
During the year the Group paid an interim dividend of 1.33p per 
share (2007: 1.20p). The Directors recommend the payment of a  
final dividend of 2.92p per ordinary share (2007: 2.45p). Subject  
to the approval of shareholders the final dividend will be paid  
on 5 September 2008 to shareholders on the share register on  
8 August 2008.

Policy and practice on payment of suppliers
The policy of the Group is to agree terms of payment prior to 
commencing trade with a supplier and to abide by those terms based 
on the timely submission of satisfactory invoices. At 31 March 2008, 
the trade creditors of the Group represented 35 days of annual 
purchases (2007: 31 days).

Principal financial instruments risks and uncertainty
The Group’s principal risks in relation to the use of financial 
instruments arise on contracting with customers in foreign 
currencies and through the use of interest rate swaps and caps to 
manage interest rate exposure on the Group’s borrowings. A more 
detailed description of the Group’s principal risks and uncertainties 
and policies related to the use of financial instruments is contained 
in the Business Review on pages 42 to 44.

Directors and Directors’ interests
The Directors in office at the date of this report and details of the 
Board committees on which they sit are detailed on pages 50 and 51. 
The dates of Director appointments can be found on page 62. Details 
of the Directors’ emoluments and interests are shown in the Report 
of the Remuneration Committee on pages 58 to 64.

Directors’ appointment, removal and powers
Rules concerning the appointment and replacement of Directors  
of the Company are contained in the Articles of Association and 
changes to these Articles must be submitted to shareholders for 
approval. The Shareholder Relationship Agreement entered into 
between QinetiQ and MOD at IPO entitles MOD to nominate one 
Non-executive Director to the Board, for so long as MOD does not 
dispose of any further ordinary shares in the Company, and 
thereafter for so long as it holds at least 10% of QinetiQ’s issued 
ordinary share capital. The Directors are responsible for the 
management of the business of the Company and their powers  
are subject to the Memorandum and Articles of Association and  
any applicable legislation and regulation.

Employees
The Group is an equal opportunities employer, upholds the principles 
of the UK Employment Service’s ‘Two Ticks’ symbol and is accredited 
by Investors in People. Every possible consideration is given to 
applications for employment, regardless of gender, religion, disability 
or ethnic origin, having regard only to skills and competencies. This 
policy is extended to existing employees and any change which may 
affect their personal circumstances. The policy is supported by 
strategies for professional and career development.

QinetiQ seeks to utilise a range of communication channels to 
employees in order to involve them in the running of the organisation. 
This is done using various media including in-house magazines, 
intranet, regular newsletters, bulletins, management briefings, trade 
union consultation and widespread training programmes.

Environment
Details of the Group’s policy and practice in relation to the 
environment is detailed in the Corporate Responsibility report, 
contained in the Business Review on pages 45 to 49.

Political and charitable contributions
The Group made no political donations in the year. Donations during 
the year to UK charities amounted to £184,000 (2007: £19,000).

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Report of the Directors continued 

Corporate Governance
The Company’s application of the principles of good governance in 
respect of the Combined Code, as revised by the Financial Reporting 
Council June 2006, is described in the Corporate Governance Report 
on pages 52 to 57. 

Share capital 
As at 31 March 2008 the Company had:

(1) Authorised share capital of 1,400,000,000 of ordinary 1p shares 
with aggregate nominal value of £14,000,000 and 1 Special Share 
with an aggregate nominal value of £1. 

(2) Allotted and fully paid share capital of 660,476,373 ordinary 
shares of 1p each with an aggregate nominal value of £6.6m 
(including shares held by employee share trusts). 

Details of the shares issued during the financial year are shown in 
note 32 on page 108.

The rights of ordinary shareholders are set out in the Articles of 
Association. The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive the 
Company’s reports and accounts, to attend and speak at General 
Meetings of the Company, to exercise voting rights in person or by 
appointing a proxy and to receive a dividend where declared or paid 
out of profits available for such a purpose.

The Special Share is held by HM Government and it confers certain 
rights under the Articles of Association which are detailed in note 32 
on page 108. These include the right to require certain persons with a 
material interest in QinetiQ to dispose of some or all of their ordinary 
shares. The Special Share may only be held by and transferred to  
HM Government. At any time the Special Shareholder may require 
QinetiQ to redeem the share at par and if wound up the Special 
Shareholder would be entitled to be repaid capital before other 
shareholders. Any variation of the rights attaching to the Special 
Share requires the written approval of the MOD.

Change of control – significant agreements
The following significant agreements contain provisions entitling the 
counter-parties to require prior approval, exercise termination, 
alteration or other similar rights in the event of a change of control 
of the Company or if the Company no longer remains a UK company.

The Combined Aerial Target Service contract is a 20-year contract 
awarded to QinetiQ by MOD on 14 December 2006. The terms of this 
contract require QinetiQ Ltd to remain a UK company which is 
incorporated under the laws of any part of the UK or an overseas 
company registered in the UK and that at least 50% of the Board of 
Directors are UK nationals. The terms also contain change of control 
conditions and restricted share transfer conditions which require 
prior approval from HM Government if there is a material change  
in the ownership of QinetiQ Ltd’s share capital, unless the change 
relates to shares listed on a regulated market, with material defined 
as being 10% or more of the share capital. Additionally there are 
restrictions on transfers of shares to persons from countries 
appearing on the restricted list as issued by HM Government. 

if the contractor QinetiQ Limited ceases to be a subsidiary of the 
QinetiQ Group, except where such change in control is permitted 
under the Shareholders’ Agreement to which MOD is a party. 

The Company is party to a £500m Revolving Credit Facility with 
Lloyds TSB Bank plc (as agent) expiring 19 August 2012. Under the 
terms of the Facility, if either (1) the MOD ceases to retain in its 
capacity as Special Shareholder its Special Shareholders Rights;  
or (2) there is a change of control of the Company, any Lender  
may request by not less than 90 days’ notice to the Company,  
that its commitment be cancelled and all outstanding amounts  
be repaid to that lender at the expiry of such notice period.

On 6 December 2006, QinetiQ North America, Inc (as Borrower)  
and the Company (as Guarantor) entered into a Note Purchase 
Agreement to issue $135m 5.44% Senior Notes due 6 December 2013 
and $125m 5.50% Senior Notes due 6 December 2016. Under the 
terms of the agreement, if either (1) the MOD ceases to retain in its 
capacity as Special Shareholder its Special Shareholders Rights;  
or (2) there is a change of control of the Company, the Notes must be 
prepaid within 90 days of the change of control, provided only that 
there is no rating downgrade, or where there are no rated securities, 
a rating of at least investment grade is obtained.

Major shareholders
At 19 May 2008 being the latest practicable date prior to the 
issuance of this report the Group had been notified of the following 
shareholdings of at least 3% in the ordinary share capital of  
the Group:

UK Ministry of Defence 
Lansdowne Partners Ltd 
BlackRock Investment Management Ltd 
Fidelity International Ltd 
Allianz SE 
Legal & General Group plc 

18.9%
9.1%
5.0%
5.0%
3.1%
3.0%

Allotment/purchase of own shares
At the Company’s AGM held in July 2007, the shareholders passed 
resolutions which authorised the Directors to allot relevant securities 
up to an aggregate nominal value of £2,322,756 to disapply  
pre-emption rights (up to 5% of the issued ordinary share capital) 
and for the Company to purchase Ordinary Shares (up to 10% of its 
ordinary share capital). Equivalent resolutions will be laid before the 
2008 AGM.

During the year the Company provided funding to the trustees of  
its employee share schemes to make market purchases of the 
Company’s ordinary shares to cover future obligations under 
outstanding share option and other share-based awards. Further 
details are disclosed in the Business Review on page 39.

Restrictions on Transfer Shares
As outlined on page 108, the Special Share confers certain rights 
under the Company’s Articles of Association to require certain 
persons with an interest in QinetiQ’s shares which exceed certain 
prescribed thresholds to dispose of some or all of their ordinary 
shares on grounds of national security or conflict of interest.

The Long-Term Partnering Agreement is a 25-year contract which 
QinetiQ Limited signed on 28 February 2003 to provide test, 
evaluation and training services to the MOD. This contract contains 
conditions where the prior approval of HM Government is required  

In addition, at IPO, certain members of the senior management team 
(which includes the Chairman and the Executive Directors) entered 
into a Lock Up agreement, which prohibited the disposal of ordinary 

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Report of the Directors continued 

shares in the Company (save in certain limited circumstances) for  
a period of three years ending on 15 February 2009. The practical 
impact of such arrangements is that for each member of the senior 
management team subject to the Lock Up agreement, 28% of their 
respective ordinary shares held at IPO continue to be subject to the 
prohibition on disposal.

Articles of Association
Save in the respect of any variation to the rights attaching to the 
Special Share, the Company has not adopted any special rules 
relating to the amendment of the Company’s Articles of Association 
other than as provided under UK corporate law.

Employee Share Scheme
Equiniti Share Plan Trustees Limited acts as trustee in respect of  
all ordinary shares held by employees under the QinetiQ Group plc 
Share Incentive Plan (‘the Plan’). Equiniti Share Plan Trustees Limited 
will send a Form of Direction to all employees holding shares under 
the Plan, and will vote on all resolutions proposed at general 
meetings in accordance with the instructions received. In 
circumstances where ordinary shares are held by the corporate 
sponsored nominee service, Equiniti Corporate Nominees Limited  
will send a Proxy Form to all shareholders utilising such corporate 
nominee service, and will vote on all resolutions proposed at  
general meetings in accordance with the instructions received.

Auditors
KPMG Audit Plc has expressed their willingness to continue in office 
as auditors and a resolution to reappoint them will be proposed at 
the Annual General Meeting.

Statement of disclosure of information to auditors
The Directors who held office at the date of approval of this 
Directors’ Report confirmed that, so far as the Directors are aware, 
there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s 
auditors are unaware; and the Directors have taken all the steps  
they reasonably ought to have taken as Directors to make themselves 
aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the 
Company’s auditors are aware of that information.

Annual General Meeting
The Company’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 
30 July 2008 at 2.00 pm at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers,  
1 Birdcage Walk, Westminster, London SW1H 9JJ. Details of the 
business to be proposed and voted upon at the meeting is contained 
in the Notice of the Annual General Meeting which is sent to all 
shareholders and also published on the website www.QinetiQ.com

By order of the Board

Lynton Boardman
Company Secretary

85 Buckingham Gate 
London SW1E 6PD 
28 May 2008

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Statement of Directors’ responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities in respect of the  
Annual Report and the Financial Statements

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and 
the Group and parent company financial statements, in accordance 
with applicable law and regulations.

Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors are also 
responsible for preparing a Directors’ Report, Directors’ Remuneration 
Report and Corporate Governance Statement that comply with the 
law and those regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare Group and parent 
company financial statements for each financial year. Under that  
law they are required to prepare the Group financial statements  
in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the EU and have elected to 
prepare the parent company financial statements in accordance  
with UK Accounting Standards.

The Group financial statements are required by law and IFRS as 
adopted by the EU to present fairly the financial position and 
performance of the Group; 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.

The parent company financial statements are required by law to give 
a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the parent company.  
In preparing each of the Group and parent company financial 
statements, the Directors are required:

n 

 to select suitable accounting policies and then apply them 
consistently;

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of 
the corporate and financial information included on the Company’s 
website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and 
dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation  
in other jurisdictions. 

Responsibility statement of the Directors in respect  
of the Annual Report 
We, the Directors of the Company, confirm that to the best of our 
knowledge: 

n 

n 

  the financial statements of the Group have been prepared in 
accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU, and for the Company 
under UK GAAP, in accordance with applicable United Kingdom  
law and give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial 
position and profit or loss of the Group; and

  the Directors’ Report includes a fair review of the development  
and performance of the business and the position of the Group, 
together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties 
that face the Group.

n 

 to make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

By order of the Board 

Graham Love 
Chief executive Officer 

Doug Webb
Chief Financial Officer

n 

n 

 to state for the Group financial statements, whether they have 
been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the EU; 

 to state for the parent company financial statements, whether 
applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject 
to any material departures disclosed and explained in the parent 
company financial statements; and

n 

 prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless  
it is inappropriate to presume the Group and the parent company 
will continue in operational business for the foreseeable future.

The Directors confirm they have complied with the above 
requirements in preparing the financial statements.

The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records 
that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial 
position of the Group and the parent company and enable them to 
ensure that its financial statements comply with the Companies Act 
1985 and 2006. They 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.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of QinetiQ Group plc

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members  
of QinetiQ Group plc

We have audited the Group and parent company financial 
statements (the ‘financial statements’) of QinetiQ Group plc for  
the year ended 31 March 2008 which comprise the Group Income 
Statement, the Group and Parent Company Balance Sheets, the 
Group Cash Flow Statement, the Group Statement of Recognised 
Income and Expense and the related notes. These financial 
statements have been prepared under the accounting policies set  
out therein. We have also audited the information in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report that is described as having been audited. 

This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in 
accordance with section 235 of the Companies Act 1985. 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 
auditor’s 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
The Directors’ responsibilities for preparing the Annual Report and 
the Group financial statements in accordance with applicable law 
and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted  
by the EU, and for preparing the parent company financial 
statements and the Directors’ Remuneration Report in accordance 
with applicable law and UK Accounting Standards (UK Generally 
Accepted Accounting Practice) are set out in the Statement of 
Directors’ responsibilities on page 68.

Our responsibility is to audit the financial statements and the part of 
the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited in accordance with 
relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International 
Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland).

We report to you our opinion as to whether the financial statements 
give a true and fair view and whether the financial statements and the 
part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited have been 
properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and, as 
regards the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. 
We also report to you whether in our opinion the information given  
in the Directors’ Report is consistent with the financial statements. 
The information given in the Directors’ Report includes that specific 
information presented in the reports of the Chairman, Chief Executive 
Officer and the Business Review that is cross referred from the 
Business Review section of the Directors’ Report.

In addition we report to you if, in our opinion, the Company has  
not kept proper accounting records, if we have not received all  
the information and explanations we require for our audit, or if 
information specified by law regarding Directors’ remuneration  
and other transactions is not disclosed.

We review whether the Corporate Governance Statement reflects  
the Company’s compliance with the nine provisions of the 2006 
Combined Code specified for our review by the Listing Rules of the 
Financial Services Authority, and we report if it does not. We are not 
required to consider whether the Board’s statements on internal 
control cover all risks and controls, or form an opinion on the 
effectiveness of the Group’s corporate governance procedures or  
its risk and control procedures.

We read the other information contained in the Annual Report  
and consider whether it is consistent with the audited financial 
statements. We consider the implications for our report if we become 
aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies 
with the financial statements. Our responsibilities do not extend to 
any other information.

Basis of audit opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards 
on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practices Board. 
An audit includes examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant 
to the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and the 
part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited. It also 
includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgments 
made by the Directors in the preparation of the financial statements, 
and of whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the 
Group’s and Company’s circumstances, consistently applied and 
adequately disclosed.

We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the 
information and explanations which we considered necessary in 
order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable 
assurance that the financial statements and the part of the  
Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited are free from material 
misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. 
In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the 
presentation of information in the financial statements and the part 
of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited.

Opinion
In our opinion:

n 

n 

n 

n 

 the Group financial statements give a true and fair view, in 
accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU, of the state of the 
Group’s affairs as at 31 March 2008 and of its profit for the year 
then ended;

 the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in 
accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and Article 4 of the IAS 
Regulation;

 the parent company financial statements give a true and fair view, 
in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, of 
the state of the parent company’s affairs as at 31 March 2008;

 the parent company financial statements and the part of the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited have been properly 
prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985; and

n 

 the information given in the Directors’ Report is consistent with 
the financial statements.

KPMG Audit Plc
Chartered Accountants  
Registered Auditor
London 

28 May 2008

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Consolidated income statement

Consolidated income statement 
for the year ended 31 March

2008	

2007

all figures in £ million 

Revenue	

Employee costs 
Third-party project costs 
Other operating costs excluding depreciation 
and amortisation  
Share of post-tax loss of equity accounted 
joint ventures and associates 

Other income 
EBITDA	(earnings	before	interest,	
tax,	depreciation	and	amortisation) 

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment  
Amortisation of intangible assets  
Group	operating	profit	

(Loss)/gain on business divestments and  
unrealised impairment of investment  
Profit on disposal of non-current assets  
Finance income 
Finance expense 
Profit	before	tax	

Taxation expense 
Profit	for	the	year	

Profit	attributable	to:
Equity shareholders of the parent company  
Minority interest 

Earnings	per	share
Basic  
Diluted 
Underlying 

Before	
restructuring	

EMEA 
reorganisation 
  and	acquisition	 and	acquisition 
amortisation	

amortisation	

note  

Before 
acquisition 
amortisation 

Total 

Acquisition 
amortisation 

2, 3	

1,366.0	

–	

1,366.0	

1,149.5	

9 

17 

4 

14 

3	

5a	
5b 
6 
6 
4	

7 

33 
33 

10 

10 

10 

(576.2) 
(333.2) 

(296.6) 

(4.0) 

9.0 

(32.6) 
 – 

(608.8) 
(333.2) 

(513.4) 
(258.7) 

– 

– 

– 

(296.6) 

(246.7) 

(4.0) 

9.0 

(1.2) 

11.0 

165.0	

(32.6)	

132.4	

140.5	

(33.0) 
(5.0) 
127.0	

(7.0) 
– 
3.6 
(21.6) 
102.0	

(20.2) 
81.8	

81.8 
– 
81.8	

– 
(18.0) 
(50.6)	

– 
– 
– 
– 
(50.6)	

16.2 
(34.4)	

(34.4) 
– 
(34.4)	

(31.7) 
(2.8) 
106.0	

4.6 
3.3 
4.2 
(16.2)  
101.9	

(25.0) 
76.9	

76.9 
– 
76.9	

(33.0) 
(23.0) 
76.4	

(7.0) 
– 
3.6 
(21.6) 
51.4	

(4.0) 
47.4	

47.4 
– 
47.4	

7.2p 
7.2p 
13.4p 

–	

– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

–	

– 
(12.6) 
(12.6)	

– 
– 
– 
– 
(12.6)	

4.7 
(7.9)	

(7.9) 
– 
(7.9)	

Total

1,149.5

(513.4)
(258.7)

(246.7)

(1.2)

11.0

140.5

(31.7)
(15.4)
93.4

4.6
3.3
4.2
(16.2)
89.3

(20.3)
69.0

69.0
–
69.0

10.5p
10.3p
11.3p

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Consolidated balance sheet

Consolidated balance sheet 
as at 31 March

all figures in £ million 

Non-current	assets	
Goodwill  
Intangible assets  
Property, plant and equipment  
Financial assets  
Equity accounted investments  
Other investments 
Deferred tax asset  

Current	assets
Inventories 
Financial assets 
Trade and other receivables 
Current tax 
Investments 
Non-current assets classified as held for sale 
Cash and cash equivalents 

Total	assets	

Current	liabilities
Trade and other payables  
Current tax  
Provisions  
Financial liabilities  

Non-current	liabilities
Retirement benefit obligation (gross of deferred tax)  
Deferred tax liability  
Provisions  
Financial liabilities  
Other payables  

Total	liabilities	

Net	assets	

Capital	and	reserves
Ordinary Shares  
Capital redemption reserve  
Share premium account 
Hedging and translation reserve 
Retained earnings  
Capital	and	reserves	attributable	to	shareholders	of	the	parent	company	
Minority interest	 
Total	shareholders’	funds 

note  

2008 

2007 
Restated

371.9
66.1
341.5
18.8
0.3
28.5
11.0 
838.1

39.5
4.0
401.2
–
4.0
1.8
20.0
470.5
1,308.6

(340.0)
(6.9) 
(1.1)
(15.9)
(363.9)

(90.8)
(30.2)
(13.1)
(327.7)
(5.5)
(467.3)
(831.2)

437.4 
109.1 
332.4 
15.3 
9.3 
14.7 
– 
918.2	

56.9 
7.4 
469.0 
3.0 
1.3 
1.8 
24.5	
563.9	
1482.1	

(374.4) 
– 
(31.8) 
(11.8) 
(418.0)	

(23.4) 
(30.8) 
(13.9) 
(415.3) 
(47.7) 
(531.1)	
(949.1)	

11  
12  
14  
16  
17  
18  
25  

19 

16 

20 

21 

22 

23  

24  
26  

39  
25  
24  
27  
23  

32  
33  
33  
33  
33  

33  

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533.0	

477.4

6.6 
39.9 
147.6 
(21.3) 
360.1 
532.9	
0.1 
533.0	

6.6
39.9
147.6
(13.1)
296.3
477.3
0.1
477.4

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 28 May 2008 and were signed on its behalf by:

Graham	Love		
Chief Executive Officer 

Doug	Webb
Chief Financial Officer

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Consolidated cash flow statement

Consolidated cash flow statement 
for the year ended 31 March

all figures in £ million  

note  

2008 

47.4	
4.0 
18.0 
7.0 
– 
33.0 
23.0 
4.0 
(17.3) 
(49.0)  
36.7 
31.5 
138.3	
(17.7) 
1.7 
(20.0) 
	102.3	

(19.9) 
(23.7) 
14.9 
(7.3) 
(106.7) 
(2.0) 
– 
	(144.7)	

– 
– 
(0.1) 
87.6 
0.5 
(0.5) 
(12.8) 
(24.9) 
(3.2) 
3.0 
49.6	

7.2	
(0.3) 
12.6 
19.5	

24.5 
(5.0) 
19.5	

29 

22 
30 

Profit	for	the	year	
Taxation expense 
Net finance costs 
(Loss)/gain on business divestments and unrealised impairment of investment 
Profit on disposal of non-current assets  
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 
Amortisation of intangible assets  
Share of post-tax loss of equity accounted joint ventures and associates 
Increase in inventories 
Increase in receivables 
Increase in payables 
Increase/(decrease) in provisions 
Cash	inflow	from	operations	
Tax paid 
Interest received 
Interest paid 
Net	cash	inflow	from	operating	activities	

Purchase of intangible assets  
Purchase of property, plant and equipment  
Sale of property, plant and equipment  
Equity accounted investments and other investment funding  
Purchase of subsidiary undertakings 
Net (debt)/cash acquired with subsidiary undertakings 
Sale of interest in subsidiary undertakings 
Net	cash	outflow	from	investing	activities	

Net costs from IPO 
Cash outflow from repayment of loans 
Cash outflow from repayment of loan notes 
Cash inflow from loans received 
Cash inflow from loan notes issued  
Payment of deferred finance costs 
Purchase of own shares 
Equity dividends paid 
Capital element of finance lease rental payments 
Capital element of finance lease rental receipts 
Net	cash	inflow	from	financing	activities	

Increase/(decrease)	in	cash	and	cash	equivalents 
Effect of foreign exchange changes on cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 
Cash	and	cash	equivalents	at	end	of	year	

Cash and cash equivalents 
Overdrafts 
Cash	and	cash	equivalents	at	end	of	year	

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2007

69.0
20.3
12.0
(4.6)
(3.3)
31.7
15.4
1.2
(15.5)
(33.9)
27.0
(12.3)
107.0
(3.3)
4.2 
(13.8)
94.1

(12.1)
(34.8)
8.6
(9.4)
(137.2)
2.9
17.9
(164.1)

(2.0)
(79.2)
(1.4)
131.3
1.3
(0.4)
–
(22.7)
(5.9)
3.5
24.5

(45.5)
(0.5)
58.6
12.6

20.0
(7.4)
12.6

 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Consolidated statement of recognised income and expense

Consolidated statement of recognised income and expense 
for the year ended 31 March

all figures in £ million  

Net loss on hedge of net investment in foreign subsidiaries 
Decrease in fair value of hedging derivatives 
Movement in deferred tax on hedging derivatives 
Fair value gains on available for sale investments 
Impairment of available for sale investments 
Recycle of unrealised gain on disposal of businesses   
Actuarial gains recognised in the defined benefit pension schemes   
Decrease in deferred tax asset due to actuarial gains in pension deficit 
Net	income	recognised	directly	in	equity	
Profit for the year 
Total	recognised	income	and	expense	for	the	year	

Attributable	to:
Equity shareholders of the parent company 
Minority interest 

note 

33 
33 
33 
33 
33 
33 
33 
33 

2008 

(3.3) 
(6.8) 
1.9 
3.2 
(2.9) 
(3.5) 
65.5 
(12.2) 
41.9	
47.4 
89.3	

89.3 
– 
89.3	

2007

(14.4)
(5.6)
2.0
10.0
–
–
85.8
(17.9)
59.9
69.0
128.9

128.9
–
128.9

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements

notes to the financial statements

1.

significant accounting policies

Accounting	policies
The following accounting policies have been applied consistently to 
all periods presented in dealing with items which are considered 
material in relation to the Group’s financial statements. Certain 
comparatives have been restated following the finalisation during 
the year of the fair values of acquisitions completed in the prior year. 
Further details on the restatements are provided in note 40.

Basis	of	preparation
The Group’s financial statements have been prepared and approved 
by the Directors in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards and Interpretation pronouncements as adopted by the  
EU (‘Adopted IFRS’) and the Companies Act 1985 applicable to 
companies reporting under IFRS. The consolidated financial 
statements also comply fully with IFRSs as issued by the International 
Accounting Standards Board. The Company has elected to prepare 
its parent company financial statements in accordance with UK 
GAAP; these are presented on pages 119 to 121. 

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical 
cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial 
assets and liabilities (including derivative financial instruments, 
financial instruments classified as fair value through profit and loss 
or as available for sale). Non-current assets held for sale are held at 
the lower of historic cost and fair value. The Group is domiciled in 
the United Kingdom. The Group’s functional currency is sterling and 
unless otherwise stated the financial statements are rounded to the 
nearest hundred thousand.

Basis	of	consolidation
The consolidated financial statements comprise the financial 
statements of the Company and its subsidiary undertakings up to 
31 March 2008. The purchase method of accounting has been 
adopted. Under this method, the results of subsidiary undertakings 
acquired or disposed in the period are included in the consolidated 
income statement from the date control is obtained to the date that 
control is lost (usually on acquisition and disposal respectively).

A subsidiary is an entity over which the Group has the power to 
govern financial and operating policies in order to obtain benefits. 
Potential voting rights that are currently exercisable or convertible 
are considered when determining control. 

An associate is an undertaking over which the Group exercises 
significant influence (usually from 20% to 50% of the equity voting 
rights) over financial and operating policy. A joint venture is an 
undertaking over which the Group exercises joint control. Associates 
and joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method from 
the date of acquisition up to the date of disposal. The Group’s 
investments in associates and joint ventures are held at cost 
including goodwill on acquisition and any post-acquisition changes 
in the Group’s share of the net assets of the associate less any 
impairment to the recoverable amount. Where an associate or joint 
venture has net liabilities full provision is made for the Group’s 
share of liabilities where there is a constructive or legal obligation to 
provide additional funding to the associate or joint venture. 

The financial statements of subsidiaries, joint ventures and 
associates are adjusted if necessary to ensure compliance with 
Group accounting policies.

On consolidation all intra-Group income, expenses and balances are 
eliminated. 

Revenue
Revenue (net of value added and other sales taxes) represents the 
value of work performed for customers, measured on the following 
bases:

n  revenue from fixed-price contracts is recognised in proportion to 
the value of the work performed and includes attributable profit. 
Depending on the nature of the contract, revenue is recognised as 
contractually agreed-upon milestones are reached, as units are 
delivered or as the work progresses. Variations, incentive 
payments and other claims are included where there is 
reasonable certainty that they will be settled;

n  revenue on cost plus and time and materials contracts is 

recognised as work is performed;

n  royalty revenue is recognised on the earlier of the date on which 
the income is earned and measurable with reasonable certainty 
or cash is received; and

n  revenue from sales of products and licensing of technology is 

recognised on acceptance by the customer and when the amount 
of revenue can be measured reliably.

Third-party	project	costs
Third-party project costs primarily consist of subcontracted research 
and development costs and purchased materials incurred on behalf 
of customers as part of funded projects, together with direct 
material costs used in product manufacture.

Profit	recognition
Profit on the supply of professional services on cost plus or time and 
materials contracts is recognised as the work is performed. Profit on 
fixed-price contracts is recognised on a percentage of completion 
basis once the contract’s ultimate outcome can be foreseen with 
reasonable certainty. The principal estimation method used by the 
Group in attributing profit on contracts to a particular accounting 
period is the preparation of forecasts on a contract by contract basis. 
These focus on the costs to complete and enable an assessment to 
be made of the most likely final out-turn of each contract. 
Consistent contract review procedures are in place in respect of 
contract forecasting. Losses on completion are recognised in full as 
soon as they are foreseen.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

1.

significant accounting policies continued

Segmental	information
Segmental information is presented in two formats: the primary 
format reflects the Group’s management structure and markets in 
which the Group operates, whereas the secondary format is based 
on geography (i.e. location of customers). The principal activities of 
the Group are managed through three sectors organised according 
to the distinct markets in which the Group operates:

n  EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Australasia) which primarily 

delivers technology solutions, consultancy and managed services 
to the Ministry of Defence in the UK, and civil and other 
government customers in the UK and Australia;

n  QinetiQ North America which primarily provides technology and 

services to the US Government; and

n  Ventures which primarily comprises commercial product 

businesses and business venturing activities.

Segment results represent the contribution of the different 
segments to the profit of the Group. Corporate expenses are 
allocated to the corresponding segments. Unallocated items 
comprise mainly profit on disposal of non-current assets, business 
divestments and unrealised impairment of investments, IPO costs, 
financing costs and taxation. Eliminations represent inter-company 
trading between the different segments.

Segment assets comprise property, plant and equipment, goodwill 
and other intangible assets, trade and other receivables, inventories 
and prepayments and accrued income. Unallocated assets represent 
mainly corporate assets, including cash and cash equivalents and 
deferred tax asset balances. Segment liabilities comprise trade and 
other payables, accruals and deferred income and retirement  
benefit obligations. Unallocated liabilities represent mainly 
corporate liabilities, current and deferred tax liabilities and bank  
and other borrowings. Segment assets and liabilities are as at the 
end of the year.

Research	and	development	expenditure
Research and development costs incurred on behalf of a customer  
as part of a specific project are chargeable to the customer on whose 
behalf the work is undertaken. The costs and the related income  
are included in their relevant income statement cost category and 
revenue respectively.

Internally funded development expenditure is capitalised in the 
balance sheet where there is a clearly defined project, the 
expenditures are separately identifiable, the project is technically 
and commercially feasible, all costs are recoverable by future 
revenue and the resources are committed to complete the project. 
Such capitalised costs are amortised over the forecast period of sales 
resulting from the development. All other research and development 
costs are expensed to the income statement in the period in  
which they are incurred. If the research phase cannot be clearly 
distinguished from the development phase, the respective project-
related costs are treated as if they were incurred in the research 
phase only and expensed.

Financing
Financing represents the financial expense on borrowings accounted 
for using the effective rate method and the financial income earned 
on funds invested. Exchange differences on financial assets and 
liabilities and the income or expense from interest hedging 
instruments that are recognised in the income statement are 
included within interest income and expense in financing.

Taxation
The taxation charge is based on the profit for the year and takes into 
account taxation deferred because of temporary differences 
between the treatment of certain items for taxation and accounting 
purposes. Current tax and deferred tax are charged or credited to 
the income statement, except where they relate to items charged or 
credited to equity in which case the relevant tax is charged or 
credited to equity.

Deferred taxation is the tax attributable to the temporary 
differences that appear when taxation authorities recognise and 
measure assets and liabilities with rules that differ from those of 
the consolidated financial statements. The amount of deferred tax 
provided is based on the expected manner of realisation or 
settlement of the carrying amount of assets and liabilities, using 
rates enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date.

Any change in the tax rates are recognised in the income statement 
unless related to items directly recognised in equity. Deferred tax 
liabilities are recognised on all taxable temporary differences 
excluding non-deductible goodwill. Deferred tax assets are 
recognised on all deductible temporary differences provided that it 
is probable that future taxable income will be available against 
which the asset can be utilised. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are 
only offset where there is a legally enforceable right to offset and 
there is an intention to settle balances net.

Goodwill
Business combinations are accounted for under the purchase 
accounting method. All identifiable assets acquired and liabilities 
and contingent liabilities incurred or assumed are recorded at fair 
value at the date control is transferred to QinetiQ, irrespective of the 
extent of any minority interest. The cost of a business combination 
is measured at the fair value of assets given, equity instruments 
issued and liabilities incurred or assumed at the date of exchange, 
plus costs directly attributable to the acquisition. Any excess of the 
cost of the business combination over the Group’s interest in the  
net fair value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent 
liabilities recognised is capitalised as goodwill. Goodwill is subject  
to annual impairment reviews (see overleaf). If the cost of an 
acquisition is less than the fair value of the net assets acquired,  
the difference is immediately recognised in the Consolidated  
Income Statement.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

Inventories
Inventory and work-in-progress (including contract costs) are stated 
at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Work-in-progress  
and manufactured finished goods are valued at production cost. 
Production cost includes direct production costs and an appropriate 
proportion of production overheads. A provision is established when 
the net realisable value of any inventory item is lower than its cost.

Bid	costs
Costs incurred in bidding for work are normally expensed as 
incurred. In the case of large multi-year government contracts the 
bidding process typically involves a competitive bid process to 
determine a preferred bidder and then a further period to reach 
financial close with the customer. In these cases, the costs incurred 
after announcement of the Group achieving preferred bidder status 
are deferred to the balance sheet within work-in-progress from the 
point financial close is reached and amortised over the life of the 
contract. If an opportunity for which the Group was awarded 
preferred bidder status fails to reach financial close the costs 
deferred to that point will be expensed in the income statement 
immediately it becomes likely that financial close will not be achieved.

Amounts	recoverable	on	contracts	and	payments	received		
on	account
Amounts recoverable on contracts are included in trade and other 
receivables and represent revenue recognised in excess of amounts 
invoiced. Payments received on account are included in trade  
and other payables and represent amounts invoiced in excess of 
revenue recognised.

Cash	and	cash	equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash at bank and short-term 
deposits that are readily convertible into cash. In the cash flow 
statement overdraft balances are included in cash and equivalents.

Current	and	non-current	liabilities
Current liabilities include amounts due within the normal operating 
cycle of the Group.

Interest-bearing current and non-current liabilities are recognised at 
fair value and then stated at amortised cost with any difference 
between the cost and redemption value being recognised in the 
income statement over the period of the borrowings on an effective 
interest rate basis.

Provisions
A provision is recognised in the balance sheet when the Group has  
a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event, 
and it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be 
required to settle the obligation. Where appropriate provisions are 
determined by discounting the expected cash flows at the Group’s 
weighted average cost of capital.

Non-current	assets	held	for	sale
Where the carrying value of an asset will be recovered principally 
through a sale transaction rather than continuing use the asset is 
classified as held for sale. Held for sale assets are held at the lower 
of net book value and net realisable value. Depreciation is not 
charged on assets classified as held for sale.

1.

significant accounting policies continued

Intangible	assets
Intangible assets are recognised on business combinations at fair 
value, which is calculated as the present value of future cash flows 
expected to be derived from those assets. Internally generated 
intangible assets are recorded at cost, including labour, directly 
attributable costs and any third-party expenses. Purchased 
intangible assets are recognised at cost less amortisation. Intangible 
assets are amortised over their respective useful lives on a straight 
line basis as follows:

Intellectual property rights  
Development costs  

Other  

2–8 years
Useful economic life or unit of 
production method subject to a 
minimum amortisation of no less 
than straight line method over 
economic life of 1–4 years
1–7 years

Property,	plant	and	equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less depreciation. 
Freehold land is not depreciated. Other tangible non-current assets 
are depreciated on a straight line basis over their useful economic 
lives to their estimated residual value as follows:

Freehold buildings  
Leasehold land and buildings   Shorter of useful economic life and 

20–25 years

Plant and machinery  
Fixtures and fittings  
Computers  
Motor vehicles  

the period of the lease
3–10 years
5–10 years
3–5 years
3–5 years 

Assets under construction are included in property, plant and 
equipment on the basis of expenditure incurred at the balance sheet 
date. In the case of assets constructed by the Group, the value 
includes the cost of own work completed, including directly 
attributable costs but excluding interest.

The useful lives, depreciation methods and residual values applied 
to property, plant and equipment are reviewed annually and if they 
change significantly depreciation charges for current and future 
periods are adjusted accordingly. If the carrying amount of any asset 
exceeds its recoverable amount an impairment loss is recognised 
immediately in the income statement.

Investment	property
The Group accounts for investment property using the cost model. 
Investment property is recorded on the balance sheet at cost less 
any accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment 
losses. The fair value of investment property is reviewed annually by 
management or expert valuers where appropriate.

Impairment	of	tangible,	goodwill,	intangible	and	held	for	sale	assets
The Group assesses at each reporting date whether there is an 
indication that an asset may be impaired. In addition, goodwill is 
tested for impairment annually irrespective of any indication of 
impairment. If the carrying amount exceeds the recoverable 
amount, the respective asset or the assets in the cash generating 
unit are written down to their recoverable amounts. The recoverable 
amount of an asset or a cash generating unit is the higher of its fair 
value less costs to sell and its value in use. The value in use is the 
present value of the future cash flows expected to be derived  
from an asset or cash generating unit calculated using an 
appropriate discount rate. Impairment losses are expensed to the 
income statement.

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notes to the financial statements continued

1.

significant accounting policies continued

Financial	instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised on the 
Group’s balance sheet when the Group becomes a party to the 
contractual provisions of the instrument. The derecognition of a 
financial instrument takes place when the Group no longer controls 
the contractual rights that comprise the financial instrument, which 
is normally the case when the instrument expires or is sold, 
terminated or exercised.

Investments	in	debt	and	equity	securities
Investments held by the Group are classified as either a current 
asset or as a non-current asset and being classified as available  
for sale are stated at fair value, with any resultant gain or loss  
being recognised directly in equity, except for impairment losses. 
When these investments are derecognised, the cumulative gain  
or loss previously recognised directly in equity is recognised in the 
income statement.

The fair value of quoted financial instruments is their bid price at 
the balance sheet date.

The fair value of unquoted equity investments is measured in 
accordance with British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) 
guidelines. The Group’s unlisted investments are usually held at fair 
value based upon the price of the most recent investment by the 
Group or a third-party less any impairment.

Derivative	financial	instruments
Derivative financial instruments are initially recognised at cost and 
thereafter held at fair value, being the market value for quoted 
instruments or valuation based on models and discounted cash flow 
calculations for unlisted instruments.

Hedging	–	fair	value
Changes in the fair value of fair value hedges of currency risk or 
interest rate risk are recognised in the income statement. The 
hedged item is held at fair value with respect to the hedged risk 
with any gain or loss recognised in the income statement.

Hedging	–	cash	flow
Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated as a cash flow 
hedge that are regarded as highly effective are recognised in equity. 
The ineffective portion is recognised immediately in the income 
statement. Where a hedged item results in an asset or a liability, 
gains and losses previously recognised in equity are included in the 
cost of the asset or liability. Gains and losses previously recognised 
in equity are removed and recognised in the income statement at 
the same time as the hedged transaction.

Hedging	–	net	investment
The changes in fair value of derivatives used to hedge the net 
investment in a foreign entity are recognised in equity until the net 
investment is sold or disposed. Any ineffective portion is recognised 
directly in the income statement.

Loan	issue	costs
Costs associated with the arrangement of bank facilities or the issue 
of loans are capitalised and deducted from the associated liability 
presented in the balance sheet. Capitalised issue costs are released 
over the estimated life of the facility or instrument to which they 
relate using the effective interest rate method. If it becomes clear 
that the facility or instrument will be redeemed early, the 
amortisation of the issue costs will be accelerated.

Leased	assets
Leases are classified as finance leases when substantially all of the 
risks and rewards of ownership are held by the lessee.

Assets held under finance leases are capitalised and included in 
property, plant and equipment at the lower of the present value of 
minimum lease payments and fair value at the inception of the 
lease. Assets are then depreciated over the shorter of their useful 
economic lives or the lease term. Obligations relating to finance 
leases, net of finance charges arising in future periods, are included 
under financial liabilities. Rentals payable under operating leases are 
charged to the income statement on a straight line basis over the 
term of the lease.

Foreign	currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded using the rate of 
exchange ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and 
liabilities in foreign currencies are translated at period-end rates. 
Any resulting exchange differences are taken to the income 
statement. Gains and losses on designated forward foreign 
exchange hedging contracts are matched against the foreign 
exchange movements on the underlying transaction.

Assets and liabilities of overseas subsidiaries and associated 
undertakings and joint ventures, including any related goodwill, are 
translated to sterling at the rate of exchange at the balance sheet 
date. The results and cash flows of overseas subsidiaries and 
associated undertakings and joint ventures are translated to sterling 
using the average rates of exchange during the period. Exchange 
adjustments arising from the re-translation of the opening net 
investment and the results for the period to the period-end rate are 
taken directly to equity and reported in the Statement of Recognised 
Income and Expense.

Post-retirement	benefits
The Group provides both defined contribution and defined benefit 
pension arrangements. The liabilities of the Group arising from 
defined benefit obligations, and the related current service cost, are 
determined using the projected unit credit method. Valuations for 
accounting purposes are carried out half yearly for the largest plans 
and on a regular basis for other plans. Actuarial advice is provided by 
external consultants. For the funded defined benefit plans, the 
excess or deficit of the fair value of plan assets less the present 
value of the defined benefit obligation are recognised as an asset or 
a liability respectively.

For defined benefit plans the actuarial cost charged to the income 
statement consists of current service cost, interest cost, expected 
return on plan assets and past service cost. All of these elements are 
charged as a component of employee costs in the income statement. 
Actuarial gains and losses are recognised in full immediately through 
the Statement of Recognised Income and Expense. 

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

1.

significant accounting policies continued

Contributions to defined contribution plans are charged to the 
income statement as incurred.

The following new standards or interpretations to existing 
standards have been published and are mandatory for the Group’s 
future accounting periods. They have not been early adopted in 
these financial statements:

IFRs 8, Operating segments (effective for annual periods beginning 
on or after 1 January 2009). IFRS 8 requires an entity to report 
financial and descriptive information about its reportable segments. 
The Group will apply IFRS 8 from 1 April 2009 but it is not expected 
to have any significant impact on the Group’s financial statements.

The following standards and interpretations to existing standards 
have not yet been endorsed by the EU:

IAs 1, (Amended) Presentation of Financial statements: A Revised 
Presentation (effective for annual periods beginning on or after  
1 January 2009). This revision is intended to improve users’ ability to 
analyse and compare information given in financial statements and 
included within the changes is the introduction of a statement of 
comprehensive income. This is not expected to have any significant 
impact on the Group’s financial statements. 

IAs 23 (Amendment), Borrowing Costs (effective for qualifying 
assets for which the commencement date for capitalisation is on or 
after 1 January 2009). The amendment to IAS 23 requires borrowing 
costs that relate to assets that take a substantial period of time  
to get ready for use or sale to be capitalised as part of the cost of 
such assets. The Group has reviewed the potential impact of this 
amendment and does not consider it would have any material impact 
on the Group’s financial statements based on its current operations.

IAs 32, Financial Instruments and related amended to IAs 1 
Presentation of Financial statements (effective for annual periods 
beginning on or after 1 January 2009). These amendments deal with 
the balance sheet classification of puttable financial instruments 
and obligations arising only on liquidation. This is not expected to 
have any significant impact on the Group’s financial statements.

IFRs 2, share-based payment (Amendment) Vesting conditions and 
cancellations (effective for annual periods beginning on or after  
1 January 2009). This amendment clarifies that vesting conditions 
are only service conditions and performance conditions and that 
other features of share-based payments are non-vesting conditions. 
It also specifies that all cancellations, whether by the entity or by 
other parties, should receive the same accounting treatment. This  
is expected to accelerate the recognition of share-based payment 
charges in respect of leavers which would not have any significant 
impact on the Group’s financial statements given current employee 
attrition rates.

Share-based	payments
The Group operates share-based payment arrangements with 
employees. The fair value of equity settled options for share-based 
payments is determined on grant and expensed straight line over 
the period from grant to the date of earliest unconditional exercise. 
The fair value of cash-settled options for share-based payments is 
determined each period end until exercised or they lapse. The value 
is expensed straight line over the period from grant to the date of 
earliest unconditional exercise. The fair value of both equity settled 
and cash settled share options is calculated by a binomial option 
pricing model. The charges for both equity and cash-settled share-
based payments are updated annually for non-market-based  
vesting conditions.

Share	capital
Ordinary share capital of the Company is recorded as the proceeds 
received less issue costs.

Company shares held by the employee benefit trusts are held at the 
consideration paid. They are classified as own shares within equity. 
Any gain or loss on the purchase, sale or issue of Company shares is 
recorded in equity.

Restatement	of	prior	periods	for	finalisation	of	fair	values	arising	on	
acquisitions
The fair values of the net assets of acquired business are finalised 
within 12 months of the acquisition date, with the exception of 
certain deferred tax balances. All fair value adjustments are recorded 
with effect from the date of acquisition and consequently may 
result in the restatement of previously reported financial results  
(see note 40).

Recent	accounting	developments
With effect from 1 April 2007 the Group has adopted IFRS 7, 
Financial Instruments: Disclosures. This introduces additional 
required disclosures for financial instruments, but does not have any 
impact on the consolidated income statement or balance sheet.

The following amendments and interpretations to published 
standards are also effective for accounting periods beginning on  
or after 1 April 2007:

IFRIC 7, Applying the restatement approach under IAS 29;

IFRIC 8, Scope of IFRS 2;

IFRIC 9, Reassessment of embedded derivatives;

IFRIC 10, Interim financial reporting and impairment; 

IFRIC 11, IFRS2, Group and Treasury Share Transactions; and

Amendment to IAS1, Presentation of financial statements –  
capital disclosures.

None of these have any significant impact on the Group’s  
financial statements.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

1.

significant accounting policies continued

IFRs 3, Business Combinations (Revised) and related revisions to IAs 
27 Consolidated and separate Financial statements (Revised) (both 
effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 July 2009).  
These revisions introduce some changes to the application of the 
acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. For 
example, all transaction costs will be expensed, all payments to 
purchase a business will be recorded at fair value at the acquisition 
date, with some contingent payments subsequently re-measured at 
fair value through the income statement, and goodwill may be 
calculated based on the parent’s share of net assets or it may 
include goodwill related to the minority interest. These revisions will 
impact the way in which the Group reports business combinations 
in future periods, in particular the expensing of transaction costs 
and adjustments to the fair value of contingent consideration 
through the income statement. 

IFRIC 12, service Concession Arrangements (effective for annual 
periods beginning on or after 1 January 2008). IFRIC 12 requires that 
certain elements of service concession agreements may be treated 
as either a financial asset or an intangible asset. The Group has 
reviewed its long-term managed services agreements and does not 
consider that IFRIC 12 is relevant to any of its operations.

IFRIC 13, Customer loyalty Programmes (effective for annual periods 
beginning on or after 1 July 2008). IFRIC 13 addresses accounting for 
loyalty award credits to customers who buy other goods and 
services. This is not expected to have any impact on the Group’s 
financial statements.

IFRIC 14, IAs 19 The limit on a Defined Benefit Asset, minimum 
Funding Requirements and their Interaction (effective for annual 
periods beginning on or after 1 January 2008). IFRIC 14 requires an 
entity to only recognise a surplus on a defined benefit post- 
retirement scheme if there is an unconditional right to realise them 
at some point during the life of the plan or when the plan is settled. 
It can also require schemes with deficits to recognise additional 
deficits to reflect agreed future funding commitments.

Critical	accounting	estimates	and	judgements	in	applying		
accounting	policies
The following commentary is intended to highlight those policies 
that are critical to the business based on the level of management 
judgement required in their application, their complexity and their 
potential impact on the results and financial position reported for 
the Group. The level of management judgement required includes 
assumptions and estimates about future events which are 
uncertain, the actual outcome of which may result in a materially 
different outcome from that anticipated.

Revenue and profit recognition
The estimation process required to evaluate the potential outcome 
of contracts and projects requires skill, knowledge and experience 
from a variety of sources within the business to assess the status  
of the contract, costs to complete, internal and external labour 
resources required and other factors. This process is carried out 
continuously throughout the business to ensure that project  
and contract assessments reflect the latest status of such work.  
No profit is recognised on a contract until the outcome can be 
reliably estimated.

Business combinations
Intangible assets recognised on business combinations have been 
valued using established methods and models to determine 
estimated value and useful economic life, with input, where 
appropriate, from external valuation consultants. Such methods 
require the use of estimates which may produce results that are 
different from actual future outcomes. 

The Group tests annually whether goodwill and reviews whether 
identified intangible assets have suffered any impairment. This 
process is reliant on the use of estimates of the future profitability 
and cash flows of its cash generating units which may differ from 
the actual results delivered.

Post-retirement benefits
The Group’s defined benefit pension obligations and net income 
statement costs are based on key assumptions including return on 
plan assets, discount rates, mortality, inflation and future salary and 
pension increases. Management exercise their best judgement, in 
consultation with actuarial advisors, in selecting the values for these 
assumptions that are the most appropriate to the Group. Small 
changes in these assumptions at the balance sheet date, individually 
or collectively, may result in significant changes in the size of the 
deficit or the net income statement costs.

Research and development expenditure
Internally funded development expenditure is capitalised when 
criteria are met and is written off over the forecast period of sales 
resulting from the development. Management decides upon the 
adequacy of future demand and market for such new products in 
order to justify capitalisation of internally funded development 
expenditure, which can be difficult to determine when dealing with 
such innovative technologies. Actual product sales may differ from 
these estimates.

Tax
In determining the Group’s provisions for income tax and deferred 
tax it is necessary to assess the likelihood and timing of recovery of 
tax losses created and to consider transactions in a small number  
of key tax jurisdictions for which the ultimate tax determination is 
uncertain. To the extent that if the final outcome differs from the 
tax that has been provided, adjustments will be made to income tax 
and deferred tax provisions held in the period the determination  
is made.

Provisions
Provisions relate to constructive obligations arising principally from 
restructuring programmes. Such provisions are calculated based on 
estimates such as the expected calculation of redundancy costs or 
the future marketability of surplus property from such programmes. 
Actual costs incurred may differ from these estimates. 

Unquoted equity investments
The Group usually judges the fair value of unquoted equity 
investments using the valuation ascribed to the investment by  
a third-party funding round or similar valuation event for that 
investment. In determining the value of an investment the Group 
may use information from funding rounds, business plans and 
forecasts, market projections and other estimation techniques as  
a guide. These valuation techniques require estimates of the 
business’s future performance. The actual business’s performance  
of investments may differ from these estimates.

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notes to the financial statements continued

2.

Revenue

Revenue and other income is analysed as follows:

all figures in £ million 

Sales of goods 
Services 
Royalties 
Revenue	

Property	rental	income	

3.

segmental analysis

Business	segments	
Year ended 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

Revenue
External sales 
Internal sales 1 

Other	information
EBITDA before restructuring costs and share of equity accounted  
joint ventures and associates 
Share of equity accounted joint ventures and associates 
EBITDA	before	restructuring	costs	
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment – own equipment 
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment – LTPA funded 
Amortisation of purchased or internally developed  
intangible assets 
Group	operating	profit/(loss)	before	EMEA	reorganisation	and		
amortisation	of	intangible	assets	arising	from	acquisitions	
Amortisation of intangible assets arising from acquisitions  
EMEA reorganisation 
Group	operating	profit/(loss)		
Loss on business divestments and unrealised impairment  
of investments 
Net finance expense 
Profit	before	tax	
Taxation expense 
Profit	for	the	year		

2008 

2007

143.9 
1,217.4 
4.7 
1,366.0	

133.5
1,009.1
6.9
1,149.5

9.0	

11.0

QinetiQ		
North		

Europe,	 
Middle	East	
America		 and	Australasia	

Ventures	

Eliminations	

Total

540.2 
0.3 
540.5	

66.2 
0.1 
66.3	
(4.1) 
– 

(0.1) 

62.1	
(16.2) 
– 
45.9	

820.1 
0.5 
820.6	

112.1 
0.1 
112.2	
(17.9) 
(10.3) 

5.7 
– 
5.7	

(9.3) 
(4.2) 
(13.5)	
(0.7) 
– 

(4.0) 

(0.9) 

80.0	
(1.8) 
(32.0) 
46.2	

(15.1)	
– 
(0.6) 
(15.7)	

– 
(0.8) 
(0.8)	

1,366.0
–
1,366.0

– 
– 
–	
– 
– 

– 

–	
– 
– 
–	

169.0
(4.0)
165.0
(22.7)
(10.3)

(5.0)

127.0
(18.0)
(32.6)
76.4

(7.0)
(18.0)
51.4
(4.0)
47.4

1 Inter-segment sales are priced at fair value and treated as an arm’s length transaction.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

3.

segmental analysis continued

Business	segments	
Year ended 31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

Revenue
External sales 
Internal sales 1 

Other	information
EBITDA before share of equity accounted associates   
Share of equity accounted associates   
EBITDA		
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment – own equipment 
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment – LTPA funded 
Amortisation of purchased or internally developed  
intangible assets 
Group	operating	profit/(loss)	before	amortisation	of	intangible		
assets	arising	from	acquisitions	
Amortisation of intangible assets arising from acquisitions  
Group	operating	profit/(loss)	
Gain on business divestments and unrealised impairment  
of investment 
Profit on disposal of non-current assets  
Net finance expense 
Profit	before	tax	
Taxation expense 
Profit	for	the	year		

QinetiQ  
north  

Europe,  
middle East 
America  and Australasia 

Ventures 

Eliminations 

Total

358.2 
0.6 
358.8	

43.1 
0.1 
43.2	
(3.2) 
– 

(0.1) 

39.9	
(10.7) 
29.2	

779.3 
– 
779.3	

102.2 
– 
102.2	
(20.8) 
(7.0) 

(1.4) 

73.0	
(1.9) 
71.1	

12.0 
– 
12.0	

(3.6) 
(1.3) 
(4.9)	
(0.7) 
– 

(1.3) 

(6.9)	
– 
(6.9)	

– 
(0.6) 
(0.6)	

1,149.5
–
1,149.5

– 
– 
–	
– 
– 

– 

–	
– 
–	

141.7
(1.2)
140.5
(24.7)
(7.0)

(2.8)

106.0
(12.6)
93.4

4.6
3.3
(12.0)
89.3
(20.3)
69.0

1 Inter-segment sales are priced at fair value and treated as an arm’s length transaction.

The segmental analysis has been modified from the prior year to align with the operational change in the year in which the Defence  
& Technology and Security & Dual Use sectors have been combined to form the EMEA segment.

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QinetiQ	
North		

Europe,	
Middle	East	
America		 and	Australasia	

Ventures	

Unallocated	

Consolidated

644.0 
(91.1) 

755.7 
(398.9) 

41.4 
(6.9) 

552.9	

356.8	

34.5	

41.0 
(47.8) 
(404.4) 
(411.2)	

1,482.1
(544.7)
(404.4)
533.0

6.8 
– 

24.9 
13.7 

0.4 
– 

– 
– 

32.1
13.7

QinetiQ		
North		

Europe,	 
Middle	East	
America	 and	Australasia	

546.7 
(77.1) 

680.7 
(326.3) 

469.6	

354.4	

27.8	

Ventures	

Unallocated	

Consolidated

33.0 
(5.2) 

48.2 
(101.8) 
(320.8) 
(374.4)	

1,308.6
(510.4)
(320.8)
477.4

4.1 
– 

25.0 
16.9 

0.9 
– 

– 
– 

30.0
16.9

3.

segmental analysis continued

Year ended 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

Segment assets+ 
Segment liabilities+ 
Unallocated net debt excluding cash   
Net	assets	

Other	information
Capital expenditure – own equipment* 
Capital expenditure – LTPA funded* 

Year ended 31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

Segment assets – restated+ 
Segment liabilities – restated+ 
Unallocated net debt excluding cash   
Net	assets	–	restated	

Other	information
Capital expenditure – own equipment* 
Capital expenditure – LTPA funded* 

+  Segment assets and liabilities exclude unallocated net debt before cash.
*  Capital expenditure is defined as cash paid for property, plant and equipment additions and purchased and internally developed intangible assets.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

2008 

2007

566.1 
760.0 
39.9 
1,366.0	

385.7
729.9
33.9
1,149.5

Gross assets  

Gross liabilities

2008 

2007 Restated 

2008 

2007 Restated

644.3 
808.8 
29.0 
1,482.1	

557.0 
743.7 
7.9 
1,308.6	

(340.0) 
(585.7) 
(23.4) 
(949.1)	

(213.4)
(614.1)
(3.7)
(831.2)

2008 

6.8 
39.0 
45.8	

2007

4.1
42.8
46.9

2008 

2007

0.7 
0.2 
0.1 
0.5 
1.5	

9.0 
66.0 

32.5 
0.5 
547.8 
12.8 

0.7
0.2
0.2
0.1
1.2

11.0
74.6

29.6
2.1
511.1
9.0

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3.

segmental analysis continued

Geographical	segments	
Revenue by customer location

all figures in £ million 

North America 
United Kingdom 
Other 
Total		

Assets/liabilities by location

all figures in £ million 

North America 
United Kingdom 
Other 
Total		

Capital expenditure by location

all figures in £ million 

North America 
United Kingdom 
Total		

4.

Profit before tax

The following items have been charged in arriving at profit before tax:

all figures in £ million 

Fees payable to the auditor
– Statutory audit 
– Other services supplied pursuant to legislation 
– Other services relating to taxation 
– Other services 
Total	auditor’s	remuneration	

Property rental income 
Inventories recognised as an expense   
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment: 
– Owned assets 
– Under finance lease 
Research and development expenditure under customer-funded contracts 
Research and development expenditure – Group funded 

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notes to the financial statements continued

5a.

(loss)/gain on business divestments and unrealised impairment of available for sale 
investments

all figures in £ million 

(Loss)/gain on business divestments    
Unrealised impairment of available for sale investment 

2008 

(1.8) 
(5.2) 
(7.0)	

2007

13.4
(8.8) 
4.6

The loss on business divestment of £1.8m represents the net book loss arising on the establishment of QinetiQ Ventures LP with Coller Capital 
involving the deconsolidation of certain previously consolidated subsidiaries (Intrinsiq Materials Ltd formerly named QinetiQ Nanomaterials 
Ltd, Aurix Ltd, Omni-ID Ltd and Quintel Technology Ltd) and investments (Metalysis Ltd, ZBD Displays Ltd and Stingray Geophysical Ltd) that 
were transferred into the fund at completion of the transaction.

The current year unrealised impairment of investments relates to a £2.9m (2007:£8.8m) charge to the income statement in respect of the 
impairment in the carrying value of the quoted pSivida investment (see note 21 for further details) and a £2.3m charge in relation to the 
carrying value of other investments.

5b.

Profit on disposal of non-current assets

all figures in £ million 

Profit	on	disposal	of	non-current	assets		

2008 

–	

2007

3.3

Prior	year	disposals	
On 29 March 2007 the Group unconditionally exchanged on the contract to dispose of its Bedford site resulting in the recognition of £2.5m  
of profit on disposal, net of costs. Initial proceeds of £1.8m were received on exchange of contracts. The sale completed on 13 April 2007  
and a further £15.7m was received at that date. Other disposals in the year generated a net profit of £0.8m, of which £0.7m came from 
property disposals.

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6.

Finance income and expense

all figures in £ million 

Receivable on bank deposits 
Finance lease income  
Finance	income	

Amortisation of recapitalisation fee 
Payable on bank loans and overdrafts  
Payable on US$ private placement debt 
Finance lease expense 
Unwinding of discount on financial liability 
Finance	expense	
Net	finance	expense	

7.

Taxation expense

all figures in £ million 

Analysis	of	charge  
UK corporation tax  
Overseas corporation tax 
Overseas corporation tax in respect of prior years 
Total	corporation	tax	
Deferred tax  
Deferred tax in respect of prior years   
Taxation	expense		

	Factors	affecting	the	tax	charge	in	year	
The principal factors reducing the Group’s current year tax  
charge below the UK statutory rate are explained below: 
Profit before tax  
Tax	on	profit	before	tax	at	30%	(2007:	30%)		
Effect of: 
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes, research and development  
relief and non-taxable items arising on consolidation 
Unprovided tax losses of overseas subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates 
Effect of change in deferred tax rate 
Deferred tax in respect of prior years   
Effect of different rates in overseas jurisdictions 
Taxation	expense		

2008 

1.7 
1.9 
3.6	

(0.2) 
(11.9) 
(7.1) 
(1.6) 
(0.8) 
(21.6)	
(18.0)	

 2007

2.1
2.1
4.2

(0.2)
(12.3)
(1.6)
(1.9)
(0.2)
(16.2)
(12.0)

2008 

2007

–  
10.1 
– 
10.1	
(4.6) 
(1.5)  
4.0	

51.4 
15.4	

(13.4) 
2.3 
(1.5)  
(1.5) 
2.7 
4.0	

–
13.9
(0.2)
13.7
6.6
–
20.3

89.3
26.8

(10.3)
1.0
–
(0.2)
3.0
20.3

Factors	affecting	future	tax	charges
The effective tax rate continues to be below the statutory rate in the UK primarily as a result of the benefit of research and development relief 
in the UK. The effective tax rate is expected to remain below the UK statutory rate in the medium term but is expected to rise as an increasing 
proportion of taxable profits are generated from the USA.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

8.

Dividends

An analysis of the dividends paid and proposed in respect of the years ended 31 March 2008 and 2007 are provided below: 

Interim 
Final (proposed) 
Total	for	the	year	ended	31	March	2008 

Interim 
Final  

Total	for	the	year	ended	31	March	2007 

  Pence per share 

1.33 
2.92 
4.25 

1.20 
2.45 

3.65 

£m 

8.7 
19.3* 
28.0 

7.9 
16.2 

24.1 

Date paid/payable

February 2008
September 2008

February 2007
  August 2007

* Estimated cost for final proposed dividend in respect of the year ended 31 March 2008. The record date for this dividend will be 8 August 2008.

9.

Analysis of employee costs

The largest component of operating expenses is employee costs. The year end and average monthly number of persons employed by the 
Group including Directors analysed by business segment, was:

Year end 

monthly average

QinetiQ North America 
Europe, Middle East & Australasia 
Ventures 
Corporate 
Total	

The aggregate payroll costs of these persons were as follows: 

all figures in £ million 

Wages and salaries  
Social security costs  
Other pension costs  
Cost of share based payments  
Employee	costs	before	EMEA	reorganisation	costs	
EMEA reorganisation costs 
Total	employee	costs	

2008 
number 

5,699 
8,209 
77 
80 
14,065	

2007 
number 

4,258 
8,231 
82 
210 
12,781	

note 

34 

2008 
number 

5,479 
7,993 
75 
80 
13,627	

2008 

485.9 
41.4 
45.1 
3.8 
576.2	
32.6 
608.8	

 2007 
number

3,154
8,417
85
214
11,870

2007

414.9
36.4
61.0
1.1
513.4
–
513.4

The EMEA reorganisation costs principally comprise redundancy costs resulting from the restructuring of EMEA into four capability-focused 
businesses.

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notes to the financial statements continued

10.

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of 
ordinary shares outstanding during the year (less those non-vested shares held by employee ownership trusts). For diluted earnings per share 
the weighted average number of shares in issue is adjusted to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares arising from 
unvested share-based awards including share options. Underlying earnings per share figures are presented below in addition to the basic and 
diluted earnings per share as the Directors consider this gives a more relevant indication of underlying business performance and reflects the 
adjustments for the impact of non-recurring items, amortisation of acquired intangible assets and tax thereon on basic earnings per share.

Year ended 31 March 2008

Basic	 
Effect of dilutive securities – options 
Diluted  

Underlying earnings per share 

Basic  
EMEA reorganisation costs 
Amortisation of intangible assets arising from acquisitions 
Loss on business divestments and unrealised impairment of investments 
Tax impact of items above 
Tax rate change 
Underlying	

* The weighted average number of shares is calculated net of the shares held by the employee benefit trusts.

Year ended 31 March 2007

Basic  
Effect of dilutive securities – options 
Diluted	 

Underlying earnings per share

Basic  
Amortisation of intangible assets arising from acquisitions 
Gain on business divestments and unrealised impairment of investment 
Profit on disposal of non-current assets  
Tax impact of items above 
Underlying	

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Weighted		
average	
	number		
of	shares		
million*	

656.2 
3.5 
659.7 

Weighted		
average	
	number		
of	shares		
million*	

656.2 

656.2	

Weighted  
average 
 number  
of shares  
million 

656.6 
11.0 
667.6 

Weighted  
average 
 number  
of shares  
million 

656.6 

656.6	

Earnings	
£m	

47.4 

47.4 

Earnings	
£m	

47.4 
32.6 
18.0 
7.0 
(15.5) 
(1.5) 
88.0	

Earnings 
£m 

69.0 

69.0 

Earnings 
£m 

69.0 
12.6 
(4.6) 
(3.3) 
0.4 
74.1 

Per	share	
amount	
	pence

7.22
(0.03)
7.19

Per	share	
amount	
	pence

7.22
4.97
2.74
1.07
(2.36)
(0.23)
13.41

Per share 
amount 
 pence

10.51
(0.17)
10.34

Per share 
amount 
 pence

10.51
1.92
(0.70)
(0.50)
0.06
11.29

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

11.

Goodwill

all figures in £ million 

Cost
At 1 April 
Acquisitions 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 
At	31	March 

Impairment 
At 1 April and 31 March  
Net	book	value	at	31	March	–	restated		

Net book value of goodwill at 31 March 2006 amounted to £314.9m.

note 

2008 

2007 
Restated

40 
13 

372.4 
72.3 
(2.2) 
(4.6) 
437.9	

(0.5) 
437.4	

315.4
100.5
(7.1)
(36.4)
372.4

(0.5)
371.9

Goodwill at 31 March 2008 was primarily allocated to cash generating units (CGUs) in QNA: Technology Solutions £85.0m, Systems 
Engineering £59.5m, IT Services £169.9m and Mission Solutions £84.5m. Other allocations of goodwill include goodwill in relation to HVR, 
Boldon James, Verhaert and the three Australian acquisitions. Goodwill is attributable to the excess of consideration over the fair value of net 
assets acquired and includes expected synergies, future growth prospects and staff knowledge, expertise and customer contacts. The Group 
tests goodwill for impairment annually and uses discounted cash flow as the recoverable amount. The Group has made a number of 
assumptions in determining the value in use of goodwill allocated to a cash generating unit. It is assumed that cash generating units perform 
to the five-year corporate plan. This is consistent with the current and prior performance of the cash generating units and current UK and US 
defence and security spending forecasts. The estimates of the long-term growth rates for the CGUs are based on macro-economic 
assumptions and do not exceed the long-term estimate for the sectors in which CGUs operate. Future cash flows have been discounted at a 
post-tax discount rate of 8.7%. Sensitivity analysis has indicated that no reasonably foreseeable changes in the key assumptions in the 
impairment model would result in significant impairment charges being recorded in the financial statements.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

12.

Intangible assets

Year ended 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

Cost
At 1 April 2007 – restated 
Additions – internally developed 
Additions – purchased 
Additions – recognised on acquisitions  
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 
At	31	March	2008	 

Amortisation	and	impairment	
At 1 April 2007 
Amortisation charge for the year 
Disposals 
At	31	March	2008	
Net	book	value	at	31	March	2008	

Year ended 31 March 2007 

all figures in £ million 

Cost 
At 1 April 2006  
Additions – internally developed 
Additions – purchased 
Additions – recognised on acquisitions – restated 
Disposals 
Transfers to plant, property and equipment 
Foreign exchange 
At	31	March	2007	–	restated	

Amortisation	and	impairment	
At 1 April 2006 
Amortisation charge for the year 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 
At	31	March	2007	
Net	book	value	at	31	March	2007	–	restated	
Net book value at 31 March 2006 

Acquired		
intangible	
assets*	

Development	
costs	

Other		
intangible		
assets	

note 

13, 40 

40 

note 

40 

13 

74.8 
– 
– 
45.6 
– 
(1.0) 
119.4	

27.2 
18.0 
– 
45.2	
74.2	

10.1 
1.4 
– 
– 
(0.8) 
– 
10.7	

0.7 
1.5 
(0.1) 
2.1	
8.6	

11.1 
0.2 
20.6 
– 
(0.1) 
– 
31.8	

2.0 
3.5 
– 
5.5	
26.3	

Acquired  
intangible 
assets* 

Development 
costs 

Other  
intangible  
assets 

63.7 
– 
– 
18.7 
(1.2) 
– 
(6.4) 
74.8	

16.8 
12.6 
(0.7) 
(1.5) 
27.2	
47.6	
46.9 

8.6  
3.2 
– 
– 
(1.3) 
(0.4) 
– 
10.1	

0.5  
1.5 
(1.3) 
– 
0.7	
9.4	
8.1 

2.9 
3.5 
5.4 
– 
(0.7) 
– 
– 
11.1	

0.8 
1.3 
(0.1) 
– 
2.0	
9.1	
2.1 

Total

96.0
1.6
20.6
45.6
(0.9)
(1.0)
161.9

29.9
23.0
(0.1)
52.8
109.1

Total

75.2
6.7
5.4
18.7
(3.2)
(0.4)
(6.4)
96.0

18.1
15.4
(2.1)
(1.5)
29.9
66.1
57.1

*  Acquired intangible assets principally consist of the value of orders, backlog and certain customer relationships, technology and patents/licences. No value is 

attributed to customer relationships where short-term contracts are held that are subject to regular re-competition.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

13.

Business combinations

In the year to 31 March 2008 the Group made nine acquisitions. If these acquisitions had been completed as at 1 April 2007 Group revenue for 
the year ended 31 March 2008 would have increased by £30.6m to £1,396.6m and Group profit before tax would have increased by £2.1m to 
£53.5m. The Group acquired five businesses based in the USA, three in Australia and one in the UK.

Acquisitions	in	the	year	to	31	March	2008

all figures £ million	

Company	acquired	

QNA	acquisitions 
ITS Corporation 
Automatika, Inc. 
Applied Perception, Inc. 
3H Technology LLC 
Pinnacle CSI 
EMEA	acquisitions 
Boldon James Holdings Ltd 
Ball Solutions Group Pty Ltd 
AeroStructures Group 
Novare Services Pty Ltd 
Current	year	acquisitions	
Update in respect of acquisitions  
made in the year to 31 March 20073 
Total		

Date	acquired	

Initial	cash	
consideration1	

Deferred	
consideration	

Fair	value	of	
Goodwill	 assets	acquired2	

Revenue	

Operating		
profit

Contribution	post	acquisition

16 Apr 07  
5 June 07 
5 June 07 
26 June 07 
21 Jan 08 

24 Oct 07 
15 Feb 08 
15 Feb 08 
15 Feb 08 

43.1 
4.2 
4.4  
26.2 
3.0  

13.2 
3.5  
5.5 
3.6  
106.7	

– 
106.7	

5.3 
0.6 
0.6 
1.0 
– 

4.3 
– 
– 
0.4 
12.2	

0.4 
12.6	

29.9 
1.8 
1.8 
14.6 
0.7 

15.1 
3.4 
1.9 
2.7 
71.9	

0.4 
72.3	

18.5 
3.0 
3.2 
12.6 
2.3 

2.4 
0.1 
3.6 
1.3  
47.0	

– 
47.0	

35.0 
1.4 
1.7 
16.0 
1.2 

3.4 
0.9 
0.8 
0.3 
60.7	

– 
60.7	

3.2
0.2
0.0
1.4
0.1

0.2
0.0
0.1
0.1
5.3

–
5.3

1  Initial cash consideration includes acquisition costs and price adjustments for working capital and net debt.
2  Fair value of assets acquired are provisional.
3  Goodwill in relation to the OSEC and Analex acquisitions completed in the prior year increased by £0.4m ($0.8m) due to additional payments being accrued to 

the vendors. 

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

13.

Business combinations continued

Set out below are the allocations of purchase consideration, assets and liabilities of the acquisitions made in the year and the adjustments 
required to the book values of the assets and liabilities in order to present the net assets of these businesses at fair value and in accordance 
with Group accounting policies. These allocations and adjustments are provisional.

Acquisitions	in	the	year	to	31	March	2008 

all figures in £ million 

Intangible assets 
Property, plant and equipment 
Trade and other receivables 
Other current assets 
Trade and other payables 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Debt and other borrowings 
Deferred taxation 
Net	assets	acquired	
Goodwill 

Consideration satisfied by: 
Cash 
Deferred consideration 
Total	consideration	
Related costs of acquisition 

note	

Book	value	

Fair	value	
adjustment	

Fair	value	at		
acquisition

1.4 
2.5 
16.6 
3.9 
(10.3) 
4.5 
(6.5) 
(0.5) 
11.6	

44.2 
– 
(0.1) 

(0.5) 
– 
– 
(8.2) 
35.4	

25 

45.6
2.5
16.5
3.9
(10.8)
4.5
(6.5)
(8.7)
47.0
71.9
118.9

105.8
12.2
118.0
0.9
118.9

The fair value adjustments include £44.2m in relation to the recognition of acquired intangible assets less the recognition of a deferred tax 
liability of £8.2m in relation to these intangible assets.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

14.

Property, plant and equipment

Year ended 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

Cost
At 1 April 2007 
Additions 
Acquisition of subsidiaries 
Disposals 
Disposal of businesses 
Transfers 
Foreign exchange  
At	31	March	2008	

Depreciation	
At 1 April 2007 
Charge for the year 
Disposals 
Disposal of businesses 
Foreign exchange  
At	31	March	2008	
Net	book	value	at	31	March	2008	

Year ended 31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

Cost
At 1 April 2006 
Additions 
Acquisition of subsidiaries 
Disposals 
Disposal of businesses 
Transfers from development costs 
Transfers  
Foreign exchange  
At	31	March	2007	

Depreciation	
At 1 April 2006 
Charge for the year 
Disposals 
Disposal of businesses 
Foreign exchange  
At	31	March	2007	
Net	book	value	at	31	March	2007	
Net book value 31 March 2006 

Land	and	
buildings	

Plant,		
machinery	
and	vehicles	

Computers		
and	office	
equipment	

Assets		
under		
construction	

304.0 
1.3 
0.3 
– 
– 
1.2 
– 
306.8	

43.3 
11.3 
– 
– 
– 
(54.6)	
252.2	

104.9 
3.5 
0.6 
(2.1) 
(1.7) 
10.4 
(0.1) 
115.5	

61.6 
15.0 
(2.0) 
(0.6) 
(0.1) 
(73.9)	
41.6	

31.9 
3.7 
1.6 
(0.2) 
(0.8) 
6.1 
(0.3) 
42.0	

19.6 
6.7 
(0.2) 
(0.5) 
(0.2) 
(25.4)	
16.6	

25.2 
15.2 
– 
(0.2) 
(0.5) 
(17.7) 
– 
22.0	

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
–	
22.0	

land and 
buildings 

Plant,  
machinery 
and vehicles 

Computers  
and office 
equipment 

Assets  
under  
construction 

299.4 
0.3 
– 
(3.4) 
– 
– 
8.2 
(0.5) 
304.0	

33.5 
11.3 
(1.1) 
– 
(0.4) 
43.3	
260.7	
265.9 

87.3 
3.3 
– 
(0.6) 
– 
– 
15.5 
(0.6) 
104.9	

51.9 
10.6 
(0.6) 
– 
(0.3) 
61.6	
43.3	
35.4 

26.4 
3.3 
2.0 
(2.6) 
(0.4) 
– 
4.5 
(1.3) 
31.9	

13.1 
9.8 
(2.3) 
(0.1) 
(0.9) 
19.6	
12.3	
13.3 

25.7 
27.9 
– 
(0.5) 
– 
0.4 
(28.2) 
(0.1) 
25.2	

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
–	
25.2	
25.7 

Total

466.0
23.7
2.5
(2.5)
(3.0)
–
(0.4)
486.3

124.5
33.0
(2.2)
(1.1)
(0.3)
(153.9)
332.4

Total

438.8
34.8
2.0
(7.1)
(0.4)
0.4
–
(2.5)
466.0

98.5
31.7
(4.0)
(0.1)
(1.6)
124.5
341.5
340.3

Assets held under finance leases, capitalised and included in computers and equipment, have:

n 
n 
n 

 a cost of £5.2m (31 March 2007: £5.7m); 
 aggregate depreciation of £5.2m (31 March 2007: £5.0m); and
 a net book value of £nil (31 March 2007: £0.7m). 

Under the terms of the Business Transfer Agreement with the MOD, certain restrictions have been placed on freehold land and buildings, and 
certain plant and machinery related to them. These restrictions are detailed in note 36.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

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15.

Investment property 

all figures in £ million 

Cost	and	net	book	value  
At 1 April  
Disposals 
At	31	March	

all figures in £ million 

The	following	amounts	have	been	credited/(charged)	in	arriving	at	Group	operating	profit:	 
Rental income from investment property  
Direct operating expenses arising on investment property generating rental income  

16.

Financial assets

all figures in £ million 

Derivative financial instruments 
Escrow financial assets 
Net investment in finance lease  
Total	current	financial	assets	

Net investment in finance lease 
Escrow financial assets 
Derivative financial instruments 
Total	non-current	financial	assets	
Total	financial	assets	

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2008 

2007

– 
– 
–	

 5.8
(5.8)
–

2008 

2007

– 
– 

0.7
(0.2)

2008 

1.4 
3.0 
3.0 
7.4	

13.0 
– 
2.3 
15.3	
22.7	

2007

1.0
–
3.0
4.0

14.1
3.1
1.6
18.8
22.8

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17.

Equity accounted investments

Year ended 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

Revenue	
Loss	after	tax	

Non-current assets 
Current assets 

Current liabilities 
Non-current liabilities 

Net	assets	

Year ended 31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

Revenue 
Loss	after	tax	

Non-current assets 
Current assets 

Current liabilities 
Non-current liabilities 

Net	assets	

Joint	venture	
and	associates		
financial	
results	

Group	net 
share	of	joint	
ventures	and	
associates

9.0 
(8.0)	

21.1 
9.1 
30.2	
(5.8) 
(5.2) 
(11.0)	
19.2	

2.9
(4.0)

10.4
4.1
14.5	
(2.6)
(2.6)
(5.2)
9.3

Associates		
financial	
results	

Group	net		
share	of		
associates

6.1 
(3.1)	

0.5 
2.8 
3.3	
(3.0) 
(11.0) 
(14.0)	
(10.7)	

2.0
(1.2)

0.1
0.6
0.7
(0.4)
–
(0.4)
0.3

In August 2007, the Group completed the establishment of a new technology venture fund, QinetiQ Ventures LP, with Coller Capital. The fund 
is accounted for as a joint venture with a 50% economic interest held by the Group but with the potential for an increase to 75% dependent 
on the future financial results of the fund. The Group transferred the following businesses into the fund which had previously been partially 
or wholly owned: Intrinsiq Materials Limited (formerly named QinetiQ Nanomaterials Limited, and formerly a 100% subsidiary), Aurix Limited 
(formerly 88% subsidiary), Omni-ID Limited (formerly 100% subsidiary), Quintel Technology Limited (formerly 50% subsidiary), Metalysis 
Limited (formerly 16.3% investment), ZBD Displays Limited (formerly 31.6% investment), Stingray Geophysical Limited (formerly 19.9% 
investment). The Group invested cash of £3.5m into the fund during the year and there were losses of £4.0m recorded in the income 
statement. There was a loss on business divestment of £1.8m recorded in the income statement on the establishment of the fund  
(see note 5a for further details) and there was a charge of £3.5m to equity for the recycling of unrealised gains on previous revaluations  
of these businesses.

The unrecognised share of losses of equity accounted investments at 31 March 2008 was £nil (31 March 2007: £nil). During the year ended  
31 March 2008 there were sales to joint ventures of £1.3m (2007: £nil) and to associates of £1.4m (2007: £nil). At year end there were 
outstanding receivables from joint ventures of £0.4m (2007: £nil) and £nil (2007: £nil) from associates. There were no other related party 
transactions between the Group and its joint ventures and associates in the year.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

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18.

Other non-current investments

all figures in £ million 

Available for sale investments at 1 April  
Cash invested in year 
Non-cash addition in year  
Impairment charged to income statement in year 
Unwind of discount credited to income statement  
Impairment of a previously revalued investment charged to equity   
Increase in fair value in year credited to equity 
Disposals 
Available	for	sale	investments	at	31	March	

2008 

28.5 
4.1 
– 
(2.3) 
0.2 
(2.9) 
3.2 
(16.1) 
14.7	

2007

1.3
7.7
9.5
–
–
–
10.0
–
28.5

In August 2007, the Group transferred its holding in Metalysis Limited, Stingray Geophysical Ltd and ZBD Displays Limited to a venture fund in 
which QinetiQ holds a 50% interest and Coller Capital holds the remaining interest. The interest in this joint venture fund is disclosed in 
equity accounted investments in note 17. Prior to this date the Group invested cash of £1.2m in Metalysis Limited.

During the year the Group made other cash investments of £2.9m. There were revaluation gains of £3.2m in the Sciemus Limited investment 
following a funding round that established a new fair value and £2.3m impairments of other investments.

2008 

6.1 
19.9 
30.9 
56.9 

2007

3.5
17.7
18.3
39.5

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19.

Inventories

all figures in £ million 

Raw materials 
Work in progress 
Finished goods 

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20.

Trade and other receivables

all figures in £ million 

Trade debtors 
Amounts recoverable under contracts  
Other debtors 
Prepayments 

2008 

300.1 
134.2 
9.4 
25.3 
469.0 

2007

250.7
106.3
21.8
22.4
401.2

In determining the recoverability of trade receivables the Group considers any changes in the credit quality of the trade receivable from the 
date credit was granted up to the reporting date. Credit risk is limited due to the high percentage of turnover being derived from UK and US 
defence and other government agencies. Accordingly the Directors believe there is no further credit provision required in excess of the 
allowance for doubtful debts. As at 31 March 2008 the Group carried a provision for doubtful debts of £6.2m (2007: £2.5m).

Ageing of past due but not impaired receivables

all figures in £ million 

Up to 3 months 
Over 3 months 

Movements on the Group doubtful debt provision

all figures in £ million 

At 1 April  
Created 
Released 
Utilised 
At	31	March		

2008 

48.0 
3.3 
51.3	

2008 

2.5 
4.5 
(0.5) 
(0.3) 
6.2	

2007

20.8
6.6
27.4

2007

3.5
0.3
(1.3)
–
2.5

The maximum exposure to credit risk in relation to trade receivables at the reporting date is the fair value of trade receivables. The Group 
does not hold any collateral as security.

21.

Current asset investments

all figures in £ million 

Available	for	sale	investment	

2008 

1.3	

2007

4.0

At 31 March 2008 the Group held 35.7 million shares in pSivida Limited (31 March 2007: 35.7 million) a company listed on NASDAQ and the 
Australian and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges. The investment is held at fair value using the closing share price at 31 March 2008 of A$0.08 per 
share (31 March 2007: A$0.27). During the year the reduction in value of £2.9m (2007: £8.8m) before £0.2m of foreign exchange gain has 
been recognised in the income statement as an impairment. 

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22.

Cash and cash equivalents 

all figures in £ million 

Cash	

2008 

24.5	

2007

20.0

At 31 March 2008 £14.7m (31 March 2007: £12.7m) of cash is held by the Group’s captive insurance subsidiary. The amount is included  
in the above but can only be used for insurance purposes or utilised by the Group with prior approval by the subsidiary Board and relevant  
insurance regulator.

23.

Trade and other payables

all figures in £ million 

Payments received on account 
Trade creditors 
Other tax and social security 
Other creditors 
Accruals and deferred income 
Total	current	trade	and	other	payables	

Payments received on account 
Other payables 
Total	non-current	trade	and	other	payables	
Total	trade	and	other	payables	

24.

Provisions

Year ended 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

At 1 April 2007 
Created in year 
Released in year 
Utilised in year 
At	31	March	2008	

Current liability 
Non-current liability  
At	31	March	2008		

Year ended 31 March 2007 

all figures in £ million 

At 1 April 2006 
Created in year 
Released in year 
Utilised in year 
At	31	March	2007	

Current liability 
Non-current liability  
At	31	March	2007	

2008 

77.0 
51.3 
47.2 
31.4 
167.5 
374.4	

36.1 
11.6 
47.7	
422.1	

2007 
Restated

96.9
31.3
46.3
20.4
145.1
340.0

–
5.5
5.5
345.5

 Reorganisation	

	Other	

0.9 
36.6 
(0.4) 
(7.8) 
29.3	

29.3 
– 
29.3	

 Reorganisation 

9.4 
0.7 
(0.8) 
(8.4) 
0.9	

0.9 
– 
0.9	

13.3 
5.4 
(0.3) 
(2.0) 
16.4	

2.5 
13.9 
16.4	

Other 

 17.1 
5.9 
(7.5) 
(2.2) 
13.3	

0.2 
13.1 
13.3	

Total

14.2
42.0
(0.7)
(9.8)
45.7

31.8
13.9
45.7

Total

 26.5
6.6
(8.3)
(10.6)
14.2

1.1
13.1
14.2

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Reorganisation provisions relate to current-year and prior-year restructuring of the Group. Other provisions comprise legal, environmental, 
statutory, property and other liabilities.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

25.

Deferred tax

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are only offset where there is a legally enforceable right to offset and there is an intention to settle the 
balances net.

Movements on the deferred tax assets and liabilities are shown below:

Year ended 31 March 2008
Deferred	tax	asset

all figures in £ million 

At 1 April 2007 
Created 
Transfer from deferred tax liability 
Released 
Gross	deferred	tax	asset	at	31	March	2008	
Less liability available for offset  
Net	deferred	tax	asset	at	31	March	2008		

  Pension	liability		

Hedging	

27.1 
– 
– 
(20.6) 
6.5	

– 
1.9 
(0.7) 
– 
1.2	

Other	

0.7 
11.1 
– 
– 
11.8	

Total

27.8
13.0
(0.7)
(20.6)
19.5
(19.5)
–

The net deferred tax asset released in the year relating to the pension liability includes £12.2m (2007: £17.9m) released to equity.

Deferred	tax	liability

all figures in £ million	

At 1 April 2007 – restated 
Acquisitions  
Created  
Transfer to deferred tax asset 
Foreign exchange 
Gross	deferred	tax	liability	at	31	March	2008	
Less asset available for offset  
Net	deferred	tax	liability	at	31	March	2008	

  Accelerated	tax	
	 depreciation	and		
amortisation

(47.0)
(8.7)
4.4
0.7
0.3
(50.3)
19.5
(30.8)

Deferred tax movements on hedging have been recognised in equity. At the balance sheet date, the Group had unused tax losses of £53.8m 
(2007: £46.2m) potentially available for offset against future profits. No deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of this amount due 
to uncertainty over the timing of their utilisation. These losses can be carried forward indefinitely.

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25.

Deferred tax continued

Year ended 31 March 2007
Deferred	tax	asset

all figures in £ million 

At 1 April 2006 
Released 
Transferred from deferred tax liabilities 
Gross	deferred	tax	asset	at	31	March	2007	
Less liability available for offset 
Net	deferred	tax	asset	at	31	March	2007	

Deferred	tax	liability	

all figures in £ million 

At 1 April 2006 
Acquisitions – restated 
Created  
Released 
Transferred to deferred tax assets 
Foreign exchange 
Gross	deferred	tax	liability	at	31	March	2007	–	restated	
Less asset available for offset 
Net	deferred	tax	liability	at	31	March	2007	–	restated	

26.

Financial liabilities – current

all figures in £ million 

Bank overdraft 
Loan notes 
Deferred financing costs 
Finance lease creditor 
Derivative financial investments 

Pension  
liability  

50.4 
(23.3) 
– 
27.1	

Other 

– 
– 
0.7 
0.7	

Accelerated tax  
 depreciation and  
 amortisation 

Other 

Hedging 

(43.2) 
(5.4) 
(0.6) 
1.9 
– 
0.3 
(47.0)	

(1.6) 
– 
– 
2.3 
(0.7) 
– 
–	

(2.0) 
– 
– 
2.0 
– 
– 
–	

2008 

5.0 
0.5 
(0.2) 
2.8 
3.7 
11.8	

Total

50.4
(23.3)
0.7
27.8
(16.8)
11.0

Total

(46.8)
(5.4)
(0.6)
6.2
(0.7)
0.3
(47.0)
16.8
(30.2)

 2007

7.4
5.2
(0.2)
3.2
0.3
15.9

Further analysis of the terms and maturity dates for financial liabilities are set out in note 28.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

27.

Financial liabilities – non-current

all figures in £ million 

Bank loan 
Deferred financing costs 

US$260m loan, repayable 2013 and 2016 
Finance lease creditor 
Derivative financial instruments 

Further analysis of the terms and maturity dates for financial liabilities are set out in note 28.

	2008 

266.7 
(0.9) 
265.8	
132.3 
12.8 
4.4 
415.3	

 2007

180.1
(0.6)
179.5
134.3
13.9
–
327.7

28.

Financial risk management

Financial assets and liabilities comprise:

all figures in £ million 

Trade and other receivables/(payables) 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Bank borrowings, loans and loan notes 
Finance leases 
Investments 
Derivative financial instruments 
Escrow financial asset 

2008 

2007

Financial	
assets	

Financial 
liabilities 

Financial 
 assets 

Financial 
liabilities

469.0 
24.5 
– 
16.0 
16.0 
3.7 
3.0 
532.2	

(422.1) 
– 
(403.4) 
(15.6) 
– 
(8.1) 
– 
(849.2)	

401.2 
20.0 
– 
17.1 
32.5 
2.6 
3.1 
476.5	

(345.5)
–
(326.2)
(17.1)
–
(0.3)
–
(689.1)

(A)	Fair	values	of	financial	instruments	
All financial assets and liabilities have a fair value identical to book value at 31 March 2008 and 31 March 2007 except the following:

all figures in £ million 

Primary financial instruments held or issued to finance the Group’s operations: 
Bank borrowings, loans and loan notes  
Other financial assets/(liabilities): 
Finance lease assets 
Finance lease liabilities 

2008 

2007

Fair	value	

Book	value 

Fair value 

Book value

(403.7) 

(403.4) 

(324.1) 

(326.2)

19.2 
(17.7) 

16.0 
(15.6) 

23.1 
(21.9) 

17.1
(17.1)

Market values, where available, have been used to determine fair values. Where market values are not available, fair values have been 
calculated by discounting cash flows to net present values using prevailing market-based interest rates translated at year-end exchange rates, 
except for unlisted fixed asset investments where a fair value equals book value.

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28.

Financial risk management continued

(B)	Interest	rate	risk
At 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

Sterling 
US dollar 
Euro 
Australian dollar 

31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

Sterling 
US dollar 
Euro 
Australian dollar 

Financial	asset 

Financial	liability

Fixed	or 
capped	

Floating 

Non-interest 
bearing 

16.0 
– 
– 
– 
16.0	

10.2 
16.7 
0.6 
– 
27.5	

18.4 
– 
– 
1.3 
19.7	

Financial asset 

Fixed or 
capped 

Floating 

Non-interest 
bearing 

17.1 
– 
– 
– 
17.1	

14.3 
8.4 
0.4 
– 
23.1	

28.5 
2.4 
0.2 
4.0 
35.1	

Fixed	or 
capped	

(15.6) 
(268.0) 
– 
– 
(283.6)	

Fixed or 
capped 

(22.2) 
(256.6) 
– 
– 
(278.8)	

Floating	

(19.4) 
(90.4) 
(10.0) 
(15.6) 
(135.4)	

Non-interest 
bearing

(6.1)
(2.0)
–
–
(8.1)

Financial liability

Floating 

Non-interest 
bearing

(12.7) 
(41.4) 
(6.8) 
(3.6) 
(64.5)	

–
(0.1)
(0.2)
–
(0.3)

Floating rate financial assets attract interest based on the relevant national LIBID equivalent. Floating rate financial liabilities bear interest at 
the relevant national LIBOR equivalent. Trade and other receivables/(payables) are excluded from this analysis.

For the fixed or capped rate financial assets and liabilities, the average interest rates and the average period for which the rates are fixed are:

Financial assets: 
Sterling	
Financial liabilities: 
Sterling 
US dollar 

Weighted	
Fixed	or	
capped	
£m	

2008 

Weighted 
average	
interest	rate	
%	

average 
years 
	to	maturity 

Fixed or 
 capped 
£m 

2007

Weighted 
average 
interest rate 
% 

Weighted  
average years  
to maturity

16.0	

13.4%	

(15.6) 
(268.0) 
(283.6)	

12.1% 
4.8% 
5.2%	

6.9	

7.4 
5.2 
5.3	

17.1	

13.4%	

(22.2) 
(256.6) 
(278.8)	

10.9% 
4.9% 
5.3%	

7.9

6.3
5.8
5.8

Sterling assets and liabilities consist primarily of finance leases with the weighted average interest rate reflecting the internal rate of return of 
those leases.

Interest	rate	risk	management
At 31 March 2008 66% (31 March 2007: 80%) of the Group’s bank borrowings, loans and loan notes were fixed or capped through a 
combination of interest rate swaps, collars and fixed rate debt. 

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28.

Financial risk management continued

(C)	Currency	risk
The table below shows the Group’s currency exposures, being exposures on currency transactions that give rise to net currency gains and 
losses recognised in the income statement. Such exposures comprise the monetary assets and liabilities of the Group that are not 
denominated in the functional currency of the operating company involved, other than certain non-sterling borrowings treated as hedges of 
net investments in overseas entities.

Functional	currency	of	the	operating	company	

all figures in £ million 

31 March 2008 – sterling 
31 March 2007 – sterling 

net foreign currency monetary assets/(liabilities)

Us dollar 

12.3 
0.5 

Euro 

0.8 
(0.3) 

Australian 
dollar 

(0.1) 
– 

Other 

(0.3) 
1.2 

Total

12.7
1.4

The amounts shown in the table take into account the effect of the forward contracts entered into to manage these currency exposures.

(D)	Liquidity	risk
The following are the contractual maturities of financial liabilities, including interest payments.
At 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million	

Non-derivative	financial	liabilities
Trade and other payables 
Bank overdrafts 
US$260m loan, repayable 2013 and 2016 
Multi-currency revolving facility* 
Loan notes 
Finance leases 
Derivative	financial	liabilities
Interest rate swaps used for hedging   
Forward exchange contracts used for hedging 

Book	value	

Contractual	
cash	flows	

1	year	or	less	

1-2	years	

2-5	years	

More	than	
5	years

(422.1) 
(5.0) 
(132.3) 
(265.6) 
(0.5) 
(15.6) 

(4.8) 
(3.3) 
(849.2)	

(422.1) 
(5.0) 
(159.1) 
(267.4) 
(0.5) 
(21.1) 

(4.8) 
(3.3) 
(883.3)	

(374.4) 
(5.0) 
(7.1) 
(267.4) 
(0.5) 
(2.8) 

(2.0) 
(1.7) 
(660.9)	

(7.8) 
– 
(7.1) 
– 
– 
(2.8) 

(2.0) 
(1.1) 
(20.8)	

(39.9) 
– 
(7.1) 
– 
– 
(8.5) 

(0.8) 
(0.5) 
(56.8)	

–
–
(137.8)
–
–
(7.0)

–
–
(144.8)

*  Although the contractual maturities of the loans drawn under the £500m committed multi-currency revolving facility fall within 12 months, the facility is 

available until 19 August 2012.

At 31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

Non-derivative	financial	liabilities
Trade and other payables 
Bank overdrafts 
US$260m loan, repayable 2013 and 2016 
Multi-currency revolving facility 
Loan notes 
Finance leases 
Derivative	financial	liabilities
Interest rate swaps used for hedging   
Forward exchange contracts used for hedging 

Book value 

Contractual 
cash flows 

1 year or less 

1-2 years 

2-5 years 

more than 
5 years

(345.5) 
(7.4) 
(134.3) 
(179.3) 
(5.2) 
(17.1) 

– 
(0.3) 
(689.1)	

(345.5) 
(7.4) 
(161.8) 
(183.0) 
(5.2) 
(24.2) 

– 
(0.3) 
(727.4)	

(340.0) 
(7.4) 
(7.3) 
(183.0) 
(5.2) 
(3.2) 

– 
(0.3) 
(546.4)	

(5.5) 
– 
(7.3) 
– 
– 
(2.8) 

– 
– 
(15.6)	

– 
– 
(7.3) 
– 
– 
(8.5) 

– 
– 
(15.8)	

–
–
(139.9)
–
–
(9.7)

–
–
(149.6)

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28.

Financial risk management continued

(E)	Gains	and	losses	on	cash	flow	hedges

all figures in £ million 

Derivative assets/(liabilities) at the  
beginning of the year 
Removed from equity and included in income  
statement within interest expense 
Recognised in equity during the year 
Derivative assets/(liabilities) at the end of the year 

2008 

Gains	

Losses	

2.7 

(1.1) 
2.1 
3.7	

(0.3) 

– 
(7.8) 
(8.1)	

	Net 

2.4 

(1.1) 
(5.7) 
(4.4)	

2007

Gains 

losses 

8.5 

(1.7) 
(4.1) 
2.7	

(0.5) 

0.3 
(0.1) 
(0.3)	

all figures in £ million 

Gains	

Losses	

	Net 

Gains 

losses 

2008 

2007

Expected to be recognised: 
In one year or less 
In more than one year but not less than five years 

(F)	Maturity	of	financial	liabilities
At 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

Due in one year or less 
Due in more than one year but not more than two years 
Due in more than two years but not more than five years  
Due in more than five years 

At 31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

Due in one year or less 
Due in more than one year but not more than two years 
Due in more than two years but not more than five years  
Due in more than five years 

1.4 
2.3 
3.7	

(3.7) 
(4.4) 
(8.1)	

(2.3) 
(2.1) 
(4.4)	

1.0 
1.7 
2.7	

(0.3) 
– 
(0.3)	

Trade	and	
other	payables	

Bank	
borrowings		
and	loan	notes	

Finance	leases	
and	derivative	
financial	
instruments	

374.4 
7.8 
39.9 
– 
422.1	

5.3 
– 
265.8 
132.3 
403.4	

6.5 
3.3 
10.0 
3.9 
23.7	

Trade and 
other payables 

Bank 
borrowings  
and loan notes 

Finance leases 
and derivative 
financial 
instruments 

340.0 
5.5 
– 
– 
345.5	

12.4 
– 
179.5 
134.3 
326.2	

3.5 
2.2 
6.7 
5.0 
17.4	

net

8.0

(1.4)
(4.2)
2.4

net

0.7
1.7
2.4

Total

386.2
11.1
315.7
136.2
849.2

Total

355.9
7.7
186.2
139.3
689.1

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notes to the financial statements continued

28.

Financial risk management continued

(G)	Borrowing	facilities
At 31 March 2008, the following committed facilities were available to the Group:

Multi-currency revolving facility 
US$135m loan repayable 2013 
US$125m loan repayable 2016 
Loan notes 
Committed	facilities	31	March	2008	
Committed facilities 31 March 2007 

Interest	rate	
%	

LIBOR plus 0.30% 
5.44% 
5.50% 
Base minus 1.0% 

Total	
£m	

500.0 
68.8 
63.5 
0.5 
632.8	
639.5 

Drawn	
£m	

266.7 
68.8 
63.5 
0.5 
399.5	
319.6 

Undrawn 
£m

233.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
233.3
319.9

Loans drawn under the £500m multi-currency revolving facility are repayable within 12 months, but have been classified as due in more than 
two years as the relevant committed facilities are available until 19 August 2012. The loans bear interest at a variable margin over LIBOR of 
between 0.30% and 0.525% dependent on the ratio of EBITDA to Net Debt and the level of utilisation.

Loan notes total £0.5m of which £0.4m relates to the acquisition of Boldon James and £0.1m relates to the acquisition of HVR Consulting Ltd. 
The Boldon James notes were repaid in April 08 and the HVR loan notes are repayable on request of the holders, but no later than 31 July 2009 
and bear interest at a discount to the Lloyds TSB Base Rate.

(H)	Sensitivity	and	analysis
The Group’s sensitivity to changes in market rates on financial assets and liabilities as at 31 March 2008 is set out in the table below. The 
impact of a weakening in sterling on the Group’s financial assets and liabilities would be more than offset in equity and income by its impact 
on the Group’s overseas net assets and earnings respectively.

The amounts generated from the sensitivity analysis are forward-looking estimates of market risk assuming certain adverse market conditions 
occur. Actual results in the future may differ materially from those projected results due to developments in the global financial markets 
which may cause fluctuations in interest and exchange rates to vary from the hypothetical amounts disclosed in the table below, which 
therefore should not be considered a projection of likely future events and losses.

The estimated changes for interest rate movements are based on an instantaneous decrease or increase of 1% (100 basis points) in the 
specific rate of interest applicable to each class of financial instruments from the levels effective at 31 March 2008, with all other variables 
remaining constant. The estimated changes for foreign exchange rates are based on an instantaneous 10% weakening in sterling against all 
other currencies from the levels applicable at 31 March 2008, with all other variables remaining constant. An increase in interest rates or a 
strengthening in sterling would have an equal and opposite effect. Such analysis is for illustrative purposes only – in practice market rates 
rarely change in isolation.

At 31 March 2008

all figures in £ million 

US dollars 
Other 

At 31 March 2007

all figures in £ million 

US dollars 
Other 

1%	decrease	in	interest	rates 

10%	weakening	in	sterling

Equity	

(4.0) 
– 
(4.0) 

Profit	
before	tax 

0.7 
0.2 
0.9 

Equity	

(38.5) 
(2.7) 
(41.2) 

Profit 
before	tax

(1.7)
(0.2)
(1.9)

1% decrease in interest rates 

10% weakening in sterling

Equity 

(3.0) 
– 
(3.0) 

Profit 
before tax 

0.3 
0.1 
0.4 

Equity 

(31.9) 
(0.7) 
(32.6) 

Profit 
before tax

(2.0)
(0.1)
(2.1)

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notes to the financial statements continued

29.

Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt

all figures in £ million 

Increase/(decrease) in cash in the year 
New loans  
New loan notes 
Bank loan repayments 
Loan note repayments 
Payment of deferred financing costs 
Capital element of finance lease payments  
Capital element of finance lease receipts 
Change	in	net	debt	resulting	from	cash	flows	
Amortisation of deferred financing costs 
Foreign exchange movements 
Accrued US$ loan interest 
Loan note disposed as part of business disposal 
Finance lease receivables 
Finance lease payables 
Movement on escrow cash 
Movement on derivatives 
Net debt at the start of the year 
Net	debt	at	the	end	of	the	year 

Year	ended	 
note  31	March	2008 

Year ended 
 31 march 2007

7.2 
(87.6) 
(0.5) 
– 
0.1 
0.5 
3.2 
(3.0) 
(80.1)	
(0.2) 
2.7 
– 
5.1 
1.9 
(1.7) 
(0.1) 
(6.7) 
(300.8) 
(379.9)	

(45.5)
(131.3)
(1.3)
79.2
1.4
0.4
 5.9
(3.5)
(94.7)
(0.2)
30.2
(1.6)
–
2.6
(2.9)
3.1
(4.3)
(233.0)
(300.8)

 30  

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the financial statements continued

30.

Analysis of net debt

all figures in £ million 

Due	within	one	year
Bank and cash 
Bank overdraft 
Recapitalisation fee 
Loan notes 
Finance lease debtor 
Finance lease creditor 
Escrow cash 
Derivative financial assets 
Derivative financial liabilities 

Due	after	one	year
Bank loan  
Recapitalisation fee 
US$260m loan repayable 2013 and 2016 
Finance lease debtor 
Finance lease creditor 
Escrow cash 
Derivative financial assets 
Derivative financial liabilities 

Total	net	debt	as	defined	by	the	Group	

Year ended  
  31 march 2007 

Cash flow 

non-cash  

Year	ended		
movements   31	March	2008

20.0  
(7.4) 
 0.2  
 (5.2) 
3.0 
(3.2) 
– 
1.0 
(0.3) 
8.1	

(180.1) 
0.6 
(134.3) 
14.1 
(13.9) 
3.1 
1.6 
– 
(308.9)	
(300.8)	

4.8 
2.4 
– 
(0.4) 
(3.0) 
3.2 
– 
– 
– 
7.0	

(87.6) 
0.5 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
(87.1)	
(80.1)	

(0.3) 
– 
– 
5.1 
3.0 
(2.8) 
3.0 
0.4 
(3.4) 
5.0	

1.0 
(0.2) 
2.0 
(1.1) 
1.1 
(3.1) 
0.7 
(4.4) 
(4.0)	
1.0	

24.5
(5.0)
0.2
(0.5)
3.0
(2.8)
3.0
1.4
(3.7)
20.1

(266.7)
0.9
(132.3)
13.0
(12.8)
–
2.3
(4.4)
(400.0)
(379.9)

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31.

Finance leases

Group	as	a	lessor
The minimum lease receivables under finance leases fall as follows:

all figures in £ million 

Amounts	receivable	under	finance	leases
Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 
Greater than five years 

Less unearned finance income 
Present	value	of	minimum	lease	payments	

Classified as follows:
Financial asset – current 
Financial asset – non-current 

minimum lease payments 

Present value 
of minimum lease payments

2008 

2007 

2008 

2007

3.0 
12.0 
7.5 
22.5	
(6.5) 
16.0	

3.0 
12.0 
10.5 
25.5	
(8.4) 
17.1	

3.0 
8.9 
4.1 

3.0
8.9
5.2

16.0	

17.1

3.0 
13.0 
16.0	

3.0
14.1
17.1

The Group leases out certain buildings under finance leases over a 12-year term expiring in 2015.

Group	as	a	lessee	
The minimum lease payments under finance leases fall due as follows:

all figures in £ million 

Amounts	payable	under	finance	leases	
Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 
Greater than five years 

Less future finance charges 
Present	value	of	minimum	lease	payments	

Classified	as	follows:
Financial liability – current 
Financial liability – non-current 

minimum lease payments 

Present value 
of minimum lease payments

2008 

2007 

2008 

2007

2.8 
11.3 
7.0 
21.1	
(5.5) 
15.6	

3.2 
11.3 
9.7 
24.2	
(7.1) 
17.1	

2.8 
8.9 
3.9 

3.2
8.9
5.0

15.6	

17.1

2.8 
12.8 
15.6	

3.2
13.9
17.1

The Group utilises certain buildings and computer equipment under finance leases. Average lease terms are typically between two and ten 
years (31 March 2007 between two and ten years).

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notes to the financial statements continued

32.

share capital

Authorised share capital at 31 March 2008 and 2007:

Attributable to equity interests:
Ordinary Shares of 1p each 

Attributable to non-equity interests:
Special Share of £1 
Total	authorised	share	

Shares allotted, called up and fully paid:

At 1 April 2006 
Issued in year 
At 31 March 2007 
Issued in year 
At 31 March 2008 

£ 

Number

  14,000,000  1,400,000,000

1
	 14,000,001	 1,400,000,001

1 

Ordinary shares 
of 1p each (equity) 

special shares of £1 
(non-equity) 

Total

£ 

95,500 

number 
6,505,650  650,565,024 
9,550,032 
6,601,150	 660,115,056	
361,317 
6,604,764	 660,476,373	

3,614 

£ 
1 
– 
1	
– 
1	

number 
1 
– 
1	
– 
1	

£ 

95,500 

 Number
6,505,651  650,565,025
9,550,032
6,601,151	 660,115,057
361,317
6,604,765	 660,476,374

3,614 

Except as noted below all shares at 31 March 2008 rank pari passu in all respects.

Rights	attaching	to	the	Special	Share
QinetiQ carries out activities which are important to UK defence and security interests. To protect these interests in the context of the 
ongoing commercial relationship between the MOD and QinetiQ, and to promote and reinforce the Compliance Principles, the MOD holds a 
Special Share in QinetiQ. The Special Share confers certain rights on the holder:

a) to require the Group to implement and maintain the Compliance System (as defined in the Articles of Association) so as to make at all 

times effective its and each member of QinetiQ Controlled Group’s application of the Compliance Principles, in a manner acceptable to the 
Special Shareholder;

b) to refer matters to the Board or the Compliance Committee for its consideration in relation to the application of the Compliance Principles;
c)  to veto any contract, transaction, arrangement or activity which the Special Shareholder considers:

i)  may result in circumstances which constitute unacceptable ownership, influence or control over QinetiQ or any other member of the 

QinetiQ consolidated Group contrary to the defence or security interests of the United Kingdom; or

ii) would not, or does not, ensure the effective application of the Compliance Principles to and/or by all members of the QinetiQ Controlled 

Group or would be or is otherwise contrary to the defence or security interests of the United Kingdom;

d) to require the Board to take any action (including but not limited to amending the Compliance Principles), or rectify any omission in the 

application of the Compliance Principles, if the Special Shareholder is of the opinion that such steps are necessary to protect the defence or 
security interest of the United Kingdom;

e) to exercise any of the powers contained in the articles in relation to the Compliance Committee; and
f)  to demand a poll at any of the QinetiQ’s meetings (even though it may have no voting rights except those specifically set out in the 

Articles).

The Special Shareholder has an option to purchase defined Strategic Assets of the Group in certain circumstances. The Special Shareholder 
has, inter alia, the right to purchase any Strategic Assets which the Group wishes to sell. Strategic Assets are normally testing and research 
facilities (see note 36 for further details).

The Special Share may only be issued to, held by and transferred to HM Government (or as it directs). At any time the Special Shareholder may 
require QinetiQ to redeem the Special Share at par. If QinetiQ is wound up the Special Shareholder will be entitled to be repaid the capital paid 
up on the Special Share before other shareholders receive any payment. The Special Shareholder has no other right to share in the capital or 
profits of QinetiQ.

The Special Shareholder must give consent to a general meeting held on short notice.

The Special Share entitles the Special Shareholder to require certain persons who hold (together with any person acting in concert with them) 
a material interest in QinetiQ to dispose of some or all of their Ordinary Shares in certain prescribed circumstances on the grounds of national 
security or conflict of interest.

The Directors must register any transfer of the Special Share within seven days.

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notes to the financial statements continued

33.

Changes in equity

all figures in £ million  

At	1	April	2006	
Effective portion of change in  
fair value of net investment hedges 
Foreign currency translation  
differences for foreign operations   
Profit for the year 
Dividends paid 
Issue of new shares 
Share-based payments 
Deferred tax on exercise  
of share options 
Gain on fair value of available for  
sale financial assets 
Increase in fair value of available  
for sale investments 
Decrease in fair value of  
hedging derivatives 
Deferred tax on hedging derivatives 
Arising on acquisition/disposal 
Actuarial gain recognised in the  
defined benefit pension schemes 
Deferred tax asset on pension deficit 
At	31	March	2007	
Effective portion of change in  
fair value of net investment hedges 
Foreign currency translation  
differences for foreign operations   
Profit for the year 
Dividends paid 
Purchase of own shares 
Share-based payments 
Deferred tax on share-based payments 
Impairment of a previously revalued  
available for sale investment 
Increase in fair value of available  
for sale investments 
Decrease in fair value of hedging  
derivatives 
Deferred tax on hedging  
derivatives 
Release unrealised gain on disposal  
of businesses 
Actuarial gain recognised in the  
defined benefit pension schemes 
Deferred tax asset on 
pension deficit 
At	31	March	2008	

Issued 
Capital 
share  redemption 
reserve 

capital 

share 
premium 

Hedge  Translation 
reserve 
reserve 

Retained 
earnings 

  minority 
interest 

Total 

Total 
equity

6.5	

39.9	

147.5	

4.7	

0.2	

164.7	

363.5	

(0.6)	

362.9

– 

– 
– 
– 
0.1 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 

– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 

– 

– 
– 
– 
0.1 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
6.6	

– 
– 
39.9	

– 
– 
147.6	

– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

(5.6) 
2.0 
– 

– 
– 
1.1	

– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

(6.8) 

1.9 

– 

– 

31.3 

– 

31.3 

(45.7) 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
– 

– 
69.0 
(22.7) 
(0.1) 
1.1 

4.8 

1.6 

(45.7) 
69.0 
(22.7) 
0.1 
1.1 

4.8 

1.6 

10.0 

10.0 

– 
– 
– 

(5.6) 
2.0 
– 

– 
– 
(14.2)	

85.8 
(17.9) 
296.3	

85.8 
(17.9) 
477.3	

1.0 

(4.3) 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

1.0 

– 
47.4 
(24.9) 
(12.8) 
3.8 
0.2 

(4.3) 
47.4 
(24.9) 
(12.8) 
3.8 
0.2 

(2.9) 

(2.9) 

3.2 

3.2 

– 

– 

(6.8) 

1.9 

(3.5) 

(3.5) 

65.5 

65.5 

– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 
0.7 

– 
– 
0.1	

– 

– 
– 

– 
– 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

31.3

(45.7)
69.0
(22.7)
0.1
1.1

4.8

1.6

10.0

(5.6)
2.0
0.7

85.8
(17.9)
477.4

1.0

(4.3)
47.4
(24.9)
(12.8)
3.8
0.2

(2.9)

3.2

(6.8)

1.9

(3.5)

65.5

– 
6.6	

– 
39.9	

– 
147.6	

– 
(3.8)	

– 
(17.5)	

(12.2) 
360.1	

(12.2) 
532.9	

– 
0.1	

(12.2)
533.0

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The translation reserve consists of the cumulative foreign exchange difference arising on translation since the Group transitioned to IFRS. 
Movements on hedge instruments and hedged items, where the hedge is effective, are recorded in the hedge reserve until the hedge ceases.

The capital redemption reserve is not distributable and was created following redemption of preference share capital and the bonus issue  
of shares.

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34.

share-based payments

The Group operates a number of share-based payment plans for employees. The total share-based payment expense in the year was £3.8m 
(year to 31 March 2007: £1.1m).

2003	employee	share	option	scheme	(2003	ESOS)
Under the employee share option scheme all employees as at 25 July 2003 received share options which vested when the Group completed its 
IPO and which must be exercised within ten years of grant. The options are settled by shares. 

Outstanding at start of year 
Forfeited in year  
Exercised in year  
Outstanding	and	exercisable	at	end	of	year	

2008 

2007

Weighted 
average  
exercise 
price 

number 

2.3p 
2.3p 
2.3p 
2.3p	

12,121,644 
(275,724) 
(10,120,092) 
1,725,828	

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
 price

2.3p
2.3p
2.3p
2.3p

Number 

1,725,828 
(95,312) 
(420,394) 
1,210,122	

The 2003 ESOS are equity settled awards and those outstanding at 31 March 2008 had an average remaining life of 5.3 years  
(31 March 2007: 6.3 years).

QinetiQ	Share	Option	Scheme	(QSOS)	 
In the year, the Group granted options to certain senior employees under the QSOS. The exercise price of the options is equal to the average 
market price of the Group’s shares on the date of the grant. The options vest after three years. For 13,631,708 (2007: 10,382,585) of the 
options outstanding at the end of the year the number that will vest is dependent upon the growth of earnings per share (‘EPS’) over the 
measurement period. 25% of options will vest if EPS growth is 22.5% for the period and 100% will vest if growth is at least 52%. No options 
will vest if EPS growth is below 22.5%. Options will vest on a straight line basis if EPS growth is between 22.5% and 52%. For the remaining 
411,876 (2007: 160,112) options the EPS growth target is replaced by a performance target based on QinetiQ’s ranking by reference to total 
shareholder return (‘TSR’) against a comparator group of FTSE listed companies over a three-year performance period such that a below 
median ranking will result in nil shares vesting, at the median level 30% of the options would vest and the amount vested will increase on a 
straight line basis such that 100% would vest if TSR reaches the upper quartile of the ranking over a three-year period. 

Outstanding at the start of the year 
Granted during the year 
Lapsed during the year  
Outstanding	at	end	of	year	

2008 

2007

Weighted 
average  
exercise 
price 

195p 
174p 
195p 
187p	

number 

377,917 
10,178,883 
(14,103) 
10,542,697	

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
 price

.208p
.195p
.195p 
.195p

Number 

10,542,697 
5,356,392 
(1,855,505) 
14,043,584	

QSOS grants are equity settled awards and those outstanding at 31 March 2008 had an average remaining life of 1.5 years (2007: 2.5 years). 
QSOS option awards in the year were made at an exercise price of 174p (2007: exercise prices from 188p–208p).

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34.

share-based payments continued

Performance	Share	Plan	(PSP)	
In the year the Group made awards to certain UK senior executives under the Performance Share Plan. The options vest after three years with 
50% of the awards subject to total shareholder return conditions and 50% subject to earnings per share conditions as detailed in the QSOS 
TSR and EPS conditions above. 

Outstanding at the start of the year 
Granted during the year 
Lapsed during the year  
Outstanding	at	end	of	year	

 number of shares

– 
700,804
– 
	700,804

PSP are equity settled awards and those outstanding at 31 March 2008 had an average remaining life of 2.3 years. The exercise price for the 
PSP is £nil.

Restricted	Stock	Units	(RSU)	
In the year, the Group granted awards to certain senior US employees under the Restricted Stock Unit Plan. 30% of the options vest over two 
years, 30% over three years and 40% over four years. Half of the awards vest on conditions of QNA organic growth and half on a time-based 
criteria. QNA organic revenue growth is measured over a two, three and four-year period, with 125% awarded at annual QNA organic revenue 
growth rates above 15%, 100% at 12.5%, 75% at 10% and 25% at 5%. The time-based criteria requires continued employment for vesting 
eligibility for the relevant two, three or four-year period. 

Outstanding at the start of the year 
Granted during the year 
Lapsed during the year  
Outstanding	at	end	of	year	

 number of shares

– 
1,739,869

(82,539) 

1,657,330

RSU are equity settled awards and those outstanding at 31 March 2008 had an average remaining life of 2.3 years. The exercise price for the 
RSU is £nil.

Group	Share	Incentive	Plan	(SIP)
Under the QinetiQ Share Incentive Plan the Group offers UK employees the opportunity of purchasing up to £125 worth of shares a month  
at the prevailing market rate. The Group will make a matching share award of a third of the employee’s payment. The Group’s matching 
shares may be forfeited if the employee ceases to be employed by QinetiQ within three years of the award of the shares. 

Outstanding at the start of the year 
Granted during the year 
Lapsed during the year  
Outstanding	at	end	of	year	

number of 
  matching shares

428,878 
489,850
(47,397) 
871,331	

SIP matching shares are equity-settled awards and those outstanding at 31 March 2008 had an average remaining life of two years.  
The exercise price for the SIP matching shares is £nil. 

Option	pricing
Share-based payments have been valued using a binomial option pricing model. Assumptions used within the model include expected 
volatility of 22%–30%, an expected life of three years and a risk-free rate of return of 4.5%–5.5%. The average share price in the year was  
186p (2007: 185p). 

For the 2003 Share Option scheme, there was a pre-bonus issue-weighted average share price of £1 and a weighted average exercise price of 
£1 based on third-party transactions in the Company’s shares in the period immediately prior to the issue of the share options. Prior to IPO in 
February 2006 there was no active market for the Company’s shares therefore expected volatility was determined using the average volatility 
for a comparable selection of businesses. At this time the Group had no established pattern of dividend payments therefore no dividends 
were assumed in this model.

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35.

Operating leases

Group	as	a	lessor
The Group receives rental income on certain properties. The Group had contracted with tenants for the following future minimum lease 
payments:

all figures in £ million 

Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 
Greater than five years 

Group	as	a	lessee	

all figures in £ million 

Lease	and	sublease	income	statement	expense		–	minimum	lease	payments	

The Group had the following future minimum lease payment commitments:

all figures in £ million 

Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 
Greater than five years 

2008 

8.1 
19.1 
– 
27.2	

2008 

16.6	

2008 

13.8 
36.7 
25.4 
75.9 

2007

5.4
4.6
2.2
12.2

2007

12.2

2007

18.0
31.2
13.7
62.9

Operating lease payments represent rentals payable by the Group on certain office property and plant. Leases are negotiated for an average  
of three to ten years.

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36.

Transactions with the mOD

The MOD is an 18.9% (2007: 18.9%) shareholder in the Group. Detailed below are the agreements that have been entered into and the trading 
that has taken place with the MOD. 

Trading
The MOD is a major customer of the Group. An analysis of trading with the MOD is presented below.

all figures in £ million 

Sales to the MOD excluding property rental income   
Property rental income 
Total	income	from	the	MOD	

Purchased	services	from	the	MOD 

all figures in £ million 

Trade debtors  
Trade creditors 

2008 

599.1 
6.4 
605.5	

2007

584.5
6.8
591.3

8.8 

12.4

2008 

104.8 
– 

2007

81.3
0.1

Freehold	land	and	buildings	and	surplus	properties
Under the terms of the Group’s acquisition of part of the business and certain assets of DERA from the MOD on 1 July 2001, the MOD retained 
certain rights in respect of the freehold land and buildings transferred. These are:

i)	 Restrictions	on	transfer	of	title
The title deeds of those properties with strategic assets (see below) include a clause that prevents their transfer without the approval of MOD. 
The MOD also has the right to purchase any strategic assets in certain circumstances.

ii)	Property	clawback	agreement
The MOD retains an interest in future profits on disposal following a ‘trigger event’. A ‘trigger event’ includes the granting of planning 
permission for development and/or change of use, and the disposition of any of the acquired land and buildings. During the 12 years from 
1 July 2001, following a ‘trigger event’, the MOD is entitled to clawback a proportion of the gain on each individual property transaction in 
excess of a 30% gain on a July 2001 professional valuation. The proportion of the excess gain due to the MOD is based on a sliding scale which 
reduces over time from 50% to 9% and at 31 March 2008 stands at 37%. The July 2001 valuation was approximately 16% greater in aggregate 
than the consideration paid for the land and buildings on 1 July 2001.

Compliance	Regime
The Compliance Committee monitors the effective application of the Compliance Regime required by the MOD to maintain the position of 
QinetiQ as a supplier of independent and impartial scientific/technical advice to the MOD and ensures that the required standards are met in 
trials involving human volunteers.

Strategic	assets
Under the Principal Agreement with the MOD, the QinetiQ controlled Group is not permitted without the written consent of the MOD, to:

i)  dispose of or destroy all or any part of a strategic asset; or

ii) voluntarily undertake any closure of, or cease to provide a strategic capability by means of, all or any part of a strategic asset.

The net book value of assets identified as being strategic assets as at 31 March 2008 was £2.9m (31 March 2007: £3.1m), the principal items 
being plant and machinery.

Long-Term	Partnering	Agreement
On 27 February 2003 QinetiQ Limited entered into a Long-Term Partnering Agreement to provide the Test and Evaluation (T&E) facilities and 
training support services to the MOD. This is a 25-year contract with a total revenue value of up to £5.6bn, dependent on the level of usage by 
MOD, under which QinetiQ Limited is committed to providing the T&E services with increasing efficiencies through cost saving and innovative 
service delivery.

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37.

Directors and other senior management personnel

The Directors and other senior management personnel of the Group during the year to 31 March 2008 comprise the Board of Directors and 
the QinetiQ Executive Committee. 

all figures in £ 000’s 

Directors 
Short-term employee benefits 
Post-employment benefits 
Total	

Other	senior	management	personnel
Short-term employee benefits 
Post-employment benefits 
Total	

2008 

2007

1,675 
60 
1,735	

1,443 
128 
1,571	

1,597
57
1,654

982
80
1,062

Short-term employee benefits include salary, bonus, and benefits. Post-employment benefits relate to pension amounts.

38.

Contingent liabilities and assets

Subsidiary undertakings within the Group have given unsecured guarantees of £5.8m at 31 March 2008 (31 March 2007: £2.0m) in the 
ordinary course of business. 

The Group is aware of claims and potential claims by or on behalf of current and former employees, including former employees of the MOD, 
DERA and contractors, in respect of intellectual property, employment rights and industrial illness and injury which involve or may involve 
legal proceedings against the Group. The Directors are of the opinion, having regard to legal advice received, the Group’s insurance 
arrangements and provisions carried in the balance sheet, that it is unlikely that these matters will, in aggregate, have a material effect on  
the Group’s financial position, results of operations and liquidity.

The Group has not recognised contingent amounts receivable relating to the Chertsey property which was disposed of during 2004 or the Fort 
Halstead property disposed of in September 2005. Additional consideration, subject to clawback to the MOD pursuant to the arrangements 
referred to in note 36, is potentially due upon the purchasers obtaining additional planning consents, with the quantum dependent on the 
scope of the consent achieved.

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39.

Post-retirement benefits

Introduction	and	background	to	IAS	19
International Accounting Standard 19 (Employee Benefits) requires the Group to include in the balance sheet the surplus or deficit on defined 
benefit schemes calculated as at the balance sheet date. It is a snapshot view which can be significantly influenced by short-term market 
factors. The calculation of the surplus or deficit is, therefore, dependent on factors which are beyond the control of the Group – principally the 
value at the balance sheet date of equity shares in which the scheme has invested and long-term interest rates which are used to discount 
future liabilities. The funding of the scheme is based on long-term trends and assumptions relating to market growth, as advised by qualified 
actuaries.

The	QinetiQ	Pension	Scheme
In the UK the Group operates the QinetiQ Pension Scheme for the majority of its UK employees, a mixed benefit scheme. The Defined Benefit 
(DB) section of the scheme provides future service pension benefits to transferring Civil Service employees. All Group employees who were 
members, or eligible to be members, of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme or the UKAEA principal Non-Industrial Superannuation 
Scheme were invited to join the DB section of the scheme from 1 July 2001, together with all new employees who were previously members 
of schemes who are part of the Public Sector Transfer Club. The Group has given notice to withdraw from the Public Sector Transfer Club from 
31 March 2009. The Defined Contribution (DC) section of the scheme was set up for employees who were not eligible or did not wish to join 
the DB section of the scheme.

The most recent full actuarial valuation of the DB section was undertaken as at 31 March 2005 and resulted in an actuarially assessed deficit 
of £106.5m. On the basis of this full valuation the Trustees of the scheme and the Company agreed that the 17.5% employer contribution rate 
would continue. The Company paid £90.3m into the scheme on 30 March 2006 and there were no additional employer contributions in the 
year to 31 March 2007 and 31 March 2008.

Other	UK	schemes
In the UK the Group operates a further two small defined benefit schemes, QinetiQ Prudential Platinum Scheme and a scheme for the 
subsidiary company ASAP Calibration Limited. The net pension deficits of these schemes at 31 March 2008 amounted to £0.2m  
(31 March 2007: £0.3m). The defined benefit scheme relating to ASAP Calibration Limited was closed to future benefit accruals in the year  
to 31 March 2007.

There were no outstanding or prepaid contributions at the balance sheet date (March 2007: £nil). Set out below is a summary of the overall 
IAS 19 defined benefit pension schemes’ liabilities. The fair value of the schemes’ assets, which are not intended to be realised in the short 
term and may be subject to significant change before they are realised, and the present value of the schemes’ liabilities, which are derived 
from cash flow projections over long periods, and thus inherently uncertain, were:

all figures in £ million 

Equities 
Corporate bonds 
Government bonds 
Cash  
Total	market	value	of	assets	
Present value of scheme liabilities 
Net	pension	liability	before	deferred	tax	
Deferred tax asset 
Net	pension	liability	

2008 

620.8 
83.9 
76.3 
3.2 
784.2	
(807.6) 
(23.4)	
6.5 
(16.9)	

2007 

641.5 
74.5 
74.7 
3.4 
794.1	
(884.9) 
(90.8)	
27.1 
(63.7)	

2006 

551.1 
85.2 
74.8 
4.9 
716.0	
(884.4) 
(168.4)	
50.4 
(118.0)	

2005

361.6
44.4
45.7
2.4
454.1
(617.2)
(163.1)
48.8
(114.3)

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39.

Post-retirement benefits continued

Assumptions
The major assumptions (weighted to reflect individual scheme differences) were:

Rate of increase in salaries 
Rate of increase in pensions in payment  
Rate of increase in pensions in deferment 
Discount rate applied to scheme liabilities 
Inflation assumption  

Assumed life expectancies in years: 
Future male pensioners (currently aged 60) 
Future female pensioners (currently aged 60) 
Future male pensioners (currently aged 40) 
Future female pensioners (currently aged 40) 

2008 

2007

5.0% 
3.5% 
3.5% 
6.6% 
3.5% 

87 
90 
88 
91 

4.6%
3.1%
3.1%
5.4%
3.1%

85
88
86
89

The assumptions used by the actuary are the best estimates chosen from a range of possible actuarial assumptions which, due to the 
timescale covered, may not necessarily be borne out in practice. It is important to note that these assumptions are long term, and in the case 
of the discount rate and the inflation rate are measured by external market indicators. In light of evidence of improvements in life expectancy 
the assumptions for mortality have changed in the year to 31 March 2008 so that the allowance for improvements in life expectancy is in line 
with the Medium Cohort projections rather than the Short Cohort assumptions used in the prior year. The Medium Cohort assumptions use 
the mortality tables PMA92MC (for males) and PFA92MC (for females) for the year of birth, with no underpin for the annual improvement 
beyond Medium Cohort improvements, as published by the Continuous Mortality Investigation and adopted by the actuarial profession. 

Scheme	assets
Expected long-term rates of return on scheme assets (weighted to reflect individual scheme differences) were:

Equities 
Corporate bonds 
Government bonds 
Cash 
Weighted	average	

Return	on	scheme	assets

all figures in £ million 

Actual return on plan assets: 
Expected return on scheme assets 
Actuarial (loss)/gain on scheme assets 
Actual	(loss)/return	on	scheme	assets		

Value	of	scheme	assets

all figures in £ million 

Changes to the fair value of scheme assets: 
Opening fair value of scheme assets 
Expected return on assets 
Actuarial (loss)/gain 
Contributions by the employer 
Curtailment contributions by employer 
Contributions by plan participants 
Scheme disposal – Aurix Limited 
Net benefits paid out and transfers 
Closing	fair	value	of	scheme	assets	

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2008 

2007

7.7% 
6.2% 
4.4% 
6.0% 
7.2%	

7.7%
5.3%
4.6%
5.5%
7.2%

2008 

2007

56.8 
(84.0) 
(27.2)	

50.4
7.5
57.9

2008 

2007

794.1 
56.8 
(84.0) 
32.3 
– 
6.5 
(1.5) 
(20.0) 
784.2	

716.0
50.4
7.5
33.4
6.1
5.6
–
(24.9)
794.1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
	
	
	
	
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39.

Post-retirement benefits continued

Changes	to	the	present	value	of	the	defined	benefit	obligation

all figures in £ million 

Opening defined benefit obligation 
Current service cost 
Interest cost 
Contributions by plan participants 
Actuarial gains on scheme liabilities 
Scheme disposal – Aurix Limited 
Net benefits paid out and transfers 
Curtailments 
Closing	defined	benefit	obligation	

Total	expense	recognised	in	the	income	statement

all figures in £ million 

Pension costs charged to the income statement: 
Current service cost 
Interest cost 
Expected return on plan assets 
Curtailment cost 
Total	expense	recognised	in	the	income	statement	(gross	of	deferred	tax)		

Analysis	of	amounts	recognised	in	statement	of	recognised	income	and	expenses

all figures in £ million 

Total actuarial gain/(loss) (gross of deferred tax) 

Cumulative	total	actuarial	losses	recognised	in	the		
Statement	of	Recognised	Income	and	Expense	

History	of	scheme	experience	gains	and	losses*
Experience (losses)/gains on scheme assets 
Experience gains/(losses) on scheme liabilities 

2008 

884.9 
38.9 
48.4 
6.5 
(149.5) 
(1.6) 
(20.0) 
– 
807.6	

2007

884.4
47.7
44.3
5.6
(78.3)
–
(24.9)
6.1
884.9

2008 

2007

38.9 
48.4 
(56.8) 
– 
30.5	

47.7
44.3
(50.4)
6.1
47.7

2008 

65.5 

2007 

85.8 

2006 

(105.4) 

2005

(9.9)

(97.5)	

(163.0)	

(248.8)	

(143.4)

(83.9) 
(1.0) 

7.4 
– 

85.7 
(81.0) 

12.0
(8.3)

* Experience gains and losses exclude the impact of changes in assumptions.

The expected employer cash contribution to the defined benefit scheme for the year ending 31 March 2009 is expected to be £29.1m.

Defined	contribution	schemes	
Payments to the defined contribution schemes totalled £14.6m (March 2007: £13.3m).

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40.

Restatement of prior-year comparatives

IFRS 3 Business Combinations requires the Group to finalise the fair value of the provisional value of assets and liabilities acquired from 
business combinations within one year of the acquisition date except certain deferred tax balances. During the year the Group was required 
to adjust goodwill, intangible assets, deferred tax and accrued costs balances upon finalisation of the fair value of assets and liabilities on the 
prior-year acquisitions of OSEC and Analex. These balances have been restated in the prior-year comparatives as follows:

all figures in £ million 

Goodwill 
Intangible assets 
Deferred tax liability 
Other net assets  
Net	assets	

2007 
As reported 

2007 
Adjustment 

2007 
Restated

373.1 
65.0 
(30.9) 
70.2 
477.4	

(1.2) 
1.1 
0.7 
(0.6) 
–	

371.9
66.1
(30.2)
69.6
477.4

41.

Capital commitments

The Group had the following capital commitments for which no provision has been made:

all figures in £ million 

Contracted	

2008 

9.4	

2007

13.2	

Capital commitments at 31 March 2008 include £7.4m (2007: £11.7m) in relation to property, plant and equipment that will be wholly funded 
by a third-party customer under long-term contract arrangements.

42.

subsidiaries

The principal subsidiary undertakings at 31 March 2008, all of which are included in the consolidated financial statements, are shown below:

name of company 

Subsidiaries1 
QinetiQ Holdings Limited 
QinetiQ Limited 
QinetiQ Overseas Holdings Limited 
QinetiQ Overseas Trading Limited 
QinetiQ North America Operations,  LLC 
QinetiQ North America, Inc. 
Analex Corporation 
Apogen Technologies, Inc. 
Foster-Miller, Inc. 
Westar Aerospace & Defence Group, Inc. 

Principal area 
of operation 

Country of 
incorporation 

Proportion of 
voting rights held2 

nature of business

UK 
UK 
UK 
UK 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 

England & Wales 
England & Wales 
England & Wales 
England & Wales 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 

100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 

Holding company
Research and development
Holding company
Research and development
Holding company
Holding company
Research and development
Research and development
Research and development
Research and development

1  Accounting reference date is 31 March. All principal subsidiary undertakings listed above have financial year ends of 31 March. 
2  QinetiQ Holdings Limited is a direct subsidiary of QinetiQ Group plc. All other subsidiaries are held indirectly by other subsidiaries of QinetiQ Group plc.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Company balance sheet 

Company balance sheet 
as at 31 March

all figures in £ million 

Fixed	assets 
Investments in subsidiary undertaking 

Current	assets 
Debtors 

Current	liabilities 
Creditors amounts falling due within one year 
Net	current	assets		

Net	assets		

Capital	and	reserves
Equity share capital 
Capital redemption reserve 
Share premium account 
Profit and loss account 
Capital	and	reserves	attributable	to	shareholders		

There are no other recognised gains and losses.

note 

2008 

2007

2 

3 

4, 5 
5 
5 
5 

97.3 
97.3	

182.4 
182.4 

– 
182.4	

92.3
92.3

170.7
170.7

–
170.7

279.7	

263.0

6.6 
39.9 
147.6 
85.6 
279.7	

6.6
39.9
147.6
68.9
263.0

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 28 May 2008 and they were signed on its 
behalf by:

Graham	Love	
Chief Executive Officer 

Doug	Webb
Chief Financial Officer

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the Company financial statements

notes to the Company financial statements 

1.

Accounting policies

The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the 
Company’s financial statements.

Basis	of	preparation
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable UK accounting 
standards. As permitted by section 408(4) of the Companies Act 2006, a separate profit and loss account dealing with the results of the 
Company has not been presented.

Investments
In the Company’s financial statements, investments in subsidiary undertakings are stated at cost less any impairment in value.

Share-based	payments
FRS 20 share-based payments became effective for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2005. The fair value of equity settled 
options for share-based payments is determined on grant and expensed straight line over the period from grant to the date of earliest 
exercise. The fair value of cash settled options for share-based payments is determined each period end until exercised or they lapse. The 
value is expensed on a straight line basis over the period from grant to the date of earliest exercise. The fair value of both equity settled and 
cash settled share options is calculated by a binomial option pricing model. The cost of share-based payments is charged to subsidiary 
undertakings.

2.

Investment in subsidiary undertaking

all figures in £ million 

Subsidiary	undertaking	–	100%	of	ordinary	share	capital	of	QinetiQ	Holdings	Limited 

2008 

97.3	

2007

92.3

A list of all principal subsidiary undertakings of QinetiQ Group plc is disclosed in note 42 to the Group financial statements. The £5.0m 
increase in investment in the year relates to the capital contribution in relation to share-based payments for employees of subsidiary 
companies.

3.

Debtors 

all figures in £ million 

Amounts owed by Group undertakings 
Other debtors 

4.

share capital

The Company’s share capital is disclosed in note 32 to the Group financial statements.

 2008 

182.3 
0.1 
182.4 

 2007

170.6
0.1
170.7

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

notes to the Company financial statements continued

5.

Reserves

all figures in £ million 

At	1	April	2006	
Profit 
Dividend paid 
Share-based payments 
Issue of new shares 
At	31	March	2007	
Profit 
Purchase of own shares 
Dividend received 
Dividend paid 
Share-based payments 
At	31	March	2008	

Issued 
share capital 

Capital  
redemption  
reserve 

share 
 premium 

Profit 
 and loss 

6.5	
– 
– 
– 
0.1 
6.6	
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
6.6	

39.9	
– 
– 
– 
– 
39.9	
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
39.9	

147.5	
– 
– 
– 
0.1 
147.6	
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
147.6	

51.6	
38.1 
(22.7) 
1.9 
– 
68.9	
11.5 
(12.8) 
40.0 
(24.9) 
2.9 
85.6	

Total 
 equity

245.5
38.1
(22.7)
1.9
0.2
263.0
11.5
(12.8)
40.0
(24.9)
2.9
279.7

The capital redemption reserve is not distributable and was created following redemption of Preference Share capital.

6.

share-based payments

The Company’s share-based payment arrangements are set out in note 34 to the Group financial statements. 

7.

Other information

The Company had no employees during the year. Details of the employees of the Group are shown in note 9 to the Group financial 
statements. Directors’ emoluments, excluding Company pension contributions, were £1.7m (2007: £1.6m). These emoluments were all in 
relation to services provided on behalf of the QinetiQ Group with no amount specifically relating to their work for the Company. Details of the 
Directors’ emoluments, share schemes and entitlements under money purchase pension schemes are disclosed in the Report of the 
Remuneration Committee.

The remuneration of the Company’s auditors for the year to 31 March 2008 was £5,000 (2007: £5,000) all of which was for statutory audit 
services. No other services were provided by the auditors to the Company.

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Five-year review for the years ended 31 march (unaudited)

Five-year review 
for the years ended 31 March (unaudited)

all figures in £ million 

QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Central 
Revenue	

QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Central 
Operating	profit	1		

Operating margin 1  
Profit before tax  
Profit after tax  
Average number of employees 
Cash flow from operations  
Free cash flow 
Net debt 
Orders 

IFRS 
2008 

540.2 
820.1 
5.7 
– 
1,366.0	

62.1 
80.0 
(15.1) 
– 
127.0	

9.3% 
51.4 
47.4 
13,627 
138.3 
73.6 
379.9 
1,277.1 

IFRs 
2007 

358.2 
779.3 
12.0 
– 
1,149.5	

39.9 
73.0 
(6.9) 
– 
106.0	

9.2% 
89.3 
69.0 
11,870 
107.0 
55.8 
300.8 
1,214.0 

IFRs 
2006 

248.4 
797.2 
6.1 
– 
1,051.7	

24.5 
73.7 
(7.5) 
– 
90.7	

8.6% 
72.5 
60.4 
11,024 
107.6 
141.3 
233.0 
816.7 

IFRs 
2005 

70.1 
780.8 
5.0 
– 
855.9	

8.0 
67.2 
(10.0) 
– 
65.2	

7.6% 
78.0 
72.3 
9,632 
36.9 
55.7 
176.6 
668.3 

UK GAAP 
2004

0.3
790.7
1.5
2.9
795.4

(0.6)
62.6
(9.9)
2.0
54.1

6.8%
51.3
41.2
8,898
142.7
135.9
3.6
725.4

1  Before amortisation of intangibles arising from acquisitions, EMEA reorganisation costs in 2008 and restructuring costs in 2005, IPO costs in 2006, gains/(losses) 

on business divestments 2005, 2007 and 2008 and unrealised impairment of investments in 2007 and 2008. 

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Glossary

Glossary

AGM	 

Backlog 

bn  

Book	to	 
bill	ratio	

BPS 

C4I	

C4ISR	

CATS  

CIFA 

Annual General Meeting

the expected future value of revenue from 
contractually committed and funded customer  
orders (excluding £4.7bn value of remaining  
21 years of LTPA contract)

billion

ratio of orders received in the year to revenue for 
the year, adjusted to exclude revenue from the  
25-year LTPA contract 

Basis points

command, control, communications, computers  
and intelligence

command, control, communications, computers, 
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance

Combined Aerial Target Service

US Department of Defense Counterintelligence  
Field Activity

Compliance  The principles underlying the Compliance Regime,
Principles 

covering impartiality, integrity, conflicts, 
confidentiality and security

CR 

Corporate Responsibility

DARPA  

 US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

DHS  

DoD  

dstl 

DTR  

EBITDA 

US Department of Homeland Security

US Department of Defense

Defence Science & Technology Laboratory

MOD’s Defence Training Rationalisation  
programme

earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, 
amortisation, gains on business divestments, 
unrealised impairment of investment and disposal  
of non-current assets

EMEA 

Europe, Middle East and Australasia

EPS	 

ESA	 

ETIS	

EU	 

Free	cash 
flow  

Earnings per share

European Space Agency

environmental test and integration support

European Union

 net cash flow from operating activities less 
 the net cash flow from the purchase and sale  
of intangible assets and the purchase and sale  
of plant, property and equipment

GWAC 

Government Wide Acquisition Contract

IAS 

IDIQ 

IFRS 

International Accounting Standard

Indefinite delivery indefinite quantity

 International Financial Reporting Standard

Interest		
cover 

the number of times that net finance costs
are covered by EBITDA

IP 

IPO 

KPI 

LIBID 

LIBOR 

Intellectual property

Initial Public Offering

Key Performance Indicator

London inter-bank bid

London inter-bank borrowing rate

LSE 

LTPA 

m 

MOD 

NASA 

Non- 
recurring 
items	and		
acquisition 
amortisation	

OEM 

Organic	
growth	

OSEC 

OSHA	

QNA 

R&D 

RFID 

RIDDOR 

London Stock Exchange

Long-Term Partnering Agreement – 25-year contract 
established in 2003 to manage the MOD’s test and 
evaluation ranges

million

Ministry of Defence

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
(USA)

IPO costs, major restructuring costs, disposal
of non-current assets, business divestments,
amortisation of intangible assets arising from
acquisitions and impairment of investments

Original Equipment Manufacturer

The level of year-on-year growth, expressed as a 
percentage, based on the businesses that were  
part of the Group at the start of the initial period

Ocean Systems Engineering Corporation

Occupational Safety & Health Administration

QinetiQ North America sector

Research and development

Radio frequency identification

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous 
Occurrences Regulations

RoSPA	

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

SME 

TSR 

Small and medium sized enterprises

Total shareholder Return

UK	GAAP 

UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practices

Underlying 
effective  
tax	rate 

Underlying 
operating  
cash  
conversion	

Underlying 
operating 
margin

Underlying 
operating 
profit		

Underlying 
profit 
before	tax 

 the tax charge for the year excluding 
the tax impact of non-recurring items 
and acquisition amortisation expressed as a 
percentage of underlying profit before tax

the ratio of cash flow from operations 
(excluding impact of major restructuring),
less outflows on purchase of intangible assets
and property, plant and equipment to underlying
operating profit excluding share of post tax loss  
of equity accounted joint ventures and associates

 underlying operating profit expressed
as a percentage of revenue

earnings before interest, tax, IPO-related items
(2006 only) gains on business realisations, major
restructuring costs, impairment of investments, 
profit on disposal of non-current assets and 
amortisation of intangible assets arising on 
acquisitions

profit before tax excluding IPO-related items
(2006 only), gains on business realisations, major
restructuring costs, impairment of investments,
profit on disposal of non-current assets and 
amortisation of intangible assets arising
from acquisitions

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

Financial calendar, analysis of shareholders and advisors

Financial calendar

30	July	2008	

Interim management statement

30	July	2008	

Annual General meeting

6	August	2008	

Ex-dividend date

5	September	2008	

Final ordinary dividend payable

30	September	2008	

Interim	financial period end

26	November	2008	

Interim results announcement

January	2009	

Interim management statement (provisional date)

February	2009	

Interim dividend payment (provisional date)

31	March	2009	

Financial year end

May	2009	

Preliminary announcement

Analysis of shareholders*

Financial institutions with shareholding greater than 0.5m shares 
Ministry of Defence 
Other (including employees, management and financial institutions  
with shareholding less than 0.5m) 

62%
19%

19%
100%

* Analysis as at 19 May 2008

Registrars
Equiniti 
Aspect House
Spencer Road 
Lancing 
West Sussex 
BN99 6DA

Auditors
KPMG Audit Plc 
8 Salisbury Square
London EC4Y 8BB

Advisors

Principal	Legal	
Advisors
Herbert Smith LLP
Exchange House
Primrose Street
London EC2A 2HS

Corporate	Brokers
JPMorgan Cazenove
20 Moorgate
London EC2R 6DA

Principal	Bankers
Lloyds TSB Bank plc
25 Gresham Street
London EC2V 7HN

Merrill Lynch 
International 
2 King Edward Street 
London EC1A 1HQ

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

our business at a glance

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

our business at a glance continued

our business at a glance
We create value by delivering inspired solutions to the important problems 
faced by business, governments and society, utilising our extensive experience,  
skills and capabilities in the field of science and technology. 

QinetiQ north America

QinetiQ emeA

QinetiQ Ventures

QinetiQ Ventures is the pipeline through which we  
manage our portfolio of emerging technologies, 
providing new solutions and services for the future. 
QinetiQ generates Intellectual Property (IP) from 
customer-funded research and development work and 
other services provided to our core defence and security 
customers. In certain circumstances, this IP is available 
for use in alternative applications outside our core 
markets. QinetiQ unlocks value from IP through routes 
including organic growth, partnering with third parties, 
IP licensing and business realisations.

Key points from 2008

n   Creation of a new technology venture fund with Coller 
Capital to accelerate the development and realisation 
of seven of QinetiQ’s venture investments

n   Development of a high-power camera system which 

enhances the capability of the Tarsier® runway foreign 
object debris detection system.

QinetiQ north America has quickly established 
itself as a major provider of technology-based 
solutions and services to customers primarily 
within the us Government. our employees work  
in partnership with our customers to develop 
world-class technology and responsive solutions 
that meet the challenges of national defence, 
homeland security, communication and 
information access. 

40% 
£540.2m

Share of 2008 Group revenue

41% 
5,699 

Number of employees

Our core capabilities

Key points from 2008

technology solutions: Delivering high-technology research 
services and development of defence and security-related 
products to the US defence, civilian government and  
commercial markets.

systems engineering: Providing independent procurement 
services, systems engineering, education/training and support  
for the development, modification, fielding and sustainment  
of military equipment.

It services: Providing information technology services,  
including computer systems integration, network engineering 
and operations, IT architectures and software development.

mission solutions: Delivering software, enterprise systems 
engineering and integration and other consulting services 
requiring specialised customer/mission knowledge.

n   Continued growth in technology business fuelled by demand 

for the TALON® robot

n  Strong organic growth in Systems Engineering

n   Successful integration of 13 acquisitions since 2004 and the 
development of a trusted QinetiQ brand in North America

n   Positions established on major acquisition contracts including 

EAGLE and ENCORE II and selection for Alliant

n   Scale and brand recognition leading to larger contract wins, 

such as for the $190m NASA environmental test and integrated 
services (ETIS) programme and the $100m US Army Sample 
Data Collection programme.

emeA (europe, middle east and Australasia)  
is focused on providing services to the defence, 
security and energy & environment markets. 
operating in these sectors requires our employees  
to adapt their capabilities to meet the changing  
needs of our customer base, particularly as we  
move into new territories such as Australia.

60% 
£820.1m

Share of 2008 Group revenue

58% 
8,209 

Number of employees

Our core capabilities

managed services: Work on behalf of clients delivering 
independent expertise to enable them to meet their challenges

Key points from 2008
n	 Growth in services delivered to UK MOD – revenue up 2.5%

n   Restructuring to align business on four focused  

consulting: Technical advice provided by high-quality consultants 
with deep technical knowledge and domain experience

offerings to drive growth: Managed Services, Consulting, 
Integrated Systems and Applied Technologies

Integrated systems: Supplies integrated systems, sub-systems or 
technology to meet the specific challenges our customers face 
with their information, mission or platform solutions

Applied technologies: Delivers a range of solutions to  
our customers’ toughest problems through the repeatable 
application of technology, fuelled by research.

n   Restructuring designed to provide sustainable margin  

improvement through business efficiency

n   Reconfirmed our position as a trusted supplier of defence  

managed services through agreement of the scope  
and pricing of the second five-year term of the 25-year  
MOD Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) and progression 
of the UK Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) bid

n   Commenced geographic expansion in selected overseas 

markets, starting with Australia

n   MOD research – continued success on competed programmes.

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Inspired solutions for a changing world

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QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008

today’s big problems demand  
inspired solutions. At QinetiQ,  
we provide research, technical advice,  
technology solutions and services  
to customers in core markets  
of defence and security. we are  
increasingly working to transfer  
our expertise and capabilities  
into adjacent markets such as  
energy and environment. we operate  
principally in the uK and north America  
and have recently entered the  
Australian defence consulting market.

oveRvIew

BusIness RevIew

GoveRnAnce

FInAncIAl stAtements

shAReholdeR InFoRmAtIon

Inside flap 
Our business at a glance

11 
Group trading performance

50 
Our Board of Directors

69 
Independent Auditors’ Report

122 
Five-year review

01 
Performance overview

02 
Chairman’s statement

04 
Chief Executive Officer’s 
review

05 
Our vision

10 
Key performance indicators

13 
QinetiQ North America

23 
QinetiQ EMEA

35 
QinetiQ Ventures

39 
Other Group  
financial information

42 
Management of principal risks 
and uncertainties

45 
Corporate Responsibility

52 
Corporate Governance 
Report

70 
Consolidated income 
statement

58 
Report of the Remuneration 
Committee

65 
Report of the Directors

68 
Statement of Directors’ 
responsibilities 

71 
Consolidated balance sheet

72 
Consolidated cash flow 
statement

73 
Consolidated statement  
of recognised income  
and expense

74 
Notes to the financial 
statements

119 
Company balance sheet

120 
Notes to the Company 
financial statements

123 
Glossary

124 
Financial calendar  
Analysis of shareholders 
Advisors

Company Registration 
Number 4586941

Registered office:
85 Buckingham Gate
London
SW1E 6PD

Customer Contact Team

QinetiQ
Cody Technology Park 
Ively Road, Farnborough 
Hampshire GU14 0LX 
United Kingdom 

Tel +44 (0)8700 100 942
www.QinetiQ.com

© QinetiQ Group plc

QinetiQ/CF/SS/PUB0800017

QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2008