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Qinetiq Group Plc

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FY2012 Annual Report · Qinetiq Group Plc
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KnOw hOw

QinetiQ Group plc

Annual Report and Accounts 2012

GRoUP ovERvIEw

The Group operates three divisions: UK Services,  
US Services and Global Products; this enables us 
to leverage our expertise, technology, customer 
relationships and business development skills effectively.

Revenue by business 
£m

22%

36%

42%

our services businesses, which account for more  
than 75% of total sales, are focused on providing 
expertise and knowledge in national markets.  
our products business focuses on the provision 
of product-based solutions to meet customer 
requirements, complemented by contract-funded 
research and development on a global basis.

UK Services

US Services

Global Products

2012  
£m
610.1

534.5

325.0

2011†
£m
652.7

607.3

442.6

Total

1,469.6

1,702.6

Division
UK Services

Division
US Services

Division
Global Products

Revenue

£610.1m

(2011: £652.7m)†

Underlying operating profit*

£63.0m

(2011: £47.4m)†

Revenue

£534.5m

(2011: £607.3m)†

Underlying operating profit*

£32.1m

(2011: £45.9m)†

Revenue

£325.0m

(2011: £442.6m)†

Employees

5,157

(2011: 5,337)†

Employees

3,940

(2011: 4,686)†

Employees

1,083

(2011: 1,185)†

Underlying operating profit*

£66.2m

(2011: £52.1m)†

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107. 
† Restated to reflect the transfer of businesses from Global Products to UK Services and US Services at the beginning of the 2012 financial year.

Underlying operating profit by business* 
£m

Revenue by major customer type 
£m

Revenue by geography 
£m

41%

39%

20%

33%

17%

50%

UK Services

US Services

Global Products

2012  
£m
63.0

32.1

66.2

2011†
£m
47.4

45.9

52.1

Total

161.3

145.4

UK Government

US Government

Other

Total

2012  
£m
482.8

730.5

256.3

2011
£m
526.5

894.3

281.8

1,469.6

1,702.6

7%

54%

39%

2012  
£m
United Kingdom 570.1

North America

Other

Total

788.7

110.8

2011
£m
623.7

949.2

129.7

1,469.6

1,702.6

Capabilities
•  Acquisition services
•  Air engineering
•  C4ISR
•  Cyber solutions
•  Force and base protection
•  Programme and procurement support
•  Information and intelligence
•  Test and evaluation
•  Training and simulation

Developments during the year
•  Reorganisation of division into  

strategic business units

•  Award of four-year £38m Naval  
Combat Systems Integration  
Support Services contract

•  Award of £22m multi-year test  
and evaluation A400M contract

Customers
•  Ministry of Defence (MOD)
•  DSTL
•  The Highways Agency
•  UK security agencies
•  Australian Department  

of Defence

Capabilities
•  C4ISR 
•  Cloud computing 
•  Cyber solutions
•  Data analysis
•  IT systems, software engineering  

Developments during the year
•  Restructuring programme undertaken, 
reducing indirect costs by US$25m 
•  Award of US$36.5m IDIQ scientific and 

Customers
•  NASA
•  US Department of Homeland  

Security (DHS)

analytic support contract for the Patrick 
Air Force Base, Florida 

•  US Department of Defense (DoD)
•  US Department of State (DoS)

and integration

•  Logistics
•  Mission assurance
•  Mobility solutions
•  Modelling
•  Training and simulation

Capabilities
•  Pyrolysis (Energy from waste)
•  Sensor networks
•  Survivability systems
•  Vehicle power management
•  Unmanned systems

Developments during the year
•  E-X-Drive® selected for the technology 
development phase of the US Army’s 
Ground Combat Vehicle Program
•  OptaSense® incorporated as an 
independent global business

•  Disposal of Spectro

Customers
•   US Department of Defense (DoD)
•  Ministry of Defence (MOD)
•   UK and North American  

security agencies

•  Shell
•  European Space Agency
•  Astrium
•  BAE Systems

PErfOrmancE 
highLights

Revenue

 £1,469.6m

Net debt

 £122.2m

2012

2011

2010

£1,469.6m

£1,702.6m

£1,625.4m

2012

2011

2010

£122.2m

£260.9m

£457.4m

Underlying operating profit*

 £161.3m

Underlying earnings per share*

 14.6p

2012

2011

2010

£161.3m

£145.4m

£120.3m

2012

2011

2010

14.6p

14.2p

11.1p

Underlying operating cash conversion*

 146%

Gearing ratio†

 0.5x

2012

2011

2010

146%

145%

183%

2012

2011

2010

0.5x

1.4x

Underlying operating margin*

 11%

Total dividend

 2.90p

2012

2011

2010

8.5%

7.4%

11.0%

2012

2011

2010

1.60p

1.58p

2.5x

2.90p

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary  

on page 107. 

†  The gearing ratio is net debt to adjusted EBITDA and the definition is in the 

glossary on page 107. 

Cover image  
Gemma Doré, Flight Test Engineer, Flight Physics team,  
at MOD Boscombe Down, Wiltshire.

cOntEnts

ANNUAL REPoRT AND ACCoUNTS 2012

Directors’ report: Business review

02 
03 
04  
07 
08  
10  
12 
14 

17 
23 
26 
30 

our mission
Chairman’s statement
Chief Executive officer’s statement
our business model
Trusted to deliver
Committed to the mission
Innovative and forward-looking
operations overview:
14  UK Services
15  US Services
16 
Global Products
Chief Financial officer’s review
Key performance indicators
Risks and uncertainties
 Corporate responsibility and 
sustainability review

Directors’ report: Corporate governance

34 
36 
44 
53 
56 

Board of Directors
Corporate governance report
Remuneration report
other statutory information
Statement of Directors’ responsibilities

Financial statements

12

57 
58 
59 

59 

Independent auditor’s report
Consolidated income statement
 Consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income
 Consolidated statement of  
changes in equity
 Consolidated balance sheet
Consolidated cash flow statement
Reconciliation of movement in net debt
Notes to the financial statements

60 
61 
61 
62 
103   Company balance sheet
 Notes to the Company  
104 
financial statements
 Five-year record 

106 
107   Glossary
108  Shareholder information
109  Additional information

08

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  1

03

04

10

AN ovERvIEw 

OUr missiOn 

Our business is based on technical expertise, knowledge and advice to 
solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. Our most prized 
possession is trust. Customers around the world rely on the ideas, 
innovations and drive of our people to help them meet their goals –  
often in environments where their mission has no second chance  
for success. 
Whether we are supplying technical services support to the defence 
industry or helping a bank to keep its customer records safe –  
we aim to deliver solutions that work first time and every time.

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107.
†  The gearing ratio is net debt to adjusted EBITDA and the definition is in the glossary on page 107.

2  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT 

 DELivEring vaLUE

Board changes
At the end of January 2012, Sir David Lees, 
who had been Deputy Chairman and Senior 
Independent Director since 2005, retired 
from the QinetiQ Board. On behalf of the 
Board, I thank Sir David for his significant 
contribution to the Company, particularly in 
its early years of development. In November 
2011, Michael Harper joined the QinetiQ 
Board as a Non-executive Director and, 
following Sir David’s retirement, became 
the Group’s Deputy Chairman and Senior 
Independent Director. An engineer by 
training, Michael was previously the Chief  
Executive Officer of Kidde plc. He is 
Chairman of BBA Aviation plc, the 
Vitec Group plc and Ricardo plc.

People who know how
QinetiQ is rightly proud of the quality of its 
people. Our teams are committed to our 
customers, committed to the mission and 
trusted to deliver. They combine innovation, 
agility and responsiveness while working 
towards a common objective. Customers 
around the world rely on the expertise and 
capability of our people to help them meet 
their goals – often in environments where 
their mission has no second chance of 
success. Over a year of considerable change, 
our people have continued to deliver for our 
customers. The Board and I thank them for 
their support. 

outlook 
Given the continuing uncertainty and lower 
than normal visibility in defence markets, 
the Board’s expectations for trading 
performance in the current year remain 
unchanged. However, underlying earnings 
per share will benefit from early repayment 
of private placement debt and the reduction 
in the deficit of the UK defined benefit 
pension scheme following the change  
to CPI as the inflation index. 

The success of the self-help programme 
in restoring both the balance sheet and 
portfolio to strength gives the Board 
confidence in QinetiQ’s ability to build 
significant value over the next phase  
of its development.

Mark Elliott 
Chairman 
24 May 2012

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  3

Mark Elliott, Chairman

This was another uncertain year for 
businesses worldwide. The effects of global 
economic pressures and national budgetary 
constraints had an impact on companies 
across all geographies and the markets in 
which QinetiQ operates were not immune. 
However, I am very pleased to report that 
against this backdrop, QinetiQ delivered 
results for 2011/12 of which our employees 
and leaders can rightly be proud. 

Results 
Group revenue was £1,469.6m (2011: 
£1,702.6m) and underlying operating profit* 
rose 11% to £161.3m (2011: £145.4m), 
resulting in an underlying profit before tax* 
for the Group of £118.3m (2011: £114.6m). 
Underlying operating cash conversion* 
remained very strong at 146% (2011: 183%). 
Full year underlying earnings per share* 
were 14.6p (2011: 14.2p).

Balance sheet
Significant progress on strengthening the 
balance sheet continued this year. Closing 
net debt at 31 March 2012 was £122.2m 
(£260.9m at 31 March 2011) with a resulting 
net debt: EBITDA gearing ratio† of 0.5x 
(2011: 1.4x). In addition to the reduction 
of debt, QinetiQ was also able to reach an 
agreement with the Trustees of the defined 
benefit pension scheme, which reduced 
the deficit and increased the stability 
of the scheme. The Group now has the 
financial stability to develop its businesses 
in step with its customers’ changing needs, 
as well as exploring carefully selected 
opportunities.

Dividend
The Board proposes a final dividend 
of 2.00p per share for the year ended 
31 March 2012 (31 March 2011: 1.60p), 
reflecting the achievement of the self-help 
programme and confidence in the medium 
term. The final dividend will be paid, subject 
to shareholder approval, on 7 September 
2012 to shareholders on the register at 
10 August 2012. 

Transformation programme
QinetiQ’s 24-month self-help programme 
had three strands: focus, cultural 
transformation and strengthening the 
balance sheet. Management made 
determined advances on all fronts 
throughout the programme and will 
continue to embed these gains in the 
current and coming years. 

A key step in the year was the Ministry of 
Defence’s agreement to proposed changes 
to its Special Shareholder rights in QinetiQ, 
subject to shareholder approval at the 
Group’s next AGM. These changes include 
the removal of the MOD’s right to veto any 
transaction or activity and the introduction 
of a less onerous compliance system, 
similar to those of comparable companies. 
This welcome modernisation will enable 
us to operate more competitively and 
commercially, in line with our peer group.

With the 24-month self-help programme 
successfully achieved and the plans for  
its next stage of development in place,  
your Board believes that QinetiQ now  
has a strong base for longer-term  
profitable growth.

 CHIEF EXECUTIvE oFFICER’S STATEMENT 

wE’vE bUiLt a strOng 
fOUnDatiOn On which 
tO grOw

First phase: Self-help
Transforming QinetiQ began in May 2010 
with a 24-month self-help programme.  
This addressed the Group’s immediate 
financial situation, but also targeted three 
areas for fundamental change: focus, 
cultural transformation and strengthening 
the balance sheet. This programme 
achieved its objectives, meeting key  
goals well ahead of schedule. 

1. Focus
The Group is now managed as a strong 
defensible core, well-positioned for growth 
once markets stabilise, with a number of 
further potentially scalable businesses. 
During the self-help programme, the 
portfolio was realigned to ensure a full 
understanding of where profits were 
made and lost, and segmented by the 
sustainability of each business. This has 
resulted in distinct investable businesses, 
each representing one of the Group’s key 
areas of capability, with a clear route-map 
for the future. Loss-making businesses are 
being addressed, divested or closed.

Specific progress during the year included:

•  Following on from the restructuring of 

the UK business last year, the current year 
saw the reshaping of US Services into a 
single integrated business under a new 
President;

•  Completion of an internal review of every 
business unit’s potential to drive value;

•  Ongoing disposals: Spectro, a supplier 
of oil and fuel analysis instrumentation 
based in Massachusetts, and the UK fuel 
and lubricants business, generating total 
net proceeds of £11.2m.

Leo Quinn, Chief Executive Officer

“ The Group is now 
managed as a strong 
defensible core, well-
positioned for growth 
once markets stabilise, 
with a number of 
further potentially 
scalable businesses.”

Self-help programme achieved
•  Group margin uplift driven by UK Services 

and Global Products; 

•  US Services restructuring completed;

•  Continuing strong cash generation reduces 
net debt to £122.2m; gearing ratio† 0.5x;

•  Early repayment of US$177m private 

placement debt leading to accelerated 
interest of £27m;

•  Pension deficit reduced to £31.5m  

(31 March 2011: £124.6m) following the 
change to CPI as the inflation index and 
£40m cash injection;

•  MOD agreement to modernise Special 

Shareholder rights. 

Next phase of development launched
•  First phase has identified strong core, 

new businesses and value opportunities;

•  Segmented portfolio will be actively 
managed to deliver rising sustainable 
earnings;

•  Organic-Plus approach: investing in 
organic growth plus partnerships, 
alliances and selective acquisitions.

†  The gearing ratio is net debt to adjusted EBITDA and the definition is in the glossary on page 107.

4  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

“ Building on the detailed understanding 
acquired in phase one, the Group will manage 
its portfolio actively by investing in organic 
growth supplemented, where appropriate, by 
partnerships, alliances and selective acquisitions.”

2. Cultural transformation
The goal of building a more competitive, 
customer-focused culture began with 
a leaning out of processes and a wide-
ranging upgrade in leadership to ensure 
every business has clear end-to-end 
accountability. At the same time, measures 
to engage employees directly in raising 
productivity and customer satisfaction 
were underpinned by the My Contribution 
programme and widespread commercial 
training. These changes were implemented 
in the UK during the first 12 months of the 
self-help programme and removed £50m 
from the cost base. Similar steps followed in 
the US during the past 12 months, when US 
Services was integrated, reducing indirect 
costs by US$25m. 

Customer satisfaction – a key goal of the 
transformation programme – continues 
to rise strongly in both the UK and the US. 
QinetiQ’s satisfaction ranking with the  
UK MOD improved from 17th to 3rd 
position overall, and in the US, NASA 
performance scores ran at well over 90% 
throughout the year on both new and 
established contracts. 

Specific progress during the year included: 

•  An 8 percentage point rise in competed 
win rates in the UK, and the creation of 
a centralised proposal function in US 
Services, increasing the number and 
quality of bids; 

•  The My Contribution productivity 

programme completed its second year, 
with more than 9,000 proposed projects; 
these included US and global initiatives, 
such as a Group-wide IT procurement 
deal with potential benefits of £1.5m; and

•  The creation of an elected Employee 
Engagement Group (EEG) to give all  
UK employees a voice in the Company. 

In March 2012, the MOD recognised 
QinetiQ’s progress when it agreed to change 
its Special Shareholder rights, so that the 
Group can operate more competitively 
and commercially. These changes, which 
are subject to shareholder approval at the 
Group’s AGM, will help modernise QinetiQ 
through the removal of the MOD’s right 
to veto any transaction or activity and the 
introduction of a less onerous compliance 
system. The material shareholder 
thresholds are unchanged.

“ Customer satisfaction 
– a key goal of the 
transformation 
programme – 
continues to rise 
strongly in both the  
UK and the US.”

Q&A with Leo Quinn

what have been the highlights of the year?
Seeing the first real signs of QinetiQ’s 
success in transforming its UK business was 
very satisfying. Our UK operations started 
their change programme earlier than those 
in the US, so it’s no surprise that they are 
showing signs of recovery sooner, but the 
US restructuring is now complete and it’s 
good to see a strong team shaping up under 
the new President of US Services. Both our 
UK and US businesses are seeing improved 
levels of customer satisfaction, which has  
to be the single most important proof. 

what does focus mean in  
a QinetiQ context?
It’s about understanding which parts of the 
company are making money, and which 
have been losing it. We know we have a 
very strong core in QinetiQ – businesses 
which account for around 90% of our 
revenue. Most of them fall within our UK 
and US Services divisions – where our 
people’s technological know-how helps 
create deep customer relationships. The 
profits and cash flows of these businesses 
are relatively stable: the challenge is that 
many of these businesses operate in the 
defence market and, at the moment, 
that’s facing severe budgetary pressures. 
In those circumstances our first task is to 
retain our market share, and then to use 
our strength to grow further. 

where are you on QinetiQ’s cultural 
transformation journey?
We now have an organisation that 
enables our managers to do just that – 
manage. We’ve re-organised QinetiQ 
into distinct separate businesses, each 
of which represents one of our key areas 
of capability. These businesses are led by 
the next generation of QinetiQ leaders. 
They’re totally accountable for their own 
revenue, profitability, cash and customer 
relationships. They can both reward 
excellent performance and take action. 
We also have My Contribution, which 
empowers all our employees to come up 
with ideas to drive productivity, either by 
increasing sales or reducing costs. So we 
have begun to transform the culture; but  
in my experience, it is an ongoing journey.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  5

CHIEF EXECUTIvE oFFICER’S STATEMENT CoNTINUED

Q&A with Leo Quinn

where will growth come in the medium 
to long term?
Short term growth is impacted by the 
market in which we operate and our 
markets are unsettled. Given the deep 
expertise of our people and our good track 
record of delivery, however, QinetiQ’s core 
businesses should be able to gain market 
share when defence budgets stabilise. 
Over the medium term, we’ll manage the 
rest of the Group as a ‘value pipeline’ –  
in other words, a range of new offerings in 
various stages of development or business 
readiness. Some of them will eventually 
graduate to expand our core; others may 
not prove able to find economically viable 
business models. QinetiQ is not short 
of innovation: for us, the challenge is to 
find ways to turn ‘raw’ know-how and 
technology into commercial businesses. 
Sometimes the best way to do this is 
to exploit it ourselves; sometimes we 
elect to sell the patent; sometimes we 
retain ownership of the IP and software 
but outsource manufacture, sales and 
distribution in order to reduce our risk.  
The key is to have a disciplined process that 
enables you to work out the best route to 
market for each idea, or else the best point 
in its development to crystallise its value. 

what are the major challenges that 
QinetiQ faces?
Our challenge is to continue to evolve our 
business offerings to compete successfully 
in the changing defence markets of the 
UK and US, while also diversifying our 
portfolio by finding new sectors in which 
to apply our innovation and expertise. 
I believe, by using a rigorous combination 
of investment, partnerships and, where 
appropriate, some selective acquisitions, 
we can build out QinetiQ’s core into a 
leading technology-based solutions Group.

“ Through an organic-Plus approach, QinetiQ will 
build out its core into a leading technology-based 
solutions Group, and will apply the innovation 
and capabilities of its people in targeted sectors.”

3. Strengthening the balance sheet
By focusing on cash generation throughout 
the business lifecycle, working capital has 
been reduced by more than £200m since 
31 March 2009. Net debt has been driven 
down by more than £400m, from £537.9m 
to £122.2m, and the gearing ratio has fallen 
from 2.5x to 0.5x. This provides a robust 
foundation for the future and enables 
selective investment in medium-term 
growth opportunities. 

Specific progress during the year included:

•  A package of measures to stabilise the 
UK defined benefit pension scheme, 
including the selection of CPI as the 
inflation index which reduced its deficit 
by £141.4m. The year end IAS 19 pre-tax 
deficit fell to £31.5m (30 September 2011: 
£228.1m; 31 March 2011: £124.6m)  
as a result of this change and a £40m  
cash injection;

•  An agreement with the MOD, which 

discharges the UK Government from its 
accumulated liabilities for rationalisation 
costs incurred in previous years, the 
net result of which was a £65m, one-off 
payment to QinetiQ, received after the 
year end. This settles liabilities which 
would otherwise be expected to be 
recovered through revenue rates over 
approximately ten years; and

•  The election to make early repayment of 
US$177m private placement debt which 
will complete after the year end. 

Second phase: organic-Plus 
The wide-ranging changes of the past 24 
months have created a leaner, fitter Group 
which is now focused on driving value by 
growing its sustainable earnings.

The next phase will continue the disciplines 
established during the self-help programme, 
including performance improvement, 
balance sheet strength and high cash 
conversion. Customer satisfaction and the 
excellent engagement of employees will be 
key internal metrics. 

Building on the detailed understanding 
acquired in phase one, the Group will 
manage its portfolio actively by investing 
in organic growth supplemented, where 
appropriate, by partnerships, alliances and 
selective acquisitions to deliver the strategy 
and diversify risk. This will enable mature 
core businesses to win market share and 
explore adjacent markets, while nurturing 
a select number of newer capabilities to 
determine whether their business models 
are scalable. Each opportunity that emerges 
will be managed through a disciplined 
process to identify and expand those which 
can generate sustainable returns, or to 
target the best point at which to crystallise 
their value. Through an Organic-Plus 
approach, QinetiQ will build out its core 
as a leading technology-based solutions 
Group, and will apply the innovation and 
capabilities of its people in targeted sectors.

The strength of the balance sheet will be 
applied to investment choices, with an 
increased capacity for capital expenditure 
and internal research and development 
for the 2013 financial year and a rigorous 
process for prioritising resources and 
monitoring returns. 

Leo Quinn 
Chief Executive officer 
24 May 2012

6  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

oUR BUSINESS MoDEL 

 Organic-PLUs

Through an Organic-Plus approach, 
QinetiQ will build out its core into  
a leading technology-based solutions 
Group, applying the innovation and 
capabilities of its people across a number 
of market sectors. 

This will enable mature core businesses 
to win market share and explore adjacent 
markets, while nurturing a small number 
of newer capabilities to determine 
whether their business models are 

sufficiently robust to deliver significant 
growth. Each opportunity which emerges 
will be managed through a disciplined 
process to identify and expand those 
which can generate sustainable returns 
within QinetiQ, and crystallise early value 
from those which cannot. The Group 
will target the best point at which to 
crystallise value from its technologies – 
through selling patents or retaining IP, 
but outsourcing manufacture to reduce 
overheads and risk. 

Revenue breakdown

Core

Explore

Test for Value

c90%

c8%

c2%

CoRE
c90% of revenue 
Maximise the Core
Approximately 90% of QinetiQ’s revenue is 
generated by proven businesses that have 
sustainable competitive advantage. The 
businesses are focused on relatively resilient 
sectors in which the deep domain expertise 
of QinetiQ’s people is used to provide trusted 
independent advice and solutions for customers’ 
critical operations. These are the Group’s core 
capabilities, mostly comprising UK and US 
Services, and operating largely in the aerospace, 
defence and security markets. They exhibit 
relatively low risk characteristics with low capital 
requirements and strong, predictable cash flows. 
Much of the revenue is derived from longer term 
contracts, with known dates for renewal and 
re-tender. 
QinetiQ’s core businesses retain and win market 
share by applying their detailed understanding of 
customer domains and their technical expertise 
to provide support for customers’ on-going 
and developing needs. Core businesses will 
receive investment on a sustainable basis as 
these opportunities emerge and where existing 
expertise can be deployed in adjacent sectors and 
geographic markets, from the proven platform of 
UK or US capability. 
QinetiQ’s less mature businesses will be managed 
through a ‘value pipeline’ with a range of new 
capabilities at various stages of business readiness.

EXPLoRE 
c8% of revenue
Scale the Explore 
Approximately 8% of QinetiQ’s 
revenue comes from fully 
commercial businesses in its 
Explore category. These are 
businesses that have a proven 
technology and customers, 
but have yet to prove that they 
can achieve significant scale. 
Examples include Cyveillance®, 
which delivers cyber intelligence 
solutions principally for US 
Fortune 500 customers,  
the OptaSense® fibre-optic 
sensing business, and Training  
& Simulation Services, which  
is using COTS technology to 
meet customer requirements  
to reduce the cost of training. 
The Group will selectively invest 
in these businesses to create a 
broader base of significant and, 
therefore, core businesses for 
the future. 

TEST FoR vALUE 
c2% of revenue
Maintain the Rigour 
Approximately 2% of QinetiQ’s 
revenue is in the Test for Value 
category. These are businesses 
with proven technologies but that 
have yet to prove commercial 
viability. In some cases, the 
technology is being developed for 
a customer-funded programme, 
such as the E-X-Drive® hybrid 
electric drive transmission which 
is being developed as part of a 
consortium for the technology 
development phase of the US 
Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle 
Program. In other cases, the 
intellectual property is licensed 
out to reduce implementation 
and sales risks, with revenue 
dependent on third party sales 
channels. Examples include 
the GAJT™ GPS anti-jammer via 
NovAtel and MEWS via L-3 TRL. 
Over the medium term, these 
early-stage technologies will be 
managed rigorously to resolution 
whether through investment, 
divestment, closure or trade-
through until project completion.

Maximise the Core
UK Services
US Services
Global Products (partial):
– TALON®
– Q-Nets®
– LAST™Armor

Scale the Explore
Cyveillance®
International ranges
OptaSense®
Training & simulation
Protective monitoring
Robotic controller kits
UAS Services

Maintain the Rigour
ALARM
Energy from waste
E-X-Drive®
GAJT™
MEWS
CueSim 
Space
UAS sensors

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  7

UK SERvICES

trUstED
tO DELivEr

QinetiQ’s thought leadership in the 
training and simulation sector is founded 
on a decades-long heritage of world-class 
research with the UK’s MOD, combined with 
a record of delivering high-fidelity and cost-
effective military training. 

Most recently, we have extended our 
expertise through pioneering the use of 
everyday gaming technologies to create 
more affordable and flexible synthetic 
training environments. 

By consolidating our core UK defence 
activities with a number of new and 
existing contracts, such as the Distributed 
Synthetic Air Land Training system at RAF 
Waddington, into a single team, we have 
brought together a strength of capability 
second to none. 

Our teams in the military arena are 
collaborating globally, and a joint UK and 
North American team won a place on 
the US Training Systems Contract III, that 
over three years, gives access to a group 
of multiple award indefinite delivery/ 
indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts. This is 
an opportunity to demonstrate our unique 
‘Commercial off-the-shelf to capability’ 

approach to the design and delivery of 
open architecture training systems, while 
also bidding into a US$2.2bn addressable 
training and simulation market.

In the commercial sector, we are deploying 
highly developed simulation systems, 
combined with a unique approach to 
constructing focused and innovative 
training support. We are, for example, 
developing safety-critical training for 
several major Australian coal mining 
organisations – giving us an entry into the 
energy and resources market – and have 
delivered crisis training for a major UK 
transport hub. 

Our training team specialises in combining 
‘People who know how’ with the latest 
training innovation, technology and 
processes to deliver training systems that 
others cannot. As a platform independent, 
technology integrator, customers can 
trust us to work with them in an intimate 
partnership, in which our sole focus is to 
develop transformational training for their 
specific needs.

03

01

02

01   Broadening our international capability 

reach, we manage and operate the Flight 
Physiological Centre (FPC) in Linköping, Sweden 
on behalf of The Swedish Defence Materiel 
Administration (FMV). A self-contained centre 
that provides world-class training, research, test 
and evaluation facilities, comprises a human 
centrifuge with a free-flight-capable active 
gondola used for high-G training, a hypobaric 
chamber for low-pressure testing and hypoxia 
training, a hyperbaric chamber for high-
pressure testing, and a rescue and test pool for 
parachute drill and survival equipment training.

8  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

02   QinetiQ, working in close partnership with the 
European Space Agency (ESA) and industrial 
partners, achieved the world’s first successful 
reception of the encrypted Galileo Public 
Regulated Service (PRS) signal from the first 
Galileo satellites, launched in October 2011. 
 We supplied the crypto security solution for the 
PRS receiver, as well as expert security advice 
and Galileo accreditation technical support to 
the EU and ESA.

03   We offer a full hosting and protective 
monitoring service for those sensitive 
information and communication systems 
where security and availability are critical. Our 
long record of hosting and operating services 
is built on our network of resilient sites in 
geographically disparate locations. We are 
completely independent of industry suppliers, 
and deploy the most appropriate technologies 
for the requirement. 

 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

“As the leading independent
training systems integrator,
we’re committed to taking what
we do in any domain, and what
we learn anywhere in the world,
and projecting it globally.”
Stephen Gumbrill, Software Engineer, 
Training and Simulation Services

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  9

US SERvICES

cOmmittED
tO thE missiOn

“we’re effectively building
the Kennedy Space Port of 
the future to cater for NASA’s 
next generation of deep space 
programmes, as well as new 
commercial space providers.”
Joe Broadwater, Executive Vice President,
Aerospace Operations and Systems

10  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

When NASA required a partner to help it 
transform Florida’s Kennedy Space Center 
for the next generation of space travel and 
exploration, it chose QinetiQ. 

Our Engineering Services Contract (ESC) 
for the Center encompasses the full range 
of life-cycle design, development, testing 
and integration to support all NASA’s future 
programmes, as well as the commercial 
space sector which, it is anticipated, will 
assume responsibility for resupplying the 
International Space Station.

Elements of the contract include  
a 21st-century ground system, space  
launch system, crawler transporter, and 
mobile launch tower to accommodate 
different configurations of boosters and 
crew vehicles. 

We were chosen by NASA – against 
stiff competition – for our engineering 
discipline, rigour and effective programme 
management. We already had an excellent 
record of delivering on commitments at 
other NASA space and research centres. 

The complement of exceptionally 
qualified personnel that QinetiQ brings 
to the contract, covers every discipline, 
from technical management to financial 
management. This core technical team 
serve as the principal experts in technology 
R&D and technology transfer. They are 
complemented by a team hired to support 
the work driven by the task orders. As the 
contract progresses, it will continue to 
expand in scope and staffing.

The ESC’s scale, complexity and emphasis 
on transformational technologies, make  
it an outstanding example of a showcase 
for QinetiQ as an engineering services 
provider that is able to deliver cost-
effectively against a backdrop of evolving 
requirements. We are now focused on 
translating this capability to other markets 
in the US, principally the United States  
Air Force, commercial space providers  
and energy providers. 

01

02

01  US Services Unmanned Aircraft Systems-
Initiative Program (UAS-I) provides UAS 
Commanders with near-real time, highly 
accurate readiness reporting. It is currently 
in operation with US Army Shadow, Hunter 
and ERMP Sky Warrior units. UAS-I is capable 
of supporting all aspects of maintenance and 
readiness, including managing and tracking 
other critical assets to UAS operations, such as 
all wheeled stock and support equipment.

02  QinetiQ has worked closely with the US Army to 
develop a maintenance and logistics enterprise 
system, enhanced by an exceptional software 
program and complex database, for total 
unit maintenance and logistics management. 
This capability, known as Unit Level Logistics 
System-Aviation (Enhanced), or ULLS-A(E), is 
the first customer server enterprise system to 
use Relational Database System technology for 
Army maintenance management. ULLS-A(E) is 
widely deployed in the United States Army to 
support the logistics and readiness needs of 
4,000 aircraft.

03

03  Cyveillance® brings advanced cyber business-

intelligence solutions to customers; it protects 
networks, systems and users by safeguarding 
against phishing, social media threats, 
reputation damage and information loss. 
Cyveillance® offers proactive solutions that can 
help customers detect and stop threats before 
damage is done. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  11

GLoBAL PRoDUCTS

innOvativE anD
fOrwarD-LOOKing

OptaSense® is the world leader in 
distributed acoustic sensing, a technology 
that transforms up to 50km of standard 
telecoms fibre into a listening device with 
thousands of sensors along its length.

Our technology is reshaping several 
global industries by providing high-value 
information that is otherwise unavailable.

OptaSense’s advantage lies in our unique 
ability to process immediately and make 
sense of gigabits of data generated each 
second by this new fibre-sensing technology. 

Drawing on QinetiQ’s 50 years’ experience 
in advanced sonar processing techniques, 
OptaSense uses advanced acoustic 
fingerprint recognition and behavioural 
analysis to provide customers with 
decision-ready information. This enables 
preventive or corrective operational or 
security action to be taken in real-time.

In the oil and gas sector, distributed 
acoustic sensing is revolutionising oil well 
management. A single array incorporated 
into a well provides an improved image 
of the sub-surface without the need for 
intervention – improving safety, increasing 
recovery and reducing extraction costs.

Demand for OptaSense oil field services 
is primarily driven by the unconventional 
shale oil and gas developments, 
particularly in the US, where OptaSense 
is breaking new ground by providing 

real-time hydraulic fracture monitoring 
services for Shell on a worldwide basis. 

Using the same product platform, OptaSense 
monitors and protects linear assets: it 
converts already-installed telecoms assets 
into a sensor array that predicts and defeats 
intrusions on thousands of kilometres of 
pipeline. OptaSense’s infrastructure security 
and monitoring systems are driven by the 
global need to address national concerns 
over energy security, such as protecting the 
Cairn India Mangala Development Pipeline, 
which provides access to 75% of India’s 
refinery capacity. This recently completed 
project analyses nearly 2.5 gigabits per 
second from more than 63,000 acoustic 
sensors along 700km of pipeline across India. 
This makes it one of the largest single sensory 
systems on the planet, and there are further 
projects of double the size in progress.

OptaSense’s Technical and Data Services 
Division has an equally promising future in 
developing new market applications, such  
as rail monitoring, or finding additional value 
from the data collected from infrastructure 
monitoring. Its work on several US railroads, 
for example, has generated a wealth of 
information about earthquakes that could 
help provide early warnings of tremors in 
the region. Applications such as this will take 
OptaSense towards realising its ambition 
to be ‘The Earth’s Nervous System™’.

01

02

01  QinetiQ is teamed with BAE Systems for one 
of the GCV programme’s two Technology 
Development prime contracts. If the BAE 
Systems vehicle is successful, QinetiQ will supply 
the transmissions for the production phase.
02  Protection against navigation jamming in the 
fog of war is vital. QinetiQ and NovAtel have 
produced the first single-unit GPS anti-jam 
antenna designed specifically for military land 
vehicles. GAJT™ (pronounced ‘Gadget’) protects 
the satellite signals required to compute precise 
position and timing. At just under 290mm in 
diameter, GAJT provides anti-jam performance 
comparable with much larger systems, but at  
a significantly lower cost. 

03  Our Q-Net® system takes an innovative 

approach to protecting a wide range of tactical 
and lightly armoured vehicles from attack by 
rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Based on nets 
rather than traditional armour, it is extremely 
lightweight, versatile, low-cost and effective. 
Q-Net’s performance matches or exceeds 
competitor bar armour solutions, and provides 
vehicles with RPG defeat protection from all 
angles, including overhead. 

12  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

03

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

“ optaSense is an international 
company with a presence in the 
UK, US, Canada, the Middle East 
and, most recently, Brazil, China 
and Russia.”
James Boultbee, Logistics Engineer, OptaSense

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  13

 oPERATIoNS ovERvIEw

DELivEring tEchnicaL 
aDvicE, sErvicE anD 
sOLUtiOns

UK Services

UK Services delivered 
an encouraging 
profit and margin 
performance.

orders

£450.3m

(2011: £420.4m)†

Revenue

£610.1m

(2011: £652.7m)†

Underlying operating profit*

£63.0m

(2011: £47.4m)†

Underlying operating margin*

10.3%(2011: 7.3%)†

UK Services delivered an encouraging 
profit and margin performance, despite 
revenue being down 7% on an organic 
basis, principally as a result of pressure on 
customer budgets. Approximately £19m of 
the organic reduction was due to revenue 
in the prior year from the DTR Early Works 
contract which has completed. 

Underlying operating profit* grew 33% to 
£63.0m (2011: £47.4m)† and the underlying 
margin* increased to 10.3% (2011: 7.3%)†,  
as the division took action to address its 
cost base last year ahead of the expected 
market headwinds. These results show 
the impact of the 24-month self-help 
programme, with improved customer 
satisfaction and project management. 

At the beginning of the year, QinetiQ’s 
Force Protection business, which had £41m 
of revenue during the 2011 financial year, 
was transferred from Global Products 
to UK Services to align with customer 
requirements. In August 2011, the UK fuel 
and lubricants business was sold as part  
of ongoing portfolio reviews. 

The majority of UK Services’ revenue is 
derived from long-term managed services 
contracts, including the Long-Term 
Partnering Agreement (LTPA), under which 
£180m of savings have been delivered to 
the customer to date. In December 2011, 
the division won a four-year, £38m contract 
in the maritime domain which broadens the 
Naval Combat Systems Integration Support 
Services it provides to the MOD.

UK Services continues to deliver value to its 
customers by de-risking the deployment of 
technology for core defence programmes. 
In June 2011, it won a £22m multi-year 
contract to provide test and evaluation 
services for the A400M aircraft as it comes 
into service in 2014. This contract delivers 
an end-to-end evaluation capability, 
including flight trials, safety advice, 

airworthiness and acquisition support. 
The division began operating ranges in 
Scandinavia during the year and recently 
delivered range control and safety systems 
for the Australian Woomera range. Its 
pipeline includes opportunities to expand 
the provision of test and evaluation services 
to other international customers. 

R&D activity increased over the year, 
particularly for capabilities in which QinetiQ 
has a leading market position. These include 
C4ISR, where UK Services manages key 
enabling contracts on behalf of the MOD, 
and cryptography, where the business 
successfully delivered the world’s first 
reception of an encrypted signal from a 
Galileo satellite working for the European 
Space Agency. Reductions in Government 
departmental staffing levels are also 
providing outsourcing opportunities 
to QinetiQ as the UK’s main supplier of 
impartial, client-side programme and 
technical advice. 

The newly created Training and Simulation 
Services (TSS) business is using COTS 
technology to meet customer requirements 
to reduce the cost of training. Its platform 
independent and technology-agnostic 
approach enables the business to integrate 
a broad range of simulation technologies 
to deliver operational and mission training. 
By collaborating with QinetiQ’s US Services 
division, TSS was awarded a position on 
the approved companies list for a US$2bn 
IDIQ (indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity) 
contract under which the US Naval Air 
Warfare Center is able to procure training 
and simulation services. This gives the 
business access to the US market as a key 
training supplier to the US Navy.

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107. 
†  Restated to reflect the transfer of businesses from Global Products to UK Services and US Services at the beginning of the 2012 financial year.

14  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

US Services

The leadership of 
US Services was 
strengthened by the 
appointment of a 
single experienced 
President.

orders

£530.3m

(2011: £580.9m)†

Revenue

£534.5m

(2011: £607.3m)†

Underlying operating profit*

£32.1m

(2011: £45.9m)†

Underlying operating margin*

6.0%(2011: 7.6%)†

Revenue was down in the year by 7% on 
an organic basis at constant currency, 
reflecting continued uncertainties in the 
federal services market. This resulted in the 
delay of new and incremental orders and 
the cancellation of some re-competes, with 
shorter term extensions being awarded in 
their place. The organic revenue variance 
excluded a £17m reduction following the 
divestment of the S&IS business in the prior 
year but included: 

•  A reduction of £33m due to completed 
programmes such as the Iraqi Flight 
Training School; 

•  £29m revenue impact from Government 
insourcing which has now slowed; and
•  A £16m reduction resulting from the 

switching of some work to small business 
set-aside contracts.

Underlying operating profit* was £32.1m 
(2011: £45.9m)† and the underlying 
margin* was 6.0% (2011: 7.6%)† as a result 
of the volume impact on revenue, higher 
investment in business development, and 
a change in revenue mix as lower margin 
NASA work replaced higher margin sales. 

The US Services division was the focus of 
the second year of the Group’s 24-month 
self-help programme. To position for 
future growth, while responding to market 
conditions, US Services executed a major 
restructuring programme reducing indirect 
costs by US$25m. This programme focused 
on eliminating duplicate overhead costs 
and management layers and has improved 
the ability of the division to compete 
effectively. The leadership of US Services 
was strengthened by the appointment of 
a single experienced President and the 
upgrading of the majority of his direct 
reports. Key new hires have included 
leaders for the newly centralised business 
development, pricing strategy and proposal 
functions in order to drive sales growth. 

US Services was fully integrated during the 
first half of the year and reorganised into 
four business units that report direct to the 
President. During the year, the Maritime 
and Transportation Services business, which 

had FY11 revenue of £19m, was transferred 
from Global Products to US Services to align 
with customer requirements. 

Despite current uncertainties, the US 
Government contracting market remains 
large and relatively resilient, and the 
division had 109 proposals pending  
decision by federal customers at year  
end, with a total contract value of 
approximately US$1.3bn. 

Following commencement of work in 
March 2011, revenue streams ramped 
up on the NASA ESC contract to provide 
engineering support services at the Kennedy 
Space Center in Florida. During the year, 
the team won the re-compete for the 
US$40m Enhanced Launch Vehicle Imaging 
System (ELVIS) contract, and earned a 
100% customer satisfaction rating in both 
contract support overall and safety/mission 
assurance. Future opportunities exist in 
enhancing NASA’s capabilities for deep space 
exploration at Kennedy, growing QinetiQ’s 
presence at other NASA sites and extending 
core competencies to US Air Force space 
programmes. The award of a US$36.5m IDIQ 
contract to provide expert scientific and 
analytical support at the Patrick Air Force 
Base in Florida demonstrates the potential  
of this approach. 

US Services has a broad customer base 
and is positioned in segments expected 
to be relatively resilient to defence cuts. 
The year’s largest award was a five-year, 
US$85m classified contract for the US 
Government. Other significant contract 
awards included a contract to provide key 
components of the IT platform for the 
Public Buildings Service, with a total value 
of US$41m if all options are exercised, and 
a US$39m US Army IDIQ contract for its 
architecture characterisation programme. 
The division continues to invest in its cyber 
security capability. At the end of the year, 
it was selected by the Department of 
Transportation’s Volpe Center to provide 
cyber security services to protect US 
transportation control systems and critical 
national infrastructure.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  15

oPERATIoNS ovERvIEw CoNTINUED

Global Products

The division 
is delivering a 
transatlantic 
approach to product 
commercialisation.

orders

£245.7m

(2011: £558.4m)†

Revenue

£325.0m

(2011: £442.6m)†

Underlying operating profit*

£66.2m

(2011: £52.1m)†

Underlying operating margin*

20.4%(2011: 11.8%)†

As expected, revenue declined by 24% 
organically at constant currency, following 
the exceptionally strong demand for the 
Q-Net® vehicle survivability product in the 
previous year. 

Despite the announcement of a timetable 
for the drawdown of US troops from 
Afghanistan, the Global Products division 
met its target of generating US$100m 
of revenue from the Q-Net® vehicle 
survivability product (2011: US$288m) with 
products and spares contributing cUS$50m 
each. To date, Q-Net® has been selected 
to provide protection on the MRAP-Lite, 
Stryker, RG31 and MaxxPro vehicles in the 
US, against such alternatives as bar and slat 
armour, as well as for vehicles in France 
and Poland. Significant revenue was also 
generated by the Precision Air Drop System 
(PADS™), survivability products such as 
LAST™ Armor spall liners, and the TALON® 
family of robots, including an order for 
over 100 new Dragon Runner™ 10 robots 
from the US Government’s Joint IED Defeat 
Organisation (JIEDDO). 

Underlying operating profit* increased to 
£66.2m (2011: £52.1m)† with an underlying 
profit margin* of 20.4% (2011: 11.8%)†. The 
margin improvement principally reflects the 
mix of US product sales and substantially 
improved performance in the UK where 
the business was re-aligned with customer 
demand late 2010/11. The technology 
portfolio is now rigorously tested for the best 
routes to value creation with loss-makers 
divested, or closed, where they lack a viable 
business model or suitable market access. 

During the year, businesses that deliver 
technical services were transferred to  
UK and US Services, enabling the 
Global Products division to focus on the 
commercialisation of technology. In July, as 
part of on-going portfolio review, the Group 
agreed to dispose of Spectro, a supplier of 
oil and fuel analysis instrumentation based 
in Massachusetts, for US$20m.

To even out its lumpy revenue profile, the 
division continues to increase its portfolio 
of products and the Global Products 
framework is delivering a transatlantic 
approach to product commercialisation. For 
example, E-X-Drive®, a hybrid electric drive 
system developed in the UK, was selected 
as part of a consortium for the technology 
development phase of the US Army’s 
Ground Combat Vehicle Program, and the 
first transmission system was delivered at 
the end of the year. The division’s Global 
Integrated Project Team is also targeting 
future opportunities for US sales of ALARM, 
a radar that provides warning of in-coming 
rocket fire, and further UK sales of the 
lightweight Dragon Runner™ robot.

The OptaSense® fibre-optic sensing business 
has been incorporated as an independent 
global business, with new offices in North 
America and the Middle East. OptaSense®, 
a platform technology, is already generating 
revenue in the oil and gas down-hole 
and linear asset markets. Following the 
signing of a three-year, £26.5m contract 
with Shell last year, the business agreed a 
global commercial framework agreement 
and began commercial hydraulic fracture 
monitoring services on shale wells in North 
America. OptaSense® now protects more 
than 6,000km of linear assets, including the 
world’s single largest pipeline project, which 
connects to 75% of India’s refinery capacity. 

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107. 
†  Restated to reflect the transfer of businesses from Global Products to UK Services and US Services at the beginning of the 2012 financial year.

16  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

 CHIEF FINANCIAL oFFICER’S REvIEw

wE nOw havE a 
significantLy strOngEr 
baLancE shEEt

“ Another year of 
excellent cash flow 
has enabled us to 
significantly strengthen 
the balance sheet.”

David Mellors, Chief Financial Officer

Group results overview

Revenue

UK Services
US Services
Global Products
Total

2012  
£m

610.1
534.5
325.0
1,469.6

20111
£m

652.7
607.3
442.6
1,702.6

1   Restated to reflect the transfer of the Maritime and Transportation services businesses from Global Products to US Services and the Force Protection business from 

Global Products to UK Services at the beginning of the 2012 financial year.

Group revenue was £1,469.6m (2011: 
£1,702.6m), down 11% on an organic 
basis at constant currency, excluding a 
£25.8m reduction in revenue for divested 
businesses. This reflects the uncertain 
trading environment and contract delays 
in the US and UK defence markets, and the 
exceptionally strong demand for the Q-Net® 
vehicle survivability product last year, which 
resulted in an expected 24% organic decline 
in Global Products revenue. 

UK Services revenue was down 7% on 
an organic basis at constant currency 
principally as a result of pressure on 
customer budgets. Approximately £19m  

of the organic reduction was as a result  
of the completion in the previous year  
of the DTR Early Works contract. 

US Services revenue was also down in 
the year by 7% on an organic basis at 
constant currency, reflecting continued 
uncertainties in the federal services market. 
This resulted in new and incremental 
orders being delayed and the cancellation 
of some re-competes with shorter-term 
extensions awarded in their place. Revenue 
was also reduced as a result of completed 
programmes, such as the Iraqi Flight 
Training School, the impact of government 
insourcing, though the impact has now 

slowed, and the switching of some  
work to small business set-aside contracts. 
The organic revenue variance excluded a 
£17m reduction following the divestment  
of the S&IS business.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  17

CHIEF FINANCIAL oFFICER’S REvIEw CoNTINUED

Group summary

Revenue (£m)
Organic change at constant currency
Underlying operating profit* (£m)
Underlying operating margin*
Underlying profit before tax* (£m)
Net finance expense (£m)
Underlying effective tax rate*
Basic earnings per share
Underlying earnings per share*
Dividend per share
Underlying net cash from operations (post capex)* (£m)
Underlying operating cash conversion*
Net debt (£m)
Net debt: EBITDA†
Average US$/£ exchange rate
Closing US$/£ exchange rate

Underlying operating profit*

UK Services
US Services
Global Products
Total
Underlying operating margin

2012
1,469.6

(11)%

161.3

11.0%

118.3
43.0
19.9%
39.6p
14.6p
2.90p

235.4

146%

122.2
0.5x
1.60
1.60

2012 
£m
63.0
32.1
66.2
161.3

11.0%

2011 
1,702.6

5%

145.4

8.5%

114.6
30.8
19.0%
0.8p
14.2p
1.60p

265.8

183%

260.9
1.4x
1.56
1.60

20111
£m
47.4
45.9
52.1
145.4

8.5%

1  Restated to reflect the transfer of the Maritime and Transportation services businesses from Global Products to US Services and the Force Protection business from 
Global Products to UK Services at the beginning of the 2012 financial year.

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107.
†  The gearing ratio is net debt to adjusted EBITDA and the definition is in the glossary on page 107.

18  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Revenue by customer 

19%

7%

9%

5%

31%

18%

30%

8%
4%
5%

29%

35%

2012 £1,469.6m

2011 £1,702.6m

MOD 
DoD 
DHS 
NASA 
Commercial Defence
Civil/Other Government Agencies 

Group underlying operating profit* rose 
11% to £161.3m (2011: £145.4m) and the 
underlying operating margin* increased to 
11.0% (2011: 8.5%) as a result of last year’s 
early cost reduction in the UK businesses 
and improved efficiencies and mix in Global 
Products. These improvements were partially 
offset by lower margins in US Services, where 
the restructuring is now complete, reducing 
indirect costs by US$25m.

UK Services underlying operating profit* 
grew 33% to £63.0m (2011: £47.4m)1 and 
the underlying margin* increased to 10.3% 
(2011: 7.3%)1, as the division took action to 
address its cost base last year ahead of the 
expected market headwinds. These results 
show the impact of the 24-month self-
help programme, with improved customer 
satisfaction and project management.

US Services underlying operating profit* was 
£32.1m (2011: £45.9m)1 and the underlying 
margin* was 6.0% (2011: 7.6%)1, as a result 
of the volume impact on revenue, higher 

investment in business development, and a 
change in revenue mix as lower margin NASA 
work replaced higher margin sales. 

In Global Products, the underlying operating 
profit* increased to £66.2m (2011: £52.1m)1 
with an underlying profit margin* of 20.4% 
(2011: 11.8%)1. The margin improvement 
primarily reflects the mix of US product sales 
and substantially improved performance in 
the UK, where the business was re-aligned 
with customer demand late 2010/11. The 
technology portfolio is now rigorously tested 
for the best routes to value creation, with 
loss-makers divested, or closed, where they 
lack a viable business model or suitable 
market access. 

Finance costs
Net finance costs increased to £43.0m 
(2011: £30.8m). Interest on borrowings 
increased as a result of accelerated interest 
costs of £27.4m following the election 
to make early repayment of US$177m of 
private placement debt. The previous year 

included £8.8m of accelerated interest costs 
relating to US$135m of private placement 
debt. A further significant component 
of this increase was the reduction in 
the net pension finance credit to £6.4m 
(2011: £9.1m) as a result of the change 
in the mix of the pension assets (a lower 
proportion of a higher return equities,  
a higher proportion of lower return bonds) 
and a higher level of gross pension liabilities. 

Taxation
The Group’s underlying effective tax 
rate* was 19.9% (2011: 19.0%). The rate is 
principally dependent on the geographic 
split of profits between the UK and US 
businesses and the availability of Research 
and Development tax relief. 

Acquisition amortisation and specific  
non-recurring items*
The performance of the Group, after 
allowing for non-recurring events and 
amortisation of acquired intangible assets,  
is shown below.

Underlying profit* for the year attributable to equity shareholders of the parent company
Net restructuring recoveries/(charges)
Contingent payments on acquisition treated as remuneration
Net gain/(loss) in respect of previously capitalised DTR-programme bid costs 
Impairment of property, plant and equipment
Amortisation of intangible assets arising from acquisitions
Pension past service gain
Gain on business combinations and divestments and disposals of investments
Gain on disposal of property
Tax impact of items above
Profit for the year attributable to equity shareholders of the parent company

2012  
£m
94.8 
69.4
– 
4.1
(1.9)
(20.3)
141.4 
11.6 
9.0 
(50.2)
257.9

2011 
£m
92.8 
(28.6)
(6.1)
(23.8)
(5.9)
(26.3)
– 
2.7 
– 
0.2 
5.0 

1  Restated to reflect the transfer of the Maritime and Transportation services businesses from Global Products to US Services and the Force Protection business from  
Global Products to UK Services at the beginning of the 2012 financial year.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  19

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHIEF FINANCIAL oFFICER’S REvIEw CoNTINUED

Net debt at 31 March 2012 was £122.2m, 
compared with £260.9m at 31 March 2011. 
This incorporates accelerated interest of 
£27.4m in respect of the early repayment of 
private placement notes and the Company’s 
£40m contribution into the DB pension 
scheme, and excludes the £65m payment 
from the MOD which was received after the 
year end. The Group’s borrowings remained 
comfortably within its financial covenants, 
with a gearing ratio† of 0.5x compared with 
the covenant maximum level of 3.5x, a 
significant improvement from 1.4x last year.

As a result of the strong cash performance 
during the year the Group elected to make 
early repayment of US$177m of private 
placement debt which will complete after year 
end. An associated accelerated interest charge 
of £27.4m has been reflected in net finance 
costs in 2012. In 2011, net finance costs 
included an £8.8m accelerated interest charge 
in respect of the early repayment of US$135m 
of private placement debt in May 2011.

Following early repayment of private 
placement debt, total committed facilities 
amount to £429.4m. The remaining Group 
debt has no maturity before 2016.

Pensions
The net pension liability under IAS 19, after 
deducting deferred tax, was £18.2m (2011: 
£92.2m). The key assumptions used in the 
IAS 19 valuation of the scheme are:

investment in Nomad Holdings Limited. Excess 
property in the UK was also disposed of during 
the year, realising a gain of £9.0m. 

Earnings per share
Underlying earnings per share* was 14.6p, 
compared with 14.2p for the year ended 
31 March 2011. Basic earnings per share 
increased to 39.6p (2011: 0.8p).

Dividend
The proposed final dividend is 2.00p per share 
(2011: 1.60p per share). The record date for 
the final dividend will be 10 August 2012. 
Subject to approval at the Annual General 
Meeting, the final dividend will be paid on 
7 September 2012.

other financials
Cash flow
Underlying operating cash conversion* 
remained very strong at 146% (2011: 183%). 
Underlying cash flow from operations*  
of £235.4m (2011: £265.8m) was driven 
by rigorous Group-wide processes and the 
engagement of employees at all levels to 
reduce working capital, assisted by deferred 
customer-controlled capital expenditure  
in the UK Services business. It also included  
a net recovery of £18.5m of costs following  
the cancellation of DTR and the one-off 
injection of £40m into the defined benefit  
(DB) pension scheme. 

Acquisition expenditure, net of cash acquired, 
totalled £0.9m (2011: £15.8m) as a result of 
deferred consideration payments following 
the acquisition of Sensoptics Ltd in December 
2012. Net proceeds received from the disposal 
of businesses totalled £11.2m (2011: £38.2m), 
largely from the disposal of the Spectro 
business within Global Products.

The resulting statutory profit after tax was 
£257.9m (2011: £5.0m).

The net restructuring recovery of £69.4m 
(2011: expense of £28.6m) primarily relates 
to the agreement with the UK MOD in March 
2012 involving a payment to QinetiQ of £65m, 
that was received after the year end, in April 
2012. The agreement involves the discharging 
of MOD from its accumulated liabilities for 
rationalisation costs incurred in previous 
years, together with MOD agreement to 
changes in its Special Shareholder rights,  
and certain other operational issues. 

On 19 October 2010, the MOD terminated 
the Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) 
programme for which QinetiQ was preferred 
bidder as a 50/50 equity partner in the Metrix 
joint venture. In 2011, £23.8m was written 
off previously capitalised bid costs, net of 
estimated recovery from MOD. Negotiations 
with MOD concluded in 2012, resulting in a 
net gain of £4.1m. 

The pension past service gain of £141.4m 
follows the agreement with the Trustees, 
as part of a package of measures to ensure 
the stability of the defined benefit pension 
scheme, to select the Consumer Prices Index 
rather than the Retail Prices Index as the 
relevant index for the increase of pensions  
in payment.

An impairment charge of £1.9m (2011: £5.9m) 
was taken in the year against the Group’s 
owned properties. These properties are no 
longer occupied and, since no external tenant 
has been found, the assets are no longer 
generating a return.

The gain on business divestments and disposal 
of investments in the year comprises £8.0m in 
respect of divestments and £3.6m in respect 
of disposal of investments. Divestments 
include the disposal of Spectro Inc., a business 
within the Global Products sector, for 
consideration before costs of US$20.5m.  
Of the £3.6m gain on disposal of investments, 
£2.8m relates to the sale of QinetiQ’s 

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107.
†  The gearing ratio is net debt to adjusted EBITDA and the definition is in the glossary on page 107.

20  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Employees by sector

10%

10%

39%

51%

48%

42%

2012 10,180

2011 11,208

UK Services 
US Services 
Global Products 

Assumption
Discount rate
Inflation (2012 = CPI, 2011 = RPI)
Salary increase
Life expectancy – male (currently aged 40)
Life expectancy – female (currently aged 40)

31 March  
2012
4.8%
2.6%
3.6%
90
92

31 March  
2011
5.6%
3.6%
4.6%
90
91

Each assumption is selected by the Group in consultation with the Company’s actuary and takes account of industry practice amongst 
comparator listed companies. The sensitivity of each of the key assumptions is shown in the table below.

Assumption
Discount rate
Inflation
Salary increase
Life expectancy

The market value of the assets at 31 March 
2012 was £1,107.9m (31 March 2011: 
£981.1m). The increase was the result 
of market performance, augmented by 
a one-off £40m cash injection by the 
Company as part of a package of measures 
agreed with trustees to stabilise the scheme. 

The present value of scheme liabilities  
was £1,139.4m (31 March 2011: £1,105.7m). 
The increase was the result of a significant 
reduction in the rate used to discount the 
gross scheme liabilities to present value 
due to declining bond yields. This was 
partially offset by the agreement to select 
the Consumer Price Index as a suitable 
index for the payment of pensions and the 
revaluation of benefits, which reduced the 
liabilities by £141.4m before tax. 

Under the agreement between the 
trustees and the Company, the 30 June 
2011 triennial actuarial valuation was also 
finalised. The resulting funding deficit was 
measured at £74.7m and a recovery plan 
was agreed, with the Company making 

Change in  
assumption
Increase/decrease by 0.1%
Increase/decrease by 0.1%
Increase/decrease by 0.1%
Increase by one year

Indicative effect on scheme  
liabilities (before deferred tax)
Decrease/increase by £21.1m
Increase/decrease by £22.2m
Increase/decrease by £3.5m
Increase by £19.3m

annual contributions of £13m to 31 March 
2018, approximately £2.5m of which will  
be derived from a new asset-backed  
funding structure, secured on certain 
QinetiQ UK property.

The next scheduled triennial valuation will 
be performed as at 30 June 2014.

Capital risk
The Group funds its operations through 
a mixture of equity funding and debt 
financing, including bank and capital market 
borrowings. At 31 March 2012 the Group’s 
total equity was £599.4m (2011: £457.5m), 
with net debt at £122.2m (2011: £260.9m).

The capital structure of the Group reflects 
the Directors’ judgement of an appropriate 
balance of funding required. The Group’s 
target is to maintain its gearing ratio below 
2xEBITDA. 

Treasury policy
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 strict control on the use 
of financial instruments. Speculative trading 
in financial instruments is not permitted. 
The policies are established to manage and 
control risk in the treasury environment and 
to align the treasury goals, objectives and 
philosophy of the Group.

Funding and debt portfolio management
The Group seeks to obtain certainty 
of access to funding in the amounts 
and maturities required to support its 
medium to long-term forecast financing 
requirements. Group borrowings are 
arranged by the Group treasury function. 

Interest risk management
The Group seeks to reduce the volatility 
in its interest charge caused by rate 
fluctuations. A significant portion of the 
Group’s borrowings is fixed in the short  
to medium term through fixed-rate debt.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  21

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHIEF FINANCIAL oFFICER’S REvIEw CoNTINUED

2012
1.60
1.60
1.60

2011
1.56
1.60
1.52

Employees
Year-end employee numbers decreased 
by 9% to 10,180 at 31 March 2012. The 
decline is principally a reflection of normal 
in-year attrition as well as departures under 
the restructuring programme in the UK 
and the US and the impact of Government 
in-sourcing and the disposal of Spectro in 
the US.

Accounting standards
As a UK-listed company, the Group is 
required to adopt EU endorsed IFRSs and 
to comply with the Companies Act 2006. 
The effect of changes to financial reporting 
standards in the year is disclosed in note 1 
to the financial statements.

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.

David Mellors  
Chief Financial officer 
24 May 2012

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. 
The nature of the Group’s operations 
leads to concentrations of credit risk in 
its trade receivables. The majority of the 
Group’s credit risk is with the UK and US 
Governments and is therefore considered  
to be 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 prudent 
and 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.

Foreign exchange risk management

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

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

The Group’s income and expenditure is 
largely settled in the functional currency 
of the relevant Group entity, principally 
sterling or the 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. The Group continues its 
practice of not hedging income statement 
translation exposure. To minimise the 
impact of currency depreciation of the 
net assets on its overseas subsidiaries, the 
Group seeks to borrow in the currencies 
of those subsidiaries, but only to the 
extent that its gearing covenant within its 
loan documentation, as well as its facility 
headroom, are likely to remain comfortably 
within limits.

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.

22  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

 KEy PERFoRMANCE INDICAToRS

UnDErPinning anD 
rEviEwing bUsinEss 
PErfOrmancE 

Non-financial KPIs

Health and Safety 

(lost-time injury rate per 1,000 employees)

2012

2011

2010

3.62

3.28

3.78

Description
The lost-time injury rate is calculated 
using the total number of work-
related lost-time incidents x1,000 
divided by the average number of 
employees in that year. 

Comment
Health and Safety performance 
is monitored to drive continual 
improvement in minimising risks  
to employees.

Employee engagement score 

(UK only on a scale of 0-1,000)

2011

2010

569.3

554.1

Description
A measure of employee engagement 
on a scale of 0-1,000, based on the 
Best Companies Employee Survey. 
Through this channel, employees 
share their views of working at QinetiQ 
under the headings of management, 
leadership, my company, personal 
growth, my team, giving back to the 
community, fair deal and well-being. 

Comment
The survey forms part of The Sunday 
Times Best Companies to Work For, 
an annual survey run in The Sunday 
Times newspaper that ranks UK 
employers based on their employees’ 
feedback and enables comparison 
between QinetiQ and other UK 
companies. The 2012 survey will  
take place in Autumn 2012.

Customer satisfaction (UK MoD KSM) 
overall score

2012

2011

2010

8.3

7.9

7.2

Description
The Key Supplier Management (KSM) 
Framework is a mandatory survey 
administered annually by the MOD 
on its Top 22 Key Suppliers. The 360 
degree survey concentrates on the 
performance (delivery, engagement 
and relationship) of the largest-
valued/most strategically important 
contracts totalling c40 contracts  
for QinetiQ. 

Comment
To demonstrate and measure customer 
satisfaction across the wider UK 
customer base, QinetiQ also administers 
a customer satisfaction survey on those 
MOD contracts which are not selected 
for the MOD KSM Survey as well as a 
sample of industry and commercial 
contracts. Since its inception in 2011, 
this survey has yielded consistent  
results to the KSM Survey. In the US, 
customer satisfaction metrics are 
reviewed on a contract-by-contract 
basis and data is therefore not available.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  23

KEy PERFoRMANCE INDICAToRS CoNTINUED

Financial KPIs

Underlying EPS* (pence)

2012

2011

2010

14.6

14.2

11.1

Description
The underlying earnings per share* 
(EPS) expressed in pence per share.

organic revenue growth (%)

2012

2011

2010

(11)

(3)

Description
The Group’s organic revenue growth 
is calculated by taking the increase in 
2012 revenue over 2011 pro forma 
revenue, at constant exchange rates. 

5

Comment
EPS provides shareholders with a 
measure of the earnings generated 
by the business after deducting tax 
and interest. EPS performance also 
determines the level of payout for 
certain of the Group’s long-term 
incentive plans.

Comment
Organic revenue growth 
demonstrates the Group’s capability 
to expand its core operations within 
its chosen markets before the effect 
of acquisitions, disposals and  
currency translation. 

Underlying operating profit* (£m)

2012

2011

2010

161.3

145.4

120.3

Description
The underlying earnings before 
interest and tax*. 

Comment
Underlying operating profit* is used  
by the Group for internal performance 
analysis as a measure of operating 
profitability that is tracked over time. 

*  Definitions of underlying measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107. Underlying financial measures are presented, as the Board believes these 
provide a better representation of the Group’s long-term performance trend. 
†  The gearing ratio is net debt to adjusted EBITDA and the definition is in the glossary on page 107. 

24  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Financial KPIs

Business review
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

The Group’s strategy is underpinned by focusing on a 
number of performance indicators. The key indicators 
that the Board uses to assess Group performance are 
set out on pages 23-25. Similar indicators are used to 
review performance in each of the Group’s businesses.

Underlying operating margin* (%)

2012

2011

2010

11.0

8.5

7.4

Description
The Group’s calculation of underlying 
operating margin* is consistent with 
previous years. Underlying operating 
margin is calculated by taking the 
earnings before tax and interest as  
a percentage of revenue. 

Comment
Underlying operating margin* can 
be used to show the underlying 
profitability of the revenue delivered 
by the Group. It can also be used to 
compare the Group’s performance 
with that of our peers, providing the 
definition of underlying operating 
profit is consistent.

Underlying operating cash 
conversion* (%)

2012

2011

2010

146

145

183

Description
The ratio of our net cash flow from 
operations (excluding reorganisations), 
less outflows on the purchase of 
intangible assets, and property, 
plant and equipment to underlying 
operating profit* excluding the share 
of post-tax results of equity accounted 
joint ventures and associates. 

Comment
Provides a measure of the Group’s 
ability to generate cash from normal 
operations and gives an indication  
of its ability to pay dividends, service 
its debt and to make discretionary 
investments. 

Gearing ratio† (x) 

0.5

1.4

2012

2011

2010

Description
The Group’s gearing ratio† is 
calculated as net debt divided by 
EBITDA, as calculated in accordance 
with the terms of the Group’s credit 
facilities, and is comfortably within 
our banking covenant limit of 3.5x. 

2.5

Comment
Net debt to EBITDA provides  
a measure of the strength of  
the Group’s balance sheet. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  25

 RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

EffEctivE managEmEnt  
Of risKs

Risks are assessed according to the 
likelihood of an event’s occurrence and 
its impact, both from a financial and 
non-financial standpoint. The Group Risk 
Register includes an analysis of the potential 
exposures and severity of each risk (as a 
function of its likelihood and impact), the 
assumptions underlying each risk and the 
mitigation required to manage it. The Group 
Risk Register is reviewed by the Executive 
Team and considers: 

•  The authority, resources and coordination 
of those involved in the identification, 
assessment and management of the 
significant risks the organisation faces;

The risk register is reviewed by the Board 
and, in addition, the risk owners present 
an update of current status and mitigating 
actions by rotation throughout the year.

•  The response to the significant  

risks which have been identified  
by management and others; 

•  The monitoring of reports from Group 

management; 

•  The maintenance of a control 

environment directed towards the  
proper management of risk.

Risk

Potential impact

Mitigation

A change in 
demand from 
reduced military 
operations in Iraq 
and Afghanistan

Current plans of both US and UK Governments are 
to drawdown troops from Afghanistan by the end 
of 2014. A significant shift in policy by either the US 
Administration or the UK Government, which resulted 
in a significant reduction in the number of forces 
personnel present in Afghanistan, or a change in  
the timing, may have a materially adverse impact  
on the Group’s financial performance. 

A change in 
either US or UK 
Government 
spending on 
defence and 
security

The Strategic Defence and Security Review in the UK, 
the US Presidential election, and the financial burden on 
both UK and US Government budgets from the current 
economic downturn, will lead to reduced spending in 
the markets in which the Group operates. In particular, 
the UK is reducing its defence budget by 8% in real 
terms by 2015 and, in addition, is seeking to remove 
significant over-heating in its equipment programme. 
In the US, federal estimates indicate that DoD spending 
will reduce by 5% in 2013 and fall further in 2014, 
followed by a 2% annual increase through to 2017. Any 
reduction in Government defence and security spending 
in either the UK or the US could have an adverse impact 
on the Group’s financial performance.

QinetiQ has capitalised on increased UK and US Government 
spending on technology in support of operations in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. In particular, QinetiQ has experienced strong 
demand for Unmanned Ground Vehicles and survivability 
products across the duration of both campaigns. The focus on 
operational support in defence, on both sides of the Atlantic, 
has however, given rise to a decline in defence expenditure 
in other areas, such as services to improve procurement 
efficiency and innovative research. The Group mitigates this 
by maintaining a market focus and competitive positioning in 
adjacent markets, including defence services (which are not 
directly conflict-related), aerospace, security and intelligence, 
which provides a degree of portfolio diversification.

Our focus on a range of markets in defence, security and 
intelligence, provides a degree of portfolio diversification.  
The Group will continue to review trends in defence, 
aerospace and security expenditure in order to align the 
business with those trends. The UK Government is investing 
an additional £650m in cyber capability, which offers some 
opportunity to the Group.

Changes in  
the timing  
of contracts

The amounts payable under some Government 
contracts can be significant and the timing of the receipt 
of orders could have a material impact on the Group’s 
performance in a given reporting period.

The contract and orders pipeline is regularly reviewed  
by senior operational management.

26  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

The understanding and effective management of the risks 
that face QinetiQ is fundamental to its success and is an 
integral part of managing the business. The identification, 
assessment, mitigation and reporting of risks are carried 
out at a Group, business and project level, and are included 
as part of the business performance review process.

Risk

Potential impact

Mitigation

Funding of the 
defined benefit 
pension scheme

The Group operates a defined benefit pension scheme 
in the UK. There is currently a deficit between the 
projected liability of the scheme and the value of the 
assets it holds. The size of the deficit may be materially 
affected by a number of factors, including inflation, 
investment returns, changes in interest rates, and 
improvements in life expectancy. An increase in the 
deficit may require the Group to increase the cash 
contributions to the scheme, which would reduce  
the Group’s cash available for other purposes.

Policies or 
attitudes may 
change towards 
organisational 
Conflicts of 
Interest (oCI)

The Group provides services to defence customers that 
meet their needs as part of the defence supply chain 
and also as technical advisor through its consultancy 
services. The future growth of the business could 
be compromised should our key customers’ current 
attitudes to policies change.

Tax liabilities may 
change as a result 
of changes in tax 
legislation

QinetiQ is liable to pay tax in the countries in which 
it operates, principally in the UK and the US. Changes 
in the tax legislation in these countries could have an 
adverse impact on the level of tax paid on the profits 
generated by the Group.

A material 
element of the 
Group’s revenue 
and operating 
profit is derived 
from one 
contract

The Long-Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) is a 
25-year contract to provide a variety of evaluation, 
testing and training services to the MOD. The original 
contract was signed in 2003. 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-up to a second five-year period 
of the LTPA with the MOD. The next break point is in 
2013 and the Group is working with the MOD on the 
associated review. In the current year, the LTPA directly 
contributed 12% of the Group’s revenue and supported 
a further 7% through tasking services using LTPA-
managed facilities. The loss, cancellation or termination 
of, or significant reduction in, this contract would have  
a material, adverse impact on the Group’s future 
reported performance.

Pension scheme performance is reviewed regularly by Group 
management, in conjunction with the scheme’s independent 
trustees. External actuarial and investment advice is also 
taken on a regular basis to ensure that the scheme is managed 
in the best interests of both the Group and of the scheme’s 
members. The most recent triennial funding valuation of the 
scheme, as at 30 June 2011, resulted in a deficit of £74.7m. 
The Group and trustees have agreed a package of measures  
to enhance the security of the scheme, including deficit 
recovery payments over six years, the use of CPI rather than 
RPI for indexation purposes, and an asset-backed funding 
programme. The next funding valuation of the scheme is  
at 30 June 2014.

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 OCI as part of the 
sales acceptance process. In March 2012, the Group agreed 
with the MOD that the Company could adopt the generic 
compliance regime in use with other companies, in place of 
the QinetiQ-specific one previously in operation. This change 
will not affect the rigour of the compliance process.

External advice and consultation is sought on potential 
changes in tax legislation in both the UK and the US. This 
enables the Group to plan for and mitigate potential 
changes in legislation. The Group is currently actively 
engaging with HM Treasury on the proposal to move R&D 
tax credits out of the tax charge and ‘above the line’ into 
operating profit. If this proposal is implemented, it could 
increase the Group’s Effective Tax Rate over time towards 
a blend of the US and UK corporation tax rates.

The Group continues to achieve customer performance 
and satisfaction levels, and significantly exceeded the 
agreed minimum performance rating of 80% in 2012. 
While achieving the performance scores, the Group  
has achieved significant cost savings for the MOD on 
delivered services.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  27

RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES CoNTINUED

Risk

The Group 
is subject to 
US foreign 
ownership 
regulations

Failure to comply 
with laws and 
regulations, 
particularly 
trading 
restrictions and 
export controls

Failure of 
information 
technology 
systems and 
breaches of  
data security

Potential impact

Mitigation

In the US, the Group undertakes work that is deemed 
to be of importance to US national security and, under 
the foreign ownership regulations, arrangements are 
in place to insulate these activities from undue foreign 
influence as a result of foreign ownership. Failure to 
comply with the regulations could result in sanctions, 
and suspension or debarment from Government 
contracts, as well as reputational damage to the  
QinetiQ brand.

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. This section entitled 
‘Management and control of US subsidiaries’ on page 43  
of this report provides details of the proxy agreement 
between QinetiQ North America and the US DoD, that 
regulates the ownership, management and operation  
of QinetiQ’s principal US subsidiaries.

The Group operates in a highly-regulated environment 
and the majority of its revenue is generated from sales 
in the UK and the US. The Group is subject to numerous 
domestic and international laws, including import 
and export controls, financial and fiscal laws, health 
and safety, environmental, money laundering, anti-
bribery, etc. The Group recognises that its operations 
have the potential to have an impact on its employees, 
contractors, visitors, customers, and others in the 
community and that failure to comply with particular 
regulations could result in a combination of fines, 
penalties, civil or criminal prosecution, and suspension 
or debarment from Government contracts, as well as 
reputational damage to the QinetiQ brand. Any one 
of these could have a material impact on the Group’s 
financial performance. 

The Group operates in a highly-regulated information 
technology environment. The data held by QinetiQ 
is highly confidential and needs to be totally secure, 
particularly against a background of increasing 
cyber-threat. A failure of systems could have an impact 
on contract delivery leading to a loss of customer 
satisfaction. A breach of data security could have  
an impact on our customers’ operations and have  
a significant reputational impact, as well as lead to the 
possibility of exclusion from some types of Government 
contracts, with a detrimental impact on the Group’s 
financial performance.

The Group has procedures and, where appropriate,  
training in place to ensure that it meets all current 
regulations. Together, these ensure the Group manages, 
both corporately and at local business level, the effective 
identification, measurement, and control of regulatory 
risk and also ensure this principle is at the centre of our 
management of safety and other issues. Local management 
continuously monitors local laws and regulations, and  
policies are in place for the appointment of advisors to 
support business development. Professional advice is 
sought when engaging in new territories to ensure that the 
Group complies with local and international regulations and 
requirements. The terms of reference of the Compliance 
Committee have been expanded to review the effectiveness  
of the compliance risk frameworks.

The information systems are designed with consideration 
to single points of failure and the removal of risk through 
minor and major system failures. The business maintains 
business continuity plans that cover both geography, e.g., 
sites and business units, as well as the technical capability 
of staff. These plans cover a range of scenarios, including 
loss of access to information technology systems. The 
plans are tested at appropriate intervals. Data security 
is assured through a multi-layered approach, that 
provides a hardened environment, including robust 
physical security arrangements, data resilience strategies 
and the application of security technologies, as well as 
comprehensive internal and external testing of potential 
vulnerabilities. In addition, the systems are monitored  
and managed on a 24/7 basis.

28  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Failure to comply 

The Group operates in a highly-regulated environment 

The Group has procedures and, where appropriate,  

Risk

The Group 

is subject to 

US foreign 

ownership 

regulations

with laws and 

regulations, 

particularly 

trading 

restrictions and 

export controls

Failure of 

information 

technology 

systems and 

breaches of  

data security

Potential impact

Mitigation

In the US, the Group undertakes work that is deemed 

The Group has procedures in place to ensure that these 

to be of importance to US national security and, under 

arrangements remain effective and to respond to any  

the foreign ownership regulations, arrangements are 

changes that might occur in US attitudes to foreign  

in place to insulate these activities from undue foreign 

ownership of such activities. This section entitled 

influence as a result of foreign ownership. Failure to 

‘Management and control of US subsidiaries’ on page 43  

comply with the regulations could result in sanctions, 

of this report provides details of the proxy agreement 

and suspension or debarment from Government 

contracts, as well as reputational damage to the  

between QinetiQ North America and the US DoD, that 

regulates the ownership, management and operation  

QinetiQ brand.

of QinetiQ’s principal US subsidiaries.

and the majority of its revenue is generated from sales 

training in place to ensure that it meets all current 

in the UK and the US. The Group is subject to numerous 

regulations. Together, these ensure the Group manages, 

domestic and international laws, including import 

both corporately and at local business level, the effective 

and export controls, financial and fiscal laws, health 

identification, measurement, and control of regulatory 

and safety, environmental, money laundering, anti-

risk and also ensure this principle is at the centre of our 

bribery, etc. The Group recognises that its operations 

management of safety and other issues. Local management 

have the potential to have an impact on its employees, 

continuously monitors local laws and regulations, and  

contractors, visitors, customers, and others in the 

policies are in place for the appointment of advisors to 

community and that failure to comply with particular 

support business development. Professional advice is 

regulations could result in a combination of fines, 

sought when engaging in new territories to ensure that the 

penalties, civil or criminal prosecution, and suspension 

Group complies with local and international regulations and 

or debarment from Government contracts, as well as 

requirements. The terms of reference of the Compliance 

reputational damage to the QinetiQ brand. Any one 

Committee have been expanded to review the effectiveness  

of these could have a material impact on the Group’s 

of the compliance risk frameworks.

financial performance. 

The Group operates in a highly-regulated information 

The information systems are designed with consideration 

technology environment. The data held by QinetiQ 

to single points of failure and the removal of risk through 

is highly confidential and needs to be totally secure, 

minor and major system failures. The business maintains 

particularly against a background of increasing 

business continuity plans that cover both geography, e.g., 

cyber-threat. A failure of systems could have an impact 

sites and business units, as well as the technical capability 

on contract delivery leading to a loss of customer 

satisfaction. A breach of data security could have  

an impact on our customers’ operations and have  

of staff. These plans cover a range of scenarios, including 

loss of access to information technology systems. The 

plans are tested at appropriate intervals. Data security 

a significant reputational impact, as well as lead to the 

is assured through a multi-layered approach, that 

possibility of exclusion from some types of Government 

provides a hardened environment, including robust 

contracts, with a detrimental impact on the Group’s 

physical security arrangements, data resilience strategies 

financial performance.

and the application of security technologies, as well as 

comprehensive internal and external testing of potential 

vulnerabilities. In addition, the systems are monitored  

and managed on a 24/7 basis.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Risk

Fixed-price 
contracts

Potential impact

Mitigation

Some of the Group’s revenue is derived from contracts 
that have a fixed price. There is a risk that the costs 
required for the delivery of a contract could be 
higher than those agreed in the contract as a result 
of the performance of new or developed products, 
operational over-runs or external factors, such as 
inflation. Any significant increase in costs which cannot 
be passed on to a customer may reduce the profitability 
of a contract or even result in a contract becoming 
loss-making.

The nature of many of the services provided under such 
fixed-price arrangements is often for a defined amount 
of effort or resource rather than firm deliverables and, as 
a result, mitigates the risk of costs escalating. The Group 
ensures that its fixed-price bids and projects are reviewed 
for early detection and management of issues which may 
result in cost over-run.

Highly-
competitive 
marketplace

The aerospace, defence and security markets are highly 
competitive. The Group’s financial performance may be 
adversely affected should it not be able to compete in 
the markets in which it aims to operate.

Inherent risks 
of trading in a 
global market

QinetiQ operates internationally. The risks associated 
with having a large geographic footprint may include: 
regulation and administration changes, changes in 
taxation policy, political instability, civil unrest, and 
differences in culture and terms of reference, leading 
to a lack of common understanding with customers. 
Any such events could disrupt some of the Group’s 
operations and have a material impact on its future 
financial performance.

Raising external 
funding and 
volatility in 
interest rates

The Group relies on the proper functioning of the 
credit markets which could have an impact on both the 
availability and associated costs of financing. The Group 
is exposed to interest rate risk to the extent borrowings 
are issued at floating interest rates.

Exchange rate 
movement

Realisation 
of value from 
intellectual 
property may  
be delayed

The Group is exposed to volatility in exchange rates as 
a result of the international nature of its operations. 
This includes a translational impact on the key financial 
statements as a result of the Group reporting its 
financial results in sterling. The Group has limited 
transaction exposure as its revenue and related  
costs are often borne in the same currency, principally 
US dollars or sterling. Of the Group’s total revenue, 
approximately 43% are contracted in sterling, 55%  
in US dollars and 2% in euros.

The funded research and development work that the 
Group undertakes for defence and other customers 
creates intellectual property that it retains and can 
use for commercial applications. The uncertainty that 
exists over new technologies and markets may result 
in delays, failure to realise value from intellectual 
property, or the need for a higher level of investment 
for the opportunity to be realised. The additional 
investment required may have to be funded from the 
Group’s own capital resources which may have an 
adverse impact on its financial performance.

QinetiQ seeks to focus on areas within these markets in 
which its deep customer understanding, domain knowledge, 
technical expertise and platform independence provide 
a strong proposition and a significant advantage in 
competitive bidding.

While the core activities of the Group are confined to 
the UK and the US, it continues to explore potential 
customer relationships across the globe. These new 
relationships are assessed for their inherent risks, using 
our International Business Opportunity Management 
process before being formally entered into.

The Group maintains a prudent level of committed 
funding facilities: a five-year multi-currency facility 
totalling £275m was provided by its relationship banks 
and signed in 2011. This is currently undrawn. The Group 
also uses fixed-rate debt instruments issued to US private 
placement investors with maturity dates up to 2019.

The Group actively hedges all significant transactional 
foreign exchange exposure as described in the notes 
to the financial statements and has adopted hedge 
accounting. The Group’s objective is to reduce medium-
term volatility to cash flow, margins and earnings. 
The Group protects its balance sheets and reserves 
from adverse foreign exchange movements by 
financing acquisitions in North America with US dollar-
denominated borrowings, thereby partially mitigating the 
risk as US dollar earnings are used to service and repay US 
dollar-denominated debt.

The Group invests in the development of intellectual 
property only where it believes there is a realistic market 
opportunity for the technology. The performance 
of intellectual property realisation programmes is 
monitored to increase support for successful prospects 
and reduce expenditure where realisation appears less 
likely. The Group uses external experts and financial 
backers as partners in a variety of structures to improve 
the performance of certain intellectual property 
realisation projects.

Acquisition  
of businesses

The Group has the ability to acquire other businesses 
and companies. These acquisitions may not perform 
in line with expectations, thereby having a detrimental 
impact on the Group’s financial performance.

The risks are mitigated through the due diligence and 
internal approvals processes. In addition, the usual 
contractual protections are included in purchase 
agreements signed with vendors.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  29

 Corporate responsibility and sustainability review

Working With  
our stakeholders

Performance summary: progress in the year

2011 Objectives

2011 Progress

2012 Objectives

Reduction in reportable UK incidents  
to zero by 2014 

Attainment of OHSAS 18001 in the UK 
by 2013

10% reduction in UK carbon emissions 
by 2012 

New programmes such as the Actions 
Speak Louder Than Words campaign and 
QinetiQ Visible Active Leadership (QVAL) 
were introduced (page 31)

Assessment programme agreed with  
our external auditors (BSI) to commence 
in August 2012 (page 31)

Over 10% reduction in carbon emissions  
and attained Carbon Trust Standard  
re-certification in the UK (page 32)

Continue to improve waste management 
in the UK

Continue to work proactively with 
customers and suppliers on sustainable 
procurement issues

Governance
At Board level, the Compliance Committee 
oversees the Group’s Corporate 
Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) 
strategy, and receives progress updates.  
At an Executive level, the Safety, Assurance 
and Sustainability Committee, which 
reports into the Group’s Executive Team, 
meets quarterly to review progress. 
The CR&S strategy and programmes 
are overseen by the Head of Corporate 
Responsibility and Sustainability, who works 
with the assurance and audit functions to 
monitor and evaluate programmes. 

Business management
We respond promptly to changing 
legislation by updating local policies, such 
as health and safety, environment, trade 
controls, business ethics and equality, 
taking regional differences in stakeholder 
requirements and law into account. Our UK 
business management system is certified 
to ISO9001. Our Australian business is also 
ISO9001 certified and has recently 

30  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Appointment of an Asset Management 
Lead. Mapping and re-examining our 
waste streams and re-baselining our 
data (page 32) 

Engaged with the MOD on sustainable 
procurement. Worked with suppliers to 
help us map our carbon footprint better. 
Included sustainability in our customer 
satisfaction questionnaire (page 33)

completed a leadership restructure. In the 
US, we have an ongoing programme of 
certification, including ISO19001 for major 
sites and contracts. 

Strategy
Our vision encompasses more than financial 
success. We continue to focus on business 
ethics, our people, excellent environmental 
stewardship and being a good neighbour. 

Customers
We put customers first, by listening to, 
understanding and responding to their 
needs and expectations. Our approach 
has resulted in our customer satisfaction 
scores with the MOD increasing significantly 
(moving from 17th to 3rd over the past 
two years). Through our UK customer 
satisfaction programmes we have now 
embedded sustainability issues to ensure 
that we understand the needs of our 
customers. In QNA, our NASA team received 
a greater than 90% satisfaction score in its 
first year on the major ESC contract.

Reduction in reportable UK incidents  
to zero by 2014

Attainment of OHSAS 18001 in the  
UK by 2013

15% reduction in UK carbon emissions 
by 2015 – to be delivered through 
investment projects, reducing business 
travel and improving employee 
engagement

Continue to improve waste management 
in the UK in relation to the whole waste 
hierarchy, not simply recycling

Meet the MOD’s requirements for key 
suppliers to provide environmental 
information

Business ethics
We have introduced a new code of 
conduct for employees which provides 
guidelines on the way we do business. 
A clear commitment to ethical business 
practice from senior leaders has been 
communicated to employees through 
a range of channels, for example the 
innovative ‘ethical moment’ email messages 
at QNA. We have appointed an Ethics 
Officer for each region (UK, QNA and 
Australia), and all employees continue to 
be required to complete annual business 
ethics training. In addition, in-depth training 
is provided for those employees involved in 
international business. Due diligence for the 
appointment of overseas representatives 
is undertaken by independent third 
parties, such as TRACE. All employees are 
encouraged to seek help and advice when 
dealing with ethical issues and all have 
access to an independent whistle-blower 
line. We monitor important data such as 
gifts and hospitality and have a clear policy 
that we do not make political donations. 

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

“ In a changing world with increasing economic, environmental and social 
pressures, we maintain our commitment to being a responsible and 
sustainable business. By embedding this approach into the way we do 
business, we are able to increase our efficiency, reduce risks and engage 
with our stakeholders.” 
Mark Elliott, Chairman

Safety and wellbeing
Throughout the Group we consider the 
safety and wellbeing of our people to be a 
priority. We ensure we provide safe places 
to work and provide relevant training for 
employees and expert advisors. This is 
underpinned by clear leadership and, where 
necessary, improvement programmes.

In the UK, our RIDDOR (Reporting 
of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous 
Occurrences Regulations) rate for this year 
was 2.12 per 1,000 employees, which is 
well below the ‘all industries’ benchmark 
of 4.63 per 1,000 employees. We have set 
challenging targets in the UK to gain OHSAS 
18001 by 2013 and to reduce reportable 
incidents to zero by 2014. To meet these, 
we have introduced a number of initiatives 
including piloting a new training module 
called QinetiQ Visible Active Leadership 
(QVAL), which focus on safety culture and 
behaviour. The QVAL package enables the 
business to create a bespoke programme 
to meet its individual needs. Programmes, 
such as My Contribution and Actions  
Speak Louder Than Words are designed  
to engage our employees in maintaining  
a safe place to work. We introduced a 
Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) 
Leadership Benchmark, which is a simple 
assessment of an individual’s behaviour 
and actions in relation to safety and 
environmental issues. The benchmark 
aims to provide a consistent approach to 
setting individual HS&E objectives for our 
management team and senior leaders. No 
prosecutions or prohibition or improvement 
notices were issued by regulators. We were 
delighted to receive again a Gold award 
from the Royal Society for the Prevention 
of Accidents (ROSPA), which indicates the 
strength of our safety performance. 

Our UK employees have access to an 
Employee Wellbeing Programme that 
provides information and support on 
financial, legal and family matters and 
counselling. In the UK, employees also have 
access to a benefits package – Benefits+ 
and a new wellbeing portal – ‘Be Healthy’. 
These provide an excellent package 
of healthcare benefits, an employee 
assistance programme, and a purchase 
discount scheme. QNA has expanded its 
‘Health in Motion’ program by introducing 
Vitality, a comprehensive, interactive and 
personalised wellness programme.

“ We are fully committed 
to providing a safe 
working environment 
throughout our sites, as 
well as safe products, 
services and advice.” 
Stephen Evans-Howe, Director of Safety, 
Assurance and Sustainability

Employee development 
We take great pride in the calibre of our 
people and are committed to a range of 
employee development initiatives, for all 
career stages, from induction to leadership. 

In the UK, we are promoting the concept 
of employability; the idea that working 
with us, people will be more employable 
and better positioned in their future career 
moves. To support this, we have introduced 
career development frameworks for  
roles, which demonstrate the career path 

that an individual can take if they wish  
to progress. We have also signed a three-
year agreement with Skillsoft, a provider 
of global e-learning business courses and 
online books on Engineering and IT. 

We have introduced a new leadership 
programme to increase our leadership 
capability. The Advanced Programme 
for Leaders targets our senior leaders to 
ensure we have consistent and strong 
role model behaviours around our five 
leadership behaviours, the five ‘Es’ (Energy, 
Excite, Execute, Engage and Empower). 
The Foundation Programme for Leadership 
provides a range of targeted modules in 
leadership and performance management 
for those in first line-manager roles. 

We have also introduced coaching and 
monitoring to increase our coaching culture. 
In sales, we have rolled out High Value 
Sales and negotiation skills training for all 
employees involved in relevant roles and 
have developed a training path for Project 
Managers which is externally accredited  
by the Association of Project Management. 
Our talent programme aims to identify  
our future leaders. QNA continues to  
work with the Darden Business School  
at the University of Virginia to develop 
future leaders. For QNA technical 
employees, the focus is on providing 
specialist technical training, ensuring 
knowledge is rapidly deployed. 

Employee engagement
A range of channels, from intranet 
and emails to posters, team meetings 
and ‘townhall’ meetings with senior 
management, are used to engage with 
employees. In the UK, the Employee 
Engagement Group (EEG), a new employee 
engagement forum was established. The 

Lost time incidents per 1,000 employees
UK
QNA
Australia
QinetiQ Group

1 Total for UK & QNA only.

2008
7.61
1.57
n/a
5.071 

2009
4.66
1.09
n/a
3.001

2010
5.32
2.12
3.88
3.78

2011
4.73
1.85
3.95
3.28

2012
5.01
1.56
10.70
3.62

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  31

Corporate responsibility and sustainability Continued

EEG has been introduced to provide an 
all-inclusive structure to improve employee 
engagement and consultation. More than 
40 representatives, elected by employees, 
from across the business will work together 
to facilitate greater engagement. The EEG 
will play an active role in monitoring and 
feeding back on employee views. 

The Australian business has introduced a 
half-yearly Employee Engagement Survey  
to monitor the effect of actions intended  
to improve employee engagement. At QNA, 
employees attend townhall meetings and 
participate in employee surveys. Employee 
focus groups have been introduced to 
review communication messages and 
channels to improve the dissemination  
of information. 

The My Contribution programme continues 
to deliver results with over 9,000 ideas 
submitted in the UK, delivering over £20m 
of value. Nearly half the UK workforce has 
submitted an idea. This concept is being 
adapted for roll-out in QNA. 

Employee equality and diversity 
As a Company that operates internationally, 
we employ and work with people from a 
wide range of backgrounds and cultures. 
We are committed to a workplace free of 
discrimination and this is reflected in the 
way we recruit, hire, train and promote,  
and provide conditions of employment. 

The Board recognises the benefits of Board 
diversity and will work towards government 
recommendations and industry best 
practice, while always ensuring that all 
Board Directors are appointed on merit. 

We are committed to the fair treatment 
of people with disabilities in relation to 
applications, training, promotion and career 
development. If an existing employee 
becomes disabled, the Group’s policy is 
to provide continuing employment and 
training, wherever practicable. 

Environmental management
In the UK, we have introduced a new team 
of environmental advisors, which is working 
closely with our existing network of health, 
safety and environmental advisors, to 
help drive continuous improvement in our 
environmental performance. We continue 
to maintain ISO14001:2004 certification 
for our estate and those sites we manage 
on behalf of the MOD. This includes 
managing our business on, or close to, areas 
of national and international importance 
for conservation, such as Sites of Special 
Scientific Interests (SSSI), and on St Kilda,  
a World Heritage Site.

Carbon management
Our UK Carbon Management Group 
continues to focus on initiatives to reduce 
energy use and travel. The table below 
shows our year-on-year progress. We 
were pleased to obtain recertification of 
the Carbon Trust Standard for our work 
in measuring and managing energy and 
were ranked 195th (out of 2,103) in the 
UK Government’s Carbon Reduction 
Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme. 
Employees continue to be engaged in 
low-carbon initiatives through the Energy 
Champion network and campaigns, as  
well as contributing ideas through the  
My Contribution programme. We have  
also committed to purchase our UK 
electricity from renewable sources for the 

next three years and, this year, introduced 
solar panels at our Farnborough site. We 
continue to report annually through the 
Carbon Disclosure Project.

The Australian business is now collecting 
data on energy consumption and travel, 
which are reported here for the first time 
(6.5 GWh of electricity use and 280 tonnes 
of CO2 from air travel).

“ The Carbon 
Trust Standard 
recertification enables 
us to demonstrate 
clearly our continued 
commitment to 
limiting environmental 
impact.” 
Chris Johnson, Director of  
Shared Services

Waste management
We have set ourselves the target in the 
UK to improve our waste management, 
focusing on the complete waste hierarchy 
and not solely recycling. We are mapping 
and re-examining our waste-streams and 
re-baselining our data. We have appointed 
an Asset Management Lead, to find  
ways of optimising our assets, through  
to disposal, but with a significant focus on 
re-use across the business and reducing 
procurement. Total UK waste this year  

UK carbon data
UK gas use (GWh)
UK oil use (GWh)
UK electricity use (GWh) 
Total CO2 from energy use (ktonnes) 
Total CO2 from transport (ktonnes)

2008
68.6
21.4
113.6
79.3
n/a

2009
66.8
21.7
102.7
73.2
26.0

2010
64.7
20.6
99.3
70.7
19.8

2011
63.0
20.3
94.2
67.6
16.6

2012
44.4
16.8
87.6
60.0
12.2

32  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

In Australia, we provide a range of 
opportunities for employees to contribute 
to a range of charities while simultaneously 
competing in physically demanding pursuits. 
As an example, the Kokoda Challenge creates 
opportunities for teams of four to complete 
a 24-hour trek in South-east Queensland to 
replicate the trials of Australian forces that 
battled along the Kokoda Track in Papua 
New Guinea during WWII. The teams raised 
AUS$4,600 for the charity, which helps 
disadvantaged teenagers.

was 3,500 tonnes, including 72 tonnes  
of hazardous waste. More than 70% of  
our waste was diverted from landfill.

Recycling programmes operate across much 
of QNA. Recycling and separation of waste 
is the norm in QinetiQ Australia with the 
focus on waste reduction now at the top of 
the agenda, including reduction in printing 
and copying and more efficient use of 
production materials.

Sustainable procurement
We continue to instil a responsible and 
sustainable approach to the way we work 
with our customers and suppliers. As an 
active member of the UK MOD Sustainable 
Procurement Working Group, we are 
committed to completing the annual self-
assessment on water, waste and carbon 
(the latter through the Carbon Disclosure 
Project). We have provided training for our 
UK buyers on topics such as bribery in the 
supply chain. The UK Strategic Sourcing 
team has introduced a new buying model 
embedding sustainability.

We continue to develop new technology 
ideas to contribute to global environmental 
problems, such as the need for renewable 
energy. Our Energy from Waste team has 
created a demonstrator of their pyrolysis 
unit at our Farnborough Head Office and 
trials are ongoing.

A major part of our UK business is the 
delivery of test and evaluation and  
training support services to the UK MOD. 
The work is conducted on MOD sites, many 
of which are designated conservation areas. 
As a result, we carry out sustainability 
appraisals to identify and mitigate any 
impact to the flora, fauna and any other 
sensitive receptors.

Community investment
Across the Group, employees support their 
communities by volunteering their time  
and professional skills. 

In the UK, we have introduced a new 
Employee Volunteering Scheme to build 
on a range of ad-hoc programmes and 
make it easier to monitor and measure 
success. Employees continued to focus on 
work with schools, through programmes 
such as the STEM (Science, Technology, 
Engineering, Maths) Academy and the 
QinetiQ Powerboat Challenge, with the 
aim of inspiring the next generation of 
scientists and engineers. Employees are 
also using their professional skills, such as 
our involvement in the Young Enterprise 
programme and with local charities. We 
continue to promote this programme to 
benefit communities in which we operate 
as well as to develop our people. Engineers 
in our Science for Society programme 
have provided technical advice to Non-
Government Organisations working in Laos 
on the disposal of unexploded ordnance 
(UXO), for the past six years. During a recent 
visit to Mahaxy district in Khammouane 
province, the team provided advice  
on sustainable technologies and training. 

QNA also recognises the importance of 
young people pursuing STEM careers and  
so supports initiatives, such as robot 
challenges. They also support a range  
of fundraising activities for military and 
health charities.

In total, across the Group, charitable 
donations from the business amounted 
to £108,400. In the UK, employees have 
chosen new charities to support (Cancer 
Research UK, RNLI and Help for Heroes) 
and these will continue to receive matched 
funding for any activities. UK employees 
also raised a further £53,978 through 
fundraising and payroll giving. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  33

 COrPOrATE GOvErNANCE

Board  
of directors

Mark Elliott

Leo Quinn

David Mellors

Michael Harper

Chief Executive Officer – 55
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Chief Executive Officer  
in November 2009.
Committee memberships
Member of the Compliance 
Committee, Nominations 
Committee and Security 
Committee.
Skills and experience
Leo was Chief Executive Officer 
of De La Rue plc between 2005 
and 2009. He was previously Chief 
Operating Officer of Invensys plc’s 
Production Management Division 
and before that spent 16 years with 
Honeywell Inc., in a variety of senior 
management roles in the USA, 
Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 
He was formerly a Non-executive 
Director of Tomkins plc.

Chief Financial Officer – 43
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Chief Financial Officer  
in August 2008.
Committee memberships
Member of the Compliance 
Committee and Security 
Committee.
Skills and experience
David was previously deputy Chief 
Financial Officer of Logica plc. He 
was also Chief Financial Officer 
of Logica’s international division, 
covering operations in North 
America, Australia, the Middle 
East and Asia and, before that, was 
the Group Financial Controller. 
His earlier experience includes 
various roles with CMG plc, Rio 
Tinto plc and Price Waterhouse. 
He is a member of the Institute of 
Chartered Accountants in England 
& Wales.

Non-executive Chairman – 63
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Non-executive Chairman 
in March 2010; Non-executive 
Director between June 2009 and 
February 2010.
Committee memberships
Chairman of the Nominations 
Committee; Member of the 
Compliance Committee and 
Remuneration Committee.
Skills and experience
Mark is a Non-executive Director 
of Reed Elsevier Group plc (and is 
also Chairman of its Remuneration 
Committee), Reed Elsevier NV 
and G4S plc. He was previously 
General Manager of IBM Europe, 
Middle East and Africa and sat on 
IBM’s Worldwide Management 
Council. The Board considers that 
Mark’s extensive experience in the 
technology services sector, in the 
US and Europe, together with his 
exposure to a variety of industry 
sectors on the boards of FTSE listed 
companies, is a valuable asset to the 
Group in terms of leadership and of 
addressing the strategic issues that 
affect the Group.

Deputy Chairman and Senior 
Independent Non-executive 
Director – 67
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Non-executive Director 
in November 2011. Appointed 
Deputy Chairman and Senior 
Independent Non-executive 
Director in February 2012.
Committee memberships
Member of the Audit Committee, 
Compliance Committee, 
Nominations Committee, 
Remuneration Committee  
and Security Committee.
Skills and experience
Michael was appointed Chairman 
of BBA Aviation plc in June 2007, 
having joined the Board in February 
2005. He is also Chairman of the 
Vitec Group plc and of Ricardo plc. 
He was previously a Director of 
Williams plc where, at the time of 
the demerger in 2000, he became 
Chairman of Kidde plc. The Board 
considers that Michael’s wealth 
of operational and corporate 
experience will enable him to  
make a significant contribution  
to the Board. 

34  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Colin Balmer

Noreen Doyle

Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent

Paul Murray

Non-executive Director – 65
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Non-executive Director 
in February 2003.
Committee memberships
Chairman of the Compliance 
Committee and Security Committee; 
Member of the Audit Committee, 
Nominations Committee and 
Remuneration Committee.
Skills and experience
Colin is currently on the Board of 
the Royal Mint and Chair of its Audit 
Committee. He has held senior posts 
in Government, including Managing 
Director of the Cabinet Office, from 
2003 until his retirement in 2006. 
He was previously Finance Director 
of the MOD, and was responsible 
for QinetiQ’s privatisation. 
Notwithstanding that Colin has 
served on the Board for more than 
nine years, the Board still considers 
that he remains independent in 
character and judgement. Further, 
the Board considers that Colin’s 
extensive knowledge of the 
development of QinetiQ, together 
with his in-depth understanding 
of the working of Government, 
continue to provide a unique 
insight into the issues Government 
faces in delivering its procurement 
objectives and in partnering with 
industry suppliers.

Non-executive Director – 63
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Non-executive Director 
in October 2005.
Committee memberships
Chairman of the Remuneration 
Committee; Member of the Audit 
Committee, Compliance Committee 
and Nominations Committee.
Skills and experience
Noreen is a member of the Board  
of Credit Suisse Group (Zurich) 
and its UK regulated subsidiaries. 
She is a Non-executive Director 
of Newmont Mining Corporation 
(Denver), where she is Chair of the 
Audit Committee, and Rexam plc, 
where she is Chair of the Finance 
Committee. She was previously 
First Vice President of the European 
Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development (EBRD). Before EBRD, 
she worked in corporate finance 
and leveraged financing at Bankers 
Trust Company (now Deutsche 
Bank). The Board considers that 
Noreen’s extensive international 
business experience, particularly in 
corporate finance, risk management 
and banking, is of significant benefit 
to the Board.

Non-executive Director – 62
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Non-executive Director 
in April 2010.
Committee memberships
Member of the Audit Committee, 
Compliance Committee, 
Remuneration Committee, 
Nominations Committee and 
Security Committee.
Skills and experience
Sir James commanded the aircraft 
carrier HMS Invincible and three 
other ships and submarines during 
a 37-year career in the Royal Navy 
that culminated in his appointment 
as Commander-in-Chief Fleet. 
Between operational duties he 
held several positions at the 
MOD and gained cross-Whitehall 
experience while on secondment to 
HM Treasury. The Board considers 
that Sir James’ expertise in the 
Government contracting domain, 
particularly with the UK MOD and 
HM Treasury, is highly beneficial 
in the context of QinetiQ’s 
Government-sourced operations.

Non-executive Director – 50
Appointment to the Board
Appointed Non-executive Director 
in October 2010.
Committee memberships
Chairman of the Audit Committee; 
Member of the Compliance 
Committee, Nominations 
Committee, Remuneration 
Committee and Security 
Committee. 
Skills and experience
Paul is currently a Non-executive 
Director and Audit Committee Chair 
at Royal Mail Holdings plc. He is also 
a Director of Naked Energy Ltd and 
Knowledge Peers plc and a Trustee 
of Pilotlight. He was previously 
Senior Independent Director of 
Taylor Nelson Sofres plc, a Non-
executive Director of Thomson SA 
and Tangent Communications plc, 
and has also been Group Finance 
Director of Carlton Communications 
plc and LASMO plc. The Board 
considers that Paul brings a broad 
range of experience in finance and 
corporate governance from a cross-
section of industries, all of which 
leverage technology.

Company Secretary and Group General Counsel – 48
Appointment
Appointed as Company Secretary and Group General Counsel in January 2011.
Skills and experience
Jon joined QinetiQ from Chloride Group plc where he held a similar role. He has 
a background in legal private practice as well as general counsel and company 
secretarial experience in other FTSE250 companies.

Jon Messent

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  35

 COrPOrATE GOvErNANCE 

corporate  
governance report 

“ We continue to view the achievement of high 
standards of corporate governance as essential  
to building value in our business and to promoting 
the long-term success of our Company.”
Mark Elliott, Chairman

The Board considers that QinetiQ has 
complied with the provisions of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code (the ‘UK Code’) 
throughout the last financial year. The UK 
Code and associated guidance are publicly 
available on the Corporate Governance 
page of the Financial Reporting Council’s 
website, www.frc.org.uk/corporate. This 
report provides details of the way the 
principles of the UK Code have been applied 
during the year.

The Board – governance, processes  
and systems: Board objectives
To demonstrate the highest standards of 
corporate governance in accordance with 
the UK Code to:

•  Ensure the continuing evolution and 

implementation of the Group’s strategy 
to deliver value to all stakeholders: 
customers, employees and shareholders;

•  Develop challenging objectives for the 
business and monitor management 
performance against those goals;

•  Provide a framework of effective controls 
to assess and manage risks, with clear 
expectations for conduct to the highest 
standards of ethics;

•  Provide support and constructive 

challenges to the Chief Executive Officer 
(CEO) to promote the Group’s success;
•  Demonstrate leadership in management 

systems around health, safety and 
environment; 

•  Manage succession planning for the 
Board and the Group’s executive 
management.

36  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Composition of the Board
Details of the Board of Directors are on 
pages 34 and 35. The Board currently 
has eight members: the Non-executive 
Chairman; five other Non-executive 
Directors; and two Executive Directors –  
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the 
Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

2

6

Execu(cid:26)ve Directors
Non-execu(cid:26)ve Directors

Executive and Non-executive  
Board composition
Mark Elliott has been the Non-executive 
Chairman of QinetiQ since 1 March 2010, 
having first joined the Board as a Non-
executive Director on 1 June 2009. 

A number of changes in the composition 
of the Non-executive Directors took place 
during the year. 

David Langstaff resigned on 18 April 2011, 
Admiral Ed Giambastiani resigned on 
2 August 2011 and Sir David Lees resigned  
as Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent 
Non-executive Director on 31 January 2012. 
On 22 November 2011, Michael Harper 
joined us as a Non-executive Director and 
became the Group’s Deputy Chairman and 
Senior Independent Director in February 
2012 following Sir David Lees’ departure.  
The Board thanks Sir David for his dedication 
and valuable contribution to the Board.

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 that they  
bring to their duties, which prevents any 
individual or small group from dominating  
its decision-making.

The Board has due regard to the benefits  
of diversity (including gender diversity) when 
considering its composition. 

It considers that the skills and experience 
of its individual members, particularly in 
the areas of UK/US defence and security, 
the commercialisation of innovative 
technologies, corporate finance, mergers 
and acquisitions, and risk management, 
have been fundamental in the pursuit of 
QinetiQ’s strategic initiatives (as described 
in the Chief Executive Officer’s statement on 
pages 4 to 6 of this report) in the past year. In 
addition, the quoted company experience of 
members of the Board in a variety of industry 
sectors and international markets has also 
been invaluable to the Group as it seeks to 
consolidate its position in its core markets 
and geographic territories.

roles and responsibilities
The Board is responsible for overseeing 
the Executive Directors’ management of 
operations and, in this capacity, determines 
the Group’s strategic and investment 
policies. It 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. 
The Directors are responsible for overseeing 
the management of the business of the 
Group, and their powers are subject to the 
Articles of Association and any applicable 
legislation and regulation.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
The roles of Chairman and CEO are 
separate, and the Board has clearly 
articulated their responsibilities in writing. 
The Chairman, Mark Elliott, is responsible 
for the effective operation of the Board  
and for ensuring that all Directors are 
enabled and encouraged to play their full 
part in its activities. The CEO, Leo Quinn,  
is responsible to the Board for directing  
and promoting the profitable operation  
and development of the Group, consistent 
with enhancing long-term stakeholder 
value. This includes the day-to-day 
management of the Group; formulating, 
communicating and executing Group 
strategy; and the implementation  
of Board policies.

Senior Independent Director
The Senior Independent Non-executive 
Director is Michael Harper. Michael is also 
the Deputy Chairman of the Board. He 
replaced Sir David Lees who stepped down 
as Senior Independent Non-executive 
Director and Deputy Chairman of the  
Board during the year.

Michael serves as an additional point of 
contact for shareholders should they feel 
that their concerns are not being addressed 
through the normal channels, and is 
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.

Independence of Non-executive Directors
Of the current Directors of the Company, 
the Board considers all the Non-executive 
Directors 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. 
Notwithstanding that Colin Balmer has 
served on the Board for more than nine 
years, the Board still considers that he 
remains independent in character and 
judgement and the Board has found no 
information or circumstances to lead it to 
conclude otherwise. Based on the above, 
the Board considers that more than half its 
members were independent Non-executive 
Directors throughout the last financial year.

Performance of the Board
In accordance with the UK Code,  
QinetiQ continues each year to  
evaluate the performance of the Board  
and its Committees.

During the year, the Board appointed 
Independent Audit Limited to undertake 
a review of the effectiveness of the 
Board and to facilitate a review by the 
Audit Committee of its effectiveness. 
Independent Audit Limited had no other 
connection with the Company.

For the Board review, Independent Audit 
conducted interviews with all Board 
members and the Company Secretary 
that were wide ranging and covered all 
aspects of Board performance. The report 
summarising their findings and detailing 
recommendations was discussed at the  
May Board meeting. 

The overall conclusion was that the Board  
is effective in its fulfilment of its governance 
responsibilities. The report identified areas 
where improvements could be made and 
these are being incorporated into the 
Board’s objectives for the coming year.  
They include:

•  Achieving greater clarity about the role  
of the Board in relation to risk strategy 
and the oversight of risk management;
•  Providing more opportunities for the  

Non-executive Directors to spend time  
 in the business and meet members 
of senior management;

•  Ensuring that the information provided 

to the Board is fully in line with its needs 
to allow tracking of progress against 
strategic objectives and assessing 
performance, tied into both financial and 
non-financial drivers of the business; and

•  Ensuring effective oversight of the US 
business given that it is held through  
a Proxy Agreement.

The detailed, externally-facilitated review 
of the Audit Committee’s effectiveness 
was conducted through an in-depth web-
based questionnaire, with the results being 
analysed and reported by Independent 
Audit. A similar review looked closely at 
the Board’s approach to risk governance. 
The reviews have resulted in a number of 
changes in approach, including the setting 
up of a Risk Committee of the Board to help 
ensure an effective focus on risk monitoring 
and risk management oversight.

Directors’ induction, on-going training  
and information
All newly-appointed Directors take part in 
an induction programme which is tailored 
to meet their specific needs in relation to 
information on the Group. The induction 
programme includes an induction pack, 
which is refreshed to ensure that it contains 
the most up-to-date information available. 
In addition, a series of visits to Group 
sites, giving the opportunity to meet the 
senior management, is provided to new 
Directors to enable them to gain a full 
understanding of the business. All Directors 
are encouraged to visit QinetiQ’s principal 
sites, and to meet a wide cross-section of 
employees (including other members of 
the senior management team). Training 
is also available on key business issues 
or developments in policy, regulation or 
legislation on an ‘as-needed’ basis. The 
Company provides business-wide computer 
based training (CBT) for employees and the 
Board in relation to compliance with its 
business ethics, policies and practices.

As part of the corporate planning process, 
the Board has the opportunity to question 
the Divisional Managing Directors and the 
Executive Directors on the formulation of 
the corporate plan at Division level and  
the plan’s impact on Group strategy.

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.

re-election of Directors
Rules concerning the appointment and 
replacement of Directors of the Company 
are contained in the Articles of Association. 
Changes to the Articles must be submitted 
to shareholders for approval. According 
to the Articles of Association, all Directors 
are subject to election by shareholders at 
the first Annual General Meeting (AGM) 
following their appointment, and to re-
election thereafter at intervals of no more 
than three years. In line with best practice 
reflected in the UK Code, however, the 
Company requires each serving member of 
the Board to be put forward for election or 
re-election on an annual basis at each AGM.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  37

COrPOrATE GOvErNANCE rEPOrT CONTINuED

Attendance at meetings of the Board and its Committees – April 2011 to March 2012

Members
Mark Elliott
Colin Balmer 
Admiral Sir James 
Burnell-Nugent
Noreen Doyle 
Michael Harper1
David Mellors
Paul Murray
Leo Quinn
Admiral Edmund P. 
Giambastiani2
David Langstaff3
Sir David Lees4

Board
9/9
8/9

9/9
8/9
3/3
9/9
9/9
9/9

2/3
–
7/7

Committee*
Remuneration
6/6
5/6

Audit
–
3/3

Compliance
4/4
3/4

3/3
5/5
1/1
–
5/5
–

–
–
4/4

6/6
6/6
2/2
–
3/3
–

–
–
–

4/4
2/2
1/1
1/1
4/4
4/4

1/2
–
4/4

* The composition of the committee memberships was reviewed by the Board and updated  

at its meeting in November 2011.

1  Michael Harper was appointed to the Board on 22 November 2011.
2  Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani resigned from the Board on 2 August 2011.
3  David Langstaff resigned from the Board on 18 April 2011.
4  Sir David Lees resigned from the Board on 31 January 2012.

Board meetings and attendance
The Board has regular scheduled meetings. 
Eight scheduled Board meetings and one 
Board meeting via telephone conference 
were held in the last financial year. 
Members of the Board were also invited 
to attend a dinner on the occasion of each 
scheduled Board meeting, to assist with 
the process of relationship building and to 
ensure that key strategic initiatives were 
discussed thoroughly.

The table above shows the number of 
meetings of the Board and its Committees 
held during the last financial year, and 
individual Directors’ attendance. 

Matters reserved to the Board
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 Executive 
Directors and other layers of management 
in the business, and QinetiQ’s business 
ethics, risk management, and health, safety 
and environmental processes. The Board 
devotes one entire meeting each year to 
consider strategy and planning issues that 
have an impact on the Group, from which 
the corporate plan is generated. It is also 
regularly kept up to date on strategic issues 
throughout the year. The Board has a 
clearly articulated set of matters which are 
specifically reserved to it for consideration. 
These include reviewing the annual budgets; 

38  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

raising indebtedness; granting security over 
Group assets; approving Group strategy and 
the corporate plan; approving the annual 
and interim report and accounts; approving 
significant investment, bid, acquisition 
and divestment transactions; approving 
Human Resources policies (including 
pension arrangements); reviewing material 
litigation; and monitoring the overall 
system of internal controls, including risk 
management. 

Operation of the Board
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 that affect the Group. It 
also considers reports from the Chairs of 
the Committees of the Board at the first 
scheduled meeting after the date each 
Committee meeting was held.

The CEO’s monthly report addresses the 
key strategic initiatives which have had an 
impact on the Group since the previous 
Board meeting, with particular focus on 
the progress of each of the Divisions. Other 
key areas of focus include health, safety 
and environmental matters; employee 
and organisational issues; corporate 
responsibility; the status of key account 
management/customer relationship 
initiatives; the pipeline of potential bids, 
acquisitions, disposals and investments; 
and the post-acquisition performance of 
recently acquired businesses. 

The Board also receives updates from key 
functional areas on an ‘as needed’ basis, on 
issues such as human resources, treasury, 
corporate responsibility, real estate, 
security, trade controls and pensions. Key 
issues considered by the Board in the past 
year include succession planning, which 
culminated in some changes to Board 
membership, strategy (in particular the 
effective operation of the UK Services, US 
Services and Global Products businesses) 
and the Company’s ongoing improvement 
to business processes in response to the key 
findings of the Haddon-Cave report. 

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

remuneration Committee 

Noreen Doyle

The Remuneration Committee is chaired 
by Noreen Doyle. The Committee sets 
remuneration and incentives for Executive 
Directors and approves and monitors 
remuneration and incentives for senior 
executives of the Group. The other 
Committee members are Colin Balmer, 
Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, Mark 
Elliott, Michael Harper and Paul Murray. 
The Committee meets as necessary, 
although normally at least three times 
a year. During the financial year ended 
31 March 2012, it met on six occasions. 
Although not members of the Committee, 
the CEO, the HR Director and the Group 
Head of Reward normally attend meetings 
to provide information and advice. 

During the year, the Committee received 
advice from its appointed independent 
advisors, Towers Watson, who also 
provided market data and advice to 
help the Committee determine whether 
performance targets had been met. 
Towers Watson also provided other 
consulting services during the year to 
QinetiQ, but did not provide advice on 
executive remuneration matters other 
than to the Committee. 

The Committee has reviewed the 
remuneration and rewards of the 
Company’s Executive Directors and senior 
management and has processes in place 
to ensure that:

•  The level of reward given to the 
Executive Directors and senior 
management is stretching and designed 
to promote the long-term success of the 
Company; 

•  Remuneration incentives remain 

consistent with the Company’s risk 
management policies and systems.

No Executive Director or employee of 
QinetiQ is permitted to be present or 
participate in the Committee’s discussions 
about their own remuneration.

Further information on the activities of 
the Remuneration Committee during the 
last financial year is set out in the Report 
of the Remuneration Committee on pages 
44 to 52.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  39

Conflicts of interest
The Company requires Directors to disclose 
proposed outside business interests before 
they are entered into. This enables prior 
assessment of any conflict, or potential 
conflict, of interest and any impact on 
time commitment. An annual review of all 
external interests is carried out by the Board.

Directors’ responsibilities
Statements explaining the Directors’ 
responsibilities for preparing the Group’s 
annual report and financial statements and 
the auditor’s responsibilities for reporting on 
those statements are on pages 56 and 57.

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 on pages 48 and 49. Copies of 
Directors’ service contracts and letters of 
appointment will be available for inspection 
at the Company’s AGM.

Other management committees
Responsibility for the day-to-day management 
of the Group’s activities, with the exception of 
QinetiQ’s North American operations (which 
are managed through the Proxy Board, as 
described in the section on page 43 headed 
‘Management and control of US subsidiaries’), 
is conducted through the QinetiQ Executive 
Team (QET). The QET comprises the Group 
CEO, Group CFO, functional directors and 
the managing directors of each of the three 
UK business divisions. The QET meets on a 
monthly basis, and receives weekly updates 
on key operational issues by way of pre-
scheduled conference calls. The activities 
of the QET are supplemented by the QNA 
Board and its Executive Management Team. A 
Global Products Steering Committee has been 
formed to accelerate the development of the 
Global Products business, its products, and its 
exploitation of QinetiQ’s intellectual property. 

Board Committees
The Board has established five principal 
Committees: the Audit Committee, the 
Remuneration Committee, the Nominations 
Committee, the Compliance Committee 
and the Security Committee. Each operates 
within written terms of reference approved 
by the Board, details of which are set out 
in the Investor Relations section of the 
website, www.QinetiQ.com. 

The Chairmen of the Board Committees 
report on the key issues discussed, and 
decisions taken, at the first meeting of the 
Board after the relevant Committee meeting. 
Details of each of these Committees are 
summarised in the following pages. Following 
changes in Directors during the year, the 
composition of the Committee memberships 
was reviewed and updated by the Board at 
its meeting in November 2011. Details of 
each Committee members’ attendance at 
Committee meetings are set out in the table 
on page 38.

COrPOrATE GOvErNANCE rEPOrT CONTINuED

Compliance Committee 

Colin Balmer 

The Compliance Committee is chaired by 
Colin Balmer. The Committee’s primary 
purpose is to monitor adherence to the 
MOD Compliance Regime. In addition, it 
keeps a watching brief over those areas 
of risk, including security, trade controls, 
ethics, corporate social responsibility  
and health, safety and environment  
where the principal impact is not financial.  
All the other members of the Board are 
members of the Committee. Sir David Lees 
was Chairman of the Committee until his 
departure in January 2012. The Committee 
meets as necessary, although normally  
not less than four times a year. During  
the financial year ended 31 March 2012, 
the Compliance Committee met on  
four occasions. 

This past year the Committee has focused 
on ethics, the QNA Proxy Regime, health, 
safety and the environment, trade 
controls, security, and trials involving 
human subjects that fall within the scope 
of the Helsinki Protocol. In addition, the 
Committee is providing oversight for 12 
project areas that have been established 
to address the recommendations of the 
Sir Robert Nelson Report, which was 
completed as a result of the Haddon-
Cave Review. These projects include 
specific activities relating to aerospace 
assurances and safety work, in addition to 
the governance of advice services, general 
projects seeking to simplify QinetiQ’s 
Competency and Assurance Frameworks, 
and the processes of its Business 
Management System. 

40  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

The Committee continues to monitor the 
Compliance Regime, which is designed 
to give MOD customers confidence that 
QinetiQ is able to provide impartial advice 
during any competitive evaluation of a 
procurement where it wishes to operate 
on both the ‘buy’ and the ‘supply’ sides. 

In designing the Compliance Regime, 
the MOD and QinetiQ sought to achieve 
a balance between meeting the needs 
of the procurement customers in the 
MOD (principally Defence Equipment 
and Support) and the need to allow 
QinetiQ the flexibility to exploit research 
into the supply chain and pursue its 
planned commercial activities, without 
compromising the defence or security 
interests of the UK. Oversight of the 
operation of the regime is provided  
by the Compliance Committee.

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

The Board nominates two senior 
executives to act as Compliance 
Implementation Director and Compliance 
Audit Director. It receives a bi-annual 
report on the compliance areas that it 
monitors from the internal audit function. 
The Committee addresses any issues 
that would arise if QinetiQ were to fail 
to comply with the requirements of the 
regime. No breaches were noted during 
the year.

This year, the Committee continued to 
oversee health, safety and environment, 
trade controls, ethics and security, through 
quarterly reports from the heads of those 
functions in the business. A summary 
of the key focus and activities of the 
health, safety and environment and ethics 
functions is set out in the Corporate 
Responsibility and Sustainability Review  
on pages 30 to 33.

In March 2012, the Company obtained 
MOD agreement to changes in the Special 
Shareholder rights and these are subject  
to shareholder approval at the 2012 
Annual General Meeting. These include 
removal of the MOD’s right to veto any 
transaction or activity and the introduction 
of a generic compliance system in 
alignment with that followed by other 
defence companies. The Company will 
continue with rigorous management, 
of potential conflicts of interest while 
ensuring that proportionate governance  
is maintained by the Board.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Audit Committee 

Paul Murray

The Audit Committee is chaired by Paul 
Murray. The Board considers him to have 
recent and relevant financial experience, 
given his former roles as Group Finance 
Director of Carlton Communications plc 
and LASMO plc, and through his current 
role as Audit Committee Chairman at Royal 
Mail Holdings plc. The other members of 
the Committee are Colin Balmer, Admiral 
Sir James Burnell-Nugent, Noreen Doyle 
and Michael Harper, all of whom the 
Board considers to be independent. David 
Langstaff and Sir David Lees were also 
members of the Committee until they 
resigned from the Board. The members 
bring extensive experience of corporate 
management in senior executive positions 
to the Company.

The Audit Committee monitors the Group’s 
integrity in financial reporting and reviews 
the effectiveness of the risk management 
framework. 

The Audit Committee meets as necessary 
and at least four times a year. During the 
financial year ended 31 March 2012, the 
Committee met on five occasions. The 
external auditor has the right to request 
that a meeting of the Audit Committee 
be convened. During the past financial 
year, and in accordance with its terms 
of reference, the Committee met with 
QinetiQ’s external auditor on two separate 
occasions, without Executive Directors 
present, to discuss the audit process. 
The Committee also met with the Group 
Internal Audit Manager on the same basis.

The CEO, CFO, Director of Group 
Finance, Group Internal Audit Manager, 
the QNA Internal Audit Manager and a 
representative of the external auditor 
normally attend Audit Committee meetings.

This year the Committee’s particular focus 
continued to be on QNA risks, issues and 
mitigating actions, and on an externally 
facilitated assessment of the effectiveness 
of governance arrangements. 

Consideration of the audit process for 
the full-year and interim results was an 
important area of focus for the Audit 
Committee. As part of its review of 
internal controls, the Committee focused 

in particular on those matters which had 
failed to achieve at least a ‘satisfactory’ 
internal audit rating in the year, and on the 
management plans to address the issues 
raised by the internal audit function.

The Committee undertook governance 
reviews in respect of the effectiveness of 
the Committee itself and risk governance. 

The recommendations from those 
reviews are being considered and will be 
progressed by the Committee Chairman 
during the current financial year. 

In addition to the detailed reviews of 
the Committee’s effectiveness and 
risk governance, the Committee also 
undertook an externally-facilitated 
review of the effectiveness of the internal 
audit function. Responses to a detailed 
questionnaire from a range of stakeholders 
were analysed by Independent 
Audit Limited who, in reporting to 
the Committee, made a number of 
recommendations. An action plan is now 
being implemented to introduce a number 
of improvements, particularly around 
the interaction with internal audit in the 
Company’s North American operations. 

The Committee also reviewed the activities 
of the tax, insurance and treasury functions, 
as well as overseeing the level of KPMG’s 
audit fees. 

The Committee confirms its view that it 
has received sufficient, reliable and timely 
information from management in the last 
financial year to enable it to fulfil  
its responsibilities.

To safeguard auditor independence and 
objectivity, the Committee ensures that 
any other advisory and/or consulting 
services provided by the external auditor 
do not conflict with its statutory audit 
responsibilities and are conducted 
through entirely separate working teams; 
such advisory and/or consulting services 
generally only cover regulatory reporting, 
tax, and mergers and acquisitions work. 
Any non-audit services conducted by the 
auditor require the consent of the CFO 
or the Chairman of the Audit Committee 
before being initiated; any services 
exceeding £50,000 in value require the 

consent of the Audit Committee as a 
whole. In the last financial year, there have 
not been any non-audit services conducted 
by KPMG that exceeded £50,000 in value. 
The Committee concluded, therefore, that 
there had not been any conflict of interest 
that might compromise the independence 
of KPMG’s audit work.

The cost and nature of non-audit work 
undertaken by the auditor was regularly 
reviewed by the Committee during the last 
financial year. This process enables the 
Committee to take corrective action if it 
believes that there is a risk of the auditor’s 
independence being undermined through 
the award of such 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 CFO. 

KPMG has been the Company’s auditor 
since 2003. The members of the Audit 
Committee have declared themselves 
satisfied with the performance of KPMG as 
the Company’s auditor in the last financial 
year. A rotation of KPMG’s lead audit 
partner was last undertaken during 2008. 
During the year, steps were undertaken 
in conjunction with KPMG for the 
appointment of a replacement lead audit 
partner during the 2013 financial year. It is 
anticipated that the new lead audit partner 
will continue in this role for a maximum 
term of five years.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  41

COrPOrATE GOvErNANCE rEPOrT CONTINuED

Nominations Committee
The Nominations Committee is now chaired 
by Mark Elliott. The other Committee 
members are Colin Balmer, Admiral Sir 
James Burnell-Nugent, Noreen Doyle, 
Michael Harper, Paul Murray and Leo 
Quinn. Sir David Lees and David Langstaff 
were also members of the Committee until 
they resigned. The Committee ensures 
that the composition of the Board and 
Committees has the optimum balance 
of skills, knowledge and experience. It 
considers diversity, including the skills 
mix, international industry experience and 
gender, among many other factors, when 
seeking to appoint a new Director to the 
Board. The Committee meets as necessary 
and when called by its Chair. During the 
financial year ended 31 March 2012,  
the Committee met and consulted 
informally on a number of occasions  
around Board meetings.

The principal focus of the Committee’s 
activities during the financial year ended 
31 March 2012 was to review the size 
and composition of the Board and its 
committees, and to review QinetiQ’s 
succession planning processes at 
Non-executive Director level.

The Committee oversaw the appointment 
of Michael Harper as a new Non-executive 
Director in November 2011. An external 
search consultancy assisted in the  
selection process.

Security Committee
The Security Committee is chaired by Colin 
Balmer. The other Committee members are 
Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, Sir David 
Lees (until his departure), Michael Harper, 
David Mellors, Paul Murray and Leo Quinn. 
The Committee was established in June 
2009 to enable UK nationals on the Board  
to consider matters of a UK national security 
dimension that have an impact on QinetiQ’s 
UK business. There was no requirement for 
the Committee to meet during the year.

42  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

risk management and internal controls
The Board is ultimately responsible for the 
Group’s system of internal control and for 
reviewing its effectiveness in safeguarding 
shareholders’ interests and the Company’s 
assets. The system is designed to manage 
and mitigate, rather than eliminate, the risk 
of failure to achieve business objectives, 
and can provide only reasonable and not 
absolute assurance against material mis-
statement 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 the 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. The Board 
and the Audit Committee regularly review 
significant risks to the business.

An annual process of hierarchical self-
certification, which provides a documented 
and auditable trail of accountability for the 
operation of the system of internal control, 
has been established. This self-certification 
process is informed by a rigorous and 
structured self-assessment that addresses 
compliance with Company policy.  
It 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. 

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, 
the QET and the QNA Executive Team are 
involved in the process.

The Audit Committee reviews, on behalf 
of the Board, the risk management 
process and the system of internal control 
necessary to manage risks, and presents 
its findings to the Board. The internal 
audit function independently reviews the 
risk identification and control processes 
implemented by management and reports 
to the Audit Committee. Where areas for 
improvement in the system of internal 
control are identified, the Board considers 
the recommendations made by the QET, the 
QNA Executive Team, the Audit Committee 
and the Compliance 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 
reviewed the effectiveness of the system 
of internal control that was in operation 
during the financial year ended 31 March 
2012. The Board also routinely challenges 
management to ensure that the systems  
of internal control are constantly improving 
to maintain their effectiveness.

QinetiQ has internal control and risk 
management systems in place in relation 
to the Company’s process for financial 
reporting and for the preparation of 
consolidated accounts. In addition, QinetiQ 
has internal procedures in place that are 
designed to comply with international  
best practice in relation to the prevention  
of corruption. 

Compliance with anti-bribery and 
corruption legislation is further facilitated 
by the engagement of independent, 
internationally recognised organisations, 
such as TRACE, which conducts anti-
corruption due diligence reviews of  
all third-party agents overseas.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Going concern
The Group’s activities, combined with the 
factors that are likely to affect its future 
development and performance, are set 
out in the CEO’s Statement on pages 4 
to 6. The CFO’s Review on pages 17 to 22 
sets out details on the financial position 
of the Group, the cash flows, committed 
borrowing facilities, liquidity and the 
Group’s policies and processes for managing 
its capital and financial risks. Note 26 to the 
financial statements also provides details 
of the Group’s hedging activities, financial 
instruments, and its exposure to liquidity 
and credit risk.

The market conditions in which the Group 
operates have been, and are expected to 
continue to be, challenging as spending 
from the Group’s key customers in its 
primary markets in the UK and US remains 
under pressure. Despite these challenges, 
the Directors believe that the Group is well 
positioned to manage its overall business 
risks successfully. 

After making the appropriate enquiries, 
including a review of the latest two-year 
budget, the Directors have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group has adequate 
resources to continue in operational 
existence for the foreseeable future.

Consequently, the Annual Report and 
Accounts have been prepared on a going 
concern basis.

Communication with shareholders
The Company attaches significant 
importance to the effectiveness of its 
communications with shareholders. 
During the last financial year, the 
Company maintained regular dialogue 
with institutional shareholders and the 
financial community, which included 
presentations of the full-year and interim 
results, including investor ‘road shows’ held 
in the UK and US, and regular meetings with 
major shareholders and industry analysts. 
In addition, each member of the Board 
attended the Company’s AGM in August 
2011 and was available to take questions. 
The Chairman, the Senior Independent 
Director and Non-executive Directors make 
themselves available to meet shareholders 
as required. All shareholders and potential 
shareholders can gain access to the Annual 
Report, presentations to investors and 
other significant information about  
QinetiQ on the Company’s website,  
www.QinetiQ.com.

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 Chairs of the Audit, Remuneration, 
Nominations, Compliance and Security 
Committees are available at that meeting  
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 Group’s website. 

Responsibility for maintaining regular 
communications with shareholders rests 
with the Executive Team, led by the CEO, 
assisted by an investor relations function. 
The Board is informed on a regular basis 
of key shareholder issues, including share 
price performance, the composition of the 
shareholder register and City expectations.

During the coming year, the Company will 
be looking to continue to improve the 
quality of its engagement with shareholders 
and to explore with investors any additional 
practical means by which it can give effect 
to the requirements of the Financial 
Reporting Council’s UK Stewardship  
Code for institutional investors, and  
of the UK Code.

Details of the Company’s share capital, 
which are required to be disclosed in 
accordance with rule 7.2.6 of the FSA’s 
Disclosure and Transparency Rules, and the 
Directors’ powers in relation to issuing and 
buying back shares can be found on pages 
53 to 55 in the Other Statutory Information 
section of this Annual Report.

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, 
Inc. (QNA), 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 agreement, QinetiQ has 
appointed four US citizens (Peter Marino, 
Riley Mixson, John Currier and Vince 
Vitto), who hold the requisite US security 
clearances, as proxy holders to exercise 
the voting rights of QNA’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 the power under 
the proxy arrangements to exercise all 
prerogatives of share ownership of QNA. 
The proxy holders have a fiduciary duty, 
and agree, to perform their role in the best 
interests of shareholders, and in a manner 
consistent with the national security 
interests of the US.

QinetiQ Group plc 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 Group plc 
may not remove the proxy holders other 
than for acts of gross negligence or wilful 
misconduct or for breach of the proxy 
agreement (with the consent of the US 
Defense Security Service).

In terms of the power to govern, the proxy 
agreement vests certain powers solely with 
the proxy holders and certain powers solely 
with QinetiQ. For example, QinetiQ can,  
at its sole discretion, direct the proxy 
holders to:

•  Sell or dispose of, in any manner, capital 

assets or the business of QNA;

•  Pledge, mortgage or encumber assets of 
QNA for purposes other than obtaining 
working capital or funds for capital 
improvements;

•  Merge, consolidate, reorganise or 

dissolve QNA; 

•  File or make any petition under the 
federal bankruptcy laws or similar  
law or statute of any state or any  
foreign country.

The proxy holders cannot carry out any 
of the above without QinetiQ’s express 
approval. Unlike minority interest holders 
with protective veto rights, QinetiQ can 
unilaterally require the above to be carried 
out and these are, therefore, considered  
to be to significant participative features.  
In addition, QinetiQ can require the 
payment of dividends, and the pay-down  
of parent company loans, from QNA.

The parties are presently in the process 
of revising and modernising the proxy 
agreement in order that it continues to  
best reflect the relevant shareholder  
and security interests of the parties.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  43

 COrPOrATE GOvErNANCE 

remuneration report 

“ The key purpose of the Committee is to ensure that the remuneration 
structure supports the Company’s strategy and that we are able to attract, 
retain and motivate the highest calibre executives by rewarding the 
creation of long-term sustainable value.”
Noreen Doyle, Chair, Remuneration Committee

Introduction
I am pleased to present the  
Remuneration Committee’s report on 
Directors’ remuneration for the year  
to 31 March 2012.

The primary objectives of our remuneration 
policy remain unchanged:

•  To attract and retain top talent;
•  To incentivise key executives and 

managers;

•  To drive superior performance in both  

the short and long term; and 
•  To align with the interests of 

shareholders.

Over the past two years the Company 
has created and implemented a self-help 
programme to support its transformation, 
and the effectiveness of that programme 
is reflected in this year’s business results. 
As the Company progresses to the next 
stage in its business development, the 
Remuneration Committee proposes to 
ensure that the compensation structures 
and packages for the Executive Directors 
are appropriate to meet future business 
challenges. The Value Sharing Plan (VSP) 
was designed for the Company’s self-help 
phase and was considered to be a time 
bound Long-term Incentive Plan (LTIP).  
The next phase for the Company aims  
at resumption of growth, both in the UK  
and the US, despite defence markets 
forecast to be flat or falling, and therefore  
a revised LTIP has been designed to align 
with this phase. 

Accordingly, with input from its advisors, 
Towers Watson, the Remuneration 
Committee undertook a market review 
and developed a revised compensation 
package which was reviewed and discussed 

44  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

with major shareholders. Shareholders 
expressed two key concerns: the need 
for simplification of, and increased 
transparency around, how compensation 
is calculated. After receiving investor 
feedback and reflecting on the package, the 
Remuneration Committee concluded the 
following approach to Executive Directors’ 
remuneration effective for the financial  
year 2013 and for the future: 

Base salary
•  The Board has determined that base 

salaries will increase for the CFO by 2.7% 
and the CEO by 3%, effective 1 July 2012, 
taking into account the general direction 
of Company remuneration.

Annual bonus
•  When determining the level of bonus 
opportunity available to Executive 
Directors, the Committee has set 
stretching business and personal 
objectives to ensure that the rewards are 
only achieved for strong performance 
relative to market conditions.

•  The maximum bonus opportunity for 

excellent performance is increased from 
125% to 150% of base salary for the CEO 
and CFO to align them competitively with 
their peer group and to compensate in 
part for the reduced LTIP opportunity 
arising with the move from the VSP to  
the new PSP;

•  On-target bonus is set at 50% of the 

maximum bonus, again to bring closer 
alignment with the peer group. This 
results in an on-target bonus opportunity 
of 75% of base salary. 
Long-term Incentive Plans
•  The Value Sharing Plan (under which 
awards were made in 2010/11 and 

2011/12) is replaced by a revised 
Performance Share Plan (PSP), subject 
to shareholder approval at the 2012 
Annual General Meeting, building on 
the structure still in use for the broader 
management group. This caps the 
maximum potential award at 200%  
of base salary, although the intention  
is to normally set the awards at 150%  
of base salary;

•  The PSP performance measures will be 
EPS and TSR, equally weighted, which 
have been endorsed by shareholders:
•  EPS – the threshold level of growth is 
set at 3% CAGR (measured over three 
years) when 25% of the award would 
vest, with 100% vesting occurring 
once 10% CAGR (measured over three 
years) is achieved. This represents a 
challenging growth target given the 
context of the flat to falling defence 
markets in which the Group operates;
•  TSR – relative TSR measured against 

the FTSE250 index (minus investment 
trusts). The threshold is set at median 
performance when 30% of the shares 
would vest, with 100% vesting upon 
achieving upper quartile performance. 

•  The maximum allocation for matching 

shares under the Deferred Annual Bonus 
Plan (DAB) remains unchanged at 50%  
of any bonus paid. The mandatory bonus 
deferment will be increased, however, 
to 50% to enhance alignment with 
shareholder interests. There will be  
no element of voluntary deferral; 
•  The DAB and PSP will be managed 

separately;

•  The EPS performance measure in the DAB 

will be the same as for the PSP.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Details of the proposed changes to the  
long-term incentive plans are contained  
in the Notice of Annual General Meeting. 

Assuming that the annual bonus pays out 
at target and 50% vesting for LTIPs, 60% 
of Executive Directors’ compensation 
(excluding pension contributions) is linked 
to performance-driven variable pay, based 
on the proposed changes outlined above.

To help promote transparency, we have set 
out clearly the elements that make up the 
Executive Directors’ pay in this report as 
well as explaining the approach taken  
to benchmarking Executive remuneration. 

Noreen Doyle 
Chair, remuneration Committee 
24 May 2012

report of the remuneration Committee
The following Report of the Remuneration 
Committee has been approved by the Board 
for submission to shareholders.

The Report covers the remuneration of 
Directors and includes specific disclosures 
relating to their compensation, shares and 
other interests. The report also describes 
the share-based incentive plans available to 
Executive Directors and to other employees. 
This report has been prepared and, where 
appropriate, audited, in accordance with 
the requirements of the Large and Medium-
sized Companies and Groups (Accounts  
and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the  
FSA Listing Rules.

Membership
The following Non-executive Directors were 
members of the Remuneration Committee 
during 2011/12:

•  Noreen Doyle (Chair, Remuneration 

Committee)

•  Mark Elliott (Group Chairman) 
•  Colin Balmer
•  Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent
•  Paul Murray
•  Michael Harper (from 22 November 2011)

All Non-executive Directors became 
members of the Committee in September 
2011, except for Sir David Lees.

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

Governance 
The Committee is chaired by Noreen Doyle 
and all its members are Non-executive 
Directors. In the financial year 2011/12,  
the Committee met six times.

During the year, the Committee received 
advice from its appointed independent 
advisors, Towers Watson, who also provided 
market data and advised on the comparator 
group’s TSR so that the Committee could 
decide whether share plan performance 
targets had been met.

The Group Chief Executive, Group HR 
Director and Head of Reward also provided 
information and advice to the Committee. 

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

•  Attracts, retains and motivates individuals 

of high calibre;

•  Is responsive to both Company and 

personal performance; 

•  Is competitive within relevant 

employment markets. 

The remuneration policy is built on the 
following philosophy:

•  Remuneration packages are structured  

to support business strategy and conform 
to current best practice;

•  Appropriate rewards are given for 

meeting specific target objectives set  
at the beginning of each year;

•  Incremental compensation is achieved for 
attaining stretching performance targets; 

•  Objectives are measured on metrics 

designed to be consistent with 
sustainable long-term business 
performance; 

•  To monitor pay and employment 

conditions elsewhere in the Group.

The total remuneration levels of the 
Executive Directors are reviewed annually 
by the Committee, taking into account:

•  Performance of the Executive against 

specific targets;

•  Competitive market practice and 

remuneration levels; and

•  The general economic environment.

Activities
During 2011/12 the Committee meetings covered a number of topics including:

April

May

August 

November
January

March 

•  Executive Directors’ 2011/12 bonuses
•  2011/12 performance targets
•  Executive Directors’ salary reviews
•  Directors’ Remuneration Report
•  Executive team salary reviews and 2011/12 bonuses
•  Long-term incentive plan awards under the Value Sharing Plan and Performance Share Plan
•  Review of performance metric for share options made in 2008
•  Review of performance metric for Restricted Stock Unit Plan vesting (applies only to US executives)
•  Awards under Restricted Stock Unit plan
•  Review of performance metrics for share awards made in 2008 (PSP)
•  Executive team shareholdings 
•  Executive incentive structure
•  Remuneration Committee programme for the year
•  Executive team salary reviews
•  Group incentive scheme targets
•  Deferred Annual Bonus Plan participation
•  Executive Directors’ salary reviews

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  45

remuneration report Continued

Each year, the packages are benchmarked 
independently by our advisors, Towers 
Watson, using two comparator groups: one 
group is based on market capitalisation 
and revenue and the second group is 

sector specific. The first group is used as 
the primary reference with cross checking 
against the second group to capture 
any industry-specific features; there are 
about 20 companies in each group. The 

lower quartile, mid-market and upper 
quartile reference points are captured 
and the packages of the CEO and CFO are 
benchmarked against them to ensure they 
remain competitive. 

remuneration package
The Executive Directors’ remuneration package is made up of the following components: 

Base Salary

Annual Bonus
& Deferred
Bonus Plan

Long-Term
Incen(cid:11)ves:
Share Awards

Benefits:
Pension, Car
Allowance

Remunera(cid:11)on 
Package

Base salary

Annual salary
Leo Quinn
David Mellors

Annual bonus

% of salary
Leo Quinn
David Mellors

Performance driven

2012/13
£597,400
£380,000

2011/12
£580,000
£370,000

On-target  
payment
50%
50%

Maximum  
payment
125%
125%

2011/12  
Actual bonus 
earned
125%
125%

Based on the market review, salary 
increases of £10,000 pa (2.7%) were 
approved for the CFO and £17,400 (3%) for 
the CEO respectively, effective 1 July 2012, 
to maintain their competitiveness. 

Executive Directors participate in an annual 
bonus plan which is non-pensionable. 
Bonuses are linked to Group performance 
targets for operating profit; operating cash 
flow; and underlying EPS. The resulting 
annual cash bonus also takes into account 
performance against personal objectives. 
The 2011/12 bonus potential and actual 

awards are set out above, expressed as  
a percentage of salary.

In 2011/12 the stretching financial targets 
were exceeded along with strong cash 
flows and continuing cost reductions. This 
performance drove the bonus achievement 
set out above and also in the Directors’ 
Remuneration table later in this report. 

For 2012/13, the on-target and maximum 
bonus opportunities were increased  
to 75% and 150% of base salary, 
respectively, to bring alignment with the 
competitive market. 

46  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Part of all annual cash bonuses earned are 
deferred and paid in shares, as described  
in the following section.

Deferred Annual Bonus Plan (DAB) 
The Deferred Annual Bonus Plan 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 in cash.

Executive Directors have a mandatory 
deferral of 40% of any bonus earned and 
may voluntarily defer an additional 10%, 
giving a maximum deferral of up to 50% 
of their bonus into QinetiQ shares. Any 
deferred bonus will be matched based 
on EPS performance, up to a maximum 
match of 100% of the deferred element. 
After the review of Executive salary and 
incentive plans, for 2012/13, the mandatory 
deferral will be increased to 50% of any 
bonus earned, with no voluntary deferral, 
to complement the increased annual bonus 
target opportunities, outlined above.

In order for the matching shares to vest, EPS 
growth, measured over three years, must 
exceed defined targets: for awards made 
in the financial year 2011/12, EPS must 
grow by at least 22.5% over three years 
for any matching shares to vest, at which 

point deferred shares will be matched with 
one share for every four deferred. Vesting 
increases pro rata to EPS growth up to a 
maximum match of one share for every one 
deferred if EPS growth of 52% is achieved 
over three years, as illustrated. 

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

Three-year EPS absolute growth
Award ves(cid:31)ng

100%

25%

22.5%

52%
EPS performance

Long-term incentives for Executive Directors
The objective of QinetiQ’s long-term 
incentive programmes for Executive 
Directors is to align their rewards with 
returns to shareholders by a focus on 
increasing shareholder value over the 
medium to long term.

In addition to the DAB, Executive Directors 
are eligible for long-term incentives which 
have taken two forms: The Value Sharing 
Plan (VSP) and the Performance Share Plan 
(PSP). An Executive Director who is granted 
an award under the VSP may not also be 
granted an award under the PSP for the 
same granting year and vice versa. 

Example:
Total Shareholder return
QinetiQ’s average market capitalisation 
over the three months to 31 March 2011 
was £851m. Assume that QinetiQ’s TSR 
over the period is 30%, the TSR for the 
FTSE250 index is 20% and the Executive 
receives 1,000 shares per £1m ASV.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Under the 2011/12 VSP award, additional 
shareholder value created is measured  
in two ways: 

•  Total Shareholder return (TSr) – 50% 
of the award will depend on QinetiQ’s 
TSR out-performance of the FTSE250 
index (excluding investment trusts). 
Participants will be entitled to a vesting 
of shares under the TSR element only if 
the Committee is also satisfied that this 
is justified by the underlying financial 
performance of the Company over the 
performance period.

•  Profit Before Tax (PBT) – the remaining 

50% of each award will be determined by 
PBT growth above the cost of equity of 
8.5% a year, adjusted by the dividend yield. 

Examples are shown below.

These are the principal means for long-term 
incentivisation of the Executive Directors 
and the direct reports of the CEO. The 
Committee considered various performance 
conditions and determined that the 
criteria set out below were appropriate 
to incentivise the long-term creation of 
shareholder value for 2011/12. 

value Sharing Plan (vSP)
The Value Sharing Plan was approved by 
shareholders in July 2010. It is an annual, 
long-term incentive plan designed for 
the Company’s self-help phase, focusing 
on shareholder value creation, and was 
considered to be time bound.

Leo Quinn, David Mellors and a limited 
number of senior executives participate in 
the VSP, which rewards executives with a 
certain number of shares for every £1m of 
value created over and above three-year 
performance hurdles.

On 26 May 2011, Leo Quinn was granted 
an award under which he will be entitled 
to receive 1,800 QinetiQ Group shares for 
each £1m of additional shareholder value 
(ASV) created (above a hurdle) in respect 
of the performance period beginning on 
1 April 2011. On the same date, David 
Mellors was granted an award under which 
he will be entitled to receive 900 QinetiQ 
Group shares for each £1m of additional 
shareholder value created in respect of  
the same performance period. For 2011/12, 
the VSP awards were weighted equally 
between the two performance indicators: 
50% total shareholder return (TSR) and 50% 
profit before tax (PBT). 

Additional shareholder value based on  
TSR is therefore: 

QinetiQ TSR out-performance of 10% (= 
30% – 20%) multiplied by QinetiQ market 
capitalisation of £851m equals additional 
shareholder value based on TSR of £85.1m 
(=10% x £851m).

In this example, the Executive would 
receive therefore 42,550 shares  
based on TSR (= £85.1m x 1,000 shares  
per £1m x 50% of award based on TSR).

Example:
Profit Before Tax
QinetiQ’s average market capitalisation 
over the three months to 31 March 2011 
was £851m. Group adjusted PBT for the 
financial year ended 31 March 2011 was 
£105.5m. Market capitalisation as a (fixed) 
multiple of PBT for 2011 VSP awards is, 
therefore, 8.1 (= £851m/£105.5m). Assume 
Group adjusted PBT for the financial year 
ending 31 March 2014 is £140m, and 
dividends to shareholders over the three-
year period amount to £70m.

Additional shareholder value based on  
PBT is therefore: 

PBT in 2014 of £140m multiplied by the fixed 
multiple of 8.1 equals a value of £1,134m 
(= £140m x 8.1) plus £70m (paid dividends) 
equals £1,204m (= £1,134m +£70m) less 
hurdle rate of £1,087m (= £851m x (1+8.5%)3) 
equals additional shareholder value for  
PBT element of award of £117m  
(=£1,204m – £1,087m).

In this example, the Executive would 
receive therefore 58,500 shares  
based on PBT (= £117m x 1,000 shares  
per £1m x 50% of award based on PBT).

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  47

remuneration report Continued

Performance Share Plan (2007) (PSP)
There were no awards of performance 
shares under the PSP to Executive Directors 
in 2011/12, although awards remain 
outstanding from prior years. 

PSP awards are contingent on meeting pre-
determined performance criteria. Individual 
participants’ award levels are determined 
by the Committee annually, based on these 
criteria, and with due consideration of 
business and personal performance.

Executive Directors are eligible to receive 
awards with a value of up to 100% of base 
salary per annum and other executives up 
to 75% of base salary per annum. Awards 
are earned based on an equal weighting 
of relative total shareholder return (TSR) 
performance and absolute underlying 
earnings per share (EPS) growth.

The EPS performance criterion for the PSP 
awards that were made in 2009/10 and 
earlier years was the same as that applied  
to the DAB (outlined above). 

TSR performance for the purposes of PSP 
awards made in 2009/10 and earlier years  
is measured against the constituents of  
a sectoral peer group of companies. 

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 condition.

Performance vs comparators
Award ves(cid:15)ng

100%

30%

Median

Upper quar(cid:15)le
TSR performance

48  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Personal shareholding policy
The Committee believes that a meaningful 
way to align Executives’ interests with those 
of shareholders is for the Executives to build 
up and retain a personal holding in QinetiQ 
shares. During 2011/12, the Committee 
reviewed the executive shareholding policy 
and increased the length of time allowed to 
accumulate the required shareholding from 
four to five years to follow market norms. 

The CEO and CFO are required to hold shares 
in QinetiQ with a value equivalent to one 
times their base salary in QinetiQ shares.

David Mellors, who joined on 20 August 
2008, has been given five years to build up 
such a shareholding. Leo Quinn has already 
met the Committee’s guideline on minimum 
shareholding requirement.

Direct reports of the CEO are required to  
hold the equivalent of 50% of their base 
salary in QinetiQ shares. These can be 

accumulated over a five-year period 
following appointment.

Benefits 
Benefits include a pension or contribution 
in lieu, car allowance, health insurance, life 
assurance and membership of the Group’s 
employee Share Incentive Plan, which is 
open to all UK employees.

The Group’s policy is to offer all UK 
employees membership in the QinetiQ 
Pension Scheme, as described in note 30  
to the financial statements. 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 supplement in  
lieu of pension contributions. 

In 2011/12, Leo Quinn received 
contributions of 25% of base salary 
(£145,000) in lieu of a pension. David 
Mellors is a member of the Company’s 

Directors’ terms and conditions
Service agreements for the Executive and the Non-executive Directors are reviewed 
annually and amended as appropriate. 

Executive Directors
Leo Quinn
David Mellors
Non-executive Directors
Mark Elliott (Group Chairman)
Colin Balmer
Noreen Doyle
Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent 
Paul Murray 
Michael Harper1 
Former Directors 
Admiral Ed Giambastiani2
David Langstaff3
Sir David Lees4

Date of most recent  
Service Agreement

Date of appointment

28 October 2009
20 May 2008

November 2009
August 2008

10 February 2010
20 January 2006
20 January 2006
10 April 2010
25 October 2010
22 November 2011

June 2009
February 2003
October 2005 
April 2010
October 2010
November 2011

31 January 2008
4 August 2009
20 January 2006

February 2008
September 2009
August 2005

1  Michael Harper was appointed to the Board on 22 November 2011.
2  Admiral Ed Giambastiani resigned from the Board on 2 August 2011. 
3  David Langstaff resigned from the Board on 18 April 2011.
4  Sir David Lees resigned from the Board on 31 January 2012.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

DC pension scheme and the Company 
contributes 20% of base salary with any 
contributions above the annual allowance 
of £50,000 paid as cash in lieu of pension.

Directors’ terms and conditions
QinetiQ’s policy is that Executive Directors 
should have service agreements with  
a rolling term providing for a maximum  
of one year’s notice. Consequently, 
Executive Directors do not have 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 consider mitigation to reduce 
the compensation payable to a departing 
Executive Director. 

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

Non-executive Directors’ fees
The Group Chairman reviews the fees of 
the Non-executive Directors, other than 
his own, and makes recommendations to 
the Board. Non-executive Directors receive 
additional fees as agreed by the Board for 
chairing Board committees to take account 
of the additional responsibilities of the role. 
The Chairman’s fees are reviewed by the 
Senior Independent Non-executive Director 
who makes recommendations to the Board.

The level of fees paid by UK organisations 
of a similar size and complexity to QinetiQ 
is considered in setting the remuneration 
policy for Non-executive Directors. The 
fees are neither performance related nor 
pensionable. Non-executive Directors are 
not eligible to participate in bonus, profit 
sharing or employee share schemes. 

A review of Non-executive Directors’ fees 
was carried out in July 2010, using an 
independent market survey, which resulted 
in no changes being made to the existing fee 
structures as shown in the table below. 

As the Group Chairman is a US resident, 
the Board has agreed an accommodation 
allowance of £75,000 per annum.

Excluding the Group Chairman, an 
additional fee of US$4,000 is payable to 
US-resident Non-executive Directors when 
they attend Board Meetings in the UK. 
With effect from 29 July 2010, to align UK 
Non-executive Directors with US-resident 
Non-executive Directors, UK-resident Non-
executive Directors are paid an additional 
fee of £2,500 for attending meetings held  
in the USA.

Management of share-based rewards
The Committee also oversees arrangements 
for share-based rewards in respect of 
managers and the wider workforce. 

Employee plans
The Share Incentive Plan is operated in 
the UK and Australia in the form of a share 
purchase award with a matching Company 
contribution to encourage employee 
ownership and engagement in the business.

Non-executive Directors’ fees

Non-executive Chairman
Basic fee for UK Non-executive Director
Basic fee for US-resident Non-executive Director

Additional fee for chairing a Committee
Additional fee to Deputy Chairman/Senior Independent 
Non-executive Director

Stock Award Plan – restricted Stock units

2012 fees
£225,000
£40,000
US$100,000
 or £50,000
£7,000

£10,000

% Organic operating income growth achieved

% RSU Award Vesting

Executive plans
In addition to the VSP and PSP,  
the Company operates the following 
executive share plans:

•  QinetiQ Share Option Scheme (QSOS) 
– no awards were made during the year 
under QSOS but provision exists for 
annual awards up to a face value of 300% 
of salary;

•  Stock Award Plan – restricted Stock 
units (rSu) – RSU awards are used in 
QinetiQ North America to retain and 
motivate senior managers. The RSU 
awards vest in four equal tranches over 
a four-year period. Vesting of half of the 
award is subject to time-based vesting 
criteria and vesting of the other half  
is subject to performance criteria  
linked to organic profit growth, as  
in the table below.

Awards are granted based on business 
performance, balanced with the need  
to attract, retain and motivate high- 
calibre employees. 

Executive Directors do not participate in  
the two executive plans above.

Dilution limits 
In accordance with ABI guidelines, no 
more than 10% of the Company’s issued 
share capital will be used under all of the 
Company’s share schemes during a ten-year 
period. The dilution as at 31 March 2012 
was significantly below this 10% level, and 
below 5% in respect of executive schemes. 
In addition, the Board intends to continue 
to satisfy a proportion of awards with 
purchased shares held in an employee 
benefit trust. 

Performance graph
The graph below shows the Company’s TSR 
over the period from flotation to 31 March 
2012 compared to the FTSE250 index over 
the same period based on spot values. 

i

l

g
n
d
o
h
0
0
1
£
f
o
e
u
a
V

l

150

100

50

0

<5%

5% – 12.5%
>12.5% – 15%

0%

Mar-07

Mar-08

Mar-09

Mar-10

Mar-11

Mar-12

Between 25% – 100% (linear)
100% – 125% (linear)

FTSE Mid 250

QinetiQ

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  49

 
 
 
remuneration report Continued

Audited information
Directors’ remuneration 
The information about Directors’ remuneration and Directors’ interests on pages 50 to 52 has been audited. 

The table below shows the aggregate remuneration of the Directors for the year ended 31 March 2012.

Executive Directors
Leo Quinn
David Mellorsd
Non-executive Directors
Mark Elliott (Group Chairman)
Colin Balmer
Noreen Doyle
Paul Murray 
Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent
Michael Harpere
Former Directors
Graham Lovef
Nick Luffg
Sir David Leesh
Admiral Ed Giambastianii
David Langstaffj
Total

Salary/feesa

Bonusb

Other
benefitsc

Payment in lieu  
of pension

Total  
2012

Total  
2011

£580,000
£352,500

£725,000
£462,500

£225,000
£46,167
£52,000
£52,000
£45,000
£18,577

–
–
£55,834
£21,292
£2,115
£1,450,485

–
–
–
–
–
–

 – 
–
–
–
–
£1,187,500

£45,284
£20,567

£75,000
–
–
–
–
–

 – 
–
–
–
–
£140,851

£145,000
£31,077 

£1,495,284
£866,644

£1,327,156
£617,800

 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–

£300,000
£46,167
£52,000
£52,000
£45,000
£18,577

 – 
 – 
–
–
–
£176,077

–
–
£55,834
£21,292
£2,115
£2,954,913

£300,000
£45,000
£52,000
£17,436
£41,931
–

£100,000
£35,250
£64,000
£79,652
£65,538
£2,745,763

a  Before adjustments to basic pay for salary sacrifice pensions.
b  The figure shown for bonus is paid in both cash and shares under the DAB.
c  Includes car allowance and health insurance benefits for executives and accommodation allowance for Group Chairman. 
d Salary for David Mellors reflects increase from £300,000 to £370,000 effective 1 July 2011. 
e  Michael Harper was appointed to the Board on 22 November 2011.
f  Graham Love agreed to provide services to the Company on a consultancy basis to ensure a smooth transition on the DTR project,  
for which he received a final payment of £100,000 in May 2010.
g  Nick Luff resigned from the Board on 31 December 2010.
h Sir David Lees resigned from the Board on 31 January 2012.
i  Admiral Ed Giambastiani resigned from the Board on 2 August 2011.
j  David Langstaff resigned from the Board on 18 April 2011.

Pensions
Contributions to the Defined Contribution section of the QinetiQ Pension Scheme were as follows:

Executive Directors
David Mellors

2012*

2011

£50,000

£60,000

*  Contributions to the scheme paid by the Company were £39,418.50 with additional contributions arising through salary sacrifice. 

Leo Quinn received contributions of 25% of base salary in lieu of a pension.

50  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Interests of Executive Directors under long-term incentive share plans as at 31 March 2012

Grant date

Leo Quinn
Matching award 
16/12/09
TSR3
Matching award EPS3 16/12/09
16/12/09
PSP Mirror TSR3
16/12/09
PSP Mirror EPS3
29/07/10
VSP TSR
29/07/10
VSP TSR
29/07/10
VSP PBT 
29/07/10
VSP PBT
26/05/11
VSP TSR
26/05/11
VSP TSR
26/05/11
VSP PBT
26/05/11
VSP PBT
DAB Match
01/07/11
David Mellors
PSP TSR 
PSP EPS
PSP TSR
PSP EPS
DAB Match
VSP TSR 
VSP TSR
VSP PBT
VSP PBT
VSP TSR
VSP TSR
VSP PBT
VSP PBT
DAB Match
 Total

07/08/08
07/08/08
04/08/09
04/08/09
01/07/09
29/07/10
29/07/10
29/07/10
29/07/10
26/05/11
26/05/11
26/05/11
26/05/11
01/07/11

Number at  
1 April  
2011 
(maximum 
potential  
of awards)

Granted 
in year 
(maximum 
potential of 
awards)

362,844
362,845
210,450
210,450
271,800 
 271,800 
 634,200 
 634,200 
–
–
–
–
–

75,567
75,567
100,000
100,000
6,859
 135,900 
 135,900 
317,100 
317,100 
–
–
–
–
–
4,222,582

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–
382,950
382,950
382,950
382,950
226,777

 – 
–
 – 
 – 
 –
–
–
–
–
191,475
191,475
191,475
191,475
70,379
2,594,856

Exercised/
vested  
in year

Lapsed  
in year

Number at 
31 March 
2012

Market price 
on date  
of grant

Earliest  
vest date

Latest  
vest date

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–
–
–

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–

362,844
362,845
210,450
210,450
271,800
271,800
634,200
634,200
382,950
382,950
382,950
382,950
226,777

75,567
75,567
–
–

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–
–
151,134

–
–
100,000
100,000
6,859
135,900
135,900
317,100
317,100
191,475
191,475
191,475
191,475
70,379
6,666,304

165p1
165p1
165p1
165p1
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–
–

217.8p2
217.8p2
135.0p
135.0p
144.7p
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–
–

01/06/13
01/06/13
01/06/13
01/06/13
29/07/13
29/07/14
29/07/13
29/07/14
26/05/14
26/05/15
26/05/14
26/05/15
01/07/14

07/08/11
07/08/11
04/08/12
04/08/12
01/07/12
29/07/13
29/07/14
29/07/13
29/07/14
26/05/14
26/05/15
26/05/14
26/05/15
01/07/14

01/06/13
01/06/13
01/06/13
01/06/13
29/07/13
29/07/14
29/07/13
29/07/14
26/05/14
26/05/15
26/05/14
26/05/15
01/07/14

07/08/11
07/08/11
04/08/12
04/08/12
01/07/12
29/07/13
29/07/14
29/07/13
29/07/14
26/05/14
26/05/15
26/05/14
26/05/15
01/07/14

1  Shares awarded to the CEO in 2009 were based on an average market price of 138p representing the average price over the ten days before joining.

2  Shares awarded to the CFO in 2008 were based on a market price of 198.5p, as at 7 August 2008.
3  On appointment the CEO was granted a mirror PSP award, subject to the same EPS and TSR performance conditions as above. In addition, the CEO invested  
c. £1m in QinetiQ shares, for which he received an additional matching PSP award, subject to the same EPS and TSR performance conditions.

The interests in the table above are subject to the performance conditions described in note 29. The price of a QinetiQ share  
at 31 March 2012 was 159.3p. The highest and lowest prices of a QinetiQ share during the year ended 31 March 2012 were 159.8p  
and 96.75p respectively.

There have been no changes to the interests shown above between 31 March 2012 and 22 May 2012.

Executive Directors’ interest in the All-Employee Share Incentive Plan (SIP)

Leo Quinn
David Mellors

Partnership 
and dividend 
shares 
acquired 
during year
1,252
1,282

Interest as at 
1 April  
2011
1,146
2,313

Interest as at  
31 March 
2012
2,398
3,595

Interest as at  
22 May 2012
2,567
3,764

The SIP is HMRC approved and under the plan rules, matching shares are not awarded until the three year time condition has been satisfied. 
These shares are not, therefore, included in the above table. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  51

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
remuneration report Continued

Interests of Directors in office as at 31 March 2012 (including shares held under SIP and DAB) 

Executive Directors
Leo Quinn
David Mellors
Non-executive Directors
Mark Elliott 
Colin Balmer
Noreen Doyle
Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent 
Paul Murray 
Michael Harper1
Former Directors
David Langstaff2
Sir David Lees3
Admiral Ed Giambastiani4

1  Michael Harper was appointed to the Board on 22 November 2011. 
2  David Langstaff resigned from the Board on 18 April 2011.
3  Sir David Lees resigned from the Board on 31 January 2012.
4  Admiral Ed Giambastiani resigned from the Board on 2 August 2011. 

Number 1p 
ordinary  
shares held at 
 22 May 2012

Number 1p 
ordinary  
shares held at  
31 March 2012

Number 1p 
ordinary  
shares held at  
1 April 2011

882,942
98,725

125,000
7,662
24,662
11,419
56,077
10,000

n/a
n/a
n/a

882,716
98,500

125,000
7,662
24,662
11,419
56,077
10,000

n/a
n/a
n/a

654,285
26,126

125,000
7,662
24,662
11,419
56,077
n/a

52,000
100,000
5,232

52  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

 COrPOrATE GOvErNANCE

other statutory 
information

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. The Group has a policy of agreeing 
payment terms of not less than 60 days 
with suppliers, except in exceptional 
circumstances. At 31 March 2012, the trade 
payables of the Group represented 24 days 
of annual purchases (2011: 24 days).

Political and charitable contributions
QinetiQ does not make political donations 
to parties as that term would be commonly 
recognised. The legal definition of that 
term is, however, quite broad and may have 
the effect of covering a number of normal 
business activities, such as sponsorship 
of events, that would not commonly be 
perceived to be political donations, such  
as sponsorship of events.

These may include legitimate interactions 
in making MPs and others in the political 
world aware of key industry issues and 
matters that affect QinetiQ, and that 
make an important contribution to their 
understanding of QinetiQ, the markets in 
which it operates, and the work of their 
constituents. 

Charitable donations during the year  
across the Group amounted to £108,400 
(2011: £196,900).

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 technical support, 
training, test and evaluation, and know-
how to customers in the global defence, 
aerospace and security markets. Customers 
include government organisations, such as 
the UK MOD and the US DoD and a range 
of other government and commercial 
customers globally.

research and development
One of the Group’s principal business 
streams is the provision of funded research 
and development (R&D) for customers. The 
Group also invests in the commercialisation 
of promising technologies across all areas  
of business.

The majority of R&D-related expenditure 
is incurred on behalf of customers as part 
of specific funded research contracts. R&D 
costs are included in the income statement 
and R&D income is reflected within 
revenue. In the financial year, the Group 
recorded £346.3m (2011: £395.0m) of  
total R&D-related expenditure, of which 
£331.1m (2011: £382.0m) was customer-
funded work.

In the year to 31 March 2012, £15.2m 
(2011: £13.0m) of internally funded R&D 
was charged to the income statement. 
£0.3m (2011: £0.3m) of late-stage 
development costs was capitalised 
and £2.3m (2011: £2.2m) of capitalised 
development costs was amortised in  
the year.

Share capital
As at 31 March 2012, the Company had 
allotted and fully paid up 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) and one Special Share with an 
aggregate nominal value of £1.

Details of the shares in issue during the 
financial year are shown in note 28 on  
page 94.

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 that purpose.

The Special Share is held by HM 
Government through the Secretary of 
State for Defence and it confers certain 
rights under the Articles of Association 
which are detailed in note 28 on page 94. 
These include the right to require certain 
persons with a material interest in QinetiQ 
to dispose of some or all of their ordinary 
shares on the grounds of national security 
or conflict of interest. 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.

In March 2012, the Company obtained 
MOD agreement to changes in the Special 
Shareholder rights which are subject to 
shareholder approval at the 2012 Annual 
General Meeting. These include removal  
of the MOD’s right to veto any transaction 
or activity and the introduction of a generic 
compliance system in alignment with that 
followed by other defence companies.

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  53

OTHEr STATuTOry INFOrMATION CONTINuED

The Company is party to a multi-currency 
Revolving Credit Facility, with a US$250m 
tranche and a £118m tranche, provided by 
the Group’s six global relationship banks, 
that expires on 4 February 2016. Under the 
terms of the facility, if there is a change of 
control of the Company, any lender may 
request, by not less than 60 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 US 
Holdings, Inc., formerly known as QinetiQ 
North America, Inc. (as Borrower) and 
the Company (as Guarantor) entered 
into a Note Purchase Agreement to 
issue US$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; 
and in either case where there has been a 
rating downgrade, or where there are no 
rated securities (unless a rating of at least 
investment grade is not obtained within 
90 days of the change of control), the Notes 
must be offered for prepayment by the 
Company within 21 days of the change  
of control. The prepayment date would  
be no later than 45 days after the offer  
of prepayment by the Company.

On 5 February 2009, QinetiQ US Holdings, 
Inc., (as Borrower) and the Company (as 
Guarantor) entered into a Note Purchase 
Agreement to issue US$62m 7.13% Senior 
Notes due 5 February 2016 and US$238m 
7.62% Senior Notes due 5 February 2019. 
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 offered for prepayment within 21 days of 
the change of control. The prepayment date 
would be no later than 45 days after the 
offer of prepayment by the Company.

Directors’ interests in contracts
At the date of this Report, there is no 
contract or arrangement with the Company 
or any of its subsidiaries that is significant  
in relation to the business of the Group as  
a whole in which a Director of the Company 
is materially interested.

Change of control – significant agreements
The following significant agreements 
contain provisions entitling the 
counterparties 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 
ceases to be a UK company:

•  The Combined Aerial Target Service 

contract is a 20-year contract awarded 
to QinetiQ by the MOD on 14 December 
2006. The terms of this contract require 
QinetiQ Limited 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 Limited’s share capital, unless 
the change relates to shares listed on a 
regulated market – ‘material’ is defined 
as being 10% or more of the share 
capital. In addition, there are restrictions 
on transfers of shares to persons from 
countries appearing on the restricted list 
as issued by HM Government;

•  The Long-Term Partnering Agreement 

(LTPA) 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 under which the prior 
approval of HM Government is required 
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 the MOD is a party.

54  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Financial instruments
Information on the Group’s financial risk 
management objectives and policies, and 
its exposure to credit risk, liquidity risk, 
interest rate risk and foreign currency  
risk are in note 26 on page 85.

Branches
The Company and its subsidiaries have 
established branches in a number of 
different countries in which they operate; 
their results are, however, not material  
to the Group’s financial results.

Major shareholders
At 31 March 2012, the Group had been 
notified of the following shareholdings in 
accordance with the Vote Holder and Issuer 
Notification Rules, which form part of the 
Financial Services Authority’s Disclosure 
Rules and Transparency Rules:

Number of 
shares
99,071,684

74,366,090

Shareholder
Artisan Partners
Ruane Cunniff  
& Goldfarb, Inc.
Fidelity 
International Ltd
Schroders
Investec
Fidelity 
Management and 
Research Company 32,986,143
19,850,508
Norges Bank

34,816,074
33,587,315
33,160,928

% of issued 
share 
capital
15.00

11.26

5.27
5.09
5.02

4.99
3.01

At 22 May 2012, being the latest practicable date 
prior to the issue of this report, the Company had 
received no notification of any further interests or 
of any changes in the interests shown above.

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Allotment/purchase of own shares
At the Company’s AGM held in August 2011, 
the shareholders passed resolutions which 
authorised the Directors to allot relevant 
securities up to an aggregate nominal value 
of £4,403,174 (£2,201,587 pursuant only 
to a rights issue), 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 2012 AGM.

During the year, the Company provided 
funding to the QinetiQ Group plc Employee 
Benefit Trust (the ‘Trust’), which holds 
shares in connection with 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 note 29 on 
page 95. As at 31 March 2012, the Trust held 
11,672,209 ordinary shares of 1p each. The 
trustees of the Trust have agreed to waive 
their entitlement to dividends payable on 
the shares held by the Trust, other than in 
respect of deferred shares held on behalf 
of participants in the Company’s Deferred 
Annual Bonus Plan. Dividends received by 
the Trust in respect of the deferred shares 
are paid direct to the plan participants on 
receipt and are not retained in the Trust. 

restrictions on transfer of shares
As outlined in note 28 on page 94, the 
Special Share confers certain rights under 
the Company’s Articles of Association to 
require certain persons with an interest 
in QinetiQ’s shares that exceed certain 
prescribed thresholds, to dispose of some 
or all of their ordinary shares on the 
grounds of national security or conflict  
of interest. 

Articles of Association
Save in 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.

A resolution will be proposed at the 2012 
AGM to amend the Company’s Articles of 
Association. Details are contained in the 
Notice of Meeting.

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 who hold 
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 using such corporate 
nominee service, and will vote on all 
resolutions proposed at general meetings in 
accordance with the instructions received.

Auditor
KPMG Audit Plc has expressed its 
willingness to continue in office as auditor 
and a resolution to reappoint them will be 
proposed at the AGM.

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

Annual General Meeting
The Company’s AGM will be held on 
Thursday 26 July 2012 at 1.00pm, at The 
Royal Berkshire Hotel, London Road, 
Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 0PP. 
Details of the business to be proposed and 
voted on at the meeting is contained in 
the Notice of the Annual General Meeting, 
which is sent to all shareholders and is  
also published on the Company’s website, 
www.QinetiQ.com.

By order of the Board

Jon Messent 
Company Secretary 
Cody Technology Park 
Ively Road 
Farnborough 
Hampshire GU14 0LX

24 May 2012

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  55

statement of directors’ 
responsiBilities

 IN rESPECT OF THE ANNuAL rEPOrT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Directors are responsible for keeping 
adequate accounting records that are 
sufficient to show and explain the parent 
company’s transactions and disclose 
with reasonable accuracy at any time the 
financial position of the parent company 
and enable them to ensure that its financial 
statements comply with the Companies  
Act 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.

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 
that law and those regulations.

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:

•  The financial statements of the Group 

have been prepared in accordance with 
IFRS 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.

By order of the Board

Mark Elliott  
Chairman  
24 May 2012 

Leo Quinn  
Chief Executive Officer  
24 May 2012 

David Mellors 
Chief Financial Officer  
24 May 2012 

The Directors are responsible for preparing 
the Annual Report and the Group and 
parent company financial statements in 
accordance with applicable law  
and 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 IFRSs as adopted by  
the EU and applicable law and have  
elected to prepare the parent company 
financial statements in accordance  
with UK Accounting Standards and 
applicable law (UK Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practice).

Under company law the Directors must not 
approve the financial statements unless 
they are satisfied that they give a true and 
fair view of the state of affairs of the Group 
and parent company and of their profit or 
loss for that period. In preparing each of 
the Group and parent company financial 
statements, the Directors are required to:

•  Select suitable accounting policies and 

then apply them consistently;

•  Make judgements and estimates that  

are reasonable and prudent;

•  For the Group financial statements, state 
whether they have been prepared in 
accordance with IFRSs as adopted by  
the EU;

•  For the parent company financial 

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

•  Prepare the financial statements on 
the going concern basis unless it is 
inappropriate to presume that the Group 
and the parent company will continue  
in business. 

56  QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

independent auditor’s 
report to the memBers 
of QinetiQ group plc

We have audited the financial statements 
of QinetiQ Group plc for the year ended 
31 March 2012 set out on pages 58 to 105. 
The financial reporting framework that 
has been applied in the preparation of the 
Group financial statements is applicable 
law and International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the EU. The 
financial reporting framework that has been 
applied in the preparation of the parent 
company financial statements is applicable 
law and UK Accounting Standards (UK 
Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

This report is made solely to the Company’s 
members, as a body, in accordance with 
Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 
2006. 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 auditor
As explained more fully in the Directors’ 
responsibilities statement set out on page 
56, the Directors are responsible for the 
preparation of the financial statements 
and for being satisfied that they give a true 
and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit, 
and express an opinion on, the financial 
statements in accordance with applicable 
law and International Standards on  
Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards 
require us to comply with the Auditing 
Practices Board’s (APB’s) Ethical Standards 
for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the  
financial statements
A description of the scope of an audit of 
financial statements is provided on the 
APB’s website at www.frc.org.uk/apb/
scope/private.cfm. 

Opinion on financial statements
In our opinion:

•  The financial statements give a true and 
fair view of the state of the Group’s and 
of the parent company’s affairs as at 
31 March 2012 and of the Group’s profit 
for the year then ended;

•  The Group financial statements have 

been properly prepared in accordance 
with IFRSs as adopted by the EU;

Matters on which we are required  
to report by exception 
We have nothing to report in respect  
of the following:

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are 
required to report to you if, in our opinion:

•  Adequate accounting records have not 
been kept by the parent company, or 
returns adequate for our audit have not 
been received from branches not visited 
by us; or

•  The parent company financial 

statements and the part of the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report to be audited are 
not in agreement with the accounting 
records and returns; or

•  The parent company financial statements 

•  Certain disclosures of Directors’ 

have been properly prepared in 
accordance with UK Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practices; 

•  The financial statements have been 
prepared in accordance with the 
requirements of the Companies Act  
2006; and, as regards the Group  
financial statements, Article 4 of  
the IAS Regulation.

Opinion on other matters prescribed  
by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion:

•  The part of the Directors’ remuneration 
report to be audited has been properly 
prepared in accordance with the 
Companies Act 2006; 

•  The information given in the Directors’ 
report for the financial year for which 
the financial statements are prepared is 
consistent with the financial statements.

remuneration specified by law are  
not made; or

•  We have not received all the information 
and explanations we require for our audit.

Under the Listing Rules we are required  
to review:

•  The Directors’ statement, set out on  
page 43, in relation to going concern;
•  The part of the corporate governance 
statement on pages 36 to 43 relating  
to the Company’s compliance with  
the nine provisions of the UK Corporate 
Governance code specified for our review; 

•  Certain elements of the report  
to shareholders by the Board on 
Directors’ remuneration.

Mike Maloney 
Senior Statutory Auditor 
for and on behalf of KPMG Audit Plc 
Statutory Auditor 
Chartered Accountants 
15 Canada Square 
London 
E14 5GL

24 May 2012

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  57

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT 
for the year ended 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Revenue 
Operating costs excluding depreciation 
and amortisation 
Other income 
EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, 
depreciation and amortisation) 
Depreciation and impairment  
of property, plant and equipment 
Amortisation and impairment  
of intangible assets  
Group operating profit/(loss)  
Gain on business combinations and 
divestments and disposal  
of investments 
Finance income 
Finance expense 
Profit/(loss) before tax 
Taxation (expense)/income 
Profit/(loss) for the year attributable  
to equity shareholders  
Earnings per share 
Basic 
Diluted 

Before 
acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items  
1,469.6 

2012 

Acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items*  
– 

Note 

2, 3 

2011 

Before 
acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items  
1,702.6 

Acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items* 
– 

Total 
1,469.6 

Total 
1,702.6 

(1,273.9)
5.2 

2 

223.9 
– 

(1,050.0)
5.2 

(1,516.4) 
4.3 

(58.5)
– 

(1,574.9)
4.3 

200.9 

223.9 

424.8 

190.5 

(58.5)

132.0 

(1.9)

(32.5)

(33.6) 

(5.9)

(39.5)

(30.6)

(9.0)
161.3 

– 
69.8 
(112.8)
118.3 
(23.5)

3, 15 

14 
3 

5 
6 
6 
4 
7 

11 
11 

(20.3)
201.7 

11.6 
– 
– 
213.3 
(50.2)

(29.3)
363.0 

(11.5) 
145.4 

11.6 
69.8 
(112.8)
331.6 
(73.7)

– 
70.4 
(101.2) 
114.6 
(21.8) 

94.8 

163.1 

257.9 

92.8 

14.6p
14.5p

39.6p
39.4p

14.2p 
14.0p 

(26.3)
(90.7)

2.7 
– 
– 
(88.0)
0.2 

(87.8)

(37.8)
54.7 

2.7 
70.4 
(101.2)
26.6 
(21.6)

5.0 

0.8p
0.8p

* For details of ‘specific non-recurring items’ refer to note 4. 

58  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 
for the year ended 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Profit for the year  

Other comprehensive income/(expense): 
Foreign currency translation differences for foreign operations 
Movement in fair value of hedging derivatives 
Reclassification of hedging derivatives to the income statement  
Movement in deferred tax on hedging derivatives 
Fair value losses on available-for-sale investments 
Actuarial loss recognised in defined benefit pension schemes 
Increase in deferred tax asset due to actuarial movement in pension deficit 
Other comprehensive income/(expense) for the year, net of tax 
Total comprehensive income/(expense) for the year attributable to equity holders  

2012 
257.9 

(1.9)
(0.4)
0.2 
0.1 
(1.2)
(118.2)
30.7 
(90.7)
167.2 

2011 
5.0 

(19.4)
(0.4)
4.1 
(4.8)
– 
(4.7)
1.3 
(23.9)
(18.9)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY  

all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2011 
Profit for the year 
Other comprehensive income/ 
(expense) for the year, net of tax 
Purchase of own shares 
Dividends 
Share-based payments 
At 31 March 2012 

At 1 April 2010 
Profit for the year 
Other comprehensive income/ 
(expense) for the year, net of tax 
Transfers 
Purchase of own shares 
Share-based payments 
At 31 March 2011 

Issued  
share  
capital 
6.6 
– 

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
39.9 
– 

Share 
premium 
147.6 
– 

Hedge 
reserve 
0.2 
– 

Translation 
reserve 
21.6 
– 

Retained 
earnings 
241.5 
257.9 

– 
– 
– 
– 
6.6 

6.6 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
6.6 

– 
– 
– 
– 
39.9 

39.9 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
39.9 

– 
– 
– 
– 
147.6 

147.6 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
147.6 

(0.1)
– 
– 
– 
0.1 

(12.1)
– 

(1.1)
13.4 
– 
– 
0.2 

(1.9)
– 
– 
– 
19.7 

54.4 
– 

(19.4)
(13.4)
– 
– 
21.6 

(88.7) 
(12.0) 
(16.4) 
3.1 
385.4 

237.2 
5.0 

(3.4) 
– 
(0.6) 
3.3 
241.5 

Non-
controlling 

interest  Total equity 
457.5 
257.9 

0.1 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
0.1 

0.1 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
0.1 

(90.7)
(12.0)
(16.4)
3.1 
599.4 

473.7 
5.0 

(23.9)
– 
(0.6)
3.3 
457.5 

Total 
457.4 
257.9 

(90.7) 
(12.0) 
(16.4) 
3.1 
599.3 

473.6 
5.0 

(23.9) 
– 
(0.6) 
3.3 
457.4 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   59 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET 
as at 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Non-current assets 
Goodwill 
Intangible assets 
Property, plant and equipment 
Other financial assets 
Investments  
Deferred tax asset  

Current assets 
Inventories 
Other financial assets 
Trade and other receivables 
Investments 
Assets classified as held for sale 
Cash and cash equivalents 

Total assets 
Current liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Current tax 
Provisions  
Other financial liabilities 

Non-current liabilities 
Retirement benefit obligation  
Provisions  
Other 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 
Non-controlling interest 
Total shareholders’ funds 

Note 

2012 

2011 

13 

14 

15 

24 
16 
17 

18 
24 
20 
19 
21 
24 

22 

23 
24 

30 
23 
24 
22 

28 

519.3 
71.8 
246.6 
6.9 
5.8 
17.0 
867.4 

31.2 
2.4 
404.8 
1.1 
5.1 
117.8 
562.4 
1,429.8 

(498.7)
(13.7)
(3.4)
(84.9)
(600.7)

(31.5)
(13.2)
(164.4)
(20.6)
(229.7)
(830.4)
599.4 

6.6 
39.9 
147.6 
19.8 
385.4 
599.3 
0.1 
599.4 

521.1 
103.2 
260.9 
8.2 
5.9 
33.8 
933.1 

45.4 
3.0 
389.5 
2.3 
7.5 
102.5 
550.2 
1,483.3 

(465.6)
(4.2)
(20.4)
(97.2)
(587.4)

(124.6)
(12.6)
(277.4)
(23.8)
(438.4)
(1,025.8)
457.5 

6.6 
39.9 
147.6 
21.8 
241.5 
457.4 
0.1 
457.5 

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 24 May 2012 and were signed  
on its behalf by: 

Mark Elliott 
Chairman 

Leo Quinn 
Chief Executive Officer 

David Mellors 
Chief Financial Officer  

60  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT 
for the year ended 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Net cash inflow from operations before restructuring costs 
Net cash outflow relating to UK restructuring 
Cash inflow from operations 
Tax paid 
Interest received 
Interest paid 
Net cash inflow from operating activities 
Purchases of intangible assets  
Purchases of property, plant and equipment  
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 
Equity accounted investments and other investment funding 
Purchase of subsidiary undertakings 
Proceeds from sale of interests in subsidiary undertakings 
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from investing activities 
Repayment of bank borrowings 
Proceeds from bank borrowings 
Payment of bank loan arrangement fees 
Settlement of forward contracts 
Purchase of own shares 
Dividends paid to shareholders 
Capital element of finance lease rental payments 
Capital element of finance lease rental receipts 
Net cash outflow from financing activities 
Increase 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 
Comprising: 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Overdrafts 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 

RECONCILIATION OF MOVEMENT IN NET DEBT 
for the year ended 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Increase in cash and cash equivalents in the year 
Cash flows from repayment of bank loans and other financial instruments 
Change in net debt resulting from cash flows 
Other non-cash movements including foreign exchange  
Movement in net debt in the year 
Net debt at beginning of year 
Net debt at end of year 

Note 

27 

24 
24 

Note 

24 
24 
24 
24 
24 

2012 
250.8 
(8.9)
241.9 
(23.3)
1.0 
(39.5)
180.1 
(0.7)
(22.0)
7.3 
3.6 
(0.9)
11.2 
(1.5)
(133.6)
– 
– 
(1.6)
(12.0)
(16.4)
(2.8)
3.0 
(163.4)
15.2 
0.4 
102.2 
117.8 

117.8 
– 
117.8 

2012 
15.2 
135.0 
150.2 
(11.5)
138.7 
(260.9)
(122.2)

2011 
287.6 
(31.8)
255.8 
(42.9)
0.3 
(28.9)
184.3 
(2.4)
(19.7)
0.3 
– 
(15.8)
38.2 
0.6 
(144.1)
4.9 
(2.4)
– 
(0.6)
– 
(2.8)
3.0 
(142.0)
42.9 
(1.4)
60.7 
102.2 

102.5 
(0.3)
102.2 

2011 
42.9 
141.4 
184.3 
12.2 
196.5 
(457.4)
(260.9)

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 that are considered  
material in relation to the Group’s financial statements. In the income statement, the Group presents acquisition amortisation and  
specific non-recurring items separately. In the judgement of the Directors, for the reader to obtain a proper understanding of the financial 
information, acquisition amortisation and specific non-recurring items need to be disclosed separately because of their size and incidence. 
Specific non-recurring items are referred to in note 4. 

Basis of preparation 
The Group’s financial statements, approved by the Directors, have been prepared on a going concern basis as discussed in the Directors’ 
Report on page 43 and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU (‘Adopted IFRS’) and the 
Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS. The Company has elected to prepare its parent company financial 
statements in accordance with UK GAAP; these are presented on pages 103-105. The financial statements have been prepared under  
the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of available-for-sale financial assets and other relevant financial assets and 
liabilities. Non-current assets held for sale are held at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell. The Group’s reporting 
currency is sterling and unless otherwise stated the financial statements are rounded to the nearest £100,000. 

Basis of consolidation 
The consolidated financial statements comprise the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiary undertakings to 31 March 2012. 
The purchase method of accounting has been adopted. Those subsidiary undertakings acquired or disposed of 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%-50% of the equity voting rights, in 
respect of 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 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 where necessary to ensure compliance with Group 
accounting policies. 

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

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

Service contracts 
The Group’s service contract arrangements are accounted for under IAS 18 Revenue. Revenue is recognised once the Group has obtained 
the right to consideration in exchange for its performance. No profit is recognised on contracts until the outcome of the contract can be 
reliably estimated. When the outcome of a contract can be reliably estimated, revenue and costs are recognised by reference to the stage 
of completion of the contract activity at the balance sheet date. This is normally measured by the proportion of contract costs incurred for 
work performed to date compared with the estimated total contract costs after making suitable allowances for technical and other risks 
related to performance milestones yet to be achieved. When it is probable that total contract costs will exceed total contract revenue,  
the expected loss is recognised immediately as an expense. The Group generally does not undertake construction contracts. 

Goods sold 
Sales of goods are recognised in the income statement on delivery of the product or when the significant risks and rewards of ownership 
have been transferred to the customer and revenue and costs can be reliably measured.  

Royalties and intellectual property  
Royalty revenue is recognised over the period to which the royalty relates. Intellectual property revenue can be attributed either to 
perpetual licences or to limited licences. Limited licences are granted for a specified period and revenue is recognised over the period of 
the licence. Perpetual licences are granted for unlimited time frames and revenue is recognised when the risks and rewards of ownership 
are transferred to the customer.  

62  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Segmental information 
Segmental information is presented according to the Group’s management structure and the markets in which it operates.  
Segmental results represent the contribution of the different segments to the profit of the Group. Corporate expenses are allocated  
to the corresponding segments. Unallocated items mainly comprise acquisition amortisation, specific non-recurring items, net finance  
expense and taxation. Specific non-recurring items are referred to in note 4. Eliminations represent inter-company trading between  
the different segments. 

Segmental assets and liabilities information is not regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker. 

Research and development expenditure 
Research and development costs incurred on behalf of a customer as part of a specific project are directly chargeable to the customer  
on whose behalf the work is undertaken. These costs are recognised within operating costs and revenue is recognised in respect of the 
R&D services performed. 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 finance income and finance expense. 

Taxation 
The taxation charge is based on the taxable 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 changes 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 offset only where there is a legally enforceable right to offset and there is an intention to 
settle balances on a net basis. 

Business combinations 
Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method as at the acquisition date, which is the date on which control is 
transferred to the Group. The Group measures goodwill as the acquisition-date fair value of the consideration transferred, including the 
amount of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree, less the net of the acquisition-date fair values of the identifiable assets acquired 
and liabilities assumed, including contingent liabilities as required by IFRS 3. 

Consideration transferred includes the fair values of assets transferred, liabilities incurred by the Group to the previous owners of the 
acquiree, equity interests issued by the Group to the previous owners of the acquiree, equity interests issued by the Group, contingent 
consideration and share-based payment awards of the acquiree that are replaced in the business combination. Any contingent 
consideration payable is recognised at fair value at the acquisition date. Subsequent changes to the fair value of contingent consideration 
that is not classified as equity are recognised in the consolidated income statement. If a business combination relates to the termination of 
pre-existing relationships between the Group and the acquiree, then the lower of the termination amount, as contained in the agreement, 
and the value of the off-market element, is deducted from the consideration transferred and recognised in other expenses. 

Transaction costs that the Group incurs in connection with a business combination, such as finder’s fees, legal fees, due diligence fees,  
and other professional fees and consulting fees, are expensed as incurred. 

Non-controlling interests are measured either at the non-controlling interest’s proportion of the net fair value of the identifiable assets, 
liabilities and contingent liabilities recognised or at fair value. The method used is determined on an acquisition-by-acquisition basis. 

Goodwill 
Goodwill on acquisitions of subsidiaries is included in intangible assets. Goodwill on acquisitions of joint ventures and associates is included 
in the carrying value of equity accounted investments. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment and carried at cost less accumulated 
impairment losses. Gains and losses on the disposal of an entity include the carrying amount of goodwill related to the entity sold. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   63 

 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

1. Significant accounting policies continued 
Intangible assets 
Intangible assets arising from business combinations are recognised at fair value and are amortised over their expected useful lives, 
typically between 1 and 9 years. 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 
1-4 years  
1-9 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 
Plant and machinery 
Fixtures and fittings 
Computers 
Motor vehicles 

20-25 years 
Shorter of useful economic life and 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 and interest. 

The useful lives, depreciation methods and residual values applied to property, plant and equipment are reviewed annually,  
and if appropriate, adjusted accordingly. 

Impairment of tangible, goodwill, intangible and held for sale assets 
At each reporting date the Group assesses whether there is an indication that an asset may be impaired. If the carrying amount of any 
asset exceeds its recoverable amount an impairment loss is recognised immediately in the income statement. 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 (CGU) are written down to their recoverable amounts. The recoverable amount  
of an asset or CGU 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 CGU calculated using an appropriate pre-tax discount rate. Impairment losses are expensed 
to the income statement. 

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 those classified as available for sale  
are stated at fair value, with any resultant gain or loss, other than impairment losses, being recognised directly in equity. When these 
investments are de-recognised, 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 
based on the price of the most recent investment by the Group or a third party, if available, or derived from the present value of forecast 
future cash flows. 

Inventories 
Inventory and work-in-progress 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, the costs are 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, when it becomes likely that financial close will not be achieved. 

Trade and other receivables 
Trade and other receivables are stated net of provisions for doubtful debts. 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. 

64  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

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 initially 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. Costs associated with the 
arrangement of bank facilities or the issue of loans are held net of 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. 

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 
which can be reliably estimated, 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. 

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, when the instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised. 

Derivative financial instruments 
Derivative financial instruments are initially recognised 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. 

Fair value hedging 
Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated as 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. 

Cash flow hedging 
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. 

Leased assets 
Leases are classified as finance leases when substantially all 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. 

The individual financial statements of each Group company are presented in its functional currency. On consolidation, assets and liabilities 
of overseas subsidiaries, 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, 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 Comprehensive Income. 

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. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   65 

 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

1. Significant accounting policies continued 
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. The finance element of the pension charge is shown in finance income and expenses and the 
remaining service cost element is charged as a component of employee costs in the income statement. Actuarial gains and losses are 
recognised immediately in full through the Statement of Comprehensive Income. Contributions to defined contribution plans are charged 
to the Income Statement as incurred. 

Share-based payments 
The Group operates share-based payment arrangements with employees. The fair value of equity-settled awards 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 awards for share-based payments is determined each period end until they are exercised or lapse. The  
value is expensed straight line over the period from grant to the date of earliest unconditional exercise. 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 businesses are finalised within 12 months of the acquisition date. 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. 

Recent accounting developments  
The following EU-endorsed amendments, improvements and interpretations of published standards are effective for accounting  
periods beginning on or after 1 April 2011 and have been adopted with no material impact on the Group’s financial statements: 

IAS 24 (revised), Related Party Disclosures. The changes introduced by the standard relate mainly to the related party disclosure 
requirements for government-related entities, and the definition of a related party. The change has been applied prospectively. 

Amendments to IFRIC 14 – Prepayments of a Minimum Funding Requirement. The amendment to IFRIC 14 removes unintended 
consequences arising from the treatment of prepayments when there is a minimum funding requirement (MFR). The amendment  
results in prepayments of contributions in certain circumstances being recognised as an asset rather than an expense.  

Improvements to IFRSs 2010. The improvements are included in the list below. These consolidated Financial Statements have been 
prepared under the revised disclosure requirements. 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

IFRS 3, Business Combinations; 
IFRS 1, First-time Adoption of IFRS; 
IFRS 7, Financial instruments: Disclosures; 
IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements;  
IAS 34, Interim Financial Reporting;  
IAS 27, Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements; and 
IFRIC 13, Customer Loyalty Programmes. 

The Directors anticipate that the adoption of the following revised, amended and improved published standards and interpretations,  
which were in issue at the date of authorisation of these Financial Statements, will have no material impact on the Financial Statements  
of the Group when they become applicable in future periods: 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

IFRS 7, Financial Instruments: Disclosures; 
IFRS 1, First-time Adoption of IFRS, subject to EU endorsement; 
IAS 12, Income Taxes, subject to EU endorsement; 
IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements, subject to EU endorsement; 
IAS 27, Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements, subject to EU endorsement;  
IAS 28, Investment in associates, subject to EU endorsement; and 
IAS 32, Financial instruments: presentation, subject to EU endorsement. 

66  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

The following new and improved published standards were in issue at the date of authorisation of these Financial Statements but  
are not yet effective and have not been adopted. All are subject to EU endorsement and the impact of adopting these standards is  
under assessment: 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

IFRS 9, Financial Instruments;  
IFRS 10, Consolidated Financial Statements; 
IFRS 11, Joint Arrangements; 
IFRS 12, Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities; 
IFRS 13, Fair Value Measurement; and 
IAS 19, Employee Benefits. 

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 that are uncertain  
and 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 has suffered any impairment. This process relies on the use of estimates of the future 
profitability and cash flows of its CGUs which may differ from the actual results delivered. In addition, the Group reviews whether 
identified intangible assets have suffered any impairment. Further details on the sensitivity of the carrying value of goodwill to changes  
in the key assumptions are set out in note 13. 

Consolidation of US subsidiaries 
As described on page 43, the Group and the US Department of Defense (DoD) have entered into a proxy agreement that regulates the 
ownership, management and operation of the Group’s 100% owned subsidiary, QinetiQ North America, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Having 
considered the terms of the proxy agreement, the Directors consider that the Group has control over the operating and financial policies  
of QinetiQ North America and, therefore, consolidates the subsidiaries in the consolidated accounts. 

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 exercises its 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. Any change in these assumptions would have an impact on the retirement benefit obligation 
recognised. Further details on these assumptions are set out in note 30. 

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 on the adequacy of future demand and the potential market for such new products in order 
to justify capitalisation of internally-funded development expenditure. These can be difficult to determine when dealing with 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 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. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   67 

 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

2. Revenue and other income 
Revenue and other income is analysed as follows: 

Revenue by category 
For the year ended 31 March 
all figures in £ million 
Sales of goods 
Services 
Royalties 
Revenue 

Share of joint ventures’ and associates’ profit after tax 
Other income 
Total other income 

2012 
253.2 
1,209.4 
7.0 
1,469.6 

0.1 
5.1 
5.2 

2011 
365.5 
1,330.0 
7.1 
1,702.6 

0.2 
4.1 
4.3 

The revenue and profit after tax of joint ventures and associates is £26.1m and £0.2m respectively (2011: £24.9m and £0.5m respectively). 
The figures in the table above represent the Group share of this profit after tax. 

Other income is in respect of property rentals and the recovery of other related property costs.  

Revenue by customer geographic location 
For the year ended 31 March 
all figures in £ million 
North America 
United Kingdom 
Other 
Total  

Revenue by major customer type 
For the year ended 31 March 
all figures in £ million 
UK Government 
US Government 
Other 
Total  

2012 
788.7 
570.1 
110.8 
1,469.6 

2012 
482.8 
730.5 
256.3 
1,469.6 

2011 
949.2 
623.7 
129.7 
1,702.6 

2011 
526.5 
894.3 
281.8 
1,702.6 

Revenue from the UK Government was generated by the UK Services and Global Products operating groups. Revenue from the US 
Government was generated by the US Services and Global Products operating groups. 

68  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Note 

2012 

20112 

Revenue 
610.1 
534.5 
325.0 
1,469.6 

Operating  
profit 
63.0 
32.1 
66.2 
161.3 

161.3 

223.9 

(1.9) 
(20.3) 
363.0 

11.6 
(43.0) 
331.6 
(73.7) 
257.9 

Revenue
652.7 
607.3 
442.6 
1,702.6 

Operating 
profit 
47.4 
45.9 
52.1 
145.4 

145.4 

(58.5)

(5.9)
(26.3)
54.7 

2.7 
(30.8)
26.6 
(21.6)
5.0 

3. Segmental analysis 
Operating segments 
For the year ended 31 March  

  all figures in £ million 

  UK Services 
  US Services 
  Global Products 
  Total operating segments 

  Operating profit before acquisition amortisation  

and specific non-recurring items1 

  Non-recurring operating costs before amortisation, 

depreciation and impairment 

  Impairment of property 
  Amortisation of intangible assets arising from acquisitions  
  Operating profit 

Gain on business combinations and divestments  
and disposal of investments 

  Net finance expense 
  Profit before tax 
  Taxation expense 
  Profit for the year 

4 

5 
6 

7 

1  The measure of profit presented to the chief operating decision maker is operating profit stated before amortisation of intangible assets arising from 

acquisitions and specific non-recurring items. For details refer to note 4.  

2  The 2011 figures have been restated to reflect the transfer of businesses from Global Products to UK Services and US Services at the beginning of 2012. 

No measure of segmental assets and liabilities has been disclosed as this information is not regularly provided to the chief operating 
decision maker. 

Depreciation and amortisation by business segment 
For the year ended 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Depreciation and impairment of property, plant  
and equipment 
Amortisation and impairment of purchased or internally 
developed intangible assets 

For the year ended 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 
Amortisation of purchased or internally developed intangible 
assets 

UK Services 

US Services 

23.2 

8.4 
31.6 

3.0 

0.3 
3.3 

UK Services 
25.4 

US Services 
3.1 

10.0 
35.4 

0.6 
3.7 

Global 
Products 

4.4 

0.3 
4.7 

Global 
Products 
5.1 

0.9 
6.0 

Excludes non-recurring items not included within the measure of operating profit reported to the chief operating decision maker. 

Non-current assets (excluding deferred tax) by geographic location 
all figures in £ million 
Year ended 31 March 2012 

Year ended 31 March 2011 

UK 
281.1 

Rest of World 
569.3 

UK 
305.9 

Rest of World 
593.4 

Total 

30.6 

9.0 
39.6 

Total 
33.6 

11.5 
45.1 

Total 
850.4 

Total 
899.3 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

4. Profit/loss before tax 
The following items have been charged in arriving at profit/loss before tax: 

all figures in £ million 
Fees payable to the auditor: 
Statutory audit 
Audit of the Company’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation  
Other services relating to taxation 
Other services 
Total auditor’s remuneration 

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment: 
Owned assets: before impairment 
Owned assets: impairment 
Foreign exchange (gain)/loss 
Research and development expenditure – customer funded contracts 
Research and development expenditure – Group funded 

The following non-recurring items have been (credited)/charged in arriving at profit/loss before tax: 

all figures in £ million 
Net restructuring (recoveries)/charges 
Pension past service gain 
Gain on disposal of property 
Contingent payments on acquisition treated as remuneration 
Net (gain)/loss in respect of previously capitalised DTR-programme bid costs 
Non-recurring operating (income)/expense before amortisation, depreciation and 
impairment 
Impairment of property 
Total goodwill and intangible impairment and acquisition amortisation 
Non-recurring operating (profit)/loss 

Gain on business combinations and divestments and disposal of investments  
Gain in respect of negative goodwill on acquisitions in the period 
Gain in respect of deferred consideration on prior year acquisitions 
Gain on business combinations and divestments and disposal of investments 

Total non-recurring (income)/expense before tax 

Note 

30 

15 
14 

5 
5 
5 
5 

2012 

2011 

0.8 
0.1 
– 
0.1 
1.0 

28.2 
4.3 
(0.2)
331.1 
15.2 

2012 
(69.4)
(141.4)
(9.0)
– 
(4.1)

(223.9)
1.9 
20.3 
(201.7)

(11.6)
– 
– 
(11.6)

(213.3)

0.8 
0.1 
0.1 
0.1 
1.1 

33.6 
5.9 
0.3 
382.0 
13.0 

2011 
28.6 
– 
– 
6.1 
23.8 

58.5 
5.9 
26.3 
90.7 

(2.1)
(0.2)
(0.4)
(2.7)

88.0 

The net restructuring recovery of £69.4m (2011: expense of £28.6m) primarily relates to the agreement with the UK MOD in March 2012 
involving a payment to QinetiQ of £65.0m that was received after the year end in April 2012. The agreement involves the discharging of 
MOD from its accumulated liabilities for restructuring costs incurred in previous years, together with MOD agreement to changes in its 
Special Shareholder rights, and certain other operational issues. 

70  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

5. Gain on business combinations and divestments and disposal of investments 
For the year ended 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Gain on business divestments  
Gain on disposal of investments 
Gain in respect of negative goodwill on acquisitions  
Gain in respect of deferred consideration on prior year acquisitions 

2012 
8.0 
3.6 
– 
– 
11.6 

2011 
2.1 
– 
0.2 
0.4 
2.7 

The gain on business divestments includes the disposal of Spectro Inc., a business within the Global Products sector, for consideration 
before costs of US$20.5m and a gain on disposal of £4.7m. Of the £3.6m gain on disposal of investments, £2.8m relates to the sale of 
QinetiQ’s investment in Nomad Holdings Limited. 

The prior year gain on business divestments relates to the disposal of S&IS, a non-core security operations and access control business 
within QinetiQ’s US Services operation, to ManTech International Corporation. The total consideration net of disposal costs was £37.2m 
and resulted in a gain on disposal of £2.1m. Additional cash receipts in the prior year included £1.0m in respect of 2010 divestments.  
Total proceeds from the sale of interests in subsidiary undertakings were £38.2m. 

The prior year gain in respect of negative goodwill on acquisitions in the period relates to the acquisition of Sensoptics Ltd  
on 16 December 2010. 

The prior year gain in respect of deferred consideration on prior year acquisitions is the result of conditions for the deferred consideration 
in respect of the Cyveillance Inc. acquisition not being met. 

6. Finance income and expense 
For the year ended 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Receivable on bank deposits 
Finance lease income  
Expected return on pension scheme assets 
Finance income 

Amortisation of recapitalisation fee1 
Payable on bank loans and overdrafts 
Payable on US dollar private placement debt2 
Finance lease expense 
Unwinding of discount on financial liabilities 
Interest on pension scheme liabilities 
Finance expense 
Net finance expense 

2012 
1.3 
0.9 
67.6 
69.8 

(0.6)
(1.6)
(46.8)
(0.8)
(1.8)
(61.2)
(112.8)
(43.0)

2011 
0.6 
1.2 
68.6 
70.4 

(1.8)
(5.9)
(32.6)
(1.0)
(0.4)
(59.5)
(101.2)
(30.8)

1   In 2011 the Group refinanced its existing credit facility with a new five-year revolving credit facility. The un-amortised amount of the fees previously 

capitalised in respect of the pre-existing facility was written off on termination of that facility and charged to finance expense. 

2   The Group elected to make early repayment of US$177m of private placement debt, which will complete after the year end from surplus cash. Net finance 

expense in 2012 is affected by an accelerated interest charge of £27.4m in respect of these early repayments. Net finance expense in 2011 was also 
affected by an accelerated interest charge of £8.8m in respect of the year-end obligation to make early repayment of US$135m of private placement debt. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   71 

 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

7. Taxation  

all figures in £ million 
Analysis of charge 
Current UK tax expense  
Overseas corporation tax 
Current year 
Adjustment for prior year 
Current tax expense/(income)  
Deferred tax  
Deferred tax impact of change in rates 
Deferred tax in respect of prior years 
Taxation expense/(income) 
Factors affecting tax charge in year 
Principal factors reducing the Group’s current 
year tax charge below the UK statutory rate 
are explained below: 
Profit/(loss) before tax  
Tax on profit/(loss) before tax at 26%  
(2011: 28%)  
Effect of: 
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes, 
research and development relief and non-
taxable items 
Utilisation of previously unrecognised tax 
losses of overseas subsidiaries 
Current tax losses for which no deferred tax 
asset was recognised 
Deferred tax impact of change in rates 
Deferred tax in respect of prior years 
Effect of different rates in overseas 
jurisdictions  
Taxation expense/(income) 
Effective tax rate 

Before 
acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items 

2011 

Acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items 

Before 
acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items 

2012 

Acquisition 
amortisation 
and specific 
non-recurring 
items 

– 

15.5 
(2.3)
13.2 
7.3 
1.4 
1.6 
23.5 

13.1 

2.3 
– 
15.4 
34.8 
– 
– 
50.2 

Total 

13.1 

17.8 
(2.3)
28.6 
42.1 
1.4 
1.6 
73.7 

– 

41.3 
(0.8) 
40.5 
(20.2) 
2.5 
(1.0) 
21.8 

Total 

– 

40.2 
(0.8)
39.4 
(19.3)
2.5 
(1.0)
21.6 

26.6 

7.4 

– 

(1.1)
– 
(1.1)
0.9 
– 
– 
(0.2)

(88.0)

(24.7)

118.3 

213.3 

331.6 

114.6 

30.7 

55.5 

86.2 

32.1 

(11.9)

(2.7)

(14.6)

(33.4) 

22.0 

(11.4)

– 

(4.3)
1.4 
0.9 

6.7 
23.5 
19.9%

– 

– 
– 
– 

(2.6)
50.2 

– 

(4.3)
1.4 
0.9 

4.1 
73.7 
22.2%

(0.3) 

17.5 
2.5 
(1.0) 

4.4 
21.8 
19.0%

– 

– 
– 
– 

2.5 
(0.2)

(0.3)

17.5 
2.5 
(1.0)

6.9 
21.6 
81.2%

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, subject to any tax legislation 
changes and the geographic mix of profits.  

The 2012 Budget on 21 March 2012 announced that the UK corporation tax rate will reduce to 22% by 2014. A reduction in the rate from 
26% to 25% (effective from 1 April 2012) was substantively enacted on 5 July 2011, and a further reduction to 24% (effective from 1 April 
2012) was substantively enacted on 30 March 2012. This will reduce the Group’s future tax charge accordingly. The deferred tax asset at 31 
March 2012 has been calculated based on the rate of 24% substantively enacted at the balance sheet date. It has not yet been possible to 
quantify the full anticipated effect of the announced further 2% rate reduction, although this will further reduce the Group’s future tax 
charge and reduce the Group’s deferred tax asset accordingly. 

 At 31 March 2012, the Group had unused tax losses of £200.0m (2011: £188.7m) potentially available for offset against future profits. 

72  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

8. Dividends 
An analysis of the dividends paid and proposed in respect of the years ended 31 March 2012 and 2011 is provided below: 

Interim 2012 
Final 2012 (proposed) 
Total for the year ended 31 March 2012 

Interim 2011 
Final 2011  
Total for the year ended 31 March 2011 

Pence  
per share 
0.90 
2.00 
2.90 

– 
1.60 
1.60 

Date paid/
payable 
Feb 2012 
Sept 2012 

– 
Sept 2011 

£m  
5.8 
13.0 
18.8 

– 
10.5 
10.5 

The Directors propose a final dividend of 2.00p (2011: 1.60p). The dividend, which is subject to shareholder approval, will be paid  
on 7 September 2012. The ex-dividend date is 8 August 2012 and the record date is 10 August 2012. 

9. Analysis of employee costs and numbers 
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, were: 

UK Services 
US Services 
Global Products  
Total 

Year end 31 March 

Monthly average 

2012 
Number 
5,157 
3,940 
1,083 
10,180 

20111 
Number 
5,337 
4,686 
1,185 
11,208 

2012 
Number 
5,170 
4,349 
1,118 
10,637 

20111
Number 
5,709 
5,025 
1,299 
12,033 

1  Restated to reflect the transfer of the Maritime and Transportation services business from Global Products to US Services and the Force Protection 

business from Global Products to UK Services at the beginning of the 2012 financial year. 

The aggregate payroll costs of these persons were as follows: 

all figures in £ million 
Wages and salaries  
Social security costs  
Pension costs  
Share-based payments costs 
Employee costs before UK restructuring costs 
UK restructuring costs 
Total employee costs 

Note 

29 

2012 
561.9 
41.5 
42.2 
4.2 
649.8 
– 
649.8 

2011 
635.7 
46.3 
47.3 
3.3 
732.6 
33.5 
766.1 

The 2011 UK restructuring costs relate to the restructuring of the UK business announced in May 2010. QinetiQ reached agreement with 
the UK MOD in March 2012 involving a payment to QinetiQ of £65.0m that was received after the year end in April 2012. The agreement 
involves the discharging of MOD from its accumulated liabilities for restructuring costs incurred in previous years, together with MOD 
agreement to changes in its Special Shareholder rights, and certain other operational issues.  

10. Directors and other senior management personnel 
The Directors and other senior management personnel of the Group during the year to 31 March 2012 comprise the Board of Directors  
and the QinetiQ Executive Team. Payments to Directors and the QinetiQ Executive Team are summarised below: 

all figures in £ million 
Short-term employee remuneration including benefits 
Post-employment benefits 
Share-based payments costs 
Total 

2012 
6.8 
0.2 
1.9 
8.9 

2011 
6.4 
0.2 
1.7 
8.3 

Short-term employee remuneration and benefits include salary, bonus, and benefits. Post-employment benefits relate to pension amounts. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   73 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

11. Earnings per share 
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to equity shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary 
shares in issue during the year. The weighted average number of shares used excludes those shares bought by the Group and held as own 
shares (see note 28). For diluted earnings per share the weighted average number of shares in issue is adjusted to assume conversion of all 
potentially dilutive ordinary shares arising from unvested share-based awards including share options. Underlying basic earnings per share 
figures are presented below, in addition to the basic and diluted earnings per share because the Directors consider this gives a more 
relevant indication of underlying business performance and reflects the adjustments to basic earnings per share for the impact of specific 
non-recurring items, amortisation of acquired intangible assets and tax thereon. 

For the year ended 31 March 
Basic EPS 
Profit attributable to equity shareholders 
Weighted average number of shares 
Basic EPS 

Diluted EPS 
Profit attributable to equity shareholders 
Weighted average number of shares 
Effect of dilutive securities 
Diluted number of shares 
Diluted EPS 

Underlying basic EPS 
Profit attributable to equity shareholders 
(Profit)/loss after tax in respect of acquisition amortisation and specific non-
recurring items  
Underlying profit after taxation 
Weighted average number of shares 
Underlying basic EPS 

Underlying diluted EPS 
Profit attributable to equity shareholders 
(Profit)/loss after tax in respect of acquisition amortisation and specific  
non-recurring items  
Underlying profit after taxation 
Weighted average number of shares 
Effect of dilutive securities 
Diluted number of shares 
Underlying diluted EPS 

2012 

2011 

£ million 
Million 
Pence 

£ million 
Million 
Million 
Million 
Pence 

257.9 
650.5 
39.6 

257.9 
650.5 
4.0 
654.5 
39.4 

£ million 

257.9 

£ million 
£ million 
Million 
Pence 

(163.1)
94.8 
650.5 
14.6 

£ million 

257.9 

£ million 
£ million 
Million 
Million 
Million 
Pence 

(163.1)
94.8 
650.5 
4.0 
654.5 
14.5 

5.0 
654.6 
0.8 

5.0 
654.6 
6.8 
661.4 
0.8 

5.0 

87.8 
92.8 
654.6 
14.2 

5.0 

87.8 
92.8 
654.6 
6.8 
661.4 
14.0 

74  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

12. Business combinations 
Acquisition of subsidiaries for the year ended 31 March 2012 
The Group has not entered into any business combinations for the year ended 31 March 2012. During the year the Group paid £0.9m in 
deferred consideration in respect of the prior year Sensoptics Limited acquisition.  

Acquisition of subsidiaries for the year ended 31 March 2011 
On 16 December 2010, the Group acquired 100% of the issued share capital of Sensoptics Limited from its founder management team.  
If the acquisition had been completed on the first day of the financial year, Group revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 would have 
been £1,705.0m and Group profit before tax would have been £27.3m.  

Acquisitions in the year to 31 March 2011 

Acquisition 
Sensoptics Limited 

Acquisition date 
16 December 2010 

Percentage 
share acquired 
% 
100% 

Cash 
consideration 
£million 
2.8 

Contribution post-acquisition 

Revenue 
£million 
0.7 

Operating profit 
£million 
0.2 

Set out below are the allocations of purchase consideration, assets and liabilities of the acquisition 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.  

Sensoptics Limited 
Acquisition in the year to 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Net assets acquired 
Goodwill 

Consideration satisfied by: 
Cash 
Deferred consideration 
Total consideration 

Book 
 value 
1.0 

Fair value 
adjustment 
2.9 

Fair value at 
acquisition 
3.9 
(0.2)
3.7 

2.8 
0.9 
3.7 

Sensoptics Limited is a designer of fibre-optic sensing hardware. It was acquired to combine its technology with QinetiQ’s OptaSense® 
signal processing capabilities. The OptaSense® solution provides cost-effective round-the-clock distributed acoustic monitoring over  
long distances. 

The intangible assets acquired as part of the business combination relate to the intellectual property embodied within Sensoptics Limited’s 
existing products and products under development. 

Total expected payments are in excess of the fair value of net assets acquired. Certain potential payments are, however, linked to 
continuing employment assumptions for the retained founder management team, which would be forfeited in full if they were to leave 
within the stipulated period. IFRS 3 (revised) requires this type of arrangement to be accounted for as remuneration expense as opposed  
to part of the consideration. As a result, the acquisition resulted in negative goodwill of £0.2m, which was recognised as a gain in the 
consolidated income statement within ‘gain/(loss) on business combinations and divestments and disposal of investments’. The discounted 
fair value of the deferred contingent purchase price payments treated as remuneration was £6.1m which was charged to the consolidated 
income statement within operating costs (significant non-recurring items). Acquisition-related costs, included in other operating costs 
excluding depreciation and amortisation, amount to £0.2m. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

13. Goodwill 
all figures in £ million 
Cost 
At 1 April  
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 
At 31 March  

Impairment 
At 1 April  
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 
At 31 March 
Net book value at 31 March 

2012 

2011 

566.2 
(3.0)
1.0 
564.2 

(45.1)
0.3 
(0.1)
(44.9)
519.3 

628.0 
(32.0)
(29.8)
566.2 

(50.2)
3.5 
1.6 
(45.1)
521.1 

Goodwill at 31 March 2012 was allocated across various CGUs, with significant CGUs in UK Services (two), Global Products (two) and  
US Services (one). In the prior year two CGUs in the US Services business were amalgamated into one to reflect the way in which these 
businesses are managed and operated.  

Goodwill is attributable to the excess of consideration over the fair value of net assets acquired and includes expected synergies, future 
growth prospects and employee knowledge, expertise and security clearances. The Group tests goodwill impairment for each CGU 
annually, or more frequently if there are indications that goodwill might be impaired.  

Key assumptions 
The value-in-use calculations use discounted future cash flows based on financial plans approved by the Board covering a two-year period. 
Cash flows for periods beyond this period are extrapolated based on the second year of the two-year plan, with a terminal growth-rate 
assumption applied.  

Terminal growth rates  
The specific plans for each of the CGUs have been extrapolated using a terminal growth rate of 2.0%-3.0% (2011: 2.0%-3.0%). Growth rates 
are based on management’s estimates which take into consideration the long-term nature of the industry in which the CGUs operate and 
external forecasts as to the likely growth of the industry in the longer term. 

Discount rates 
The Group’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC) was used as a basis in determining the discount rate to be applied adjusted for risks 
specific to the market characteristics of CGUs as appropriate on a pre-tax basis. The pre-tax discount rates applied for the two UK Services 
CGUs were 10.5% and 10.6%, for the US Services CGU it was 9.7%, and for the Global Products CGUs were 9.5% and 9.7%.  

Significant CGUs 
Sensitivity analysis shows that both the discount rate and growth rate assumptions are key variables that have an impact on the outcome 
of the recoverable amount.  

Within UK Services the individual CGUs have significant headroom. An increase in the WACC rate or a decrease in the terminal growth rate 
by 1% would not cause the net operating assets to exceed their recoverable amount. The carrying value of goodwill for the UK Services 
CGUs as at 31 March was £27.4m and £2.8m respectively. 

The US Services CGU has headroom, with current assumptions, of £84.4m. If the discount rate assumption were increased by 1% the CGU 
would require an impairment of £28.8m. Sensitivity analysis shows that a decrease or increase of 1% in the terminal growth rate could 
result in an impairment of £24.4m or headroom of £265.6m. The carrying value of goodwill for this CGU as at 31 March was £370.7m. 

The Technology Solutions CGU in the US has significant headroom. An increase in either the WACC rate or a 1% decrease in the terminal 
growth rate would not cause the net operating assets to exceed their recoverable amount. The carrying value of goodwill for this CGU as  
at 31 March was £112.8m. 

The Technology Solutions CGU in the UK has headroom, under current assumptions, of £18.1m. If the discount rate were to increase  
by 1%, or the terminal growth rate decrease by 1%, this would not cause the net operating assets to exceed their recoverable amount.  
The carrying value of goodwill for this CGU as at 31 March was £5.6m. 

The Directors have not identified any other likely changes in other significant assumptions between 31 March 2012 and the signing of the 
financial statements that would cause the carrying value of the recognised goodwill to exceed its recoverable amount. 

76  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

14. Intangible assets 
Year ended 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Cost 
At 1 April 2011 
Additions – internally developed 
Additions – purchased 
Disposals 
Disposals – recognised on divestments 
Transfers 
Foreign exchange 
At 31 March 2012  

Amortisation and impairment 
At 1 April 2011 
Amortisation charge for year 
Impairments 
Disposals 
Disposals – recognised on divestments 
Transfers 
Foreign exchange 
At 31 March 2012 
Net book value at 31 March 2012 

Acquired intangible assets 

Customer 
relationships 

Intellectual 
property 

Brand 
names 

Development 
costs 

Other 
intangible 
assets 

147.3 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
0.4 
147.7 

79.5 
12.9 
– 
– 
– 
– 
0.4 
92.8 
54.9 

55.3 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
(0.1)
55.2 

40.9 
5.7 
– 
– 
– 
– 
(0.1)
46.5 
8.7 

13.9 
– 
– 
– 
(4.2)
– 
(0.1)
9.6 

6.1 
1.7 
– 
– 
(1.8)
– 
– 
6.0 
3.6 

13.9 
0.3 
– 
– 
– 
0.2 
– 
14.4 

10.8 
2.3 
– 
– 
– 
0.2 
– 
13.3 
1.1 

36.8 
– 
0.4 
(0.4)
– 
(0.2)
– 
36.6 

26.7 
4.2 
2.5 
(0.1)
– 
(0.2)
– 
33.1 
3.5 

Total 

267.2 
0.3 
0.4 
(0.4)
(4.2)
– 
0.2 
263.5 

164.0 
26.8 
2.5 
(0.1)
(1.8)
– 
0.3 
191.7 
71.8 

Impairment of other intangible assets of £2.5m was incurred in the UK Services business segment and relates to certain software assets no 
longer being utilised. 

Year ended 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Cost 
At 1 April 2010 
Additions – internally developed 
Additions – purchased 
Additions – recognised on acquisitions  
Disposals 
Disposals – recognised on divestments 
Transfers 
Foreign exchange 
At 31 March 2011 

Amortisation and impairment 
At 1 April 2010 
Amortisation charge for year 
Disposals 
Disposals – recognised on divestments 
Transfers 
Foreign exchange 
At 31 March 2011 
Net book value at 31 March 2011 

Acquired intangible assets 
Intellectual 
property 

Customer 
relationships 

Brand 
names 

Development 
costs 

Other 
intangible 
assets 

160.6 
– 
– 
– 
– 
(6.2)
– 
(7.1)
147.3 

70.5 
16.2 
– 
(4.0)
– 
(3.2)
79.5 
67.8 

53.5 
– 
– 
4.0 
– 
– 
– 
(2.2)
55.3 

34.5 
7.9 
– 
– 
– 
(1.5)
40.9 
14.4 

14.7 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
(0.8)
13.9 

4.2 
2.2 
– 
– 
– 
(0.3)
6.1 
7.8 

13.4 
0.3 
– 
– 
– 
– 
0.2 
– 
13.9 

7.3 
2.2 
– 
– 
1.3 
– 
10.8 
3.1 

36.1 
– 
2.1 
– 
(1.2)
– 
0.1 
(0.3)
36.8 

20.1 
9.3 
(1.2)
– 
(1.2)
(0.3)
26.7 
10.1 

Total 

278.3 
0.3 
2.1 
4.0 
(1.2)
(6.2)
0.3 
(10.4)
267.2 

136.6 
37.8 
(1.2)
(4.0)
0.1 
(5.3)
164.0 
103.2 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   77 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

15. Property, plant and equipment 
Year ended 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Cost  
At 1 April 2011 
Additions 
Disposals 
Disposals – recognised on divestments 
Transfers 
Foreign exchange  
At 31 March 2012 

Depreciation 
At 1 April 2011 
Charge for year 
Impairment 
Disposals 
Disposals – recognised on divestments 
Transfers 
At 31 March 2012 
Net book value at 31 March 2012 

Land and 
buildings 

Plant, 
machinery 
and vehicles 

Computers  
and office 
equipment 

Assets under 
construction 

305.8 
0.5 
(0.4)
(0.1)
2.0 
– 
307.8 

110.3 
10.7 
1.9 
(0.4)
(0.1)
(0.8)
121.6 
186.2 

150.1 
2.8 
(3.9)
(1.0)
5.6 
– 
153.6 

112.2 
12.0 
0.8 
(3.5)
(0.6)
0.4 
121.3 
32.3 

48.2 
1.0 
(3.1) 
(0.4) 
2.8 
0.1 
48.6 

33.8 
5.5 
1.6 
(2.0) 
(0.4) 
0.4 
38.9 
9.7 

13.1 
17.7 
(2.0)
– 
(10.4)
– 
18.4 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
18.4 

Total 

517.2 
22.0 
(9.4)
(1.5)
– 
0.1 
528.4 

256.3 
28.2 
4.3 
(5.9)
(1.1)
– 
281.8 
246.6 

Impairment of land and buildings of £1.9m, expensed in the consolidated income statement as a specific non-recurring item, relates to 
vacant owned properties where there have been no external tenants following vacancies arising in the year. Plant, machinery and vehicles 
impairment of £0.8m and computer equipment impairment of £1.6m relate to the impairment of assets, in the UK Services business 
segment, that are no longer generating revenue.  

Year ended 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Cost  
At 1 April 2010 
Additions 
Disposals 
Transfers 
Transfer to assets held for sale 
Foreign exchange  
At 31 March 2011 

Depreciation 
At 1 April 2010 
Charge for year 
Impairment 
Impairment reversal 
Disposals 
Transfers 
Transfer to assets held for sale 
Foreign exchange  
At 31 March 2011 
Net book value at 31 March 2011 

Land and 
buildings 

Plant, 
machinery 
and vehicles 

Computers  
and office 
equipment 

Assets under 
construction 

304.6 
1.0 
(1.9)
3.6 
(0.9)
(0.6)
305.8 

95.6 
11.8 
5.8 
(1.1)
(1.5)
0.1 
– 
(0.4)
110.3 
195.5 

151.7 
2.8 
(7.8)
9.6 
(5.5)
(0.7)
150.1 

107.2 
15.3 
1.2 
– 
(7.1)
– 
(4.0)
(0.4)
112.2 
37.9 

58.8 
3.3 
(11.1) 
(1.9) 
– 
(0.9) 
48.2 

39.0 
6.5 
– 
– 
(10.9) 
(0.2) 
– 
(0.6) 
33.8 
14.4 

12.2 
12.7 
(0.2)
(11.6)
– 
– 
13.1 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
13.1 

Total 

527.3 
19.8 
(21.0)
(0.3)
(6.4)
(2.2)
517.2 

241.8 
33.6 
7.0 
(1.1)
(19.5)
(0.1)
(4.0)
(1.4)
256.3 
260.9 

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 31. 

78  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

16. Non-current investments 
As at 31 March  

all figures in £ million 
Non-current assets 
Current assets 

Current liabilities 
Non-current liabilities 

Net assets of joint ventures and associates 
Other non-current investments 
Total 

There were no material transactions with joint ventures and associates.  

2012 

2011 

 Joint venture 
and associates 
financial results 
1.7 
8.7 
10.4 
(5.2)
(1.0)
(6.2)
4.2 
– 
4.2 

Group net  
share of joint 
ventures and 
associates 
0.5 
2.8 
3.3 
(2.0) 
(0.3) 
(2.3) 
1.0 
4.8 
5.8 

 Joint venture 
and associates 
financial results 
1.5 
7.8 
9.3 
(4.7)
(0.4)
(5.1)
4.2 
– 
4.2 

Group net 
share of joint 
ventures and 
associates 
0.5 
2.5 
3.0 
(1.8)
(0.1)
(1.9)
1.1 
4.8   
5.9 

17. Deferred tax 
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset only where there is a legally enforceable right to do so and there is an intention to settle  
the balances net. 

Movements in the deferred tax assets and liabilities are shown below: 

Year ended 31 March 2012 
Deferred tax asset 

all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2011 
Created through income statement 
Created through equity 
Prior-year adjustment  
Foreign exchange 
Transfer to current tax 
Deferred tax impact of change in rates 
Gross deferred tax asset at 31 March 2012 
Less: liability available for offset  
Net deferred tax asset at 31 March 2012 

Deferred tax liability  
all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2011 
Created through the income statement 
Foreign exchange 
Transfer to current tax 
Gross deferred tax liability at 31 March 2012 
Less: asset available for offset  
Net deferred tax liability at 31 March 2012 

Pension 
liability  
32.4 
(48.7)
30.7 
– 
– 
– 
(1.1)
13.3 

Accelerated 
capital 
allowances 
0.6 
3.2 
– 
(0.5)
– 
0.1 
(0.3)
3.1 

Short-term 
timing 
differences 
37.6 
– 
– 
(1.1)
0.1 
(2.4)
– 
34.2 

Hedging 
0.1 
(0.2) 
0.1 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

Amortisation 
(36.9)
3.6 
(0.1)
(0.2)
(33.6)

Total 
70.7 
(45.7)
30.8 
(1.6)
0.1 
(2.3)
(1.4)
50.6 
(33.6)
17.0 

Total 
(36.9)
3.6 
(0.1)
(0.2)
(33.6)
33.6 
– 

At the balance sheet date the Group had unused tax losses of £200.0m (2011: £188.7m) potentially available for offset against future 
profits. No deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of this amount because of uncertainty over the timing of its utilisation.  
These losses can be carried forward indefinitely. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   79 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

17. Deferred tax continued 
Year ended 31 March 2011 
Deferred tax asset 

all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2010 
Created through income statement 
Created through equity 
Prior-year adjustment  
Foreign exchange 
Transfer to current tax 
Reclassification from deferred tax liability 
Deferred tax impact of change in rates 
Gross deferred tax asset at 31 March 2011 
Less: liability available for offset  
Net deferred tax asset at 31 March 2011 

Deferred tax liability 

all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2010 
Acquisition 
Created through the income statement 
Prior-year adjustment  
Foreign exchange 
Deferred tax impact of change in rates 
Transfer to deferred tax asset 
Gross deferred tax liability at 31 March 2011 
Less: asset available for offset  
Net deferred tax liability at 31 March 2011 

18. Inventories 
As at 31 March  
all figures in £ million 
Raw materials 
Work in progress 
Finished goods 

19. Current asset investments 
As at 31 March  
all figures in £ million 
Available for sale investment  

Pension 
liability  
41.2 
(7.6)
1.3 
– 
– 
– 
– 
(2.5)
32.4 

Accelerated 
capital 
allowances 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
0.6 
– 
0.6 

Short-term 
timing 
differences 
35.4 
4.5 
– 
(0.8)
(1.9)
0.4 
– 
– 
37.6 

Hedging 
3.7 
1.2 
(4.8) 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
0.1 

Accelerated 
capital 
allowances 
(14.7) 
– 
17.0 
(1.7) 
0.1 
(0.1) 
(0.6) 
– 

Amortisation 
(45.8)
(1.1)
4.2 
3.5 
2.2 
0.1 
– 
(36.9)

2012 
20.2 
1.2 
9.8 
31.2 

2012 
1.1 

Total 
80.3 
(1.9)
(3.5)
(0.8)
(1.9)
0.4 
0.6 
(2.5)
70.7 
(36.9)
33.8 

Total 
(60.5)
(1.1)
21.2 
1.8 
2.3 
– 
(0.6)
(36.9)
36.9 
– 

2011 
25.6 
2.8 
17.0 
45.4 

2011 
2.3 

At 31 March 2012 the Group held a 4.9% shareholding in pSivida Limited (31 March 2011: 4.9%), a company listed on NASDAQ and the 
Australian and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges. The investment is held at fair value of £1.1m (2011: £2.3m) using the closing share price at  
31 March 2012 of AUS$1.94 per share (31 March 2011: AUS$4.00 per share).  

80  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

20. Trade and other receivables 
As at 31 March  
all figures in £ million 
Trade receivables 
Amounts recoverable under contracts 
Other receivables 
Prepayments 

2012 
164.5 
141.6 
82.9 
15.8 
404.8 

2011 
189.8 
152.4 
31.5 
15.8 
389.5 

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 to the reporting date. Credit risk is limited as a result of the high percentage of revenue derived from UK  
and US defence and other government agencies. Accordingly, the Directors believe that no credit provision in excess of the allowance for 
doubtful debts is required. As at 31 March 2012 the Group carried a provision for doubtful debts of £4.0m (2011: £5.8m). Other receivables 
increased significantly from 2011 due to inclusion of a £78m receivable from MOD (gross of VAT) in respect of the recovery of prior year 
restructuring costs.  

Ageing of past due but not impaired receivables 
all figures in £ million 
Up to three months 
Over three months 

Movements on the doubtful debt provision 
all figures in £ million 
At 1 April  
Created 
Released 
Utilised 
At 31 March  

2012 
36.5 
4.1 
40.6 

2012 
5.8 
3.7 
(4.2)
(1.3)
4.0 

2011 
50.1 
2.4 
52.5 

2011 
8.8 
2.0 
(4.1)
(0.9)
5.8 

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. Assets classified as held for sale 
As at 31 March  
all figures in £ million 
Property, plant and equipment 
Total assets held for sale 

Various properties in the UK that are surplus to the Group’s requirements are being marketed for sale. 

22. Trade and other payables  
As at 31 March  
all figures in £ million 
Trade payables 
Other tax and social security 
Other payables 
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 

2012 
5.1 
5.1 

2011 
7.5 
7.5 

2012 
38.5 
48.2 
17.7 
394.3 
498.7 
20.3 
0.3 
20.6 
519.3 

2011 
37.5 
34.6 
24.5 
369.0 
465.6 
23.1 
0.7 
23.8 
489.4 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

23. Provisions  
Year ended 31 March 2012 
all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2011 
Created in year 
Released in year 
Unwind of discount 
Utilised in year 
At 31 March 2012 

Current liability 
Non-current liability  
At 31 March 2012  

Year ended 31 March 2011 
all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2010 
Created in year 
Released in year 
Unwind of discount 
Reclassification to other balance sheet accounts 
Utilised in year 
At 31 March 2011 

Current liability 
Non-current liability  
At 31 March 2011  

Restructuring 
10.0 
– 
(1.0) 
– 
(8.9) 
0.1 

0.1 
– 
0.1 

Restructuring 
9.6 
35.5 
(3.3) 
– 
– 
(31.8) 
10.0 

10.0 
– 
10.0 

Other1
23.0 
0.8 
(3.5)
1.0 
(4.8)
16.5 

3.3 
13.2 
16.5 

Other1
14.4 
11.5 
(2.2)
0.2 
1.1 
(2.0)
23.0 

10.4 
12.6 
23.0 

Total 
33.0 
0.8 
(4.5)
1.0 
(13.7)
16.6 

3.4 
13.2 
16.6 

Total 
24.0 
47.0 
(5.5)
0.2 
1.1 
(33.8)
33.0 

20.4 
12.6 
33.0 

1   Other provisions comprise environmental, property and other liabilities and are expected to be utilised within the next five years. 

82  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

24. Net debt 
As at 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Current financial assets/(liabilities) 
US$ private placement notes – 5.44% 
US$ private placement notes – 7.13% 
US$ private placement notes – 7.62% 
Bank overdraft 
Deferred financing costs 
Bank borrowings 
Derivative financial instruments 
Finance lease debtor/(creditor)  
Total current financial assets/(liabilities) 
Non-current assets/(liabilities) 
US$ private placement notes – 7.13% 
US$ private placement notes – 5.50% 
US$ private placement notes – 7.62% 
Deferred financing costs 
Bank borrowings 
Derivative financial instruments 
Finance lease debtor/(creditor) 
Total non-current financial assets/(liabilities) 
Cash  
Cash equivalents 
Total cash and cash equivalents 

Total net debt as defined by the Group 

Assets 

2012 
Liabilities 

Net 

Assets 

2011 
Liabilities 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
0.1 
2.3 
2.4 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
0.1 
6.8 
6.9 
46.2 
71.6 
117.8 

– 
(15.9)
(67.3)
– 
0.6 
(82.6)
(0.1)
(2.2)
(84.9)

(26.6)
(30.4)
(102.0)
1.0 
(158.0)
– 
(6.4)
(164.4)
– 
– 
– 

– 
(15.9)
(67.3)
– 
0.6 
(82.6)
– 
0.1 
(82.5)

(26.6)
(30.4)
(102.0)
1.0 
(158.0)
0.1 
0.4 
(157.5)
46.2 
71.6 
117.8 

(122.2)

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
3.0 
3.0 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
8.2 
8.2 
58.3 
44.2 
102.5 

(94.3)
– 
– 
(0.3)
0.6 
(94.0)
(0.4)
(2.8)
(97.2)

(39.6)
(78.9)
(152.7)
1.7 
(269.5)
– 
(7.9)
(277.4)
– 
– 
– 

Net 

(94.3)
– 
– 
(0.3)
0.6 
(94.0)
(0.4)
0.2 
(94.2)

(39.6)
(78.9)
(152.7)
1.7 
(269.5)
– 
0.3 
(269.2)
58.3 
44.2 
102.5 

(260.9)

At 31 March 2012 £5.2m (31 March 2011: £4.5m) of cash was held by the Group’s captive insurance subsidiary including £0.2m 
(2011: £0.3m) which was restricted in its use. 

All US$ private placement notes have been issued as fixed-rate bonds and have not been converted to floating-rate. Further analysis  
of the terms and maturity dates for financial liabilities are set out in note 26. In May 2011 the Group repaid the US$135m private 
placement originally maturing December 2013. In 2012 the Group elected to make early repayment of US$177m of private placement 
debt, which will complete after the year end. 

Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt 
all figures in £ million 
Increase in cash in the year 
Repayment of bank loans  
Proceeds from bank borrowings 
Repayment of US$ private placement notes 
Payment of bank loan arrangement fees 
Settlement of forward contracts 
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 
Finance lease receivables 
Finance lease payables 
Foreign exchange and other non-cash movements 
Movement in net debt in year 
Net debt at 31 March 2011 
Net debt at 31 March 2012 

2012 
15.2 
– 
– 
133.6 
– 
1.6 
2.8 
(3.0)
150.2 
(0.6)
0.9 
(0.8)
(11.0)
138.7 
(260.9)
(122.2)

2011 
42.9 
144.1 
(4.9)
– 
2.4 
– 
2.8 
(3.0)
184.3 
(1.7)
1.2 
(1.0)
13.7 
196.5 
(457.4)
(260.9)

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   83 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

24. Net debt continued 
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 

Less: unearned finance income 
Present value of minimum lease payments 

Minimum lease payments 

2012 

3.0 
7.5 
10.5 
(1.4)
9.1 

2011 

3.0 
10.5 
13.5 
(2.3) 
11.2 

Present value of minimum  
lease payments 
2012 

2011 

2.3 
6.8 
9.1 
– 
9.1 

3.0 
8.2 
11.2 
– 
11.2 

The Group leases out certain buildings under finance leases over a 12-year term that expires 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 

Less future finance charges 
Present value of minimum lease payments 
Classified as follows: 
Financial liability – current 
Financial liability – non-current 

Minimum lease payments 

2012 

2.8 
7.1 
9.9 
(1.2)
8.7 

2011 

2.8 
9.9 
12.7 
(2.0) 
10.7 

Present value of minimum  
lease payments 
2012 

2011 

2.2 
6.4 
8.6 
– 
8.6 

2.2 
6.4 
8.6 

2.8 
7.9 
10.7 
– 
10.7 

2.8 
7.9 
10.7 

The Group utilises certain buildings under finance leases. Average lease terms are typically between two and ten years (31 March 2011: 
between two and ten years). 

25. 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 sub-lease income statement expense – minimum lease payments 

The Group had the following total future minimum lease payment commitments: 

all figures in £ million 
Within one year 
In the second to fifth years inclusive 
Greater than five years 

2012 
7.1 
23.4 
1.6 
32.1 

2012 
22.1 

2012 
18.9 
67.8 
22.5 
109.2 

2011 
6.5 
24.0 
0.1 
30.6 

2011 
22.5 

2011 
15.2 
68.2 
32.2 
115.6 

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. 

84  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

26. Financial risk management 
The Group’s international operations and debt financing expose it to financial risks that include the effects of changes in foreign exchange 
rates, interest rates, credit risks and liquidity risks. 

Treasury and risk management policies, which are set by the Board, specify guidelines on financial risks and the use of financial instruments 
to manage risk. The instruments and techniques used to manage exposures include foreign currency derivatives and interest rate 
derivatives. Group treasury monitors financial risks and compliance with risk management policies. 

A) Fair values of financial instruments  
The fair value hierarchy is as follows: 

Level 1 – quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; 

Level 2 – inputs other than quoted prices including those within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly  
(as prices) or indirectly (derived from prices); and  

Level 3 – Inputs for the assets or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).  

The following table presents the Group’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value at 31 March 2012:  

all figures in £ million 
Assets 
Current other investments 
Current derivative financial instruments 
Non-current other investments 
Non-current derivative financial instruments 

Liabilities 
Current derivative financial instruments 
Total 

Note 

Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Total 

19 
24 
16 
24 

24 

1.1 
– 
– 
– 

– 
1.1 

– 
0.1 
– 
0.1 

(0.1) 
0.1 

– 
– 
4.8 
– 

– 
4.8 

1.1 
0.1 
4.8 
0.1 

(0.1)
6.0 

For cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables and bank and current borrowings, the fair value of the financial instruments 
approximate to their carrying value as a result of the short maturity periods of these financial instruments. For trade and other receivables, 
allowances are made within the carrying value for credit risk. For other financial instruments, the fair value is based on market value, 
where available. Where market values are not available, the fair values have been calculated by discounting cash flows to net present value 
using prevailing market-based interest rates translated at the year-end rates, except for unlisted fixed asset investments where fair value 
equals carrying value.  

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   85 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

26. Financial risk management continued 
All financial assets and liabilities have a fair value that is identical to book value at 31 March 2012 and 31 March 2011 except where  
noted below: 

As at 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Financial assets 
Non-current 
Finance leases  
Derivative financial instruments 
Other investments 
Current 
Finance leases 
Trade and other receivables 
Derivative financial instruments 
Current asset investments 
Cash and cash equivalents 

Financial liabilities 
Non-current 
Trade and other payables  
Bank and other borrowings 
Finance leases 
Current 
Trade and other payables 
Derivative financial instruments 
Finance leases 
Bank overdraft, finance cost and 
private placement 

Total 

Note 

Available 
for sale 

Loans and 
receivables 

Financial 
liabilities at 
amortised 
cost 

Derivatives 
used as 
hedges 

Total 
carrying 
value 

Total 
 fair
 value 

24 

16 

24 
20 

19 
24 

22 
24 
24 

22 
24 
24 

24 

– 
– 
4.8 

– 
– 
– 
1.1 
– 
5.9 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
5.9 

6.8 
– 
– 

2.3 
404.8 
– 
– 
117.8 
531.7 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
531.7 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

(20.6)
(158.0)
(6.4)

(498.7)
– 
(2.2)

(82.6)
(768.5)
(768.5)

– 
0.1 
– 

– 
– 
0.1 
– 
– 
0.2 

6.8 
0.1 
4.8 

2.3 
404.8 
0.1 
1.1 
117.8 
537.8 

– 
– 
– 

(20.6)
(158.0)
(6.4)

– 
(0.1) 
– 

(498.7)
(0.1)
(2.2)

– 
(0.1) 
0.1 

(82.6)
(768.6)
(230.8)

7.2 
0.1 
4.8 

3.0 
404.8 
0.1 
1.1 
117.8 
538.9 

(20.6)
(185.7)
(6.8)

(498.7)
(0.1)
(2.8)

(82.6)
(797.3)
(258.4)

86  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

As at 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Financial assets 
Non-current 
Finance leases  
Equity accounted investments 
Other investments 
Current 
Finance leases 
Trade and other receivables 
Current asset investments 
Cash and cash equivalents 

Financial liabilities 
Non-current 
Trade and other payables  
Bank and other borrowings 
Finance leases 
Current 
Trade and other payables 
Derivative financial instruments 
Finance leases 
Bank overdraft, finance cost and 
private placement 

Total 

Note 

Available 
for sale 

Loans and 
receivables 

Financial 
liabilities at 
amortised 
cost 

Derivatives 
used as 
hedges 

Total 
carrying 
value 

Total 
fair
 value 

24 
16 
16 

24 
20 
19 
24 

22 
24 
24 

22 
24 
24 

24 

– 
1.1 
4.8 

– 
– 
2.3 
– 
8.2 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
8.2 

8.2 
– 
– 

3.0 
389.5 
– 
102.5 
503.2 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
503.2 

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

(23.8)
(269.5)
(7.9)

(465.6)
– 
(2.8)

(94.0)
(863.6)
(863.6)

– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

– 
– 
– 

– 
(0.4) 
– 

– 
(0.4) 
(0.4) 

8.2 
1.1 
4.8 

3.0 
389.5 
2.3 
102.5 
511.4 

(23.8)
(269.5)
(7.9)

(465.6)
(0.4)
(2.8)

(94.0)
(864.0)
(352.6)

9.2 
1.1 
4.8 

3.0 
389.5 
2.3 
102.5 
512.4 

(23.8)
(298.5)
(8.6)

(465.6)
(0.4)
(2.8)

(94.0)
(893.7)
(381.3)

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

26. Financial risk management continued 
B) Interest rate risk 
The Group operates an interest rate policy designed to optimise interest costs and to reduce volatility in reported earnings. The Group’s 
current policy is to require rates to be fixed for 30-80% of the level of borrowings, which is achieved primarily through fixed-rate 
borrowings, and through the use of interest rate swaps. Where there are significant changes in the level and/or structure of debt, policy 
permits borrowings to be 100% fixed, with regular Board reviews of the appropriateness of this fixed percentage. At 31 March 2012 100%  
(2011: 99%) of the Group’s borrowings were at fixed rates with no adjustment for interest rate swaps. 

Financial assets/(liabilities) 
As at 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Sterling 
US dollar 
Euro 
Australian dollar 
Other 

As at 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Sterling 
US dollar 
Euro 
Australian dollar 
Other 

Fixed or 
capped 
9.1 
– 
– 
– 
– 
9.1 

Fixed or 
capped 
11.2 
– 
– 
– 
– 
11.2 

Financial asset 

Financial liability 

Floating 
95.2 
14.9 
0.2 
5.5 
2.0 
117.8 

Non-interest 
bearing 
4.9 
– 
– 
1.1 
– 
6.0 

Fixed or  
capped 
(8.6) 
(242.2) 
– 
– 
– 
(250.8) 

Floating 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

Non-interest 
bearing 
(0.1)
– 
– 
– 
– 
(0.1)

Financial asset 

Financial liability 

Floating 
80.8 
15.1 
1.7 
4.7 
0.2 
102.5 

Non-interest 
bearing 
4.8 
– 
– 
2.3 
– 
7.1 

Fixed or  
capped 
(10.7) 
(365.5) 
– 
– 
– 
(376.2) 

Floating 
(0.3)
– 
– 
– 
– 
(0.3)

Non-interest 
bearing 
(0.4)
– 
– 
– 
– 
(0.4)

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 and deferred finance costs are excluded from this analysis.  

For the fixed or capped-rate financial assets and liabilities, the average interest rates (including the relevant marginal cost of borrowing) 
and the average period for which the rates are fixed are: 

Financial assets: 
Sterling 
Financial liabilities: 
Sterling 
US dollar 
Total financial liabilities 

2012 
Weighted 
average 
interest rate 
% 

Weighted 
average years 
to maturity 

13.4 

12.1 
7.2 
6.7 

3.5 

3.5 
4.3 
4.3 

Fixed or 
capped 
£m 

9.1 

(8.6)
(242.2)
(250.8)

2011 
Weighted 
average 
interest rate 
% 

Weighted 
average years 
to maturity 

13.4 

12.1 
6.6 
6.7 

4.5 

4.5 
5.2 
5.1 

Fixed or 
 capped  
£m 

11.2 

(10.7) 
(365.5) 
(376.2) 

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 
The Group private placement borrowings are fixed-rate, while the revolving credit facility is floating-rate and undrawn as at 31 March 
2012. The notional principal amount of the outstanding interest rate swap contracts at 31 March 2012 was £nil.  

88  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

C) Currency risk 
Transactional currency exposure 
The Group is exposed to foreign currency risks arising from sales or purchases by businesses in currencies other than their functional 
currency. It is Group policy that when such a sale or purchase is certain, the net foreign exchange exposure is hedged using forward  
foreign exchange contracts. Hedge accounting documentation and effectiveness testing are undertaken for all the Group’s transactional 
hedge contracts. 

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. 

Functional currency of the operating company 

all figures in £ millions 
31 March 2012 – sterling 
31 March 2011 – sterling 

US$ 
13.4 
15.5 

Net foreign currency monetary assets/(liabilities) 
Other 
2.2 
1.1 

AUS$ 
6.6 
6.4 

Euro 
1.7 
(2.7)

Total 
23.9 
20.3 

The amounts shown in the table take into account the effect of the forward contracts entered into to manage these currency exposures.  

The Group enters into forward foreign currency contracts to hedge the currency exposures that arise on sales and purchases denominated 
in foreign currencies, as the transaction occurs. The principal contract amounts of the outstanding forward currency contracts as at  
31 March 2012 against sterling are net US Dollars sold £6.5m (US$10.4m) and net Euros sold £10.0m (€12m). 

Translational currency exposure 
The Group has significant investments in overseas operations, particularly in the United States. As a result, the sterling value of the Group’s 
balance sheet can be significantly affected by movement in exchange rates. The Group seeks to mitigate the effect of these translational 
exposures by matching the net investment in overseas operations with borrowings denominated in their functional currencies unless the 
cost of such hedging activity is uneconomic. This is achieved by borrowing in the local currency or, in some cases, indirectly through the use 
of forward foreign exchange contracts. 

D) Financial credit risk 
The Group is exposed to credit-related losses in the event of non-performance by counterparties to financial instruments, but does not 
currently expect any counterparties to fail to meet their obligations. Credit risk is mitigated by Board-approved policy of only selecting 
counterparties with a strong investment grade long-term credit rating for cash deposits, normally at least AA- or equivalent. In the normal 
course of business, the Group operates notional cash pooling systems, where a legal right of set-off applies. 

The maximum credit-risk exposure in the event of other parties failing to perform their obligations under financial assets, excluding  
trade and other receivables, totals £133.0m (2011: £121.9m). The Group held cash and cash equivalents of £117.8m at 31 March 2012 
(2011: £102.5m), which represents the maximum credit exposure on these assets. The cash and cash equivalents were held with different 
financial institutions which were rated AA- or better. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   89 

 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

26. Financial risk management continued 
E) Liquidity risk 
Borrowing facilities 
As at 31 March 2012, the Group had a Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) of US$250m and £118m (2011: US$250 and £118m).  
The RCF is contracted until 2016 and is utilised as shown in the table below: 

Committed facilities 31 March 2012 
Freely available cash and cash equivalents 
Available funds 31 March 2012 

Committed facilities 31 March 2011 
Freely available cash and cash equivalents 
Available funds 31 March 2011 

Interest rate: 
LIBOR plus 
1.20% 

Total  
£m 
274.2 

Drawn 
£m 
– 

1.45% 

274.2 

– 

Undrawn 
£m 
274.2 
112.6 
386.8 

274.2 
98.0 
372.2 

Gross contractual cash-flows for borrowings and other financial liabilities 
The following are the contractual maturities of financial liabilities, including interest payments. The cash flows associated with derivatives 
that are cash flow hedges are expected to have an impact on profit or loss in the periods shown. 

As at 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Non-derivative financial liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
US private placement debt 
Recapitalisation fee 
Finance leases 
Derivative financial liabilities 
Forward foreign currency contracts –  
cash flow hedges 

As at 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Non-derivative financial liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Bank overdrafts 
US private placement debt 
Recapitalisation fee 
Finance leases 
Derivative financial liabilities 
Forward foreign currency contracts –  
cash flow hedges 

Book value 

Contractual 
cash flows 

1 year or less 

1-2 years 

3-5 years 

(519.3)
(242.2)
1.6 
(8.6)

(519.3)
(310.9)
– 
(9.8)

(498.7)
(95.3)
– 
(2.8)

(0.1)
(768.6)

(0.1)
(840.1)

(0.1)
(596.9)

(20.6) 
(11.1) 
– 
(2.8) 

– 
(34.5) 

– 
(87.8)
– 
(4.2)

– 
(92.0)

Book value 

Contractual 
cash flows 

1 year or less 

1-2 years 

3-5 years 

(489.4)
(0.3)
(365.5)
2.3 
(10.7)

(489.4)
(0.3)
(494.5)
– 
(12.6)

(465.6)
(0.3)
(113.3)
– 
(2.8)

(23.8) 
– 
(18.4) 
– 
(2.8) 

– 
– 
(94.6)
– 
(7.0)

More than 
5 years 

– 
(116.7)
– 
– 

– 
(116.7)

More than 
5 years 

– 
– 
(268.2)
– 
– 

(0.4)
(864.0)

(0.4)
(997.2)

(0.4)
(582.4)

– 
(45.0) 

– 
(101.6)

– 
(268.2)

90  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

F) Derivative financial instruments 
As at 31 March  

all figures in £ million 
Forward foreign currency contracts –  
cash flow hedges 
Derivative assets/(liabilities) at the end  
of the year 

As at 31 March 

all figures in £ million 
Expected to be recognised: 
In one year or less 
Between one and two years 

G) Maturity of financial liabilities 
As at 31 March 2012 

Asset gains 

2012 
Liability losses 

Net  

Asset gains 

2011 
Liability losses 

0.2 

0.2 

(0.1)

(0.1)

0.1

0.1

– 

– 

(0.4)

(0.4)

Asset gains 

2012 
Liability losses 

Net 

Asset gains 

2011 
Liability losses 

0.1 
0.1 
0.2 

(0.1)
– 
(0.1)

– 
0.1 
0.1 

– 
– 
– 

(0.4)
– 
(0.4)

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 

As at 31 March 2011 

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 

Trade and 
other 
payables 
498.7 
20.6 
– 
– 
519.3 

Bank 
borrowings  
and loan notes  
82.6 
(0.6) 
56.5 
102.1 
240.6 

 Finance leases 
and derivative 
financial 
instruments 
2.3 
2.0 
4.4 
– 
8.7 

Trade and 
other 
payables 
465.6 
23.8 
– 
– 
489.4 

Bank 
borrowings  
and loan notes  
94.0 
(0.6) 
38.5 
231.6 
363.5 

 Finance leases 
and derivative 
financial 
instruments 
3.2 
1.9 
5.5 
0.5 
11.1 

Net 

(0.4)

(0.4)

Net 

(0.4)
– 
(0.4)

Total 
583.6 
22.0 
60.9 
102.1 
768.6 

Total 
562.8 
25.1 
44.0 
232.1 
864.0 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   91 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

26. Financial risk management continued 
H) Sensitivity analysis 
The Group’s sensitivity to changes in foreign exchange rates and interest rates on financial assets and liabilities as at 31 March 2012 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. Sensitivity on Group assets other than 
financial assets and liabilities is not included in this analysis. 

The amounts generated from the sensitivity analysis are forward-looking estimates of market risk assuming that certain market conditions 
occur. Actual results in the future may differ materially from those projected as a result of developments in the global financial markets 
that may cause fluctuations in interest and exchange rates to vary from the hypothetical amounts disclosed in the table below, which 
should not, therefore, be considered to be 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 2012, with all other 
variables remaining constant. The estimated changes for foreign exchange rates are based on an instantaneous 10% weakening or 
strengthening in sterling against all other currencies from the levels applicable at 31 March 2012, with all other variables remaining 
constant. Such analysis is for illustrative purposes only – in practice market rates rarely change in isolation. The figures shown below  
relate primarily to the translational impact on the Group’s US$ debt. This debt is held in the US so there is no transactional impact.  
The impact of transactional risk on the Group’s monetary assets/liabilities that are not held in the functional currency of the entity  
holding those assets/liabilities is minimal. A 10% weakening in sterling would result in a £1.7m increase in profit before tax. 

1% decrease in interest rates 

10% weakening in sterling 

Equity 
– 
– 
– 

Profit  
before tax 
(0.7) 
– 
(0.1) 

Equity 
– 
(25.3)
1.0 

Profit 
before tax 
– 
(2.0)
– 

1% increase in interest rates 

10% strengthening in sterling 

Equity 
– 
– 
– 

Profit  
before tax 
1.0 
0.1 
0.1 

Equity 
– 
20.7 
(1.0)

Profit 
before tax 
– 
1.6 
– 

1% decrease in interest rates 

10% weakening in sterling 

Equity 
– 
– 
– 

Profit  
before tax 
(0.6) 
– 
(0.1) 

Equity 
– 
(38.9)
1.0 

Profit 
before tax 
– 
(3.0)
– 

1% increase in interest rates 

10% strengthening in sterling 

Equity 
– 
– 
– 

Profit  
before tax 
0.8 
0.2 
0.1 

Equity 
– 
31.8 
(1.0)

Profit 
before tax 
– 
2.2 
– 

As at 31 March 2012 

all figures in £ million 
Sterling 
US Dollar 
Other 

all figures in £ million 
Sterling 
US Dollar 
Other 

As at 31 March 2011 

all figures in £ million 
Sterling 
US Dollar 
Other 

all figures in £ million 
Sterling 
US Dollar 
Other 

92  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

27. Cash flows from operations 
For the year ended 31 March  
all figures in £ million 
Profit after tax for the period 
Adjustments for: 
Taxation expense 
Net finance costs 
Gain on business combinations and divestments and disposal of investments 
Amortisation of purchased or internally developed intangible assets 
Amortisation of intangible assets arising from acquisitions and impairments 
Depreciation and impairment of property, plant and equipment 
(Gain)/loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment 
Share of post-tax profit of equity accounted entities 
Share-based payments charge 
(Gain)/loss in respect of previously capitalised DTR-programme bid costs 
Changes in retirement benefit obligations 
Pension curtailment gain 
Pension past service (gain)/loss 
Net movement in provisions 

Decrease/(increase) in inventories 
Decrease in receivables 
Increase in payables 
Changes in working capital 
Cash generated from operations  
Add back: cash outflow relating to UK restructuring 
Net cash flow from operations before UK restructuring costs 

2012 
257.9 

73.7 
43.0 
(11.6)
9.0 
20.3 
32.5 
(5.8)
(0.1)
4.2 
(4.1)
(62.4)
(1.1)
(141.4)
(15.8)
198.3 
12.1 
1.2 
30.3 
43.6 
241.9 
8.9 
250.8 

2011 
5.0 

21.6 
30.8 
(2.7)
11.5 
26.3 
39.5 
1.0 
(0.2)
3.3 
23.8 
(13.7)
(4.9)
0.3 
9.0 
150.6 
(5.1)
45.6 
64.7 
105.2 
255.8 
31.8 
287.6 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   93 

 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

28. Share capital and other reserves 
Shares allotted, called up and fully paid: 

At 1 April 2010 
Issued in the year 
At 31 March 2011 
Issued in the year 
At 31 March 2012 

£ 

Ordinary shares of 1p each (equity)
Number 
6,604,764  660,476,373 
– 
6,604,764  660,476,373 
– 
6,604,764  660,476,373 

– 

– 

Special Share of £1  
(non-equity) 

£ 
1 
– 
1 
– 
1 

Number 
1 
– 
1 
– 
1 

Total 
£ 

Number 
6,604,765  660,476,374 
– 
660,476,374 
– 
6,604,765  660,476,374 

– 
6,604,765 
– 

Except as noted below all shares in issue at 31 March 2012 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 interests 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 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 31 for further details). 

The Special Share may only be issued to, held by and transferred to H.M. 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. 

Changes to the Special Share 
As announced on 30 March 2012, QinetiQ has obtained MOD consent to changes in its Special Shareholder rights, which are subject to 
shareholder approval at the 2012 AGM. These changes include the removal of the MOD’s right to veto any transaction or activity and the 
introduction of a less onerous compliance system similar to those of comparable companies. If approved, the rights detailed in paragraphs 
(b) to (e) detailed above will be amended as follows: 

b)  to refer matters to the Board for its consideration in relation to the application of the Compliance Principles; 
c)  to require the Board to obtain the Special Shareholder’s consent: 

i) 

ii) 

if at any time when the chairman is not a British Citizen, it is proposed to appoint any person to the office of chief executive,  
who is not a British Citizen; and 
if at any time when the chief executive is not a British Citizen, it is proposed to appoint any person to the office of chairman,  
who is not a British Citizen. 

94  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

d)  to require the Board to take action to 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 interests of the United Kingdom; 

e)  deleted. 

Other reserves 
The translation reserve includes the cumulative foreign exchange difference arising on translation since the Group transitioned to IFRS. 
Movements on hedge instruments, where the hedge is effective, are recorded in the hedge reserve until the hedge ceases. 

The capital redemption reserve, which was created following the redemption of preference share capital and the bonus issue of shares, 
cannot be distributed. 

Own shares 
Own shares represent shares in the Company that are held by independent trusts and include treasury shares and shares held by the 
employee share ownership plan. Included in retained earnings at 31 March 2012 are 12,819,460 shares (2011: 5,494,001 shares). 

29. 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 
£4.2m of which £3.7m related to equity settled schemes and £0.5m related to cash settled schemes (year to 31 March 2011: £3.3m,  
all equity settled schemes).  

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 
Exercised during year  
Forfeited during year  
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 

2011 

Weighted 
average  
exercise price 
2.3p 
2.3p 
2.3p 
2.3p 

Weighted 
average 
exercise price 
2.3p 
2.3p 
2.3p 
2.3p 

Number 
714,840 
(59,570)
(110,630)
544,640 

Number 
544,640 
(40,848)
(42,550)
461,242 

The 2003 ESOS are equity-settled awards; those outstanding at 31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of 1.3 years (31 March 2011: 
2.3 years). In respect of the share options exercised during the year, the average share price on the date of exercise was 125.4p. The 
exercise price of the outstanding options was 2.3p. Of the outstanding awards at the year end 461,242 were exercisable (2011: 544,640). 

QinetiQ Share Option Scheme (QSOS)  
No new options were granted during the year under the QSOS. All outstanding share options vested and were forfeited during the year. 
The exercise price of QSOS options was equal to the average market price of the Group’s shares at the date of the grant. For 2011, the 
vesting of options outstanding at the end of the year depended on the growth of earnings per share (EPS) over the measurement period; 
25% of options would vest if underlying EPS growth were 22.5% for the period and 100% would vest if growth were at least 52%. No 
options would vest if EPS growth were below 22.5%. Options would vest on a straight-line basis if EPS growth were between 22.5% and 
52%. None of the performance conditions were met. 

Outstanding at start of year 
Forfeited during year 
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 

2011 

Number 
3,349,939 
(3,349,939)
– 

Weighted 
average  
exercise price 
198.7p 
198.7p 
– 

Weighted 
average 
exercise price 
186.2p 
179.1p 
198.7p 

Number 
9,136,756 
(5,786,817)
3,349,939 

QSOS grants are equity-settled awards and those outstanding at 31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of nil years (2011: 0.4 years). 
There were no QSOS awards in 2012 (2011: nil). Of the options outstanding at the end of the year nil were exercisable (2011: nil).  

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   95 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

29. Share-based payments continued 

Performance Share Plan (PSP)  
In the year, the Group made awards of conditional shares to certain UK senior executives under the Performance Share Plan. The awards 
vest after three years with 50% of the awards subject to total shareholder return conditions and 50% subject to EPS conditions as detailed 
in the QSOS TSR and EPS conditions above.  

Outstanding at start of year 
Granted during year 
Forfeited/lapsed during year 
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 
Number 
of shares 
3,438,612 
1,240,500 
(994,626)
3,684,486 

2011
Number 
of shares 
3,686,623 
943,500 
(1,191,511)
3,438,612 

PSP awards are equity-settled awards and those outstanding at 31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of 1.1 years (2011: 1.7 years). 
There is no exercise price for these PSP awards. Monte Carlo modelling was used to fair value the TSR element of the awards at grant date. 
Assumptions used in the models included 34% (2011: 35%) for the average share price volatility to the FTSE comparator group and 36% 
(2011: 40%) for the average correlation to the comparator group. The weighted average fair value of grants made during the year was 
£0.88 (2011: £1.01). Of the options outstanding at the end of the year nil were exercisable (2011: nil). 

Restricted Stock Units (RSU)  
In the year the Group granted RSU awards to certain senior US employees under the RSU plan. The awards vest over one, two, three and 
four years. Of the awards granted before 2012 half are dependent on achieving QNA organic profit growth targets and half on a time-based 
criterion. The time-based criterion requires the employee to have been in continual service up to the date of vesting. QNA organic profit 
growth is measured over the most recent financial year compared with the previous financial year, with 125% of this element awarded at  
a QNA organic profit-growth rate above 15%, 100% awarded at 12.5%, 75% awarded at 10% and 25% awarded at 5%. The 2012 grants are 
entirely dependent on achieving QNA organic profit-growth targets. 

Outstanding at start of year 
Granted during year 
Exercised during year 
Forfeited/lapsed during year 
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 
Number of 
shares 
7,936,513 
1,651,250 
(2,478,688)
(1,650,549)
5,458,526 

2011
Number of 
shares 
7,321,228 
4,315,625 
(869,663)
(2,830,677)
7,936,513 

RSUs are equity-settled awards; those outstanding at 31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of 1.3 years (2011: 1.5 years). There  
is no exercise price for these RSU awards. The weighted average fair value of grants made during the year was £1.10 (2011: £1.25). Of the 
awards outstanding at the end of the year 20,724 were exercisable (2011: 7,845). 

Value Sharing Plan (VSP)  
In the year, the Group granted VSP awards to certain senior UK employees under the VSP Plan. The awards vest over a three-year 
performance period: 50% (2011: 70%) of the awards are dependent on creating additional shareholder value, measured as net cash returns 
to investors and the increase in PBT over an 8.5% hurdle; 50% (2011: 30%) of the awards are dependent on total shareholder return (TSR) 
against a comparator group of FTSE 250 listed companies (less investment trusts) over a three-year performance period. Half the awards 
vest three years from the date of grant, the remaining half of the awards vest four years from the date of grant. Further details of the 
vesting conditions of the scheme are in the Remuneration Report on page 47.  

Outstanding at start of year 
Granted during year 
Forfeited during year 
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 
Number of 
shares 
6,287,640 
5,361,300 
(543,600)
11,105,340 

2011
Number of 
shares 
– 
6,287,640 
– 
6,287,640 

VSP awards are equity-settled awards; those outstanding at 31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of 1.7 years (2011: 2.5 years). 
There is no exercise price for these VSP awards. Monte Carlo modelling was used to fair value the TSR element of the awards at grant date. 
Assumptions used in the models included 34% (2011: 34%) for the average share price volatility to the FTSE comparator group and 49% 
(2011: 50%) for the average correlation to the comparator group. The weighted average fair value of grants made during the year was 
£0.72 (2011: £0.95). Of the awards outstanding at the end of the year nil were exercisable (2011: nil). 

96  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

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. There is no 
exercise price for these SIP awards. 

Outstanding at start of year 
Awarded during year 
Exercised during year 
Forfeited during year 
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 
Number of 
matching 
 shares 
1,382,025 
358,350 
(331,536)
(89,371)
1,319,468 

2011
Number of 
matching 
shares 
1,339,543 
511,825 
(414,487)
(54,856)
1,382,025 

SIP matching shares are equity-settled awards; those outstanding at 31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of 1.5 years  
(2011: 1.5 years). There is no exercise price for these SIP awards. Of the shares outstanding at the end of the year nil were exercisable 
(2011: nil). 

Group Deferred Annual Bonus Plan (DAB) 
Under the QinetiQ Deferred Annual Bonus Plan the Group requires certain senior executives to defer part of their annual bonus as shares 
and be entitled to matching awards to a maximum of 1:1 based on EPS performance. The number that will vest is dependent on the growth 
of EPS over the measurement period of three years as detailed in the QSOS EPS conditions above. No awards will vest if EPS growth in the 
vesting period is below 22.5%. 

Outstanding at start of year 
Granted during year  
Exercised during year 
Forfeited during year 
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 
Number of 
matching 
 shares 
6,859 
480,922 
– 
(39,099)
448,682 

2011
Number of 
matching 
shares 
11,988 
– 
(2,052)
(3,077)
6,859 

DAB matching shares are equity-settled awards; those outstanding at 31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of 2.2 years (2011: 1.2 
years). There is no exercise price for these DAB awards. Of the shares outstanding at the end of the year nil were exercisable (2011: nil). 

Cash Alternative Units (CAU)  
In the year, the Group granted CAU awards to certain US employees. 

Outstanding at start of year 
Awarded during year 
Forfeited during year 
Outstanding at end of year 

2012 
Number of 
shares 
– 
1,321,000 
(12,000)
1,309,000 

2011
Number of 
shares 
– 
– 
– 
– 

CAUs are cash-settled awards which vest over one, two, three and four years from the date of grant. The CAUs have no performance 
criteria attached, other than the requirement that the employee remains in employment with the Group. Those awards outstanding at  
31 March 2012 had an average remaining life of 1.8 years. There is no exercise price for these awards. The fair value of the grants at  
31 March 2012 was £1.59 being the Group’s closing share price on that day. The carrying amount of the liability of the grants at the balance  
sheet date was £0.5m. No CAUs expired during the year and none were exercisable. 

Share-based award pricing – other 
Share-based awards that vest based on non-market performance conditions, including certain PSP, RSUs and Deferred Annual Bonus 
awards, have been valued at the share price at grant, less attrition. 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 before the issue of the share options. Before the IPO in February 2006, there was no active market for the 
Company’s shares and expected volatility was, therefore, determined using the average volatility for a comparable selection of businesses. 
Since the Group had no established pattern of dividend payments at this time, no dividends were assumed in this model. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   97 

 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

30. Post-retirement benefits 
The QinetiQ Pension Scheme 
In the UK the Group operates the QinetiQ Pension Scheme for the majority of its UK employees. 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 which are part of the Public Sector Transfer Club. 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 Company closed the DC section from 31 March 2011 and 
replaced it with a Group Personal Pension Plan (GPP), a new defined contribution scheme managed by Zurich. All existing DC members 
have been automatically transferred to the GPP Plan. The DC Section will be wound up by the Trustees in due course. The expected 
employer cash contribution to the defined benefit scheme for the year ending 31 March 2013 is £19.7m (2012: £83.2m). There were  
no outstanding contributions at the balance sheet date (March 2011: £nil).  

Triennial funding valuation 
The most recent full actuarial valuation of the defined benefit section of the QinetiQ Pension Scheme was undertaken as at 30 June 2011 
and resulted in an actuarially assessed deficit of £74.7m. On the basis of this full valuation, the Trustees of the scheme and the Company 
agreed the employer contribution rate of 12.7% from 30 June 2011, past service deficit recovery payments of £10.5m a year for a six-year 
period from 1 April 2012 and an immediate one-off contribution of £40m into the scheme. As part of a package of measures to provide 
stability to the scheme, the Company has also contributed an asset in the form of an interest through a Scottish limited partnership (see 
below) in a future income stream of approximately £2.5m per annum, increasing in line with the Consumer Price Index, for 20 years 
secured on certain properties owned by the Group.  

Finally, subsequent to ratification by a court ruling, the Company and Trustees also agreed the key provision that the Trustees will select 
the Consumer Price Index rather than the Retail Price Index as the relevant index for the increase of pensions in payment in respect of 
service before 1 June 2008 and for the revaluation of preserved benefits. Prior to the court ruling the Retail Price Index had always been 
used as the relevant index. This change results in a one-off past service credit of £141.4m. The next scheduled triennial valuation will be 
performed as at 30 June 2014. 

QinetiQ’s Pension Funding Partnership Structure 
Following the 30 June 2011 valuation, a package of pension changes has been agreed with the Trustees to provide stability to the scheme. 
As part of the package of proposals, on 26 March 2012 QinetiQ established the QinetiQ PFP Limited Partnership (the ‘Partnership’) with the 
scheme. Under this arrangement, properties to the capitalised value of £32.3m were transferred to the Partnership. The transfers were 
effected through a 20-year sale and leaseback agreement. The scheme’s interest in the Partnership entitles it to an annual distribution of 
approximately £2.5m for 20 years; indexed with reference to CPI. These contributions will replace part of the regular contributions made 
under the past deficit recovery payments plan. The scheme’s interest in the Partnership will revert back to QinetiQ Limited in 2032. 

The Partnership is controlled by QinetiQ and its results are consolidated by the Group. Under IAS 19, the interest held by the scheme  
in the Partnership does not qualify as a plan asset for the purposes of the Group’s consolidated financial statements and is therefore not 
included within the fair value of plan assets. As a result, the Group’s consolidated financial statements are unchanged by the Partnership. 
In addition, the value of the property transferred to the Partnership and leased back to QinetiQ remains on the balance sheet. QinetiQ 
retains the operational flexibility to substitute properties of equivalent value within the Partnership and has the option to settle 
outstanding amounts due under the interest before 2032 if it so chooses. 

Other UK schemes  
In the UK the Group has a small number of employees for whom benefits are secured through the Prudential Platinum Scheme. The net 
pension deficits of this scheme at 31 March 2012 amounted to £nil (31 March 2011: £nil). QinetiQ also offers employees access to a Group 
Self Invested Personal Pension Plan, but no Company contributions are paid to this arrangement. 

98  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

The fair value of the scheme’s 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 scheme’s liabilities, which are derived from cash flow projections over long periods, 
and thus inherently uncertain, were: 

2012 
583.2 
194.6 
183.5 
82.4 
64.2 
1,107.9 
(1,139.4)
(31.5)
13.3 
(18.2)

2011 
564.1 
158.7 
165.3 
78.0 
15.0 
981.1 
(1,105.7) 
(124.6) 
32.4 
(92.2) 

all figures in £ million 
Equities 
Corporate bonds 
Government bonds 
Property 
Other 
Total market value of assets 
Present value of scheme liabilities 
Net pension liability before deferred tax 
Deferred tax asset 
Net pension liability 

Changes to the fair value of scheme assets 
all figures in £ million 
Opening fair value of scheme assets 
Expected return on assets 
Actuarial gain/(loss) on scheme assets 
Contributions by the employer 
Contributions by plan participants 
Net benefits paid out and transfers 
Closing fair value of scheme assets 

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 loss/(gain) on scheme liabilities 
Curtailment gain 
Past service (gain)/cost 
Net benefits paid out and transfers 
Closing defined benefit obligation 

Total income/expense recognised in the income statement 
all figures in £ million 
Pension costs charged to the income statement: 
Current service cost 
Past service (gain)/cost 
Interest cost 
Expected return on plan assets 
Curtailment gain 
Total (income)/expense recognised in the income statement (gross of deferred tax) 

Analysis of amounts recognised in statement of comprehensive income  
all figures in £ million 
Total actuarial 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 gains/(losses) on scheme assets 
Experience gains/(losses) on scheme liabilities 

*Experience gains and losses exclude the impact of changes in assumptions. 

2010 
714.6 
69.5 
69.6 
53.4 
8.8 
915.9 
(1,063.2)
(147.3)
41.2 
(106.1)

2012 
981.1 
67.6 
2.9 
83.2 
0.1 
(27.0)
1,107.9 

2012 
1,105.7 
20.8 
61.2 
0.1 
121.1 
(1.1)
(141.4)
(27.0)
1,139.4 

2009 
473.7 
78.4 
83.2 
– 
12.1 
647.4 
(752.6)
(105.2)
29.4 
(75.8)

2011 
915.9 
68.6 
(14.0)
36.6 
0.2 
(26.2)
981.1 

2011 
1,063.2 
22.9 
59.5 
0.2 
(9.3)
(4.9)
0.3 
(26.2)
1,105.7 

2012 

2011 

20.8 
(141.4)
61.2 
(67.6)
(1.1)
(128.1)

2010 
(60.2)

22.9 
0.3 
59.5 
(68.6)
(4.9)
9.2 

2009 
(95.7)

2012 
(118.2)

2011 
(4.7) 

(376.3)

(258.1) 

(253.4)

(193.2)

2.9 
10.8 

(14.0) 
32.0 

206.6 
(2.9)

(212.8)
37.1 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   99 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

30. 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  
Discount rate applied to scheme liabilities 
RPI inflation assumption 
CPI 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) 

2012 
3.6%
3.6%
4.8%
3.4%
2.6%

88 
90 
90 
92 

2011 
4.6%
3.6%
5.6%
3.6%
2.7%

88 
90 
90 
91 

The assumptions used by the actuary are the best estimates chosen from a range of possible actuarial assumptions which, because of  
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. The mortality assumptions as at  
31 March 2012 were 90% of S1PMA for males and 100% of S1PFA for females, based on year of birth making allowance for improvements 
in mortality in line with CMI_2011 Core Projections and a long-term rate of improvement of 1.25% per annum. The comparative period  
used mortality rates reflecting the tables as published by the Continuous Mortality Investigation and previously adopted as standard  
by the actuarial profession. These were tables PNMA00MC (for males) and PNFA00MC (for females) for members’ year of birth. 

The balance sheet net pension liability is a snapshot view which can be significantly influenced by short-term market factors. The 
calculation of the surplus or deficit depends, therefore, 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 and investment advisors. 

Sensitivity analysis of the principal assumptions used to measure scheme liabilities 
Assumption 
Discount rate 
Rate of inflation 
Salary increase 
Rate of mortality 

Change in assumption 
Increase/decrease by 0.1% 
Increase/decrease by 0.1% 
Increase/decrease by 0.1% 
Increase by one year 

Impact on scheme liabilities 
Decrease/increase by £21.1m 
Increase/decrease by £22.2m 
Increase/decrease by £3.5m 
Increase by £19.3m 

Scheme assets 
The overall expected rate of return on plan assets is based on the expected return rates for each asset class. Equity return rates are the 
long-term expected return rates based on the market rates of return for risk-free investments, typically government bonds, together with 
the historical level of risk premium associated with equities; with the resulting rate then being reviewed and benchmarked against a peer 
group of listed companies. Expected long-term rates of return on scheme assets (weighted to reflect the individual scheme actual asset 
allocations) were: 

Equities 
Corporate bonds 
Government bonds 
Property 
Cash 
Weighted average 

Return on scheme assets 
all figures in £ million 
Actual return on plan assets: 
Expected return on scheme assets 
Actuarial gain/(loss) on scheme assets 
Actual gain on scheme assets 

Defined contribution schemes  
Payments to the defined contribution schemes totalled £20.3m (March 2011: £24.1m). 

100  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

2012 
7.3%
4.3%
3.2%
6.8%
3.2%
5.8%

2012 

67.6 
2.9 
70.5 

2011 
8.0%
5.5%
4.3%
8.0%
4.3%
6.9%

2011 

68.6 
(14.0)
54.6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

31. Transactions with the MOD 
The MOD continues to own its Special Share in QinetiQ which conveys certain rights as set out in note 28. Transactions between the Group 
and the MOD are disclosed as follows: 

Recovery of UK restructuring costs 
QinetiQ reached agreement with the UK MOD in March 2012 involving a payment to QinetiQ of £65m that was received after the year end 
in April 2012. The agreement involves the discharging of the MOD from its accumulated liabilities for restructuring costs incurred in 
previous years, together with MOD agreement to changes in its Special Shareholder rights, and certain other operational issues. 

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.  

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 the 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 that reduces over time from 50% to 9% and at 31 March 2012 stood at 16% (2011: 16%). 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 2012 was £1.5m (31 March 2011: £3.8m). 

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 the MOD, under which QinetiQ Limited is committed to providing the T&E services with increasing efficiencies through cost 
saving and innovative service delivery. 

32. Contingent liabilities and assets 
Subsidiary undertakings within the Group have given unsecured guarantees of £55.1m at 31 March 2012 (31 March 2011: £56.7m)  
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 and 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, and 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 31, is potentially due on the purchasers obtaining additional planning consents, with the quantum 
dependent on the scope of the consent achieved. 

The Group has also not recognised contingent amounts receivable relating to property impairments in prior years that may potentially  
be recovered from the MOD. Recovery is subject to future negotiations. It is not considered practicable to calculate the value of this 
contingent asset. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   101 

 
 
 
Financial statements 
Notes to the financial statements continued 

33. Capital commitments 
The Group had the following capital commitments for which no provision has been made: 

all figures in £ million 
Contracted 

2012 
14.1 

2011 
4.3 

Capital commitments at 31 March 2012 include £13m (2011: £3.9m) in relation to property, plant and equipment that will be wholly-
funded by a third-party customer under long-term contract arrangements. 

34. Subsidiaries 
The companies listed below are those which were part of the Group at 31 March 2012 and which, in the opinion of the Directors, 
significantly affected the Group’s results and net assets during the year. The Directors consider that those companies not listed are not 
significant in relation to the Group as a whole. A comprehensive list of all subsidiaries will be disclosed as an appendix to the Group’s 
annual return. 

Name of company 
Subsidiaries1,2,3 
QinetiQ Holdings Limited 
QinetiQ Limited 
QinetiQ Overseas Holdings Limited 
QinetiQ North America, Inc. 
QinetiQ US Holdings, Inc. 
Analex Corporation 
Apogen Technologies, Inc. 
Foster-Miller, Inc. 
Westar Aerospace & Defence Group, Inc. 

Principal area of operation 

Country of incorporation 

UK 
UK 
UK 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 

England & Wales 
England & Wales 
England & Wales 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 
USA 

1  Accounting reference date is 31 March. All principal subsidiary undertakings listed above have financial year ends of 31 March and 100% of the ordinary 

shares are owned by the Group.  

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. 
3  All companies except for holding companies are operating companies engaged in the Group’s principal activities as described on page 53. 

102  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
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.  

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Note 

2012 

2011 

2 

3 

4 

6 
6 
6 
6 

447.6 
447.6 

– 
– 

(118.3)
(118.3)
329.3 

6.6 
39.9 
147.6 
135.2 
329.3 

112.0 
112.0 

306.3 
306.3 

(79.2)
227.1 
339.1 

6.6 
39.9 
147.6 
145.0 
339.1 

The financial statements of QinetiQ Group plc (company number 4586941) were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised  
for issue on 24 May 2012 and were signed on its behalf by: 

Mark Elliott 
Chairman 

Leo Quinn 
Chief Executive Officer 

David Mellors 
Chief Financial Officer  

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   103 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 
The fair value of equity-settled awards 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 awards for share-based payments is determined  
at each period end until they are exercised or lapse. The value is expensed straight line over the period from grant to the date of earliest 
unconditional exercise. The charges for both equity and cash-settled share-based payments are updated annually for non-market-based 
vesting conditions. Further details of the Group’s share-based payment charge is disclosed in note 29 of the Group financial statements. 
The cost of share-based payments is charged to subsidiary undertakings. 

2. Investment in subsidiary undertaking 
As at 31 March 
all figures in £ million 
Subsidiary undertaking – 100% of ordinary share capital of QinetiQ Holdings Limited 
Capital contributions arising from share-based payments to employees of subsidiaries 

2012 
424.3 
23.3 
447.6 

2011 
92.4 
19.6 
112.0 

A list of all principal subsidiary undertakings of QinetiQ Group plc is disclosed in note 34 to the Group financial statements. The increase in 
investment in the year relates to the capitalisation of a loan with a Group subsidiary.  

3. Debtors  
As at 31 March 
all figures in £ million 
Amounts owed by Group undertakings 

4. Creditors 
As at 31 March 
all figures in £ million 
Amounts owed to Group undertakings 

5. Share capital 
The Company’s share capital is disclosed in note 28 to the Group financial statements. 

2012 
– 

2011 
306.3 

2012 
118.3 

2011 
79.2 

104  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

Financial statements 
Notes to the Company financial statements continued 

6. Reserves 

all figures in £ million 
At 1 April 2011 
Profit 
Purchase of own shares 
Dividend paid 
Share-based payments 
At 31 March 2012 

At 1 April 2010 
Profit 
Purchase of own shares 
Share-based payments 
At 31 March 2011 

Issued share 
capital 
6.6 
– 
– 
– 
– 
6.6 

6.6 
– 
– 
– 
6.6 

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
39.9 
– 
– 
– 
– 
39.9 

39.9 
– 
– 
– 
39.9 

Share  
premium 
147.6 
– 
– 
– 
– 
147.6 

147.6 
– 
– 
– 
147.6 

Profit 
and loss 
145.0 
14.8 
(11.9)
(16.4)
3.7 
135.2 

127.5 
14.8 
(0.6)
3.3 
145.0 

Total 
equity 
339.1 
14.8 
(11.9)
(16.4)
3.7 
329.3 

321.6 
14.8 
(0.6)
3.3 
339.1 

The capital redemption reserve is not distributable and was created following redemption of Preference Share capital. 

7. Share-based payments 
The Company’s share-based payment arrangements are set out in note 29 to the Group financial statements.  

8. Other information 
Directors’ emoluments, excluding Company pension contributions, were £3.0m (2011: £2.7m). 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 Remuneration 
Report. 

The remuneration of the Company’s auditors for the year to 31 March 2012 was £15,000 (2011: £15,000), which was all for statutory  
audit services. No other services were provided by the auditors to the Company. 

QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012   105 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FIVE-YEAR RECORD FOR THE YEARS ENDED 31 MARCH (UNAUDITED) 

all figures in £ million 
UK Services 
US Services 
Global Products 
Revenue 

UK Services 
US Services 
Global Products 
Underlying operating profit1 

QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Revenue 

QinetiQ North America 
EMEA 
Ventures 
Underlying operating profit1 
Underlying operating margin1 
Underlying profit before tax1 
Profit/(loss) before tax  
Profit/(loss) after tax  
Underlying basic EPS1 (pence) 
Basic EPS (pence) 
Diluted EPS (pence) 
Dividend per share  
Underlying net cash from operations  
(post capex)1 
Net debt 
Average number of employees 
Orders 

£m 
£m 
£m 
£m 

£m 
£m 
£m 
£m 

£m 
£m 
£m 
£m 

£m 
£m 
£m 
£m 

% 
£m 
£m 
£m 
Pence 
Pence 
Pence 
Pence 

£m 
£m 

£m 

2012 
610.1 
534.5 
325.0 
1,469.6 

63.0 
32.1 
66.2 
161.3 

11.0 
118.3 
331.6 
257.9 
14.6 
39.6 
39.4 
2.90 

235.4 
122.2 
10,637 
1,226.3 

20114 
652.7 
607.3 
442.6 
1,702.6 

47.4 
45.9 
52.1 
145.4 

2011 

8.5 
114.6 
26.6 
5.0 
14.2 
0.8 
0.8 
1.60 

265.8 
260.9 
12,033 
1,559.7 

2010 
693.9 
628.0 
303.5 
1,625.4 

59.1 
52.6 
8.6 
120.3 

20103 
800.1 
818.8 
6.5 
1,625.4 

67.7 
61.1 
(8.5) 
120.3 
7.4 
85.7 
(66.1) 
(63.3) 
11.1 
(9.7) 
(9.7) 
1.58 

20092 
765.6 
842.3 
9.4 
1,617.3 

83.0 
84.2 
(15.6)
151.6 
9.4 
130.2 
114.0 
93.6 
15.9 
14.3 
14.3 
4.75 

20082 
540.2 
820.1 
5.7 
1,366.0 

62.1 
80.0 
(15.1)
127.0 
9.3 
109.0 
51.4 
47.4 
13.4 
7.2 
7.2 
4.25 

169.2 
457.4 
13,604 
1,400.9 

175.2 
537.9 
13,882 
1,596.0 

138.3 
379.9 
13,470 
1,277.1 

1   Underlying measures are stated before amortisation of intangibles arising from acquisitions and specific non-recurring items. Definitions of underlying 

measures of performance are in the glossary on page 107. Underlying financial measures are presented because the Board believes these provide a better 
representation of the Group’s long-term performance trend. 

2   Operating profit and operating margins for 2009 and 2008 have been restated to show the net finance element of the IAS 19 pension cost in the finance 

income and expense lines. This was previously reported in other operating costs. 

3   The Group’s management structure changed with effect from 1 April 2010. Comparatives for the new structure have been provided for 2010. Segmental 

data for 2008 to 2010 has been retained on the old structure as reported in previous financial statements. 

4   The 2011 figures have been restated to reflect the transfer of businesses from Global Products to UK Services and US Services at the beginning of the 2012 

financial year. 

106  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

GLOSSARY 

ABI  Association of British Insurers 

AGM  Annual General Meeting 

OHSAS  Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Services 

Organic Growth  The level of year-on-year growth, expressed as  

Book to bill ratio  Ratio of funded orders received in the year to 

revenue for the year, adjusted to exclude revenue 
from the 25-year LTPA contract 

BPS  Basis points 
BSI  British Standards Institution 

CAGR  Compound Annual Growth Rate 
C4ISR  Command, control, communications, computers, 

intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance 

COTS  Commercial off-the-shelf 
CR  Corporate Responsibility 

DAB  Deferred Annual Bonus 
DERA  Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, the 

majority of which was transferred into QinetiQ  
in 2001 

DHS  US Department of Homeland Security 
DoD  US Department of Defense 
DTR  MOD’s Defence Training Rationalisation programme 

EBITDA  Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation  

and amortisation  

EMEA  Europe, Middle East and Australasia 

EPS  Earnings per share 

Funded backlog  The expected future value of revenue from 

contractually committed and funded customer 
orders (excluding £3.6bn value of the remaining  
16 years of the LTPA contract) 

Gearing ratio  This is the ratio of net debt to adjusted EBITDA in 
accordance with the Group’s credit-facility ratios. 
EBITDA is adjusted to exclude charges for share-
based payments. Net debt is adjusted to reflect the 
same exchange rates as used for EBITDA and to 
reflect other requirements of the debt-holders 
covenant calculations 

GWh  Giga-Watt hours 

IAS  International Accounting Standards 
IDIQ  Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity 
IFRS  International Financial Reporting Standards 
IPO  Initial Public Offering 

KPI  Key Performance Indicator 

LIBID  London inter-bank bid rate 
LIBOR  London inter-bank offered rate 

LSE  London Stock Exchange 

LTPA  Long-Term Partnering Agreement – 25-year contract 

established in 2003 to manage the MOD’s test and 
evaluation ranges 

MOD  UK Ministry of Defence 

NASA  National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

(USA) 

a percentage, calculated at constant foreign 
exchange rates, adjusting comparatives to 
incorporate the results of acquired entities  
but excluding the results for any disposals or 
discontinued operations for the same duration  
of ownership as the current period  

PBT  Profit before tax 
PSP  Performance Share Plan 

QNA  QinetiQ North America 
QSOS  QinetiQ Share Option Scheme 

R&D  Research and development 
ROCE  Return on Capital Employed 

RSU  Restricted Stock Unit 

Specific non-
recurring items and 
acquisition 
amortisation 

Net restructuring charges/recoveries; pension 
curtailment gains; pension past service gains; 
contingent payments on acquisition treated as 
remuneration; net gain/loss in respect of previously 
capitalised DTR-programme bid costs; impairment of 
property; impairment of intangible assets; 
gain/(loss) on business combinations and 
divestments; gain/(loss) on disposal of investments; 
and tax thereon 

TSR  Total Shareholder Return 

UK Corporate 
Governance Code 

Guidelines of the Financial Reporting Council to 
address the principal aspects of corporate governance 

UK GAAP  UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice 

Underlying basic 
earnings per share 

Underlying effective 
tax rate 

Underlying net cash 
from operations 
(post capex) 

Underlying operating 
cash conversion 

Underlying operating 
margin 
Underlying operating 
profit 
Underlying profit 
before tax 

Basic earnings per share as adjusted to exclude 
‘specific non-recurring items and acquisition 
amortisation’ 
The tax charge for the year excluding the tax impact 
of ‘specific non-recurring items and acquisition 
amortisation’ expressed as a percentage of 
underlying profit before tax 
Net cash inflow from operations before 
restructuring costs less net cash outflow on 
purchase/sale of intangible assets and property, 
plant and equipment 
The ratio of underlying net cash from operations 
(post capex) to underlying operating profit excluding 
share of post-tax result of equity-accounted joint 
ventures and associates 
Underlying operating profit expressed as a 
percentage of revenue 
Operating profit as adjusted to exclude ‘specific 
non-recurring items and acquisition amortisation’ 
Profit before tax as adjusted to exclude ‘specific 
non-recurring items and acquisition amortisation’ 

Unfunded Orders  Typically long-term contracts awarded by the  

US government which the customer funds 
incrementally over the life of the contract.  
The Group does not recognise such awards into  
the reported backlog until funding is confirmed 

VSP  Value Sharing Plan 

QinetiQ Group plc   Annual Report and Accounts 2012  107 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shareholder information

Analysis of Share Register at 31 March 2012

By size of holding

By type of holder

1-1,000
1,001-5,000
5,001-10,000
10,001-100,000
Over 100,000
Total

Individuals
Banks and nominees
Others
Total

Number of 
holdings
5,527
1,425
288
276
210
7,726

% of total 
Shares held
holdings
1,641,299
71.54%
3,432,332
18.44%
2,119,196
3.73%
3.57%
9,450,957
2.72% 643,832,589
100.00% 660,476,373

6,758
908
60
7,726

87.48%
8,943,506
11.75% 642,944,258
8,588,609
0.77%
100.00% 660,476,373

% of share 
capital
0.25%
0.52%
0.32%
1.43%
97.48%
100.00%

1.36%
97.35%
1.29%
100.00%

Share administration
The Company’s registrar is Equiniti. If you have any queries regarding your shareholding, including dividend payments and change of address 
notifications, please contact Equiniti, either in writing at the address shown on the next page, by telephone on 0871 384 2021* or online 
at https://help.shareview.co.uk – from here, if you need further assistance, you will be able to email Equiniti securely. Equiniti also offers 
Shareview, a free of charge service enabling you to access and maintain your shareholding online. Through Shareview, you can register 
for electronic communications, see details of balance movements and complete certain amendments online, such as changes to dividend 
mandate instructions. To take advantage of Shareview, register online at www.shareview.co.uk, click on Register and follow the steps.
*  Lines are open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays. Calls to 0871 numbers are charged at 8p per minute from a BT landline.  

Other telephony provider costs may vary.

Direct dividend payments
If you would like to have your dividend paid directly into a UK bank or building society account, please contact Equiniti or complete the 
dividend mandate attached to your dividend cheque. The associated tax voucher will still be sent to your registered address. 

If you live outside the UK, Equiniti offers a global payments service which is available in certain countries and could enable you to receive  
your dividends direct into your bank account in your local currency. Further details can be obtained direct from Equiniti or online at  
www.shareview.co.uk.

Consolidated tax vouchers
Starting from the September 2012 proposed dividend payment, shareholders who have dividends paid direct into a bank or building society 
account will receive a Consolidated Tax Voucher (CTV). A CTV is a tax voucher which details all dividends paid for the year. Under this 
process, a shareholder’s dividend is paid direct to their bank account each time a dividend is paid and once a year they receive a tax voucher 
detailing all dividends paid for that year. Shareholders who would prefer to continue receiving tax vouchers with each dividend payment can 
write to Equiniti Registrars to request this.

Electronic communications
QinetiQ has taken full advantage of changes brought about by the Companies Act 2006 which recognises the growing importance of 
electronic communications and allows companies to provide documentation and communications to shareholders via their websites 
(except to those who have specifically elected to receive a paper copy). The wider use of electronic communications enables fast receipt of 
documents, reduces the Company’s printing, paper and postal costs and reduces the Company’s environmental impact. Shareholders can 
register for electronic communications at www.shareview.co.uk and may also cast their vote for the 2012 AGM online quickly and easily 
using the Sharevote service by visiting www.sharevote.co.uk.

ShareGift
The Orr Mackintosh Foundation operates a charity donation scheme for shareholders with small numbers of shares which may be uneconomic  
to sell. Details of the scheme are available from ShareGift (registered charity no. 1052686) at www.sharegift.org or by telephone on 020 7930 3737.

Warning to shareholders – unsolicited calls or correspondence
Many companies have become aware that their shareholders have received unsolicited telephone calls or correspondence concerning 
investment matters. These are typically from overseas-based ‘brokers’ who target UK shareholders, offering to sell them what often turn  
out to be worthless or high risk shares in US or UK investments. These ‘brokers’ can be very persistent and extremely persuasive.

If you receive any unsolicited investment advice:

•  Check that they are properly authorised by the Financial Services Authority by visiting www.fsa.gov.uk/fsaregister;
•  Report the matter to the FSA by calling 0845 606 1234; 
•  If the calls persist, hang up.

Please note that, if you deal with an unauthorised firm, you will not be eligible to receive payment under the Financial Services 
Compensation Scheme.

108  QinetiQ Group plc Annual Report and Accounts 2012

Business review

Corporate governance

Financial statements

ADDITIoNAL INFoRMATIoN

Financial calendar

26 July 2012
26 July 2012
10 August 2012
7 September 2012
30 September 2012
21 November 2012
February 2013
31 March 2013
May 2013

Corporate website
The Company’s website is www.QinetiQ.com. The QinetiQ  
Annual Report 2012 can be viewed at www.QinetiQ.com/Investors 
together with further useful shareholder information and 
information on the Company, its performance, the Annual General 
Meeting and latest presentations.

From the website, you can access the following:

Latest shareholder information
•  Latest share price
•  Financial calendar
•  RNS news feeds
•  Corporate governance

Shareholder services
•  Register online
•  Shareview
•  Common questions

Archive information
•  Results and trading updates
•  Company reports
•  Company presentations

Feedback
•  Your feedback
•  Investor contacts

Corporate responsibility
•  Read more about our corporate responsibility policy  

at www.QinetiQ.com/cr

Investor relations app
The QinetiQ Annual Report 2012 can also be viewed on our investor 
relations app for the iPad, downloadable from the App Store.

Interim management statement
Annual General Meeting
Final 2012 dividend record date
Final 2012 dividend payment date
Interim financial period end
Interim results announcement
Interim management statement (provisional date)
Financial year end
Preliminary results announcement

Company information 
Registered office
Cody Technology Park 
Ively Road 
Farnborough 
Hampshire 
GU14 0LX

Tel: +44 (0) 8700 100 942

Company Registration Number 4586941

Auditor
KPMG Audit Plc 
Chartered Accountants 
15 Canada Square 
London 
E14 5GL

Registrar 
Equiniti 
Aspect House 
Spencer Road 
Lancing 
West Sussex 
BN99 6DA

Advisers
Corporate brokers
JP Morgan Cazenove 
10 Aldermanbury 
London 
EC2V 7RF

UBS Investment Bank 
1 Finsbury Avenue 
London 
EC2M 2PP

Principal legal advisor
Ashurst LLP 
Broadwalk House 
5 Appold Street 
London 
EC2A 2HA

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QinetiQ Group plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2012  109

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

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

Company Registration Number 
4586941

©QinetiQ Group plc 
QINETIQ/CF/CM/AR1200023