Notes to the Accounts (continued)
for the year ended 31 January 2000
|
4. Employees
|
Employee costs during the year, including Directors’ remuneration, were as follows:
|
Year ended
31 January
2000
£000
|
Year ended
31 January
1999
£000
|
 |
 |
Wages and salaries
Social Security costs
Pension costs |
15,220
1,549
24 |
14,880
1,353
— |
|
|
|
16,793 |
16,233 |
|
 |
The average number of persons employed during the year was as follows:
Sales associates and resourcers
Administration (including Directors)
|
Number
172
137 |
Number
162
106 |
|
|
|
|
309 |
268 |
|
|
5. Interest Payable and Similar Charges
|
On borrowings repayable within five years:
|
Year ended
31 January
2000
£000 |
Year ended
31 January
1999
£000 |
|
|
Bank overdraft
Lease and hire purchase
Confidential invoice discounting
Long term loan
|
33
47
402
407 |
3
61
515
407 |
|
|
|
|
889 |
986 |
|
|
6. Profit on Ordinary Activities before Taxation
|
Profit on ordinary activities is stated after charging:
|
Year ended
31 January
2000
£000 |
Year ended
31 January
1999
£000 |
|
|
Rentals under operating leases:
Rent payable
Other operating leases
Depreciation:
Own assets
Assets held under finance leases and hire purchase contracts
Loss on sale of tangible fixed assets
Auditor’s remuneration:
Audit
Non-audit
Factoring company service charges
Exchange losses |
701
16
454
404
113
47
31
100
15 |
651
40
413
381
62
44
8
64
4 |
|
|
7. Exceptional Item
|
|
Notes
|
|
Year ended
31 January
2000
£000
|
Year ended
31 January
1999
£000
|
|
|
Re-organisation costs
Property costs
|
15
15
|
|
2,021
(439) |
2,338
1,147 |
|
|
|
|
1,582
|
3,485
|
|
|
|
The charge of £2,021,000 relating to reorganisation costs included an additional £775,000 of expenses relating to personnel costs incurred in excess of those originally provided for at the end of the year ended 31 January 1999, in addition to costs of £1,246,000 that were incurred in relation to further re-organisation costs during the year. A reversal of the exceptional provision made in the prior year in respect of property costs for the amount of £439,000 was made following the subletting of Wells House, the Company’s previous Head Office, which was previously unoccupied.
|
8. Taxation
|
The taxation charge is made up as follows:
|
Year ended
31 January
2000
£000
|
Year ended
31 January
1999
£000
|
|
|
United Kingdom Corporation Tax at 30.7%
(1999: 31%) based on profit for the year
Taxation relief on exceptional item
Adjustment in respect of prior year provision
Deferred taxation
Repayment in respect of prior years
|
1,802
(238)
242
242
(525) |
3,709
(726)
—
(305)
— |
|
|
|
1,523 |
2,678 |
|
|
9. Dividends |
|
Year ended
31 January
2000
£000 |
Year ended
31 January
1999
£000 |
|
|
Ordinary — interim paid 4.2p (1999: 4.2p)
Ordinary — final proposed 8.3p (1999: 8.3p)
|
857
1,694 |
855
1,692 |
|
|
|
2,551 |
2,547 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
