Directors’ Reports

Directors’ Remuneration Report

 
 

Remuneration outcomes during the year ended 31 March 2005

Tables 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4 and 5 comprise the ‘auditable’ part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report, being the information required by Part 3 of Schedule 7A to the Companies Act 1985.

1. Directors’ emoluments

The following tables set out an analysis of the pre-tax emoluments during the years ended 31 March 2005 and 2004, including bonuses but excluding pensions, for individual Directors who held office in National Grid Transco during the year ended 31 March 2005.

Table 1A   Year ended 31 March 2005   Year ended
31 March
2004
 
 
 
  Salary
£000s

Annual
bonus
£000s
Benefits
in kind(i)
£000s
Total
£000s
  Total
£000s
Executive Directors              
Roger Urwin   701 404 20 1,125   1,051
Steve Lucas   395 234 19 648   611
Edward Astle   375 231 16 622   568
Steve Holliday (ii)   400 158 22 580   633
Nick Winser (iii)   335 183 13 531   593
Mike Jesanis (iv)   292 145 9 446   –
Rick Sergel (v) (vi)   153 76 13 242   735
Totals   2,651 1,431 112 4,194   4,191
(i) Benefits in kind comprise benefits such as a fully expensed car, chauffeur, private medical insurance and life assurance.
(ii) Steve Holliday will also receive, subject to the completion of the sales of four of the UK gas distribution networks, an additional ex gratia bonus of £80,000 to recognise his leadership of the sales process and the crystallisation of shareholder value at a significant premium to the regulatory value of these assets.
(iii) In the previous year’s Directors’ Remuneration Report the reported emoluments of Nick Winser included ‘Benefits in kind’ of £128,000. This figure was overstated and should have been reported as £119,000. The comparative figures provided above reflect the amended total for the year ended 31 March 2004.
(iv) Mike Jesanis’ bonus includes payments worth £4,524 in respect of his participation in the USA Goals Program (described in Annual Bonus Plan of Remuneration policy).
(v) Rick Sergel received £5,800 for accrued and unused vacation, in addition to the details above.
(vi) Rick Sergel’s bonus includes payments worth £2,376 in respect of his participation in the USA Goals Program (described in Annual Bonus Plan of Remuneration policy). Rick Sergel did not receive an additional pension value or severance on his retirement.
Table 1B   Year ended 31 March 2005   Year ended
31 March
2004
 
 
 
  Fees
£000s

Other
emoluments
£000s
Total
£000s
  Total
£000s
Non-executive Directors            
Sir John Parker (i)   375 31 406   326
James Ross   64 – 64   115
John Grant   65 – 65   59
Ken Harvey   58 – 58   44
Paul Joskow   73 – 73   67
Stephen Pettit   58 – 58   47
Maria Richter   66 – 66   29
George Rose   61 – 61   59
John Allan (ii)   – – –   –
Totals   820 31 851   746
(i) Sir John Parker’s other emoluments comprise benefits in kind such as a fully expensed car, private medical insurance and life assurance.
(ii) John Allan was appointed to the Board on 1 May 2005.
2. Directors’ pensions

The table below gives details of the Executive Directors’ pension benefits in accordance with both Schedule 7A of the Companies Act 1985 and the UK Listing Authority’s Listing Rules.

Table 2 Additional benefit
earned during
the year ended
31 March 2005
£000s
Accrued
entitlement
as at
31 March 2005
£000s
Transfer value of
accrued benefits
as at 31 March (i)
2005
£000s
2004
£000s
Increase in
transfer value
less Director’s
contributions
£000s
Additional
benefit earned
during the
year ended
31 March 2005
(excluding
inflation)
£000s
Transfer value of
increase in
accrued benefit
in the year
ended
31 March 2005
(excluding
Director’s
contributions
and inflation)
£000s
Roger Urwin 54 457 9,016 7,353 1,621 42 778
Steve Lucas 15 141 2,261 1,566 683 12 179
Edward Astle 15 45 639 366 250 14 173
Steve Holliday 15 53 679 404 251 15 163
Nick Winser (ii) 27 108 1,281 821 440 24 260
Mike Jesanis (iii) 39 197 1,687 1,278 409 39 375
Rick Sergel (iv) 5 377 5,025 4,576 449 5 272
(i) The transfer values shown at 31 March 2004 and 2005 represent the value of each Executive Director’s accrued benefits based on total service completed to the relevant date. The transfer values for the UK Executive Directors have been calculated in accordance with guidance note ‘GN11’ issued by the Institute of Actuaries and the Faculty of Actuaries. The transfer values for the US Directors have been calculated using discount rates based on high yield US corporate bonds and associated yields at the relevant dates.
(ii) The above information allows for the accrual of a pension benefit of two thirds of salary at age 60 taking into account standard benefits earned prior to 1 September 1998. This means that, as well as the pension stated above, Nick Winser has an accrued lump sum entitlement of £188,000 as at 31 March 2005. The increase to the accumulated lump sum including inflation was £37,000 and excluding inflation was £33,000 in the year to 31 March 2005. The transfer value information above includes the value of the pension equivalent of the lump sum.
(iii) Mike Jesanis was appointed to the Board with effect from 26 July 2004. The above information allows for the accrual of pension benefit for the full financial year. Through his participation in the Thrift Plan in the US, the Group also made contributions worth £2,874 to a defined contribution pension arrangement in respect of Mike.
(iv) Rick Sergel retired on 1 August 2004. No enhancements were made to his pension benefits. He opted to receive his total single life annuity at retirement of $711,618 (£380,544) p.a. as a $525,252 (£280,883) lump sum plus a 100% joint and survivor annuity of $53,641 (£28,685) p.a. from the Qualified Plan plus a lump sum that was used to pay FICA taxes of $135,383 (£72,397) plus a 100% joint and survivor annuity of $533,407 (£285,244) p.a. from the Non-Qualified Plan. The transfer value calculated as at 31 March 2005 represents the value of the 100% joint and survivor annuities calculated at the age at date of retirement and market conditions at 31 March 2005, plus the lump sums that were paid. For Rick Sergel, the accrued pension shown in the 2003/04 Annual Report and Accounts of £31,000 was mis-stated as the monthly amount and was equivalent to an annual accrued pension of £372,000 p.a. The transfer value shown in the 2003/04 Annual Report and Accounts as at 31 March 2004 of £2,527,000 was mis-stated as it assumed an earliest right to unreduced pension at age 62 rather than 55. The amended figure is £4,576,000.
3. Directors’ interests in share options

The table below gives details of the Executive Directors’ holdings of share options awarded under the ESOP, the Share Matching Plan and Sharesave schemes.

Table 3Options held
at 1 April 2004
or, if later,
on appointment*
 
Options exercised
or lapsed
during
the year
 
Market
price
at date of
exercise (pence)
 
 
Options granted
during the year
Options held at 31 March 2005
or, if earlier, on retirement †
 
Exercise price
per share
(pence)
Normal exercise period
Roger Urwin                
ESOP 169,340 – – – 169,340 280.50 Sep 2000 Sep 2007
  91,656 – – – 91,656 375.75 June 2001 June 2008
  22,098 – – – 22,098 455.25 June 2002 June 2009
  33,867 – – – 33,867 531.50 June 2003 June 2010
  133,214 – – – 133,214 563.00 June 2004 June 2011
  186,915 – – – 186,915 481.50 June 2005 June 2012
 
Share Match 4,047 – – – 4,047 100 in total June 2001 June 2005
  3,884 – – – 3,884 100 in total Jan 2002 June 2006
  3,859 – – – 3,859 100 in total Jan 2002 June 2007
  5,635 – – – 5,635 100 in total June 2004 June 2008
  18,644 – – – 18,644 100 in total June 2005 June 2012
  25,000 – – – 25,000 100 in total June 2006 June 2013
  – – – 30,762 30,762 nil(i) May 2007 May 2014
 
Sharesave 2,910 – – – 2,910 317.00 Apr 2007 Sep 2007
Total 701,069 – – 30,762 731,831      
 
Steve Lucas                
ESOP 54,404 – – – 54,404 434.25 Dec 2005 Dec 2012
 
Share Match – – – 16,909 16,909 nil(i) May 2007 May 2014
 
Sharesave 2,700 – – – 2,700 350.00 Mar 2006 Aug 2006
Total 57,104 – – 16,909 74,013      
 
Edward Astle                
ESOP 193,952 – – – 193,952 479.50 Sep 2004 Sep 2011
  101,246 – – – 101,246 481.50 June 2005 June 2012
  112,262 – – – 112,262 434.25 Dec 2005 Dec 2012
  131,086 – – – 131,086 400.50 June 2006 June 2013
 
Share Match 6,553 – – – 6,553 100 in total June 2005 June 2012
  13,812 – – – 13,812 100 in total June 2006 June 2013
  – – – 15,716 15,716 nil(i) May 2007 May 2014
 
Sharesave 2,392 – – – 2,392 397.00 Sep 2005 Feb 2006
Total 561,303 – – 15,716 577,019      
 
Steve Holliday                
ESOP 150,000 – – – 150,000 540.00 Mar 2004 Mar 2011
  71,936 – – – 71,936 563.00 June 2004 June 2011
  101,246 – – – 101,246 481.50 June 2005 June 2012
 
Share Match 10,350 – – – 10,350 100 in total June 2005 June 2012
  14,083 – – – 14,083 100 in total June 2006 June 2013
  – – – 18,713 18,713 nil(i) May 2007 May 2014
 
Sharesave 4,692 – – – 4,692 350.00 Mar 2008 Aug 2008
Total 352,307 – – 18,713 371,020      
 
Nick Winser                
ESOP 10,633 – – – 10,633 375.75 June 2001 June 2008
  47,236 – – – 47,236 455.25 June 2002 June 2009
  19,755 – – – 19,755 531.50 June 2003 June 2010
  24,156 – – – 24,156 563.00 June 2004 June 2011
  37,383 – – – 37,383 481.50 June 2005 June 2012
 
Share Match 872 872 465 (iv) – – 100 in total Jan 2002 June 2006
  980 980 465 (iv) – – 100 in total Jan 2002 June 2007
  1,694 1,694 465 (iv) – – 100 in total June 2004 June 2008
  2,509 – – – 2,509 100 in total June 2005 June 2012
  3,937 – – – 3,937 100 in total June 2006 June 2013
  – – – 14,059 14,059 nil(i) May 2007 May 2014
 
Sharesave 5,007 5,007 464.75 – – 337.00 Sep 2004 Feb 2005
Total 154,162 8,553 – 14,059 159,668      
 
Mike Jesanis
(appointed to the Board on 26 July 2004)
         
ESOP 77,861* – – – 77,861 566.50 Mar 2003 Mar 2010
  51,169* – – – 51,169 563.00 June 2004 June 2011
  66,099* – – – 66,099 481.50 June 2005 June 2012
Total (shares) 195,129 – – – 195,129      
 
Phantom ADSs (ii) 639* – – 27 666 $39.590 – –
  2,740* – – 117 2,857 $34.270 – –
  3,154* – – 134 3,288 $32.320 – –
  2,777* – – 118 2,895 $39.376 – –
Total (Phantom ADSs) 9,310 – – 396 9,706      
 
Rick Sergel
(retired from the Board on 26 July 2004)
         
ESOP 201,845 – – – 201,845 † 566.50 July 2004 July 2005
  134,321 – – – 134,321 † 563.00 July 2004 July 2005
  172,836 – – – 172,836 † 481.50 July 2004 July 2005
Total (shares) 509,002 – – – 509,002      
 
Phantom ADSs (iii) 4,782 (v) – – – 4,782† $39.590 – –
  5,658 (v) – – – 5,658 † $34.270 – –
  6,144 (v) – – – 6,144 † $32.320 – –
  – – – 5,455 5,455 † $39.376 – –
Total (Phantom ADSs) 16,584 – – 5,455 22,039      
(i) Nil cost Share Match options were awarded in May 2004, previously the exercise price was 100 pence per award.
(ii) In place of participation in the Share Matching Plan, Mike Jesanis elected to defer the ADS component of his bonus into a deferred compensation plan. For a Phantom award under a deferred compensation plan the ADS market value is tracked, additional value is accrued for dividends and the value is delivered, net of normal US deductions, depending on the participants’ election i.e. in 10 years, on a specified age date from 55 to 75, or on leaving, including retirement. The market price of ADSs at 31 March 2005 was $46.750.
(iii) In place of participation in the Share Matching Plan, Rick Sergel elected to defer the ADS component of his bonus into a deferred compensation plan. The July 2004 award was in respect of the period from 1 April 2004 to his retirement on 26 July 2004. All Phantom ADS awards vested immediately on retirement from the Board.
(iv) Nick Winser received £2,500 in respect of a cash payment in lieu of dividends, on the exercise of three Share Match awards.
(v) In the previous year’s Directors’ Remuneration Report, the Phantom ADS awards were disclosed in error as being 4,347, 5,332 and 5,938 ADSs respectively. These awards were under-reported as they did not reflect additional awards due to dividend reinvestment.
Executive Share Option Plan (ESOP)

No further awards will be made under this plan but there are outstanding options granted in previous years. Such options will normally be exercisable between the third and tenth anniversaries of the date of grant, subject to performance conditions. The performance conditions attaching to outstanding ESOP options are set out below. If the performance condition is not satisfied after the first three years then it will be re-tested as indicated.

For options granted in June 2000, options worth up to 100% of an optionholder’s base salary will become exercisable in full if Total Shareholder Return (TSR), measured over the period of three years beginning with the financial year in which the option is granted, is at least median compared with a comparator group of companies. Grants in excess of 100% of salary, vest on a sliding scale, becoming fully exercisable if the Group’s TSR is in the top quartile. The performance condition attaching to options granted in June 2000 is tested annually throughout the lifetime of the option. These options remain unvested. For options granted from March 2001, the same TSR test is used but the performance condition may only be re-tested in years four and five. These options remain unvested and a final re-test will be undertaken in March 2006.

The comparator group was revised in June 2002 and used for options granted in June and December 2002 and is set out below:

Allegheny Energy, Inc. Energy East Corporation NSTAR Corporation Scottish Power plc
BG Group plc Exelon Corporation Potomac Electric Power Company The Southern Company, Inc.
British Energy plc FirstEnergy Corporation Powergen plc TXU, Inc.
Centrica plc FPL Group, Inc. Progress Energy, Inc. United Utilities plc
Consolidated Edison, Inc. International Power plc Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. Xcel Energy, Inc.
Duke Energy Corporation Northeast Utilities Corporation Scottish & Southern Energy plc

These options have now vested having reached median performance, such that 100% of salary has vested. Details of the exercise periods are shown in table 3.

Details of the closing price of National Grid Transco shares as at 31 March 2005 and the high and low prices during the year are shown below table 6.

4. Directors’ interests in the Performance Share Plan

The table below gives details of the Executive Directors’ holdings of conditional shares awarded under the National Grid Transco Performance Share Plan (PSP). Under this Plan Executive Directors receive a conditional award of shares, up to a maximum of 125% of salary, which is subject to a TSR performance condition over a three-year performance period. Shares are then released following a further one-year retention period.

Table 4 Conditional
shares at
31 March 2004
or, if later,
on appointment*
 
Awards
exercised/
lapsed
during
year
Awards
granted
during year
 
Market
price at
award
(pence)
Date
of award
Vested
in year
Lapsed
without
vesting
in year
Conditional
shares at
31 March 2005
or, if earlier,
on
retirement †
Release date
Roger Urwin 195,866 – – 405.25 June 2003 – – 195,866 June 2007
  – – 198,587 424.875 June 2004 – – 198,587 June 2008
Total 195,866 – 198,587     – – 394,453  
 
Steve Lucas 115,669 – – 405.25 June 2003 – – 115,669 June 2007
  – – 116,210 424.875 June 2004 – – 116,210 June 2008
Total 115,669 – 116,210     – – 231,879  
 
Edward Astle 107,958 – – 405.25 June 2003 – – 107,958 June 2007
  – – 110,326 424.875 June 2004 – – 110,326 June 2008
Total 107,958 – 110,326     – – 218,284  
 
Steve Holliday 115,669 – – 405.25 June 2003 – – 115,669 June 2007
  – – 117,681 424.875 June 2004 – – 117,681 June 2008
Total 115,669 – 117,681     – – 233,350  
 
Nick Winser 92,535 – – 405.25 June 2003 – – 92,535 June 2007
  – – 98,558 424.875 June 2004 – – 98,558 June 2008
Total 92,535 – 98,558     – – 191,093  
 
Mike Jesanis
 (i)
41,871* – – 405.25 June 2003 – – 41,871 June 2007
  ADSs 19,987* – – $39.40 June 2004 – – ADSs19,987 June 2008
Total 41,871* – –     – – 41,871  
  ADSs 19,987* – –     – – ADSs 19,987  
 
Rick Sergel 152,063 – – 405.25 June 2003 – 152,063 –† June 2007
Total 152,063 – –     – 152,063 –†  
(i) Mike Jesanis received an award over ADSs in June 2004, based on a market price of $39.40 per ADS. Each ADS represents 5 ordinary shares.
5. Directors’ interests under the Lattice Long Term Incentive Scheme

The following table shows awards under the Lattice Long Term Incentive Scheme (LTIS) that were rolled over at the time of the merger between National Grid Group plc and Lattice Group plc by Steve Lucas and that were still held at
31 March 2005.

 
Original
award
date
Award held at
1 April 2004
including dividend
reinvestment shares
 
Adjusted market
price for award
at rollover
Shares resulting
from dividend
reinvestment
in year
 
Award
released
during year
Market price
at date of
release
(pence)
Award held
at 31 March
2005 or on
retirement †
 
 
Date award
released
Steve Lucas Nov 2000 81,492 350.43 2,122 83,614 461.80 – Nov 2004
  Nov 2001 96,589 388.24 1,612 – – 98,201 Nov 2005
Total   178,081   3,734 83,614 – 98,201  
Lattice LTIS

No awards have been made under this Plan since November 2001. Under the terms of the Lattice LTIS, notional allocations of shares were made to key individuals. The allocations were subject to a performance condition over three years as set out below and a further retention period of one year. The number of shares actually released to participants depended on the Group’s TSR compared with that of other regulated utility companies operating in a similar environment.

The 2000 and 2001 LTIS awards held by Steve Lucas continued over a number of National Grid Transco shares shown above and remain subject to the rules of the LTIS except that (i) since 21 October 2002, the performance target measures the Group’s TSR against the original comparator group of each award; and (ii) the awards will not be forfeited on ceasing employment unless the Remuneration Committee decides otherwise.

The comparator group used for the 2000 and 2001 LTIS awards is set out below:

Powergen plc Pennon Group plc Centrica plc British Energy plc
Kelda Group plc United Utilities plc Scottish Power plc BT Group plc
Scottish & Southern Energy plc Severn Trent plc Viridian Group plc Railtrack plc (2000 only)
BAA plc AWG plc International Power plc Thames Water plc (2000 only)

No awards vested if the Group’s TSR over the performance period, when compared with that of the other companies in the comparator group, fell below median. For TSR between that of the median and upper quartile of comparator group constituent companies the proportion of shares that vested was calculated on a straight-line basis between 40% and 100%, and for TSR performance at or above upper quartile the awards vested in full.

During 2004/05, the 2000 award was released to Steve Lucas following the end of the retention period. The 2001 award vested when the Group’s TSR was measured against the comparator group at the end of the performance period such that 100% of the award vested. Shares under this award will be held for a further year, the retention period, and will be released in November 2005.

6. Directors’ beneficial interests

The Directors’ beneficial interests (which include those of their families) in the ordinary shares of National Grid Transco of 10p each are shown below.

 
Ordinary shares at
31 March 2005 (i)
or, if earlier,
on retirement †
 
Ordinary shares at
1 April 2004
or, if later,
on appointment*
Options/awards over
ordinary shares at
31 March 2005
or, if earlier,
on resignation †(iii)
Options/awards over
ordinary shares at
1 April 2004
or, if later,
on appointment*
Roger Urwin (ii)(iv) 249,517 231,292 1,126,284 896,935
Steve Lucas (ii)(v)(vi)(vii) 102,063 42,961 404,093 350,854
Edward Astle(ii) 21,118 11,973 795,303 669,261
Steve Holliday (ii)(iv) 25,843 14,629 604,370 467,976
Nick Winser (ii) 36,515 19,781 350,761 246,697
Mike Jesanis (ii) 3,557 3,412* 336,935 336,935*
Rick Sergel (ii) 3,058 † 3,058 509,002 † 661,065
Sir John Parker 52,229 40,229 – –
James Ross 19,000 † 19,000 – –
John Grant 10,000 10,000 – –
Ken Harvey 3,874 1,874 – –
Paul Joskow 5,000 5,000 – –
Stephen Pettit 3,000 1,875 – –
Maria Richter 2,000 – – –
George Rose 5,025 5,025 – –
John Allan (viii) – – – –
(i) There has been no other change in the beneficial interests of the Directors in the ordinary shares of National Grid Transco between 1 April 2005 and 18 May 2005 except in respect of routine monthly purchases under the SIP (see note (iv) below).
(ii) Each of the Executive Directors, with the exception of Rick Sergel and Mike Jesanis, was for Companies Act purposes, deemed to be a potential beneficiary under the National Grid Qualifying Employee Share Ownership Trust (QUEST) and in the National Grid Transco 1996 Employee Benefit Trust and thereby to have an interest in the 6,364,355 National Grid Transco shares held by the QUEST and the 100,000 National Grid Transco shares held by the 1996 Employee Benefit Trust as at 31 March 2005.
(iii) Including the PSP awards detailed in table 4 above.
(iv) Beneficial interest includes shares purchased under the monthly operation of the SIPin the year to 31 March 2005. Further shares were purchased in April and May 2005 on behalf of Steve Holliday (49 shares) and Roger Urwin (49 shares).
(v) Steve Lucas was, for Companies Act purposes, deemed to be a potential beneficiary in the 103,732 National Grid Transco shares held by Mourant and Co. Trustees, as trustee of the Lattice Group Employee Shares Trust operated in conjunction with the Lattice LTISand the 6,981 National Grid Transco shares held by Lattice Group Trustees Limited as trustee of the Lattice Group Employee Share Ownership Trust, as at 31 March 2005.
(vi) Beneficial interest includes shares acquired pursuant to the Lattice All Employee Share Ownership Plan.
(vii) Including the Lattice LTISawards detailed in table 5 above.
(viii) John Allan was appointed to the Board on 1 May 2005.
The closing price of a National Grid Transco share on 31 March 2005 was 490.25p. The range during the year was 549.50p (high) and 421.25p (low). Please note that the Register of Directors’ Interests contains full details of shareholdings and options/awards held by Directors as at 31 March 2005.

On behalf of the Board

Helen Mahy
Group Company Secretary and General Counsel
18 May 2005

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