Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI)

(xiii) Commitments and contingencies

Contingent liabilities existed at 31 December 2005 in connection with guarantees and uncalled capital relating to subsidiary and other undertakings and guarantees relating to pension funds, including the solvency of pension funds. The maximum contingent liability for the Company, mainly on guarantees of borrowings by subsidiaries, was £1,203m (2004 £1,123m). In particular, the Company has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the debt securities of its wholly owned subsidiary ICI Wilmington, Inc. From time to time, the Company, in the ordinary course of business, also provides guarantees to its wholly owned subsidiaries.

The Company has not adopted amendments to FRS 26 in relation to financial guarantee contracts which will apply for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2006. Where the Company enters into financial guarantee contracts and guarantees the indebtedness of other companies within the Group, the Company considers these to be insurance arrangements, and accounts for them as such. In this respect, the Company treats the guarantee contract as a contingent liability until such time that it becomes probable that the Company will be required to make a payment under the guarantee. The Company does not expect the amendments to have any impact on the financial statements for the period commencing 1 January 2006.