Disclosure of member’s interest and staff members’ interests

Professor Paul Geroski, the Chairman of the CC, has appointed Mr Laurie Elks, one of the members of the CC, to the group that is conducting this inquiry. Mr Elks’ mother has a shareholding of 5,054 shares in Diageo.

The CC is satisfied that these shareholdings will not affect Mr Elks’ ability to act independently or impartially in discharging the CC’s functions in this inquiry.

The wife of the Accounting adviser to the Inquiry group owns 349 shares in Mitchells & Butler; and the Economic adviser to the Inquiry group and her husband jointly own 3,200 shares in Diageo.

Giuseppina Squicciarini, an Economic assistant to the inquiry, worked as a research assistant for Frontier Economics between October 2003 and June 2004. Frontier Economics is advising the main parties in this inquiry. While she worked at Frontier Economics her work did not involve any of the parties to this inquiry.

The CC does not believe that the matters disclosed above in relation to the members of staff affect their ability to act impartially and independently in advising the Group.

23 November