Note 29 - Share capital - Rio Tinto Limited

2007 Financial statements

Note 29 - Share capital - Rio Tinto Limited

	2007 Number(m)	2006 Number(m)	2007 US$m	2006 US$m
Share capital account
At 1 January	285.75	285.75	1,099	1,019
Adjustment on currency translation	-	-	120	80
Special Voting Share of 10p (c)	1 only	1 only	-	-
DLC Dividend Share of 10p (c)	1 only	1 only	-	-
At 31 December	285.75	285.75	1,219	1,099
Share capital held by Rio Tinto plc	171.07	171.07
Total share capital (c)	456.82	456.82

Notes

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In May 2006, shareholders authorised Rio Tinto Limited to buy back ordinary shares during the following 12 months whether on market or via off-market buy back tenders, but only to the extent that such purchases would not exceed 28.5 million Rio Tinto Limited shares during that 12 month period. Rio Tinto Limited is also authorised to buy back Rio Tinto Limited shares held by Tinto Holdings Australia Pty Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc). The share buyback programme was suspended on 12 July 2007 at the time the Alcan acquisition was announced. Rio Tinto Limited is seeking renewal of these approvals at its annual general meeting in 2008. No shares were bought back during the year to 31 December 2007 (2006: nil).
No new shares were issued during 2007 (2006: nil).
The 'Special Voting Share' was issued to facilitate the joint voting by shareholders of Rio Tinto Limited and Rio Tinto plc on Joint Decisions following the DLC merger. Directors have the ability to issue an Equalisation Share if that is required under the terms of the DLC Merger Sharing Agreement. The 'DLC Dividend Share' was issued to facilitate the efficient management of funds within the DLC structure.
Share options exercised during the year to 31 December 2007 under various Rio Tinto Limited employee share option schemes were satisfied by the on-market purchase of Rio Tinto Limited shares by a third party on the Group's behalf.
Information relating to share options and other share based incentive schemes is given in note 48 on share based payments.