Other disclosures

Executives' external and other appointments

Executives are likely to be invited to become non executive directors of other companies. Rio Tinto believes that such appointments can broaden their experience and knowledge, to the benefit of the Group. It is Group policy to limit executives' external directorships to one FTSE 100 company or equivalent and they are not allowed to take on the chairmanship of another FTSE 100 company.

Consequently, where there is no likelihood that such directorships will give rise to conflicts of interests, the board will normally give consent to the appointment, with the executive permitted to retain the fees earned. Details of fees earned are set out in the notes to Table 1.

Executives have agreed to waive any fees receivable from subsidiary and associated companies. One executive director waived US$1,390 during the period (2005: Nil).