The Committee has been satisfied with
the process established by the Manager.
After the year end, the Manager reported
the results of the valuation process,
including the sources of valuation
information and the methodologies used.
The auditors separately reported the results
of their audit work to the Committee.
The Committee concluded that the valuation
process had been properly carried out
and that the investment Portfolio had been
fairly valued in accordance with IFRS, in line
with International Private Equity and Venture
Capital Valuation Guidelines.
Going concern and viability
In order to support the Board in determining
that it is appropriate to continue to adopt
the going concern basis of preparation of
the Company’s financial statements, the
Committee has challenged and assessed the
key assumptions underpinning that decision.
This included:
• an assessment of the Company’s business
activities, as set out in the Chair’s
statement on page 6 and the Manager’s
review on page 14;
• the Company’s principal risks and their
mitigants, as noted on page 43; and
• the Company’s ability to manage its
liquidity and overcommitment levels over
the period of 12 months and longer from
the date of this report, incorporating the
Company’s balance sheet and cash flow
projections provided by the Manager.
These projections included scenarios
with varying levels of Portfolio gains and
losses, fund drawdowns and realisations,
availability of the credit facility, exchange
rates, and possible remedial action that the
Company could undertake if required in the
event of significant Portfolio declines and/
or reductions in liquidity. Further details
around liquidity risk and overcommitment
risk are detailed on page 91 within the notes
to the financial statements. Accordingly,
the Committee was satisfied that the ‘going
concern’ basis of accounting remained
appropriate for the Company.
OTHER MATTERS
Auditing standards require the auditors to
identify and consider the risks of material
misstatement, including that due to fraud and
failure of internal controls. In the current year
the auditors focused on a number of key audit
matters that, in the auditors’ professional
judgement, were of most significance in the
audit of the financial statements.
Following a thorough review, and discussion
with the Manager and the auditors, the
Committee has advised the Board that the
Annual Report and Accounts for the year
ended 31 January 2023, taken as a whole, is fair,
balanced and understandable and provides
the information necessary for shareholders
to assess the Company’s position and
performance, business model and strategy.
INTERNAL CONTROLS AND NEED FOR AN
INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION
The Board has overall responsibility for
the Company’s systems of internal controls
and for reviewing their effectiveness.
The purpose of the controls is to ensure that
the assets of the Company are safeguarded,
proper accounting records are maintained
and the financial information used within the
business and for publication is reliable.
The Committee regularly reviews, identifies
and evaluates the risks taken by the Company
to allow them to be appropriately managed.
All of the Company’s day-to-day
management functions are delegated to
the Manager, which has its own internal
control and risk monitoring arrangements.
The Committee makes a regular assessment
of these arrangements with reference to the
Company’s risk matrix.
The Committee also received a report,
based on agreed-upon procedures,
from the Manager’s internal audit function.
In accordance with the Alternative
Investment Fund Managers Directive
(‘the Directive’), the Company has
appointed Aztec Financial Services (UK)
Limited (‘the Depositary’) as depositary.
The Depositary’s responsibilities include
the monitoring of the cash flows of the
Company, the safekeeping of the Company’s
assets, and the general oversight of the
Company including its compliance with its
investment policy. The Audit Committee
has reviewed the Depositary’s reports
for the period from 1 February 2022 to
31 January 2023, that set out the testing and
procedures carried out by the Depositary to
satisfy itself that it is fulfilling its obligations,
and that the Company was operating in
accordance with the Directive. The reports
did not identify any issues.
The Committee considers, therefore, that
an internal audit function specific to the
Company is unnecessary.
AUDIT INDEPENDENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS
EY were appointed as auditors for the
year ended 31 January 2023 at the Annual
General Meeting in June 2022. The
Company has complied with the terms
of the September 2014 Competition and
Markets Authority Order, including in
respect of audit tendering.
The Audit Committee has reviewed
the provision of non-audit services and
believes them to be cost-effective and not
an impediment to the auditors’ objectivity
and independence. Details of the total fees
paid to EY by the Company are set out in
note 4 to the financial statements. In the year
ended 31 January 2023, £39k (2021: £34k)
was payable to the auditors in respect of
non-audit services. It has been agreed that
all non-audit work to be carried out by the
external auditors must be approved in
advance by the Audit Committee, and in
line with the latest guidelines for the
provision of non-audit services by the
Company’s auditors.
The Committee reviews the performance
of the auditors each year. The Committee
considers a range of factors including the
quality of service, their expertise and the
level of audit fee.
The 2023 year-end audit was EY’s fourth
as auditors and oversight of their work
has been a key focus of the Committee
during the year. The Committee has been
pleased with the work undertaken by both
the Manager and EY. We look forward to
continuing to build on the relationship with
EY and the fresh insights that they will bring
to the Committee.
The Committee accordingly recommends that
Ernst & Young LLP be appointed auditors for
the year ending 31 January 2024.
I would be pleased to discuss the work of the
Committee with any shareholder.
Alastair Bruce
Chair of the Audit Committee
10 May 2023
STRATEGIC REPORT GOVERNANCE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OTHER INFORMATION
ICG Enterprise Trust Plc Annual Report and Accounts 2023 65