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Independent auditors’ report to the members of John Lewis Partnership plc


We have audited the group and parent company financial statements (the ‘‘financial statements’’) of John Lewis Partnership plc for the year ended 30 January 2010 which comprise the consolidated income statement, the consolidated statement of comprehensive (expense)/income, the consolidated balance sheet, balance sheet of the company, the consolidated and company statements of changes in equity, the statement of consolidated cash flows and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union and, as regards the parent company financial statements, as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditors

As explained more fully in the Directors’ Responsibilities Statement set out on page 76, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the company’s members as a body in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

Scope of the audit of the financial statements

An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the group’s and company’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; and the overall presentation of the financial statements.

Opinion on financial statements

In our opinion:

– the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the parent company’s affairs as at 30 January 2010 and of the group’s profit and group’s cash flows for the year then ended;
– the group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union;
– the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and
– the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards the group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion the information given in the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.