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Notes 1-5

4. Operating profit/(loss)

Operating profit/(loss) has been arrived at after charging/(crediting):


2009
£m		 2008
£m		 2007
£m
Net foreign exchange losses/(gains) 30 (27) 6
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (note 11):      
Owned assets 4,025 3,400 2,994
Leased assets 36 27 17
Amortisation of intangible assets (note 9) 2,753 2,482 2,100
Impairment of goodwill (note 10) 5,650 – 11,600
Impairment of licence and spectrum (note 10) 250 – –
Research and development expenditure 280 234 222
Staff costs (note 36) 3,227 2,698 2,466
Operating lease rentals payable:      
Plant and machinery 68 43 35
Other assets including fixed line rentals 1,331 1,117 984
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment 10 70 43
Own costs capitalised attributable to the construction or acquisition of property, plant and equipment (273) (245) (244)

The total remuneration of the Group’s auditor, Deloitte LLP, and its affiliates for services provided to the Group is analysed below:


2009
£m		 2008
£m		 2007
£m
Audit fees:      
Parent company 1 1 1
Subsidiary undertakings 5 5 4
  6 6 5
Fees for statutory and regulatory filings(1) 2 1 2
Audit and audit-related fees 8 7 7
       
Other fees:      
Taxation 1 1 1
Other(2) – 1 2
  1 2 3
Total fees 9 9 10

Notes:

(1)
Amounts for 2009, 2008 and 2007 include mainly audit fees in relation to Section 404 of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
(2)
The amount for 2007 includes fees mainly relating to the preparatory work required in advance of the implementation of Section 404 of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and general accounting advice.

In addition to the above, the Group’s joint ventures and associated undertakings paid fees totalling £3 million (2008: £2 million, 2007: £2 million) and £6 million (2008: £3 million, 2007: £4 million), respectively, to Deloitte LLP and its affiliates during the year. Deloitte LLP and its affiliates have also received amounts totalling less than £1 million in each of the last three years in respect of services provided to pension schemes and charitable foundations associated to the Group.

A description of the work performed by the Audit Committee in order to safeguard auditor independence when non-audit services are provided is set out in “Corporate governance”.

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