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Report & Accounts

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For the year ended 20 February 2007



FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 2007

Total Funds 969m
Total liabilities 707m
Free reserves 263m
Investment Return 9.7%
The above figures are in US dollars







The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited


Chairman's Statement


It is pleasing to be able to report an increase in the Club’s free reserves by $46 million to $263 million at the end of the 2006 year. During the year Standard and Poor’s also lifted their negative outlook on the Club’s ‘A’ rating, which is now ‘A’ Strong (stable outlook). This has been achieved as a result of another good year for our investments which produced a return of
9.7 per cent and has been boosted by a further recovery on the Club’s reinsurance contract with Swiss Re. However, this good news is somewhat offset by a more substantial deficit in the underlying operating account than we would have liked to see.

The primary reason for this is the experience of the International Group Pool. Our own premium income duly increased following the general increase ordered by the Board for 2006, and our Members’ own claims in the latest policy year have not shown a significant increase either at the attritional level or as a result of major claims. However, the Pool has seen what may be a record year for the number and value of claims recoverable from the Pool, and the Club’s contribution to these claims has adversely impacted the claims experience for the year.

The Pool experience is particularly remarkable in that out of a total of 28 Pool claims notified by the end of the year (as against a normal average of 13 claims at this stage), only three small claims originated from the UK Club. It is tempting to suggest that this positive experience reflects the quality of our membership and their operational standards, but experience indicates that claims at these high levels tend to strike clubs on a fairly random basis.

For this policy year, the Club’s contribution to claims from other clubs will far exceed our own recovery, but it can be expected that this will not alwys be the case, as was demonstrated by our own experience in the 2004 policy year. In any event, the Club’s contribution to the Pool will be adjusted downwards to reflect our record if it continues to be favourable.

Even so, the number and quantum of claims at this level remains a concern, especially if the recent experience is the beginning of a new trend. We continue to enjoy the benefit of reinsurance protection through the Swiss Re contract for abnormally high numbers of large claims, but we will be investigating closely whether more reinsurance would prove cost effective. However, even with the benefit of reinsurance, in the current regulatory climate capital requirements can be expected to increase to over potential volatility in claims. The Board will therefore need to ensure that premium income keeps pace with foreseeable claims developments.

There is no doubt that the Pool and the International Group reinsurance arrangements continue to be of value to the Club, especially if the Pool adapts to the requirements of changing circumstances. Sometimes, it is necessary to compromise the Club’s preferred position in order to reach an agreement between the clubs in the International Group on whose goodwill these benefits ultimately depend. The issue of a limit on cover for passenger risks is an example.

Over recent years there has been much discussion between the International Group clubs on whether to restrict the exposure of the clubs to claims in respect of passenger liabilities. The prospect of early entry into force of the Athens Convention 2002 with its very high limits of liability per passenger and the increasing size of passenger ships provided a focus for this debate during the last year.

This culminated late in the year in an agreement by all of the clubs to impose a limit on the cover for passenger and crew liabilities for the 2007 policy year. Although set at the highest levels consistent with the Group’s reinsurance programme, this limit still represents a departure from previous tradition in that the restriction was voluntary and not imposed by reinsurers, as was the case originally with the limit on oil pollution risks.

The result is that all members of International Group clubs are now protected from an overspill call arising from passenger risks, whilst passenger ship operators still have adequate cover in relation to the Athens Convention 2002 limits of liability for all but the very largest passenger ships.

During the year, the Board has completed its review of the governance structure of the Club. Whilst decision making remains with the full Board, it is assisted in the effective discharge of its duties by three main committees of the Board - the Strategy Committee, Audit Committee and Nominations Committee (for each of which revised Terms of Reference have been agreed), and the creation of a new committee on Ship and Membership Quality. The relationship between the Club Board and the operations of the Club’s subsidiary companies has also been clarified. The subsidiaries now include the new London based mutual, UK (Europe), which we have successfully established from 2007 to ensure that those Members who need or wish to do so, can access the Club through an insurer with a European regulatory passport.

I noted in my last Chairman’s Statement the demands on the Board’s time and attention arising from increasing regulatory requirements. This can only be expected to continue. The new European solvency regime, Solvency 2, continues to evolve, although the final form of the regulation will not be established for some time. Our Managers have been actively engaged in industry discussions of its development in addition to the regular contact we also maintain with the Club’s own regulators, particularly the Financial Services Authority in the UK. Developments in this area need to be constantly monitored to guard against unwelcome surprises.

The revised governance structure inevitably imposes more demands on some Directors, particularly those involved in the work of the committees of the Board. I am grateful to them for their willing commitment of the necessary time, and especially to the three Deputy Chairmen on whom much of the burden falls. Without the constant support and assistance they have given me, the role of the Chairman would be very much more difficult.

Over the year, four Directors have left the Board. The contribution of Klas Kleberg to the conduct of the Club for many years as Deputy Chairman has been immense and we will miss his wise counsel. Annarita Marion and Giorgio Sulser have also been long serving members of the Board whose commitment to the Club has been exceptional. To them and Ma Zehua I extend our thanks. I also welcome to the Board new Directors: Mrs Lone Fønss Schrøder, Myles Itkin, Mrs Kathryn Siggins, Nikolas Tsakos and Paul Wogan, and look forward to their participation in our affairs.

Finally, I would like to thank our Managers and all those working in their various offices around the world for the work they do for our Members. Their ability and willingness to provide assistance to Members, especially in times of crisis, remains one of the most important and valuable features of our Club.

Tullio Biggi
Chairman


Financial Statements



The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited
Consolidated Statement of Operations
for the Year ended 20th February 2007





Amounts in US$000  
2007 2006
Income
    Calls and premiums 
358,419354,943
    Reinsurance premiums 
(78,308)(128,560)

  208,111226,383

Expenditure
    Incurred claims 
264,841223,018
    Acquisition costs
20,81521,868
    Operating expenses
20,31419,426

  305,970264,312

Operating deficit

(25,859)(37,929)
Investment income
76,92749,199
Surplus before taxation
51,06811,270
Taxation
(5,371)(664)
Surplus after taxation
45,69710,606
Reserves at beginning of year
216,819206,213
Reserves at end of year
262,516216,819

The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited
Consolidated Balance Sheet
at 20th February 2007




Amounts in US$000 2007 2006
Assets
    Investments758,653823,240
    Cash balances112,56928,577
    Amounts due from Members2,7925,801
    Calls not yet due68,64963,534
    Reinsurance recoveries on
    outstanding claims
211,795160,948
    Accrued interest4,0601,682
    Sundry debtors41,07517,435

1,199,5931,101,217

Liabilities
Outstanding claims (gross)918,531869,155
Creditors18,30615,043
936,837884,158

Reserves262,516216,819
Statutory reserve
240240

262,756217,059

1,199,5931,101,217


The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited
Holding Company Balance Sheet
at 20th February 2007




Amounts in US$000 2007 2006
Assets
    Investments65,78064,014
    Cash balances
57,85922,214
    Amounts due from Members
2,7925,801
    Calls not yet due
68,64963,534
    Reinsurance recoveries on outstanding claims
850,374798,298
    Accrued interest
199344
    Sundry debtors
40,96917,393

1,086,622971,598

Liabilities
    Amounts due to subsidiary company
118,56167,319
    Outstanding claims (gross)
918,531869,115
    Creditors
18,14614,088

1,055,238950,522

    Reserves
31,14420,836
    Statutory reserve
240240

31,38421,076

1,086,622971,598

The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
for the year ended 20th February 2007




Amounts in US$000
2007 2006
Operating Activities
    Calls and premiums received
362,226354,717
    Receipts from reinsurance recoveries
(43,291)131,181
    Interest and dividends received
28,81027,987

A347,745513,885

    Claims paid
201,989358,451
    Acquisition costs
20,81521,868
    Operating expenses paid
23,16118,974
    Reinsurance premiums paid
80,02274,458
    Pool claims paid
44,63333,748
    Taxation paid
3,459100
B374,079507,599
    Cashflow from/(used by) operating activitiesA-B=C(26,334)6,286

Investing Activities
    Purchase of investments
(1,803,814)(1,555,547)
    Sale of Investments
1,914,1401,476,768
    Net cashflow from/(used by) investing     activitiesD110,326(78,779)
    Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash
    equivalents
C+D83,992(72,493)
    Cash balances at beginning of year
28,577101,070
    Cash balances at end of year
112,56928,577





The Club Report & Accounts are available for download in Adobe Acrobat format


Note:

The PDF copy of the UK Club Report & Accounts has a comprehensive system of bookmarks to enable speedy and easy reference. Simply click on the "Bookmarks" tab on the left of the Adobe Reader screen to view these links. A plus symbol beside a bookmark indicates there are further sub-sections for reference within it e.g. "[+] REVIEW OF THE YEAR" .


Financial Highlights 2007 features excerpts from the UK Club's full Directors' Report and Financial Statements 2007.



Previous years Report & Accounts




ERRATUM - The diagram of the International Group reinsurances on page 24 was printed incorrectly in the hard copy of the 2006 Report & Accounts. The fourth excess layer should be labelled as having "one reinstatement" not "unlimited reinstatements" . The PDF version supplied here is correct.