Annual Report and Accounts 2007

Financial Statements

Notes to the consolidated accounts

23. Reinsurance assets

Year ended 31 December 2007 Insurance contracts
£m
Investment contracts
£m
Total
£m
At 1 January 47 38 85
Premiums (i) 1,779 54 1,833
Claims (177) - (177)
Unwind of discount rate 31 - 31
Other movements 238 5 243
At 31 December 1,918 97 2,015
  1. The main item included within Premiums is the reinsurer's share of liabilities of £1,722m (2006: £nil) arising from a reinsurance arrangement entered into in 2007. A related payable amount of £1,611m is included within loans and borrowings, please see note 33(vi) for detail.

No significant gain or loss arose on reinsurance contracts incepted in either 2006 or 2007.

Year ended 31 December 2006 Insurance contracts
£m
Investment contracts
£m
Total
£m
At 1 January 177 6 183
Premiums 37 30 67
Claims (20) - (20)
Unwind of discount rate 3 - 3
Other (150) 2 (148)
At 31 December 47 38 85

Included in the carrying totals above, £2,007m (2006: £105m) is expected to be recovered more than 12 months after the balance sheet date.

Amounts expected to be recovered more than 12 months after the balance sheet exceed the carrying value when the expectation is that premiums will exceed claims in the short term.

Reinsurance assets are valued using the same methods and bases as those used to value the underlying liabilities that are being reinsured.