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(d) Additionally Router purchased 60% of the ordinary shares of a radio station, Playtime, a public limited company,

on 31 May 2007. The remaining 40% of the ordinary shares are owned by a competitor company who owns a

substantial number of warrants issued by Playtime which are currently exercisable. If these warrants are

exercised, they will result in Router only owning 35% of the voting shares of Playtime. (4 marks)

Required:

Discuss how the above items should be dealt with in the group financial statements of Router for the year ended

31 May 2007.

5 Financial statements have seen an increasing move towards the use of fair values in accounting. Advocates of ‘fair

value accounting’ believe that fair value is the most relevant measure for financial reporting whilst others believe that

historical cost provides a more useful measure.

Issues have been raised over the reliability and measurement of fair values, and over the nature of the current level

of disclosure in financial statements in this area.

Required:

(a) Discuss the problems associated with the reliability and measurement of fair values and the nature of any

additional disclosures which may be required if fair value accounting is to be used exclusively in corporate

reporting. (13 marks)

(b) One of the hotels owned by Norman is a hotel complex which includes a theme park, a casino and a golf course,

as well as a hotel. The theme park, casino, and hotel were sold in the year ended 31 May 2008 to Conquest, a

public limited company, for $200 million but the sale agreement stated that Norman would continue to operate

and manage the three businesses for their remaining useful life of 15 years. The residual interest in the business

reverts back to Norman after the 15 year period. Norman would receive 75% of the net profit of the businesses

as operator fees and Conquest would receive the remaining 25%. Norman has guaranteed to Conquest that the

net minimum profit paid to Conquest would not be less than $15 million. (4 marks)

Norman has recently started issuing vouchers to customers when they stay in its hotels. The vouchers entitle the

customers to a $30 discount on a subsequent room booking within three months of their stay. Historical

experience has shown that only one in five vouchers are redeemed by the customer. At the company’s year end

of 31 May 2008, it is estimated that there are vouchers worth $20 million which are eligible for discount. The

income from room sales for the year is $300 million and Norman is unsure how to report the income from room

sales in the financial statements. (4 marks)

Norman has obtained a significant amount of grant income for the development of hotels in Europe. The grants

have been received from government bodies and relate to the size of the hotel which has been built by the grant

assistance. The intention of the grant income was to create jobs in areas where there was significant

unemployment. The grants received of $70 million will have to be repaid if the cost of building the hotels is less

than $500 million. (4 marks)

Appropriateness and quality of discussion (2 marks)

Required:

Discuss how the above income would be treated in the financial statements of Norman for the year ended

31 May 2008.

(b) Discuss the view that fair value is a more relevant measure to use in corporate reporting than historical cost.

(12 marks)

(b) When a director retires, amounts become payable to the director as a form. of retirement benefit as an annuity.

These amounts are not based on salaries paid to the director under an employment contract. Sirus has

contractual or constructive obligations to make payments to former directors as at 30 April 2008 as follows:

(i) certain former directors are paid a fixed annual amount for a fixed term beginning on the first anniversary of

the director’s retirement. If the director dies, an amount representing the present value of the future payment

is paid to the director’s estate.

(ii) in the case of other former directors, they are paid a fixed annual amount which ceases on death.

The rights to the annuities are determined by the length of service of the former directors and are set out in the

former directors’ service contracts. (6 marks)

Required:

Draft a report to the directors of Sirus which discusses the principles and nature of the accounting treatment of

the above elements under International Financial Reporting Standards in the financial statements for the year

ended 30 April 2008.