Directors' remuneration and interests

The auditors are required to report on the information contained in the following sections a) to e).

a) Emoluments of directors excluding pension contributions (£'000)

    Salary and/
or fees
  Bonus   Benefits
in kind
  Taxable
expenses
  2006
Total
  2005
Total
Executive directors                        
J E O'Higgins   372   263   12     647  
S C Harris   225   169   18     412   338
C G Watson   78   47   3     128  
J C Webster   229   172   15     416   335
                         
S Hare   154     1   6   161   386
                         
Non-executive directors                        
P A Chambré   15         15  
A F Given   40         40   35
J W Poulter   125     1     126   216
A J Reading   40         40   30
J A Warren   29         29  
                         
M J Lamb   15         15   35
L G Murray   15         15   30
    1,337   651   50   6   2,044   1,405

Mr Poulter's remuneration as Chairman of £100,000 p.a. in 2005 was supplemented by an additional £115,000 reflecting the responsibilities assumed by Mr Poulter during the period in which he was acting Chief Executive.

Mr O'Higgins and Mr Watson received a salary supplement in lieu of company pension contribution for the first three months of their employment of £21,875 and £15,625, respectively. These amounts are included in their salary figures.

Benefits in kind include company cars, private fuel and medical expenses insurance. Taxable expenses relate to allowances paid in lieu of company cars and private fuel.

During the year Mr Harris received £11,666 in respect of his appointment as a non-executive director of Brixton plc and Mr Webster received £28,864 in respect of his appointment as a non-executive director of Raymarine plc.

b) Directors' pensions (print these large tables)

Company contributions to defined contribution plans:   2006
£'000
  2005
£'000
J E O'Higgins   65  
S C Harris   56   55
J C Webster   57   55
 
S Hare   38   47
The company contributes at the rate of 25% of salary. Mr Watson was not eligible to join the Spectris Defined Contribution Pension Plan until 1 January 2007.
 
c) Directors' total remuneration

                                    2006
£'000
  2005
£'000
Aggregate emoluments   2,044   1,554
Company pension contributions to defined contribution schemes   216   192
Gains made on exercise of share options   344   54
    2,604   1,800
 
d) Directors' interests in options to purchase ordinary shares

    Date granted   Options
held
1 Jan 06
  Granted
during
the year
  Exercise
price (p)
  Exercised
during
the year
  Share price
at date of
exercise (p)
  Lapsed
during
the year
  Options
held
31 Dec 06
  Date
exercisable
  Expiry date
J W Poulter   Jun 1996   41,037       661.8261           41,037       Jun 1999   Jun 2006
    Mar 1997   25,648       538.5256   25,648   692.5857           Mar 2000   Mar 2007
    Mar 1998   15,389       550.7095   15,389   692.5857           Mar 2001   Mar 2008
    Mar 1999   20,518       321.6533               20,518   Mar 2002   Mar 2009
    Mar 2000   48,715       513.1832               48,715   Mar 2003   Mar 2010
    Mar 2001   30,550       498.50               30,550   Mar 2004   Mar 2011
        181,857           41,037       41,037   99,783        
 
J E O'Higgins                                        
SAYE   Oct 2006       1,529   618               1,529   Dec 2009   Jun 2010
            1,529                   1,529        
 
S Hare   Sep 2005   115,000       589           115,000            
        115,000                   115,000   0        
 
S C Harris   Sep 2003   40,000       468.5               40,000   Sep 2006   Sep 2013
    Mar 2004   40,000       462               40,000   Mar 2007   Mar 2014
    Oct 2004   35,000       406.25               35,000   Oct 2007   Oct 2014
    Sep 2005   85,000       589               85,000   Sep 2008   Sep 2015
        200,000                       200,000        
 
J C Webster   Jun 1996   20,518       661.8261           20,518       Jun 1999   Jun 2006
    Mar 1997   15,389       538.5256   15,389   661.5           Mar 2000   Mar 2007
    Mar 1998   10,259       550.7095   10,259   695.3739           Mar 2001   Mar 2008
    Mar 2000   30,202       513.1832               30,202   Mar 2003   Mar 2010
    Mar 2001   18,839       498.50               18,839   Mar 2004   Mar 2011
    Mar 2003   65,000       279   65,000   655.0667           Mar 2006   Mar 2013
    Sep 2003   44,000       468.5               44,000   Sep 2006   Sep 2013
    Mar 2004   40,000       462               40,000   Mar 2007   Mar 2014
    Oct 2004   35,000       406.25               35,000   Oct 2007   Oct 2014
    Sep 2005   85,000       589               85,000   Sep 2008   Sep 2015
SAYE   Oct 2003   1,969       468.5   1,969   681.5           Dec 2006   Jun 2007
        366,176           92,617       20,518   253,041        

Shares other than those marked SAYE relate to executive share option grants. Entitlement to exercise grants under the unapproved 1996 Executive Share Option Plan is conditional upon a performance criterion requiring compound growth in normalised earnings per share ("EPS") over three years up to 5% per annum in excess of the increase in the retail prices index (refer to the Directors' remuneration report on page 30 for further explanation). No consideration was paid by any recipient in relation to the grant of an option and there were no changes to the conditions on which any option was granted during the year.

J W Poulter exercised 41,037 options under the Unapproved 1996 Executive Share Plan during the year. The gain on exercise was £61,346.

J C Webster exercised 90,648 options under the Unapproved 1996 Executive Share Plan during the year. He exercised 65,000 options, selling sufficient shares to pay the exercise and dealing costs and income tax due on exercise, retaining the balance of 21,908 shares. The gain on exercise was £244,443. He further exercised 15,389 options at a gain of £18,924 and 10,259 options at a gain of £14,841. He also exercised 1,969 options under the Spectris Savings Related Share Option Scheme, retaining all 1,969 shares. The gain on exercise was £4,194.

The aggregate gains on exercise for all directors were thus £343,748 (2005: £54,271).

Options granted to S Hare lapsed on his leaving employment.

e) Directors' share awards under the Spectris Performance Share Plan

    Number of
shares subject
to award at
1 Jan 06
  Granted
during
the year
  Exercised
during
the year
  Lapsed
during
the year
  Number of
shares subject
to award at
31 Dec 06
  Market value
of each share
at date of
award (p)
  Date
exercisable
  Expiry date
J E O'Higgins     56,000       56,000   622.5   May 2009   May 2010
S C Harris     24,000       24,000   622.5   May 2009   May 2010
C G Watson     6,500       6,500   640.0   Oct 2009   Oct 2010
J C Webster     24,500       24,500   622.5   May 2009   May 2010

The awards were made as conditional rights to acquire shares (structured as nominal cost options), and the number of shares awarded were based on the mid-market closing price of the company's shares on the business day prior to the date of grant. For each of Mr O'Higgins, Mr Harris and Mr Webster, the value of the award was equivalent to 100%, 67% and 67%, respectively, of his base salary at the date of grant. For Mr Watson, the value of his award was equivalent to one quarter of 67% of his base salary at the date of grant, being pro-rated to reflect his joining the company on 1 October 2006. Following satisfaction, in whole or part, of the performance criteria attaching to the awards, the directors may call for the release to them of the shares subject to the award during the above shown exercise periods.

f) Directors' interests

The following directors or their families had beneficial interests in the ordinary shares of the company:

    Shareholdings
    2006
31 Dec
(or date of resignation)
  2006
1 Jan
(or date of appointment)
J W Poulter   142,687   142,687
J E O'Higgins   15,000  
P A Chambré   5,000  
A F Given   5,000   5,000
S C Harris   1,000  
A J Reading   10,000   10,000
J A Warren   3,000   3,000
C G Watson    
J C Webster   100,126   86,249
 
S Hare    
M J Lamb   6,000   6,000
L G Murray    

There were no changes to the above interests between the year end and the date of this report.

No director had during the year or at the end of the year any material interest in any contract of significance to the group's business.

At 31 December 2006 the middle market closing share price on the London Stock Exchange was 783.5p. The highest share price in the year was 795.25p and the lowest was 540.25p. At 31 December 2006 each of the executive directors was deemed to have a non–beneficial interest in 67,491 (2005: 1,133,395) ordinary shares held by the Trustees of the Spectris plc Employee Benefit Trust of which the directors are among the class of discretionary beneficiaries.

By order of the Board

A J Reading
Chairman of the Committee
23 February 2007

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