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Notes to the financial statements

25 Share capital

2009 2008
Shares £m Shares £m
Authorised ordinary shares of 25p each 3,200,000,000 800.0 3,200,000,000 800.0
Allotted, called up and fully paid ordinary shares of 25p each:
At start of year 1,586,478,423 396.6 1,699,773,100 424.9
Shares issued on exercise of share options 2,217,763 0.5 12,447,224 3.1
Shares purchased in buy-back (10,901,267) (2.7) (125,741,901) (31.4)
At end of year 1,577,794,919 394.4 1,586,478,423 396.6

Issue of new shares

2,217,763 (last year 12,447,224) ordinary shares having a nominal value of £0.5m (last year £3.1m) were allotted during the year under the terms of the Company’s schemes which are described in note 12. The aggregate consideration received was £5.3m (last year £31.6m).

Share buy-back

10,901,267 (last year 125,741,901) ordinary shares having a nominal value of £2.7m (last year £31.4m) were bought back and subsequently cancelled during the year in accordance with the authority granted by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in July 2007. The aggregate consideration paid was £40.9m (last year £555.9m).