Corporate Governance
Non-executive Director independence
Each of the Non-executive Directors has been determined by the Board to be independent following initial consideration by the Nominations Committee. The independence of the Non-executive Directors is considered at least annually and is based on the criteria suggested in the Combined Code. Further, the Nominations Committee also considers the character, judgement and behaviour of each Non-executive Director plus their performance on the Board and the relevant Committees.
In determining length of service, the Board takes into account service on the Board of National Grid plus that on the boards of either Lattice Group plc or National Grid Group plc prior to their merger. Under these criteria, Professor Paul Joskow has now served on the Board for seven years. His time as a director of New England Electric System (NEES) is not considered to have an impact on his independence given NEES now represents a minor part of our operations overall. Professor Joskow has been viewed by the Board as a valuable member as it recognises his extensive knowledge of the US utility scene and considers him to be a world authority on utility regulation.