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Consolidated Cash Flow Statement - GBP (£)
£ in Millions
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Dec. 31, 2022
Dec. 31, 2021
Cash flows from operating activities      
Operating profit £ 625 £ 317 £ 347
Adjustments for:      
Depreciation and impairment of property, plant and equipment 154 148 128
Depreciation and impairment of leased assets 120 106 78
Amortisation and impairment of intangible assets (excluding computer software) 175 118 74
Amortisation and impairment of computer software 26 22 17
Other noncash items 26 8 6
Changes in working capital (excluding the effects of acquisitions and exchange differences on consolidation):      
Inventories (15) (4) (3)
Contract costs (19) (10) (5)
Trade and other receivables (29) 5 59
Trade and other payables and provisions (60) 6 (32)
Interest received 25 13 5
Interest paid [1] (191) (52) (42)
Income tax paid (100) (77) (69)
Net cash flows from operating activities 737 600 563
Cash flows from investing activities      
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (167) (153) (128)
Purchase of intangible assets (44) (37) (32)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 14 5 7
Acquisition of companies and businesses, net of cash acquired (242) (1,018) (463)
Disposal of companies and businesses   1  
Disposal of investment in associate 19    
Dividends received from associates 4 4 4
Net change to cash flow from investment in term deposits   1 171
Net cash flows from investing activities (416) (1,197) (441)
Cash flows from financing activities      
Dividends paid to equity shareholders (201) (122) (139)
Acquisition of shares from non-controlling interest     (9)
Capital element of lease payments (157) (104) (88)
Cost of issuing new shares   (16)  
Cash (outflow)/inflow on settlement of debt-related foreign exchange forward contracts (3) 26 (19)
Proceeds from new debt 0 2,383 5
Debt repayments 0 (844) (167)
Net cash flows from financing activities (361) 1,323 (417)
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (40) 726 (295)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 879 242 551
Exchange losses on cash and cash equivalents (7) (89) (14)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the financial year £ 832 £ 879 £ 242
[1] Interest paid includes the interest element of lease payments of £25m (2022: £10m; 2021: £6m).