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Consolidated Cash Flow Statement - GBP (£)
£ in Millions
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Dec. 31, 2022
Cash flows from operating activities      
Operating profit £ 549 £ 625 £ 317
Adjustments for:      
Depreciation and impairment of property, plant and equipment 159 154 148
Depreciation and impairment of leased assets 123 120 106
Amortisation and impairment of intangible assets (excluding computer software) 199 175 118
Amortisation and impairment of computer software 26 26 22
Other non-cash items 18 26 8
Changes in working capital (excluding the effects of acquisitions and exchange differences on consolidation):      
Inventories (12) (15) (4)
Contract costs (14) (19) (10)
Trade and other receivables (38) (29) 5
Trade and other payables and provisions (101) (60) 6
Interest received 36 25 13
Interest paid [1] (180) (191) (52)
Income tax paid (87) (100) (77)
Net cash flows from operating activities 678 737 600
Cash flows from investing activities      
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (171) (167) (153)
Purchase of intangible fixed assets (44) (44) (37)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 4 14 5
Acquisition of companies and businesses, net of cash acquired (172) (242) (1,018)
Disposal of companies and businesses     1
Disposal of investment in associate   19  
Dividends received from associates 11 4 4
Net change to cash flow from investment in term deposits (1)   1
Net cash flows from investing activities (373) (416) (1,197)
Cash flows from financing activities      
Dividends paid to equity shareholders (229) (201) (122)
Capital element of lease payments (145) (157) (104)
Cost of issuing new shares     (16)
Cash outflow on settlement of debt-related foreign exchange forward contracts (9) (3) 26
Proceeds from new debt     2,383
Debt repayments (369)   (844)
Net cash flows from financing activities (752) (361) 1,323
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (447) (40) 726
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 832 879 242
Exchange loss on cash and cash equivalents (13) (7) (89)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the financial year £ 372 £ 832 £ 879
[1] Interest paid includes the interest element of lease payments of £24m (2023: £25m; 2022: £10m).