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Provision for post-employment benefits - Pension Expense Charged to Operating Profit, Amounts Charged to Finance Costs and Amounts Recognised in Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (OCI) (Detail) - GBP (£) £ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure of net defined benefit (liability) asset |  |  |  |  |  |
Service cost | [1] | £ 12.9 | £ 12.0 | [2] | £ 9.4 | [2]
Administrative expenses |  | 1.9 | 2.2 | [2] | 2.4 | [2]
Charge to operating profit |  | 14.8 | 14.2 | [2] | 11.8 | [2]
Net interest expense on pension plans |  | 3.5 | 3.6 | [2] | 5.4 | [2]
Charge to profit before taxation for defined benefit plans |  | 18.3 | 17.8 | [2] | 17.2 | [2]
Actuarial (loss)/gain recognised in OCI | [3] | (36.6) | 8.9 |  | 17.0 |
Post employment pension other comprehensive income [member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of net defined benefit (liability) asset |  |  |  |  |  |
Return on plan assets (excluding interest income) |  | 16.7 | (43.9) |  | 13.4 |
Changes in demographic assumptions underlying the present value of the plan liabilities |  | 5.9 | 3.8 |  | 12.7 |
Changes in financial assumptions underlying the present value of the plan liabilities |  | (64.3) | 45.2 |  | (17.0) |
Experience gain arising on the plan liabilities |  | 5.1 | 3.8 |  | 7.9 |
Actuarial (loss)/gain recognised in OCI |  | £ (36.6) | £ 8.9 |  | £ 17.0 |
[1] | Includes current service cost, past service costs related to plan amendments and (gain)/loss on settlements and curtailments.
[2] | Prior year figures have been re-presented in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations, as described in the accounting policies.
[3] | Figures have been restated, as described in the accounting policies.

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- Definition The decrease (increase) in a net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from actuarial gains (losses) arising from changes in demographic assumptions that result in remeasurements of the net defined benefit liability (asset). Demographic assumptions deal with matters such as: (a) mortality; (b) rates of employee turnover, disability and early retirement; (c) the proportion of plan members with dependants who will be eligible for benefits; (d) the proportion of plan members who will select each form of payment option available under the plan terms; and (e) claim rates under medical plans. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph c -Clause ii -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_141_c_ii&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The decrease (increase) in a net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from actuarial gains (losses) arising from changes in financial assumptions that result in remeasurements of the net defined benefit liability (asset). Financial assumptions deal with items such as: (a) the discount rate; (b) benefit levels, excluding any cost of the benefits to be met by employees, and future salary; (c) in the case of medical benefits, future medical costs, including claim handling costs (ie the costs that will be incurred in processing and resolving claims, including legal and adjuster's fees); and (d) taxes payable by the plan on contributions relating to service before the reporting date or on benefits resulting from that service. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph c -Clause iii -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_141_c_iii&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from the passage of time. [Refer: Interest expense; Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph b -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_141_b&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The amount of other comprehensive income, before tax, related to gains (losses) on remeasurements of defined benefit plans, which comprise actuarial gains and losses; the return on plan assets, excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined benefit liability (asset); and any change in the effect of the asset ceiling, excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined benefit liability (asset). [Refer: Other comprehensive income, before tax; Defined benefit plans [member]; Plan assets [member]; Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 91 -Subparagraph b -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_91_b&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_7&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The amount of post-employment benefit expense relating to defined benefit plans. [Refer: Defined benefit plans [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_5&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The decrease (increase) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from the return on plan assets, excluding amounts included in interest income or expense. The return on plans assets is interest, dividends and other revenue derived from the plan assets, together with realised and unrealised gains or losses on the plan assets, less any costs of managing plan assets and less any tax payable by the plan itself, other than tax included in the actuarial assumptions used to measure the present value of the defined benefit obligation. [Refer: Plan assets [member]; Net defined benefit liability (asset); Actuarial assumptions [member]; Interest expense (income), net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph c -Clause i -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_141_c_i&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition Administrative Expense Net Defined Benefit Liability Asset. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Charge to profit before taxation for defined benefit plans. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Experience gain/(loss) arising on the plan liabilities. + References No definition available. + Details
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