Cash flow

For the year ended 31 December 2019

	Note	2019 £m	2018 £m
Net cash from operating activities	24	1773	173.3
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment		(77.7)	(82.4)
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets		7.4	10.2
Purchases of intangible fixed assets		(1.0)	(1.8)
Acquisition of businesses		(19.1)	(8,.3)
Disposal of sundry investments		–	–
Disposal of businesses		–	0.7
Net cash used in investing activities		(90.4)	(81.6)
Financing activities
Interest received		0.2	0.2
Interest paid		(4.7)	(1.9)
Dividends paid		(74.9)	(81.8)
Repayments of bank loans		(37.7)	(40.7)
Payments of obligations under finance leases		14.4	–
New bank loans raised		35.0	40.0
Net cash used in financing activities		(102.1)	(94.8)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		15.2	(3.1)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		36.2	39.6
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes		0.1	0.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	24	20.9	39.6

For the year ended 31 December 2019

	Note	2019 £m	2018 £m
Net cash from operating activities	24	1773	173.3
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment		(77.7)	(82.4)
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets		7.4	10.2
Purchases of intangible fixed assets		(1.0)	(1.8)
Acquisition of businesses		(19.1)	(8,.3)
Disposal of sundry investments		–	–
Disposal of businesses		–	0.7
Net cash used in investing activities		(90.4)	(81.6)
Financing activities
Interest received		0.2	0.2
Interest paid		(4.7)	(1.9)
Dividends paid		(74.9)	(81.8)
Repayments of bank loans		(37.7)	(40.7)
Payments of obligations under finance leases		14.4	–
New bank loans raised		35.0	40.0
Net cash used in financing activities		(102.1)	(94.8)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		15.2	(3.1)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		36.2	39.6
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes		0.1	0.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	24	20.9	39.6