Cash flow

For the year ended 31 December 2017

	Note	2017 £m	2016 £m
Net cash from operating activities	24	159.9	125.9
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment		(73.3)	(64.7)
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets		3.7	7.6
Purchases of intangible fixed assets		(5.2)	(6.0)
Acquisition of businesses		(14.2)	(23.7)
Disposal of sundry investments		–	0.3
Disposal of businesses		–	1.9
Net cash used in investing activities		(89.0)	(84.6)
Financing activities
Interest received		0.1	–
Interest paid		(2.1)	(2.3)
Dividends paid		(30.6)	(48.1)
Repayments of bank loans		(5.0)	(2.3)
Payments of obligations under finance leases		(0.1)	(0.1)
New bank loans raised		–	5.0
Net cash used in financing activities		(37.7)	(47.8)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		33.2	(6.5)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		6.2	12.4
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes		0.2	0.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	24	39.6	6.2

For the year ended 31 December 2017

	Note	2017 £m	2016 £m
Net cash from operating activities	24	159.9	125.9
Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment		(73.3)	(64.7)
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets		3.7	7.6
Purchases of intangible fixed assets		(5.2)	(6.0)
Acquisition of businesses		(14.2)	(23.7)
Disposal of sundry investments		–	0.3
Disposal of businesses		–	1.9
Net cash used in investing activities		(89.0)	(84.6)
Financing activities
Interest received		0.1	–
Interest paid		(2.1)	(2.3)
Dividends paid		(30.6)	(48.1)
Repayments of bank loans		(5.0)	(2.3)
Payments of obligations under finance leases		(0.1)	(0.1)
New bank loans raised		–	5.0
Net cash used in financing activities		(37.7)	(47.8)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		33.2	(6.5)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year		6.2	12.4
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes		0.2	0.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	24	39.6	6.2