Cash flow statement

for the year ended 31 October 2024

	2024 £m	2023 £m
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from continuing underlying operations	96.0	80.0
Cash impact of continuing non-underlying items	(2.5)	(2.1)
Cash (utilised in)/generated from discontinued underlying operations	(1.5)	(0.8)
Cash impact of discontinued non-underlying items	(1.5)	(1.9)
Cash flows from operating activities	90.5	75.2
Retirement benefit deficit contributions	(3.0)
Tax paid	(6.5)	(9.3)
Net cash inflow from operating activities	81.0	65.9
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of intangible assets	(4.8)	(1.5)
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(64.8)	(32.7)
Acquisition of subsidiary net of cash acquired	-	(7.2)
Short-term funding to defined benefit pension scheme	-	2.0
Net cash outflow from investing activities	(47.6)	(39.4)
Cash flows from financing activities
Dividends paid	(19.6)	(17.3)
Purchase of own shares	(41.0)	(14.0)
Net proceeds for transactions in own shares	0.7	0.6
Finance expense paid	(4.0)	(0.7)
Capitalised facility fees paid	(0.8)	(0.3)
Drawdown of borrowings	100.0	60.1
Repayments of borrowings	(70.1)	(66.8)
Payment of lease liabilities	(2.5)	(1.8)
Net cash outflow from financing activities	(37.3)	(40.2)
(Decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents	(3.9)	(13.7)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year	6.4	19.8
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes	(0.5)	0.3
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	2.0	6.4